In Licheng, Shandong, lived Yin Shangshu, a poor young man of considerable mettle. The county possessed the estate of a noble family, sprawling over several acres with interconnected buildings. Strange occurrences were frequent there, causing the property to be abandoned over time, its grounds overgrown with weeds. Eventually, no one dared enter, even in broad daylight.

On one occasion, Young Master Yin was feasting with friends when a mischievous soul joked, "Whoever dares spend a night in that abandoned mansion, we'll treat them to this entire banquet." Young Master Yin immediately sprang up and declared, "What's so difficult about that? I shall go!" With that, he took the whole feast and moved it into the old residence.

His friends escorted him to the great gate, laughing, "Brother Yin, we shall wait outside. If you encounter any ghosts or specters, feel free to shout for help loudly."

Young Master Yin replied, "If there are any fox spirits, it will be all the better to capture them as witnesses." As he spoke, he walked into the compound. The wild grass was thick, resembling a dense thicket. It was already night, and the crescent moon hung high, casting a dim, yellowish light that barely illuminated the entrance.

Young Master Yin felt his way through until he broke into the rear building, finding a moon terrace, clean and inviting. He immediately sat down to rest. Looking west toward the bright moon, only a sliver of afterglow remained. He sat for a long time; not the slightest anomaly occurred. He inwardly chuckled, "What kind of infernal fox spirit nonsense is this? It's all a lie." He laid his head on a stone, reclining to watch the Cowherd and Weaver Girl constellations.

As the first watch ended, Young Master Yin's mind grew weary, and he was about to drift off when he distinctly heard faint footsteps rising from downstairs. In the profound silence, they were crystal clear, ascending the stone steps.

Young Master Yin rejoiced inwardly, "The main character has finally arrived." He feigned sleep, watching secretly. He saw a woman in a blue gown, carrying a lotus lantern. Upon seeing the young master, she recoiled in shock and whispered, "There is a living person here."

Someone from below the steps asked, "Who is it?"

The woman replied, "I don't recognize her."

Soon after, an old man ascended to the terrace and peered at Young Master Yin's face. He smiled, saying, "This is Young Master Yin, who shall be a Minister in twenty years. Since he is sleeping soundly now, we shall just proceed with our business. Given the young master's unconventional nature, he might not take offense."

Waving his hand, the old man ushered the assembled guests into the building, opening doors one by one. Before long, guests were plentiful, moving back and forth. The upstairs was brilliantly lit, shining as bright as day. Young Master Yin turned slightly in his sleep, coughed softly, and slowly stood up.

Hearing the noise, the old man came out to check. Seeing the young master awake, he immediately knelt down, saying, "This humble old man is marrying off his daughter tonight and did not intend to disturb your noble self. I beg your forgiveness, sir."

Young Master Yin reached out to help the old man up and smiled, "I was unaware your esteemed residence held joyous affairs tonight. I regret not having prepared a congratulatory gift in time; shameful, shameful."

The old man replied, "Your noble presence honors this humble home. If you do not disdain it, please come inside for a few cups of light wine; it will surely brighten this humble dwelling."

Young Master Yin was delighted and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with the old man into the main hall. As he gazed around, he saw the interior was sumptuously furnished, filled with rich fragrance. A woman in her forties approached and performed a deep curtsy. The old man introduced, "This is my humble wife." The young master nodded and returned the gesture.

Shortly after, drums and music swelled simultaneously. A servant called out, "The groom has arrived!"

The old man went out to welcome him. Outside, silk lanterns guided the way as a youth of seventeen or eighteen slowly approached. He possessed a refined and elegant demeanor—truly a rare handsome man.

The youth entered the room. The old man pointed to Young Master Yin and instructed the youth to pay his respects. The youth opened his eyes, observed the young master’s extraordinary bearing, assumed he was a master of ceremonies or a distinguished guest, and greeted him courteously.

Soon, a grand banquet was spread in the hall. Numerous maids and young ladies, clad in gauze dresses, poured wine and served dishes, busy inside and out. The table held mellow wine and choice meats, with jade bowls and golden cups; every vessel for the guests was a treasure of the highest quality.

