Li Jiuchang, a native of Linqu, was out for a countryside excursion one day, bringing wine along. Suddenly, a whirlwind roared in, and Li Jiuchang, filled with awe, sprinkled wine onto the ground as an offering to the vortex. Later, while traveling far from home, he noticed a grand mansion by the roadside, its halls and pavilions magnificent. A man in blue stepped out from within and invited Mr. Li to be a guest.

Li Jiuchang declined repeatedly, but the man in blue pressed the invitation eagerly. Li Jiuchang asked, "We are strangers; you must have mistaken me for someone else." The blue-clad man replied, "Certainly not. Is your surname Li, sir?" Li Jiuchang nodded and asked, "Whose residence is this?" The man in blue simply said, "Enter, and you shall know."

Entering the courtyard, past the first doorway, he saw a woman bound at the hands and feet, nailed to a door panel. Upon looking closer, the woman was none other than his elder sister-in-law. Li Jiuchang was deeply shocked, his heart chilled with dread.

Li’s sister-in-law had suffered from a poisonous ulcer on her arm for a year and had been bedridden. He thought, How could my sister-in-law be here? Does the master of this place intend harm? At this thought, he recoiled in fear. The man in blue urged him onward, and Li Jiuchang, with no other recourse, followed him inside. They reached the main hall, where a figure sat—a presence so mighty, his attire and bearing resembled that of a king. Li thought, Isn't this King Yama? The Emperor of the Underworld, what is he doing here?

As this thought crossed his mind, he immediately knelt and bowed, daring not to look up. Yama ordered his attendants to help him rise, comforting him: "Fear not. I was once indebted to your hospitality, sir, and specifically summoned you here to show my gratitude. There is no ill intent." Li Jiuchang felt a slight easing of his anxiety, yet remained utterly bewildered. The King of Hell then asked, "Have you forgotten the wine you poured out as an offering in the field?" Li Jiuchang suddenly understood, bowed his head deeply, and pleaded, "When I just saw my sister-in-law suffering such torture, the affection for my own flesh and blood was too much to bear. I beg Your Majesty for mercy."

Yama stated, "This woman is fierce in nature and consumed by jealousy; such punishment is deserved. Three years ago, when your elder brother’s concubine gave birth, her intestines prolapsed. This woman secretly pierced the bowels with a silver needle, causing lasting internal injury and chronic pain to the concubine. How could such an act possess a shred of humanity?" Li Jiuchang begged again and again. Yama conceded, "Very well, for your sake, I will spare her this time. When you return, you must counsel this fierce woman to mend her ways." Li Jiuchang offered his thanks and departed. Passing the door panel again, there was no one there; his sister-in-law had vanished.

Upon returning home, he went to check on his sister-in-law. He found her lying on the bed, blood weeping from the wound, staining the bedding. The concubine was attending her, and when the service was slightly unsatisfactory, the sister-in-law immediately launched into loud curses. Li Jiuchang advised, "Sister-in-law, you must not be so reckless. The suffering you endure today is a direct result of your past jealousy." The sister-in-law snapped back, "Younger brother, I know you are a good man, and your wife is virtuous, but I am still your elder. When did it become your place to lecture me?"

Li Jiuchang smiled gently, "Sister-in-law, please do not be angry. If I were to reveal the full truth now, you might weep without tears and regret it too late." The sister-in-law retorted, "I have neither stolen the Queen Mother's needles nor seduced the Jade Emperor’s envoy; my conscience is clear. Why would I weep?" Li Jiuchang lowered his voice, "What crime deserves the piercing of one’s intestines with a needle?"

Hearing this, the sister-in-law’s face changed drastically. She demanded, "How do you know about that?" Li Jiuchang recounted the entire incident, detail by detail. She trembled all over, tears streaming down her face, and cried out, "I will never dare again." Before her tears were dry, the poisonous ulcer healed, and the pain vanished instantly. From that day forward, she thoroughly repented her past misdeeds and devoted herself to goodness.

Later, when the concubine went into labor again and her intestines prolapsed, the silver needle was still lodged there. She pulled the needle out by hand, and the concubine's abdominal pain immediately subsided.