In Yingdu, the capital of the state of Chu, a man placed a speck of white plaster, no larger than a fly's wing, on the tip of his nose. He then asked a master carpenter named Shi to strike it off with an axe.
The carpenter swung his axe with a whistling sound. The plaster was completely removed, yet the man's nose remained unharmed. The man from Ying showed no trace of fear on his face; he did not even blink.
When King Songyuan heard of this feat, he asked the carpenter to perform it again. Carpenter Shi replied, "It is true that I once performed this skill. However, the man who could cooperate with me so perfectly has long since passed away."