A fierce storm with strong winds and heavy rain; figuratively, a sudden, powerful, and violent event or development, often impactful and transformative.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the Dragon Boat Festival, the King of Zhu Ziguo had his Queen abducted by a demon. Due to extreme fright and sorrow, a glutinous rice dumpling (zongzi) he had eaten became stuck in his abdomen, causing him to fall seriously ill.
Three years later, Tang Sanzang and his three disciples, on their journey to obtain scriptures, passed through Zhu Ziguo. After diagnosing the King's pulse using a thread, Sun Wukong said, "Your Majesty's illness is caused by fright and excessive worry. Its name is 'the malady of two birds separated from their flock'."
The crowd asked, "Venerable monk, what is 'the malady of two birds separated from their flock'?" Sun Wukong replied, "There were two birds, male and female, originally flying together. Suddenly, they were startled and scattered by a violent storm (暴风骤雨). The female could not see the male, and the male could not see the female. The female yearned for the male, and the male yearned for the female. Is this not 'two birds separated from their flock'?" Everyone exclaimed in admiration, "Truly a divine monk! Truly a divine healer!"
Wukong then used medicine to help the King expel the zongzi from his abdomen, subdued the demon, rescued the Queen, and completely cured the King's illness.