Shitou

Shitou, or The stone is a sentient stone, main character of the Chapter 1.

Story
In the novel's frame story, a sentient Stone(Shitou), abandoned by the goddess Nüwa when she mended the heavens aeons ago, begs a Taoist priest and a Buddhist monk to bring it with them to see the world. The Stone, along with a companion (in Cheng-Gao versions they are merged into the same character), is then given a chance to learn from the human existence, and enters the mortal realm. In the waiting of being able to enter the mortal world, Shitou is waiting with an immortal and passes everyday nearby a river. On his path he saw a beautiful Crimson Pearl Flower and watered it, he then keep watering the plant on daily basis thus giving it life. Later to repay the debt, the flower will ask to be reincarnate to, and will repay Shitou with tears.

A few centuries later a Taoist monk find a huge rock on which is written a story: "The Story of the Stone". After talking with Shitou and reading the story than monk changed his own name from Daoist priest Vanitas (Kongkong daoren) to Passion Monk (Qingseng) and change the title of the story to Notes of Passion Monk (Qingseng lu).