In Jiangnan, there exists a poisonous Shegong insect, also called Short Fox or Yu, commonly found in mountain …
In Jiangnan, there exists a poisonous Shegong insect, also called Short Fox or Yu, commonly found in mountain streams. It has a transverse bone in its mouth, shaped like a curved bow. Its body is jet-black, resembling a large cockroach. It has teeth and hair and exists in male and female forms. The males bear two horns at the mouth with jointed tips that can flex. In winter, they burrow underground and emit a rising vapor; snow falling on them melts without sticking. In summer, they dwell in water. When people walk through streams or bathe in natural waters, or during floods, they may enter homes or linger in hoofprints along paths. It is said that when they "spit sand at a person's shadow," sickness soon follows.