Geng Qubing, a native of Taiyuan, was known for his unrestrained spirit and exceptional courage, holding no fear of specters. His family fortunes had waned, and he lodged with his elder uncle. The residence gradually fell into disrepair, and strange occurrences became frequent: doors would swing open unbidden in the dead of night, and the sound of boisterous conversation would drift from within, only to reveal an empty space upon investigation.

One evening, the sounds of cheerful singing and laughter once again emanated from the house. Geng Qubing mused, "Could it be some fox spirit? I must go and see." He went alone into the courtyard. Seeing the flickering light upstairs, he thought, "Who dares to cause such a disturbance at the midnight hour?" He crept up the stairs and poked a hole in the window paper for a peek. Inside, two massive candles burned, illuminating the room as brightly as day. A banquet was laid out on a round table, and four strangers were gathered, drinking heartily and engaging in lively chatter. Two of them were older, perhaps around forty, an elderly couple. The others were a handsome youth of about twenty and a delicate girl of fifteen or sixteen, also fair of face, seated beside him.

Geng Qubing found the scene bewildering. He shouted suddenly, pushed open the door, and declared with a laugh, "An uninvited guest has arrived without a formal welcome!" This sudden, booming intrusion startled the four occupants, their expressions instantly shifting. The two women quickly retreated into the inner room to hide. The old man cursed, "Who goes there, daring to trespass upon a private dwelling?"

Geng Qubing smiled. "Well said! This was once my home, and yet you have occupied it like a magpie in another’s nest. I shall overlook that for now. But since you are feasting and drinking in my house, is it not too stingy of you not to invite the master when he appears?"

The old man scrutinized the man before him and said gravely, "You are not the master."

Geng Qubing replied, "I am the impetuous scholar Geng Qubing, the master's nephew."

The old man bowed slightly. "I have long admired your name. Please, have a seat and join us for a modest cup of wine."

Geng Qubing accepted without hesitation, pulled up a chair, and sat down. "Sir, may I ask your esteemed name?"

The old man replied, "This humble elder is named Hu." He then pointed to the youth. "This is my son, Xiao'er."

Geng Qubing nodded and asked the youth, "How old are you, brother?"

The youth answered, "Nineteen."

Geng Qubing said, "I am two years your senior. Would you mind if I assume the seniority and call you 'younger brother'?"

The youth laughed. "I would be delighted."

The three conversed and drank. After several cups, Old Man Hu said, "I hear the young master’s ancestor compiled the Records Beyond Tushan. Is this true?"

Geng Qubing confirmed, "It is."

Old Man Hu confessed, "I will not hide it from you, young master; this old man is a descendant of the Tushan clan. We still remember our genealogy up to the Tang Dynasty, but what predates that is lost. I hope the young master would be generous enough to enlighten me. I am all ears."

Geng Qubing agreed with a nod and, with eloquent fluency, recounted the essential tale of the Tushan maiden marrying Yu the Great and assisting him with his flood control efforts. His words were studded with brilliant phrases, causing Old Man Hu to beam with delight. He praised, "Young master, your storytelling is marvelous! This old man has never heard the like. Since you are no outsider, let us invite my wife and Qingfeng out to listen as well, so they may also know the merits of our ancestors."

A short while later, an old woman emerged, gracefully accompanied by a young lady. Under the candlelight, Geng Qubing observed the maiden: she possessed a delicate charm, her bright eyes intelligent and captivating—truly a rare beauty.

Old Man Hu pointed to the old woman. "This is my humble wife." He then indicated the maiden. "This is Qingfeng, my niece. She is a sharp girl, possessing a photographic memory." As he spoke, the two women gracefully took seats by the table.

The moment Geng Qubing saw Qingfeng, his soul was captivated. Unable to help himself, he secretly reached under the table with his foot to touch the maiden's slender foot. The girl started, quickly drew her feet back, and kept her head down, not daring to speak, though her demeanor showed no signs of anger.

Gaining the maiden’s silent consent, Geng Qubing’s spirit soared beyond his control. He slammed the table and declared, "If I could marry Qingfeng, I would not trade it for a princely title!" The old woman, seeing his wild and unrestrained demeanor, dared not linger. She quickly took Qingfeng and hurried them both into the inner chamber.

