During the Warring States Period, a man was willing to teach the King of Yan the ways to attain¹ immortality³.

战国时，有一个人愿意教给燕王一套长生不老的方法。

The King of Yan was very glad when he heard of this, and quickly sent someone to acknowledge the man as master and learn from him.

燕王知道后，非常高兴，连忙派人前去拜师学习。

But before the man he sent had a chance to learn, that man died.

可是，派去学习的人还没来得及学习，那个人就死了。

The man he sent could only return dejectedly.

派去的人只好垂头丧气地回来了。

At this the King of Yan flew into a rage.

燕王见了大发雷霆。

He rebuked⁴ the man for walking too slowly to get there in time, and ordered to have him killed.

竟责怪去学习的人走路太慢，去得太晚，命令立即将他杀了。

The King of Yan never realized that the man who boasted himself as an immortal² was deceiving him, but instead, he blamed the man he sent for walking too slowly.

然而，燕王没有醒悟到那个自称长生不老的人是在欺骗他，反而怪罪派去学习的人走得太慢。