The Governor-General Liang, retired from his post in Yangzhou, returned to his ancestral home, spending his days wandering the mountains and forests, drinking and making merry.

On this year's Double Ninth Festival, Lord Liang climbed a height for a distant view, playing chess with a guest. Suddenly, a scholar appeared, lingering nearby, watching the game intently without moving away. His face suggested poverty and a downcast state, his clothes simple, yet he possessed an elegant demeanor, hinting at a man of letters. Liang invited him to take a seat. The man demurred thankfully, but Lord Liang pointed to the chessboard and said, "Sir must be a kindred spirit. Are you interested in a match?" The man laughed, "Exceedingly good, marvelous." He picked up a piece and began to play against the guest. The first game he lost, and the scholar looked vexed, unable to compose himself. He played again and lost again, growing even more resentful. Liang offered him wine, but he shook his head, refusing to drink, intent only on the chess, from morning till night, deeply engrossed, even forgetting to use the latrine.

As the two argued heatedly over a single move, the scholar suddenly rose from his seat, looking utterly dejected. He faced Lord Liang, knelt down, and pleaded, "Your Excellency, save me." Liang, filled with confusion, reached out to help him up, saying, "It is merely a game of chess, why such despair?" The scholar replied, "Please command your groom not to seize me." Liang grew even more astonished and asked, "Who is this groom?" The scholar answered, "Ma Cheng."

It turned out that Ma Cheng held an unusual post; he was a soul-reaping emissary from the Underworld, traveling without fixed schedules, visiting the netherworld once every ten days, bearing writs to collect mortal souls. Because the scholar’s words were so strange, Liang sent someone to check on Ma Cheng. They found him lying rigidly in bed, having been immobile for two days. Lord Liang angrily rebuked Ma Cheng, saying, "Do not be disrespectful to the scholar." In the blink of an eye, the scholar collapsed to the ground and vanished. Liang sighed for a long time, finally understanding that the scholar was a ghost.

The next day, when Ma Cheng awoke, Liang summoned him for questioning. Ma Cheng explained, "The scholar was from Hu Xiang. He was deeply addicted to chess and squandered his entire family fortune. His father worried greatly and confined him to his study. The scholar, however, scaled the wall and left, seeking opponents everywhere. His father scolded him repeatedly, but he never mended his ways, until finally, the father died of sheer exasperation. Yama heard of the scholar’s unfilial conduct and shortened his lifespan, condemning him to the Hell of Hungry Ghosts, where he has been for seven years now. A few days ago, the East Peak Phoenix Tower was completed, and the King of Hell posted an announcement seeking talented writers to compose the commemorative inscription. The scholar was released from prison under orders to atone for his sins, but he dallied midway and missed the deadline. The Emperor of the East Peak questioned the King of Hell, who became furious and dispatched us to apprehend the scholar. Two days ago, following my master’s orders, I refrained from looping a rope around his neck."

Lord Liang asked, "What is his situation now?" Ma Cheng replied, "He has fallen into the hands of the prison guards; his rebirth is lost forever." Liang sighed, "A mere obsession can ruin a person so profoundly."