Li Shenbo, a man from Yishui, known for his integrity and courage, was suddenly struck by a severe illness. When his family urged him to see a doctor, he refused, stating, "My ailment cannot be cured by decoctions. The Netherworld lacks a Yama, and they have requested my service as a temporary magistrate. Do not bury me after I die; wait for my resurrection." He passed away that very day.

After his death, Li Boyan's soul, escorted by ghostly bailiffs, arrived at a grand palace where he donned the official robes of a Pluto. He immediately began presiding over cases. Among the stacks of documents on his desk was one concerning a man from Jiangnan who, during his life, had lecherously defiled eighty-two virtuous women. The evidence was irrefutable, and according to the laws of the Underworld, he was due for the torture of the bronze pillar. Before the court stood a bronze column, nine or ten feet tall and thick enough for one person to encircle, hollowed out and filled with intensely hot charcoal, heating the metal until it glowed red from inside out. The ghostly officials whipped the prisoner with iron caltrops, compelling him to climb the column, winding his way up using hands and feet. Upon reaching the top, smoke billowed forth, and with a sound like a bursting firecracker, the prisoner plummeted to the ground, curled into a ball. After a long pause, he would regain consciousness, only for the ghosts to resume their lashing, forcing him to climb again. After falling three times in this manner, his soul scattered into nothingness, transforming into a wisp of flying smoke, never to reform a human shape.

Another case involved Wang, a relative by marriage to Li Boyan from the same county, who was accused of enslaving a maiden. This girl had been kidnapped and sold cheaply to Wang, who, driven by avarice, thus entangled himself in a lawsuit. Soon after, Wang died suddenly from illness and sought out his friend, Scholar Zhou. Zhou, recognizing Wang as a ghost, retreated to his study and asked, "What do you want?" Wang replied, "I ask Brother Zhou to accompany me to the Underworld to testify to my innocence." Zhou inquired, "What matter?" Wang explained, "The maiden in my household was clearly purchased; you witnessed this yourself. Now I am falsely accused, and I need Brother Zhou to defend me and speak a word of truth." Zhou shook his head, "How can one descend to the courts of the Netherworld? Once down there, there is no return. I beg to be excused from assisting." Wang retorted, "Things have come to this; I fear you may not have the choice to refuse." Not long after, Scholar Zhou indeed died, and the two arrived at the Underworld together to face judgment.

Upon seeing Wang, Li Boyan felt a disposition to favor him, but suddenly perceived fire erupting in the hall, the flames licking at the beams and pillars. Li Boyan was greatly alarmed and stood up in fright. The surrounding officials advised him, "The Underworld is not like the mortal world; a fleeting thought of bias cannot be tolerated. Simply handle the case impartially, and the flames will surely extinguish themselves." Li Boyan nodded, suppressed his wandering thoughts, and the flames immediately vanished. He picked up the deposition and examined it. Wang and the plaintiff offered contradictory accounts, arguing incessantly. When he questioned Scholar Zhou, Zhou spoke the truth plainly.

Li Boyan discerned the whole truth of the matter and rendered his judgment: Wang had yielded to petty gain and acted knowingly, and was therefore sentenced to be flogged. Once the punishment was carried out, he would be permitted to revive. The others were acquitted and sent back to the living realm. Three days later, Wang and Zhou awoke from the dead.

Having concluded the cases, Li Boyan departed by carriage. En route, he observed hundreds of headless and limbless ghosts lying on the ground, wailing mournfully. He stopped the carriage to inquire, and they were all ghosts from foreign lands, distressed by longing for their homelands and fearing the barriers preventing their return, begging him for passage. Li Boyan replied, "I have governed for three days; my term expires soon, and I have no power to help. How might I assist?" The ghosts replied, "Hu Sheng of Nancun is about to establish a Dharma Assembly; if you convey a message on our behalf, that will suffice." Li Boyan generously agreed and returned home to awaken and resume his mortal life.

Hu Sheng, whose style name was Shuixin, enjoyed a deep friendship with Li Boyan. Upon hearing of Li's return to life, he called to pay his respects. Li Boyan asked, "When will the Water and Land Dharma Assembly be held?" Hu Sheng was astonished, "I only discussed this privately with my wife and never mentioned it to outsiders. How did you know?" Li Boyan recounted the events truthfully. Hu Sheng sighed, "There is a spirit three feet above one's head; to think that private conversations in the inner chamber could reach the Netherworld—it is truly terrifying. Rest assured, I keep my word. I shall return at once to construct the assembly and deliver the souls." He then took his leave.

The next day, Li Boyan went to the Wang residence to check on his relative. Wang was still lying in bed. Seeing Li, he rose with reverence and expressed his deep gratitude for the protection he had received. Li Boyan responded, "The law cannot bend for personal connections. How is your condition improving?" Wang replied, "Much better, but the places where I was struck have developed sores and boils." More than twenty days later, Wang's illness finally healed, but the flesh on his buttocks had rotted away, leaving several scars shaped like cudgels.