With the beauty gone, Geng Qubing was deeply disappointed. His appetite for drink vanished, and he promptly excused himself. Back at his lodgings, he could think of nothing but Qingfeng’s lovely shadow, tossing and turning. He broached the subject with his wife: "Let us move to the small building in the back courtyard to live."

His wife refused vehemently. "Are you mad? You know that place is haunted, and you would willingly walk into danger? Are you tired of living?"

Despite the sharp rebuke from his wife, Geng Qubing was undeterred. He resolved to act on his own and moved alone into the small building to reside. That night, while reading by the lamp, he suddenly heard a tremendous crash. A "fierce ghost," with hair flying and brandishing claws and teeth, rushed towards him. Geng Qubing, naturally bold, paid the "ghost" no mind. With a slight smile, he dipped his finger in ink and smeared his face until it was pitch-black and terrifying, then widened his eyes to meet the "ghost’s" stare. The "ghost," unprepared for Geng Qubing’s composure, found its attempt at intimidation utterly failed, replaced by a feeling of profound embarrassment, and reluctantly retreated.

As the night deepened, Geng Qubing was about to extinguish his lamp and sleep when he heard faint, shuffling footsteps downstairs. His heart stirred, and he hurried down to look around. In a nearby structure, a light glowed. A woman pushed open the door and windows, gazing blankly at the moonlight. Focusing his vision, he recognized Qingfeng.

Qingfeng also saw Geng Qubing, started in fright, and quickly shut the window, unwilling to meet his gaze. Geng Qubing grew desperate. Suddenly, he knelt on the ground and cried out, "Miss Qingfeng, I dared to move to the rear courtyard solely for the chance to see you again! There is no one else here. If we could only come out to chat, perhaps hold hands, I would die without regret."

Qingfeng responded, "I know of the depth of your feelings for me, Young Master. However, my uncle’s family rules are very strict, forbidding me from associating with strange men. I beg your pardon, but I cannot grant your request."

Geng Qubing pleaded, "Then how about this: I won't insist on holding hands. I only ask to see your face."

Qingfeng pondered for a moment. Unable to resist Geng Qubing’s persistent entreaties, she finally pushed the door open and stepped out, reaching out a hand to help him up, remaining silent.

Geng Qubing was ecstatic. He swept Qingfeng into his arms, and they walked down to the stone steps and sat. Geng Qubing lifted Qingfeng and placed her across his lap, his mind inevitably wandering as he touched and stroked her.

Qingfeng blushed deeply and said, "Young Master, it is fortunate we share this destiny. Otherwise, after tonight, all your pining would have been useless."

Geng Qubing asked, "Why?"

Qingfeng explained, "My uncle strongly disapproves of your wild behavior. He was the one who disguised himself as a ghost to frighten you, but his trick failed; you were not afraid at all. My uncle is a severe man and does not wish for me to be entangled with you. Therefore, he plans to move, and we leave tomorrow."

Geng Qubing cursed, "That old stubborn man! Undermining a destined union! We shouldn't pay him any mind."

Qingfeng interjected, "Do not curse my uncle; he is actually a very good person. It is getting late; I must go now, or my uncle will return and discover our secret meeting, and he will surely be furious."

Geng Qubing held her tight, imploring, "Don't go, don't go! Such a beautiful time, and we haven't even been intimate yet. You absolutely cannot leave."

As he babbled nonsense, Old Man Hu suddenly appeared out of thin air, glaring furiously at Qingfeng. "Shameless little girl! Daring to meet a man in secret, truly bringing shame to our lineage! Go back to your room now! Be careful, or I will whip you with my strap!" Qingfeng, her face flushed crimson, could only cover her face and depart. Old Man Hu didn't spare Geng Qubing a single glance before striding away.

With a loud bang, the door closed. Geng Qubing felt both angry and desolate. He shouted loudly outside the door, "Damn old man! I was the one who seduced Miss Qingfeng first; the fault is entirely mine. Don't cause her trouble. Direct any punishment toward me!" But no matter how much he shouted and cursed, the house remained silent; no one responded.

After that night, Geng Qubing never saw Qingfeng again, and the residence became completely peaceful, with no more strange occurrences. A year slipped by. It was the Qingming Festival. Geng Qubing was returning from sweeping the graves when he encountered two foxes being chased fiercely by a vicious dog. One of the foxes, entirely white, ran directly toward him, crying mournfully as if begging for aid.

