The Fox Immortal Keeps Accounts

A man named Zhang from Hezhou traveled to Yangzhou(揚州) and stayed at the Xingjiao Temple(興教寺). The monks’ quarters in the temple were haunted by a fox immortal, so no one dared to stay there. Zhang, with his carefree personality, decided to reside in the monk’s room.

Not long after Zhang moved in, an old man claiming to be Wu Gangzi(吳剛子) came to visit. After exchanging greetings with a bow, they began to converse. 

The Horizontal Inscribed Board Yaoguai

In Hangzhou, there was a scholar named Sun who, on a summer night, was reading in his study. He felt something crawling on his forehead and, upon brushing it with his hand, saw countless strands of white beard hanging down from the plaque on the ceiling. On the plaque was a large face, about the size of a seven-stone jar, with eyebrows and eyes like an ordinary person, smiling and looking down. 

The Thunder God is Defiled

《雷神圖》明 佚名

Shen Yutan(沈雨潭) also said, on a day in the twenty-seventh year of Qianlong, thunder and lightning raged, and thunderbolts spun over the Huai’an(淮安) Orphanage. It was about to strike an old woman in the courtyard. At that time, this old woman was urinating. Suddenly, a loud thunder directly struck above her head. The old woman panicked, immediately lifted the chamber pot, and threw it in the direction of the thunder. Afterwards, a golden-armored Thunder God circled around the roof for a few rounds and then landed on the ground. 

The Fox Daoist

《雙鉤竹石圖》李衎

In the maternal family of Fa Jiasun(法嘉蓀)’s grandmother, there was a nephew named Sun who was a wealthy man in the local area. In the early Qing Dynasty, piracy was rampant along the coastal areas, so Sun moved his family to Jintan(金壇). One day, an old man surnamed Hu, accompanied by dozens of descendants and servants, along with some valuable luggage, passed by Sun’s house. The old man claimed to be from Shanxi(山西) and, due to the chaos of war, couldn’t proceed further, requesting to borrow an empty room in Sun’s house for temporary residence. 

Elder Brother Ding

《柳蔭醉歸》南宋 佚名

During the Kangxi era, in the countryside near Yangzhou(揚州), there was a man named Yu Er(俞二) who made a living as a farmer. One day, Yu Er went into the city to collect the payment for the wheat he had sold. The owner of the grain store insisted on treating him to some drinks. By the time Yu Er was on his way back, it was already dark. As he reached Hongqiao(紅橋), a dozen or so small figures appeared and approached him, pulling and tugging at him. 

The Water Monster’s Breath

《夏山圖》屈鼎

There was a man named Cheng Zhizhang(程志章) from Hangzhou who once traveled from Chaozhou(潮州) through Huanggang(黃崗) by boat, crossing a sea channel. Halfway through the journey, a strong wind suddenly arose, and a black vapor surged from the water. Within this vapor was a figure, entirely black, with only the eye sockets and lips as white as powder. He boarded the boat Cheng Zhizhang was on, sat at the bow, and blew air toward the people on the boat. 

The Spirit of the White Stone

《竹鶴圖軸》邊文進 明

In Tianchang County(天長), there was a magistrate named Lin who served in the capital city’s district. In his home, there was a spirit-writing altar occupied by a monster. This monster claimed to be the ‘True Man of the White Stone(白石真人)’ and accurately foretold fortunes and misfortunes for those who sought its advice.

The monster often persuaded Magistrate Lin to cultivate the Dao and practice immortal arts, claiming that by opening a third eye on his face, he could see the palace where the Heavenly Emperor resided and the immortals frolicking in the clouds.