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The Fox Daoist

by
《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. 

The Scholar from Shandong

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In Shandong(山東), there was a scholar named Lin Changkang(林長康), who, at forty years old, had not yet passed the provincial imperial examination.

One day, just as he was contemplating abandoning his studies, he suddenly heard someone call out, ‘Do not lose heart!’ Lin Changkang was startled and asked who it was. The voice replied, ‘I am a ghost. I have been following you, protecting and watching over you for several years.’ 

The Fox Student Advises on Cultivation

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General Zhao Liangdong(趙良棟)’s son, posthumously named Xiangmin(襄敏公), held the position of Governor of Baoding(保定).

One night, Xiangmin was studying in the west tower with all doors and windows closed. Suddenly, a flat-shaped entity squeezed through the window crack and entered the room. It rubbed itself from head to toe, gradually transforming into a complete form. Wearing a square scarf and red boots, dressed like a scholar, it bowed deeply to Xiangmin, clasping its hands, and said, ‘I am a fox immortal scholar living in this tower for a hundred years, fortunate to have received the permission of the esteemed lords, leading a peaceful existence.