Wisdom against restrictions

Ren Zu now commands Rules and Regulation Gu. His first order is to catch him a Longevity Gu, and he uses it to become twenty years old again. The pair then warn that every command adds a rule, and the first is that they will never catch the same Gu for him twice. His next order is to catch every other Gu in the world; the pair become a giant circle and square, close into one net, and return with every Gu but Longevity Gu trapped inside. When Ren Zu opens the net, most of the catch escapes and only five Gu remain; the pair explain that catching a Gu is not the same as subduing it, and add a second restriction: only one Gu at a time from then on. ^{ch. 58}

Among the five, Ren Zu finds strength Gu and wisdom Gu. Strength Gu answers that its leaving was never inability, that it submits only to what is stronger than itself, and that he is not, but offers temporary obedience for his youth. Ren Zu takes the deal and is middle-aged again, with strength Gu on his shoulder. Wisdom Gu makes the same claim about serving only the smarter, and offers the same price for his middle age, but Ren Zu, unwilling to end up old and abandoned again, refuses. Still unwilling to release it, he accepts its offer to admit defeat and serve him if he names the method that caught it. He answers Rules and Regulation Gu, and wisdom Gu, now knowing their names, laughs that they can no longer capture it and escapes. Rules and Regulation Gu protest that their names were meant for him alone, and Ren Zu realizes wisdom Gu tricked him out of his one chance to capture it. ^{ch. 58}

Three Gu remain in the net, attitude Gu, belief Gu, and suspicion Gu, and rather than release them Ren Zu accepts their wager: whichever one he catches when the net opens is the one that submits to him. He catches attitude Gu. ^{ch. 59}