含沙射影

From a kind of mythological creature called 蜮 (yù), as in In Search of the Sacred:

有物處於江水，其名曰“蜮”，一曰“短狐”，能含沙射人。所中者則身體筋急，頭痛發熱，劇者至死。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]

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有物处于江水，其名曰“蜮”，一曰“短狐”，能含沙射人。所中者则身体筋急，头痛发热，剧者至死。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

From: In Search of the Sacred, circa 3^rd century CE

Yǒu wù chǔyú jiāngshuǐ, qí míng yuē “yù”, yī yuē “duǎnhú”, néng hán shā shè rén. Suǒ zhòng zhě zé shēntǐ jīn jí, tóutòng fārè, jù zhě zhì sǐ. [Pinyin]

In the Yangtze River lived a strange thing called yu, aka. duanhu, which could shoot people with the sand kept in its mouth. One who was hit would have convulsions, headaches and a high temperature, and in the worst case—death.

This thing also appears in the Book of Odes.

含沙射影

1. to attack or slander by insinuation