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Not all creatures in the Shan Hai Jing bring good fortune. Some are walking omens of catastrophe. The Taotie is a face without a body, endlessly consuming, never satisfied - its image was carved onto bronze vessels as a warning against greed. Qiongqi is a winged tiger that devours the righteous and protects the wicked. Bi Fang is a one-legged crane whose appearance means wildfire is coming. The Fei serpent has six legs and four wings and when it shows itself, a devastating drought follows. These creatures do not cause disaster. They announce it. Learning to read their signs was once considered essential knowledge.