After several rounds of wine, the old man instructed a maid to invite the young lady out to meet the guests. One could hear the tinkling of ornaments as the pearl curtain was lifted, and a peerless beauty, clearly in her prime, gracefully entered, adorned with a phoenix hairpin and luminous pearls for earrings. Her transcendent beauty diffused occasional waves of delicate fragrance.

The maiden sat beside her mother. The old man filled a golden goblet with wine and invited the young master to drink deeply. The golden goblet was enormous, capable of holding several dou of fine vintage in one fill. The young master thought, "This golden goblet is priceless and extraordinary; it would make a perfect keepsake to show my companions and prove my trip was worthwhile."

Thus, seizing the moment when no one was watching, he secretly tucked the golden goblet into his sleeve, then slumped over the table, pretending to be drunk, his breathing heavy and deep. Seeing this, all the guests declared, "The gentleman is in his cups."

After a while longer, the feast concluded. The groom stood to take his leave, and amid a clamor of gongs and drums, the guests departed one after another. The old man ordered the maids to clear the dishes, but one golden goblet was missing. He quietly conjectured to himself, "Young Master Yin must have surely stolen it."

The old man quickly waved his hands, instructing the maids to be silent: "Do not speak carelessly, lest you disturb the esteemed guest and cause him embarrassment." The maids murmured their assent, cleared the banquet, and the entire group of servants and masters quietly withdrew.

When everyone had left and the warmth had faded, a profound silence enveloped the surroundings. Young Master Yin gently rose. The space was dark, save for the lingering scent of cosmetics and flesh that refused to dissipate from within the room.

Before long, the eastern sky began to pale; dawn had broken. The young master calmly walked out, reaching a hand into his sleeve. The golden goblet was still there. Outside the door, a small crowd had gathered—a group of his friends waiting anxiously. Seeing him emerge safe and sound, they scoffed, "You must have snuck out early this morning to trick us."

Young Master Yin smiled, recounted the strange tale of the night in detail, and then showed them the golden goblet for inspection, asking, "Then how do you explain this thing in my hand?"

His companions pondered. The golden goblet was clearly precious, and Brother Yin was poor. This meant he had genuinely spent a night in the haunted house. Only then did they believe his words were not false.

Later, the young master passed the highest imperial examination and was appointed an official in Feiqiu County, Hebei. There resided a noble family whose master bore the surname Zhu, who hosted a banquet to welcome the new official. During the feast, the host ordered a servant to bring out golden wine cups for the guests, but there was a long delay. The host grew anxious and inquired about the reason. A servant whispered back, "Reporting to Your Excellency, of the eight golden wine cups, one is missing."

The host nodded and said, "Don't worry about this matter for now. We still have seven cups; bring two of them up."

The cups soon arrived. Young Master Yin saw that the cups were cast in gold, intricately carved and patterned, identical to the one he had stolen from the deserted mansion. Suspicion filled his breast, and he quickly asked for an explanation.

The host replied, "I dare not hide it from Your Excellency. My household possesses eight treasured golden goblets. My father had them crafted by skilled artisans when he served as an official in the capital. They have been passed down through generations as a family heirloom, which we have been reluctant to use. Today, when Your Excellency graced our humble home, we specially took them out to entertain. Unexpectedly, when the servant went to retrieve them from the wooden chest, only seven were present—one had vanished into thin air. I suspected a servant might have stolen it, but the bronze lock on the chest was undisturbed, and the interior was layered with dust. This incident is truly inexplicable."

Young Master Yin laughed and said, "Perhaps the golden goblet cultivated enough spirit to fly away on its own. Coincidentally, I happen to have a golden goblet in my own residence, quite similar in style to yours. If you would permit it, I would gladly gift it to you."

After the banquet dispersed, Young Master Yin returned to his residence and ordered a servant to ride swiftly and deliver the golden goblet to Master Zhu. Master Zhu examined and played with the goblet, wondering inwardly, "This golden goblet is exactly the one that went missing from my home." He then personally visited the Yin Residence to inquire about the cause.

Young Master Yin burst into laughter and recounted the entire episode of encountering the fox spirit in the abandoned mansion. Master Zhu suddenly understood, "So it was all the trickery of a fox demon. Ha! This fox demon's abilities are quite substantial, moving objects from a thousand li away with such ease."