Geng Qubing’s compassion was stirred. He kicked the aggressive dog away and picked up the fox, carrying it home to tend to its injuries with great care. After a short while, the little fox slowly woke up and transformed into a human figure—it was Qingfeng.

Geng Qubing was overjoyed. He quickly asked for an explanation. Qingfeng replied, "I was just playing with my maid when some vicious dog appeared from nowhere. If you hadn't rescued me, I would surely have been killed by the beast. Thank you."

Geng Qubing asked with a smile, "Qingfeng, are you a fox spirit?"

Qingfeng nodded. "I am. I hope you won't despise me because of this."

Geng Qubing declared, "I think of you day and night, my soul tethered to yours. Now that fate has allowed us to meet again, from now on, I will only cherish and love you; I would never harbor the slightest disdain."

Hearing this, Qingfeng was deeply moved and smiled. "It must be fate. If I hadn't suffered this misfortune, how could I stay with you forever? From this day forward, I will follow you."

Geng Qubing’s face broke into a radiant smile. He immediately prepared the house, and he and Qingfeng were married that very day.

Their newlywed bliss passed quickly. Two years vanished in the blink of an eye. One day, Geng Qubing was reading late by lamplight when Hu Xiao'er suddenly pushed open the door, knelt down, and begged, "My father has met with a sudden disaster. Young Master, you absolutely must save the old man."

Geng Qubing asked, "What happened?"

Hu Xiao'er explained, "Does the young master know Mo Sanlang?"

Geng Qubing replied, "I do. His father was a fellow classmate of my father."

Hu Xiao'er continued, "Tomorrow, Mo Sanlang will pass through this area. He carries a fox on him—that is my father. Young Master, you must intercept that fox."

Geng Qubing, being fundamentally kind-hearted, was inclined to help when he heard Old Man Hu was in trouble, but he pretended otherwise. "Your father humiliated me repeatedly in the past. I will save him, perhaps, only if Qingfeng herself comes to plead my case."

Hu Xiao'er said mournfully, "Cousin Qingfeng was unfortunately mauled by a vicious dog and died two years ago."

Geng Qubing responded sternly, "Since that is the case, I have nothing more to say to you. Guards! See the guest out."

After Hu Xiao'er left, Geng Qubing went inside to speak with Qingfeng, relating the capture of Old Man Hu accurately. Qingfeng's expression changed drastically, and she asked, "Husband, will you save my uncle or not?"

Geng Qubing chuckled. "Save him, I absolutely will. The only reason I didn't agree just now was a small act of retribution. Who told Old Man Hu to be so unreasonable back then? Letting his son worry all night is a small lesson learned."

Qingfeng finally relaxed and smiled. "I was raised by my uncle since childhood. Now that he is in danger, we should certainly help."

Geng Qubing countered, "That is true, but if you had truly died back then, I would not have saved him even if it cost me my life."

Qingfeng smiled sweetly. "How could you be so heartless?"

The next day, Mo Sanlang went out hunting and indeed passed by their gate. He was mounted on horseback, bow slung across his back, followed by a host of servants, displaying a rich haul. Among the catch was a black fox, its fur glossy, an arrow piercing its neck, blood flowing freely.

Geng Qubing stepped forward to greet him. "Brother Mo, what a beautiful fox! Tsk tsk, the quality of this pelt is first-rate. It would surely make a warm coat."

Mo Sanlang, being generous and astute, laughed upon hearing this. "A mere black fox, Brother Geng. If you like it, please take it."

Geng Qubing thanked him profusely and took the black fox back to his room for treatment. After three days of tending to it, the black fox stirred, and in an instant, it transformed into an old man.

Old Man Hu opened his eyes and, seeing Qingfeng right beside him, thought he was dreaming. He was overjoyed. "Qingfeng! I never believed you had met with misfortune. Ha! You are truly alive! This is wonderful, truly wonderful!"

Qingfeng pointed to Geng Qubing and said, "We owe everything to my husband's help this time. Otherwise, your niece would never see you again."

Old Man Hu quickly offered his thanks, smiling obsequiously. "Thank you, thank you. Young Master Geng, you and Qingfeng are married? Congratulations, congratulations!"

From that day forward, Old Man Hu’s family lived together with Geng Qubing and his wife, enjoying a life of harmonious happiness.