In the Zunhua county yamen, foxes were rampant, especially near the final memorial archway where a pack of male foxes frequently emerged to prey on people. The more they were driven away, the more aggressively they caused trouble. County Magistrate Qiu Gong, upon hearing this, was greatly enraged. The fox spirits, long aware of Magistrate Qiu’s fearsome reputation, trembled at his stern nature. One spirit transformed itself into an old woman and sought an audience, saying, "Your Honor, please do not push us to the brink. Give us three days, and we promise to relocate by then."

Magistrate Qiu remained silent, his mind already made up. At noon the next day, he assembled his full contingent of troops, escorting hundreds of large cannons. The cannon muzzles were aimed directly at the archway. The fuses were lit, and a hundred cannons roared simultaneously. The sound shook the heavens, and in an instant, the archway was reduced to rubble. The mass of foxes was almost entirely wiped out, their fur and flesh raining down like a downpour. Through the thick, pervasive mist, a wisp of white vapor suddenly darted out, smoking as it ascended into the sky. Qiu Gong muttered in frustration, "One escaped."

From that day forward, peace reigned within the yamen offices.

Two years later, aiming for a promotion, Magistrate Qiu dispatched a subordinate to the capital with silver to expedite the process. The arrangements were not yet settled, so the silver was temporarily stored in the cellar. Suddenly, an old man appeared at the palace gates, beating the grievance drum. He claimed that Magistrate Qiu had murdered his wife. Furthermore, he alleged that during his tenure, Magistrate Qiu had embezzled military provisions, stuffing his pockets with vast sums of silver hidden in his residence. He dared them to search the premises if they doubted his word.

Officers, acting on imperial decree, searched Qiu's residence for the illicit funds but found nothing. The old man lightly tapped the ground with his left foot, and the officers understood. They dug three feet down and indeed uncovered a large cache of gold, engraved with the characters "Shi Jun Jie" (A Certain Prefecture’s Collection). When they looked back, the old man had vanished. The authorities searched through the household registries in every direction, but their efforts were fruitless.

Magistrate Qiu was framed and brutally executed. Those who spoke in private surmised that his downfall was orchestrated by none other than the one fox spirit who had managed to flee.