《山海經 042(神獸篇)》虎蟶：海潮深處的異形巨獸與古老恐懼 | Shan Hai Jing 042 (Mythical Beasts) Hu Cheng: The Tide Beast Hidden Beneath Ancient Seas

在《山海經》的奇異記載裡，虎蟶是一種潛伏於深海與潮汐之間的異獸，兼具猛虎與海蟶般的怪異形態，象徵未知海域中的原始恐懼與神秘力量。
Within the strange records of the Shan Hai Jing, Hu Cheng is a bizarre sea creature dwelling beneath tides and coastal shadows, combining the ferocity of a tiger with the unsettling form of a marine beast. It symbolizes the fear and mystery hidden within ancient oceans.

中文
東海沿岸常年籠罩著濃重霧氣，潮聲晝夜不息。漁民世代依海而生，卻始終對某片黑色海域保持敬畏。那片海沒有島嶼，也少有魚群，只有翻湧不止的暗潮與偶爾浮現的巨大漩渦。老人們低聲稱那裡為「沉息海」，傳說其中潛伏著一種名為虎蟶的異獸。虎蟶並非尋常海怪，牠身軀修長如海蟶，卻覆滿斑紋，頭部則如猛虎般猙獰。牠潛行海底時幾乎無聲，唯有海面忽然翻動，才意味牠已靠近。據說虎蟶能感知生人氣息，當夜霧最濃之時，便會自深海浮現。某年暴風季節，一隊漁船在濃霧中迷失方向。海浪異常平靜，沒有風，也沒有鳥鳴，整片海域安靜得令人不安。船上的年輕漁夫忽然發現海面下有巨大黑影緩慢移動，彷彿某種龐然之物正圍繞船隻盤旋。下一瞬間，船身猛然震動，水面炸裂，一道巨大身影從海中竄出。那便是虎蟶。牠半身探出海面，濕冷皮膚在月光下泛著灰藍色光澤，巨口張開時露出如虎齒般尖銳獠牙。最可怕的是牠的雙眼，既像野獸，又帶著某種古老而冰冷的智慧。漁民們驚恐萬分，有人跪地祈求海神保佑，也有人試圖划船逃離。然而虎蟶並未立刻攻擊，牠只是靜靜圍繞船隻游動，巨大身軀攪動暗潮，使海面逐漸形成漩渦。霧氣愈來愈濃，天地界線彷彿被吞沒。就在所有人幾乎絕望之際，年老船長忽然將一盞古舊銅燈點燃，放置船首。那是祖輩流傳下來的海燈，據說能驅散深海邪物。微弱火光映照海面，虎蟶的動作竟微微停滯。牠凝視那道光芒許久，隨後發出低沉而悠長的鳴聲，如深海回音震動四周。漩渦漸漸平息，霧氣也開始散去。最終，虎蟶緩緩沉入海中，只留下翻湧浪花與令人顫慄的寂靜。漁船得以平安返航，但那一夜的經歷從未被遺忘。從此之後，沿海漁民在出海之前，都會於船頭點燃一盞海燈，以祈求不被虎蟶盯上。有人認為虎蟶只是掠食者，也有人相信牠其實是守護深海邊界的存在，不容凡人過度靠近。隨著歲月流逝，虎蟶的傳說逐漸成為海上禁忌的一部分。每當濃霧籠罩海面、潮聲異常低沉時，人們仍會想起那雙隱藏於黑海之中的冰冷獸眼，彷彿牠依舊潛伏於深潮之下，等待下一艘誤入禁海的船隻。

English Version
Along the eastern coastline lies a stretch of sea feared even by the most experienced sailors. Thick fog drifts endlessly across the water, muting sound and blurring the horizon until ocean and sky become indistinguishable. Fishermen avoid speaking too loudly when crossing these waters, for hidden beneath the tides is a creature remembered in whispers—the Hu Cheng. Unlike ordinary sea beasts, Hu Cheng is described as both elegant and horrifying. Its body is long and flexible like a deep-sea mollusk, yet marked with patterns resembling the stripes of a tiger. Its head carries the savage form of a great predator, complete with sharp fangs and burning eyes capable of piercing through darkness and mist alike. Legends say the creature senses fear and movement from beneath the waves, surfacing only during nights when the sea grows unnaturally still. One storm season, a fleet of fishing boats became trapped in heavy fog after violent winds pushed them far from shore. When the storm suddenly ceased, the silence that followed felt unnatural. No waves crashed against the hulls, and no seabirds circled above. Then one of the younger fishermen noticed a shape moving beneath the water. At first it appeared like a shifting shadow, but it soon became clear that something enormous was circling below. Without warning, the sea erupted. A massive creature burst upward beside the lead vessel, water cascading from its striped body as it rose above the waves. Hu Cheng revealed itself beneath the pale moonlight. Its enormous jaws opened, exposing rows of jagged teeth, while its eyes glowed with an eerie intelligence that seemed older than the ocean itself. Panic spread across the ships. Some sailors prayed, while others desperately attempted to row away, but the creature remained calm. It circled the fleet slowly, its movements generating dark currents that twisted the sea into spiraling whirlpools. The fog thickened until the world beyond the boats disappeared entirely. Just as despair overtook the crew, the oldest captain aboard stepped forward carrying an ancient bronze lantern passed down through generations. He lit the flame and placed it at the bow of the ship. The weak golden light flickered against the black water. For the first time, Hu Cheng hesitated. The beast slowed, staring silently at the lantern. Then it released a long, resonant cry that echoed like a sound rising from the deepest trenches of the sea. Slowly, the currents weakened. The whirlpools faded, and the fog began to part. Without another movement, the creature descended back into the darkness below, vanishing beneath the waves. The fishermen survived and returned home, but none forgot what they had witnessed. Since then, coastal sailors have carried lanterns aboard their ships before venturing into dangerous waters, believing the light wards off the gaze of Hu Cheng. Some view the creature as a monstrous predator of the deep. Others believe it is something older—a guardian that protects forbidden regions of the ocean from human intrusion. Even today, when fog blankets the sea and strange ripples disturb otherwise calm waters, sailors still lower their voices and watch the waves carefully, fearing that somewhere beneath the tide, Hu Cheng is still waiting in silence.