Explore the gripping narrative of a compulsive chess player whose obsession with the game led to an afterlife of eternal chess in the underworld.
Yangzhou’s Deputy General Liang resigned from his official position and returned to his hometown to live. Every day, he would carry chess and wine and enjoy himself among the trees and hills. On this particular day, it happened to be the Double Ninth Festival in September, a day for climbing and leisure. He was playing chess with his friends when suddenly, a man arrived and began walking around the chessboard, deeply engrossed in the game, unwilling to leave. Liang observed that this man had a humble appearance and wore tattered clothes, but he displayed a polite and cultured demeanor, resembling a scholar.
Liang courteously invited him to sit down, and the man remained very humble. Liang pointed at the chessboard and said, “Sir, you must be skilled in this game. Why not have a match with this friend?” The scholar modestly declined for a while before finally agreeing to play. After the first game, the scholar lost and appeared frustrated, seemingly unable to control his emotions. They started another game, and once again, the scholar lost, becoming even more ashamed and annoyed. Liang poured him some wine, but he refused to drink and instead continued playing chess with his friend, completely disregarding everything else from morning till night.
As they were arguing over a move in the game, the two of them engaged in a heated verbal dispute. Suddenly, the scholar stood up from his seat in fear, his expression filled with misery and despair. After a brief pause, he kneeled down before Liang, repeatedly kowtowing until blood flowed from his forehead, pleading for help. Liang was shocked and bewildered. He got up to assist the scholar, saying, “Chess is just a game; why take it to such extremes?”
The scholar replied, “Please instruct your servant not to bind my neck.” Liang was even more puzzled and asked, “Who is your servant?” The scholar responded, “It’s Ma Cheng.” Previously, Liang’s servant, Ma Cheng, had the uncanny ability to journey to the underworld every ten days or so, acting as a messenger for souls. Liang found the scholar’s words bizarre and sent someone to check on Ma Cheng, who had been lying motionless in bed for two days. Liang scolded Ma Cheng for his impoliteness, but in the blink of an eye, the scholar had disappeared from where he stood.
Liang sighed deeply, finally realizing that the scholar was a ghost.
A day later, Ma Cheng woke up, and Liang summoned him to inquire about the situation. Ma Cheng explained, “The scholar was from Xiangyang, Hubei, and he had a compulsive love for chess, squandering all his family’s wealth. His father worried about this and locked him in his study, but he would always climb over walls to take his chess friends to secluded places to play. When his father heard of this, he would curse vehemently, but he could never stop him from playing chess. His father died in anger and sorrow, bearing a grudge until his last breath.
Yan Wang, due to the scholar’s lack of virtue, shortened his life and sentenced him to the Hungry Ghost Hell, where he has been for seven years now. Coincidentally, when Mount Dongyue’s Fenglou was completed, an order was issued to gather literati and have them compose inscriptions. Yan Wang released the scholar from hell to write and atone for his sins. However, he delayed and exceeded the allotted time, which greatly angered Yan Wang. The Jade Emperor of Mount Dongyue dispatched a duty officer to question Yan Wang, and Yan Wang, in great fury, ordered us to search for him. Not long ago, I received your order, so I didn’t dare to use a rope to bind him.”
Liang asked, “How is the scholar today?” Ma Cheng replied, “He has been handed over to the underworld officials and will never be reborn.” Liang sighed and said, “Such a strong obsession has led him astray!”
Yi Shi once said, “When he sees a game of chess, he forgets about death, and after death, when he sees a game of chess, he forgets about life. Could it be that what he loves is more important than life itself? However, to have such an obsession and yet not excel at it, only creates a chess ghost under the ninth abyss, eternally dead and never reborn. It truly is a source of sorrow!”
《棋鬼》
扬州督同将军梁公，解组乡居，日携棋酒，游翔林丘间。会九日登高，与客弈。忽有一人来，逡巡局侧，耽玩不去。视之，面目寒俭，悬鹑结焉。然而意态温雅，有文士风。公礼之，乃坐，亦殊撝谦。公指棋谓曰：“先生当必善此，何勿与客对垒？”其人逊谢移时，始即局。局终而负，神情懊热，若不自已。又着又负，益惭愤。酌之以酒，亦不饮，惟曳客弈。自晨至于日昃，不遑溲溺。
方以一子争路，两互喋聒，忽书生离席悚立，神色惨沮。少间，屈膝向公座，败颡乞救。公骇疑，起扶之曰：“戏耳，何至是？”书生曰：“乞付嘱圉人，勿缚小生颈。”公又异之，问：“圉人谁？”曰：“马成。”先是，公圉役马成者，走无常，常十数日一入幽冥，摄牒作勾役。公以书生言异，遂使人往视成，则僵卧已二日矣。公乃叱成不得无礼。瞥然间，书生即地而灭。公叹咤良久，乃悟其鬼。
越日，马成寤，公召诘之。成曰：“书生湖襄人，癖嗜弈，产荡尽。父忧之，闭置斋中，辄逾垣出，窃引空处，与弈者狎。父闻诟詈，终不可制止。父愤悒赍恨而死。阎摩王以书生不德，促其年寿，罚入饿鬼狱，于今七年矣。会东岳凤楼成，下牒诸府，征文人作碑记。王出之狱中，使应召自赎。不意中道迁延，大愆限期。岳帝使直曹问罪于王，王怒，使小人辈罗搜之。前承主人命，故未敢以缧绁系之。”公问：“今日作何状？”曰：“仍付狱吏，永无生期矣。”公叹曰：“癖之误人也如是夫！”
异史氏曰：见弈遂忘其死，及其死也，见弈又忘其生，非其所欲有甚于生者哉？然癖嗜如此，尚未获一高着，徒令九泉下，有长死不生之弈鬼也。可哀也哉！
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