The winding Quma River enriched the wealthy Qianhu, but the Qianhu's slaves were reduced to a miserable existence. The most pitiful of these were the orphaned sisters Luodan, Xiumo, Namu, and Shema Laqing.

Late at night, Qianhu dreamed of a mountain filled with gold, silver, pearls, and agates. To claim them, she needed to pay barley, grapes, and butterflies to the mountain guardian deity. Upon waking, Qianhu demanded that Luodan, Xiumo, and Shema Laqing immediately set out to search for the three passes, but how could they be found in the icy snow? Knowing they would never return, the three sisters were forced to set out. To save their lives, Namu pleaded with Qianhu to let her go alone. Along the way, the sisters transformed into barley, grapes, and butterflies, respectively, to urge Namu to return quickly. However, the sisters' death and the cold left Namu with no strength to move, and she froze in the snow. Then, moved by their story, the Gangdise Mountain God appeared.