Far from Changshan lived Xu Yuan, a scholar from the Ming Dynasty. After the dynasty fell, he abandoned literary pursuits for the Tao, gaining some expertise in exorcising spirits that earned him fame near and far.

A wealthy merchant in the county town sent a horse and a letter, inviting Xu Yuan to his residence. Xu Yuan asked, "Why do you summon me to your manor?" The servant claimed ignorance, only stating, "My master explicitly instructed me: you must persuade the esteemed Mr. Xu to grace us with your presence."

Upon arrival, the master had already arranged a lavish banquet, treating Xu Yuan with utmost hospitality and formality, yet he skillfully avoided mentioning the actual purpose. Growing impatient, Xu Yuan finally asked, "What exactly do you want? Say it plainly." The master replied evasively, "Nothing, nothing at all. Drink, drink." His words were evasive, leaving Xu Yuan unable to grasp his intent.

As they spoke, dusk approached. The master invited Xu Yuan to the garden for more wine. The rear garden was uniquely structured, yet seldom visited; dense with bamboo and trees, its atmosphere was eerie, filled with tangled weeds and wild grasses sprouting amidst sporadic flowers.

They reached a pavilion where the wooden ceiling was intricately laced with countless cobwebs of various sizes. After several rounds of drinks, the light dimmed, and servants lit the candles. The two continued to drink heavily. Xu Yuan’s head grew fuzzy, and he politely declined more, "I am quite overcome by the wine and cannot continue." The master smiled in acknowledgment and immediately commanded a maidservant to bring hot tea. The maids hastily cleared the cups, plates, and wine vessels, carried them into the room on the left, set them on a table, and then presented the fragrant tea. Before Xu Yuan had finished half his cup, the master excused himself.

A servant guided Xu Yuan to the room on the left, placed the candles on the wooden table, turned back, and took his leave with a hurried farewell. Xu Yuan thought to himself, Perhaps he is fetching a quilt to share with me? After waiting a long time, the servant did not return. The surroundings were utterly silent. He finally shut the door and the window and retired to bed.

Outside, the moonlight was brilliant; the chirping of night birds and autumn insects called out to one another, sounding particularly jarring in the deep quiet of the night. Xu Yuan felt uneasy, unable to drift off. Presently, there was a muffled thump-thump of boots on the wooden planks overhead, as if someone were walking. In the next moment, the footsteps sounded on the staircase, rapidly approaching the door. Xu Yuan was terrified, his hair standing on end. In desperation, he burrowed deep under the covers, daring not to peek out. As his anxiety peaked, the door was suddenly flung open. Xu Yuan secretly pulled up the edge of the quilt and spied out from beneath. Not far away stood a monstrous figure: the head of a beast upon a human body, entirely covered in dark, coarse hair as long as a horse's mane; its sharp teeth were bared in a frightening array, and its eyes burned like twin torches.

The monster approached the table, bent down, and began licking the leftover scraps from the plates, its tongue sweeping across them until everything was clean. It then moved to the bedside and sniffed the bedding. Startled, Xu Yuan suddenly sprang up, flipping the entire quilt over to cover the creature's head, pressing down hard while shouting wildly for help. Caught completely off guard, the monster tore itself free and fled, opening the door and darting out. Xu Yuan threw on his robe and rose, intending to escape the perilous place. He went to the rear garden, only to find the gate securely locked; he could not get out. Helpless, he ran along the wall until he found a low section, scrambled over it, and tumbled right into the stable.

The stable hand was greatly alarmed and rushed over to ask what had happened. Xu Yuan told him the whole affair and begged for a place to stay the night.

The next morning, the master searched everywhere for Xu Yuan but found no trace. He was greatly alarmed. Shortly thereafter, he discovered the scholar in the stable. When the two met, Xu Yuan was filled with resentment and anger, shouting, "I have not yet mastered the art of monster-catching, yet you rashly summoned me here without telling me the truth! I had an Ruyi Gou concealed in my clothes; why did you not send a weapon when I cried for help last night? You clearly intended to see me dead."

The master apologized, "I had intended to tell you the truth, but I feared it would put you in a difficult position. As for the Ruyi Gou hidden in your clothes, I genuinely knew nothing. Please forgive me this once." Xu Yuan felt deeply aggrieved. He demanded a mount from the master and departed in a sullen mood.

From that time on, the monster vanished. Whenever the master hosted banquets in the garden, he would often say to his guests, "Mr. Xu’s accomplishment in banishing the fiend is something I shall never forget."