Qi, a scholar from Weihui Prefecture, was elegant in his youth, possessed of courage and integrity, daring to act and speak plainly. A certain great family owned a sprawling mansion notorious for apparitions during the day, which had caused the successive deaths of its residents, forcing them to sell the estate at a ruinous price. Scholar Qi, coveting the bargain, seized the opportunity to purchase and move into the residence. The mansion was vast, but the scholar’s household was sparse; the pavilion in the East Wing had long been abandoned, becoming overgrown with weeds.

In the dead of night, the household would often wake to sounds of wailing from the upper floor. Two months later, a maidservant died inexplicably. Not long after, the scholar’s wife, passing through the East Wing at dusk, returned ill and passed away within days. The family grew increasingly terrified and urged Scholar Qi to move, but he refused. After his wife’s death, he lived in solitude, consumed by self-pity. The maids and servants occasionally whispered about the hauntings, their incessant chatter grating on his nerves. In a fit of anger, Scholar Qi took a single quilt and retreated to the desolate tower in the East Wing to await whatever might come, lighting a candle and keeping vigil.

After a long, long while, nothing strange occurred. Weariness finally overcame him, and he drifted into a hazy sleep. In his dream, he felt someone tugging at his quilt, repeatedly groping over his body. Opening his eyes, he saw an aged maidservant standing before him—her hair dishevelled, ears curled inward, and her frame distressingly bloated. Scholar Qi thought to himself, "This must be the female ghost." He seized her arm, gave her a hard shove, and laughed, "Your appearance is truly too much for me to bear. If you seek a man, go elsewhere."

Hearing this, the old ghost flushed with shame and retreated. Moments later, a young woman emerged from the northwest corner of the wall, her expression enchanting. She approached the lamplight and scolded, "Which reckless scholar dares to rest in this place?" Scholar Qi smiled, "I am the master of this tower, here to collect rent from the fair lady." He leaped up, completely naked, and lunged to catch the maiden.

The maiden tried to flee in haste, but Scholar Qi, having anticipated her move, had already moved to the northwest corner to block her path. Seeing no escape, the maiden simply sat down where she was and refused to budge.

Scholar Qi approached to look closely. The maiden was as beautiful as a celestial being, and his heart stirred. Without a second thought, he pulled her into his embrace. The maiden laughed, "Reckless scholar, how rude! Are you not afraid of ghosts? To consort with a female spirit, beware you lose your life." Scholar Qi ignored her and reached to undo her clothing; the maiden offered no resistance.

After their passion was spent, the maiden said, "My surname is Zhang, my given name Adun. In life, I mistakenly married into a dissolute family. My husband was obstinate and cruel, subjecting me to endless torment. My suppressed resentment led to my early death. I have been buried here for over twenty years. Beneath this estate lies nothing but graves." Scholar Qi asked, "Who was that elderly maidservant earlier?" Zhang Adun replied, "She is also a female ghost, who has served this humble servant for many years. Because there are living people residing above, the spirits underground cannot rest peacefully, so she came up to drive you out."

Scholar Qi inquired, "If she came to chase people away, why did she end up tempting me?" Adun laughed, "She hasn't seen a man in thirty years; naturally, she is desperately eager. Though she is pitiful, her attempt to lure you, young master, was overreaching. In summary: the timid are played with by ghosts; the courageous, even if faced with malignant spirits, are not dared to be bullied." As she spoke, the cock crowed. The woman dressed, got off the bed, stood up to bid farewell, and said, "If you do not suspect me, come meet me again tomorrow night."

The next evening, Adun indeed returned. After they entwined once more, Scholar Qi mentioned, "My former wife died tragically of illness; I often miss her. Can you help me contact her?" Adun looked saddened and said, "This humble servant died over twenty years ago, and no one has ever remembered me. You, young master, are so affectionate; I will certainly do my best to help. However, I heard your wife is about to reincarnate; I do not know if she is still in the Underworld."

The night after, Adun came for their meeting and reported, "The madam is about to be reborn into a wealthy family. But before her death, she beat a maid to death over a lost earring; this case is still unsettled, so she is currently detained in the Underworld. She is staying under the care of the Medicine King's Hall, guarded by ghost bailiffs. If I can find a way to bribe those bailiffs, perhaps your husband and wife can be reunited."

Scholar Qi asked, "Why are you, young lady, free and unattached, with no one attending to you?" Adun explained, "Any ghost who died unjustly, as long as they do not report to the Bureau of the Underworld, the King of Hell will not know of them."

As the second watch neared its end, the old maidservant indeed led his wife to him. The couple was reunited, weeping as they clasped hands. His wife’s eyes glistened with tears, making it hard for her to speak. Adun discreetly excused herself, saying, "You two catch up slowly; I will return tomorrow night." Scholar Qi asked about the case of the beaten maidservant. His wife replied, "It is nothing; the case will be closed soon." The two went to bed and made love as usual. From then on, this became routine.

Five days later, the wife suddenly cried out, "Tomorrow I am to be reborn in Shandong; we must part ways from then on. What are we to do?" Hearing this, Scholar Qi was overcome with grief. Adun advised, "I have a stratagem that will allow for a brief reunion." Scholar Qi asked, "What excellent plan do you have? Please tell me." Adun said, "Young master, under the apricot tree in the South Hall, burn ten bundles of joss paper to bribe the ghost bailiffs. This might delay things by several days."

Scholar Qi nodded in agreement. That night, his wife said, "Thanks to Miss Adun's help, we can now stay together for ten more days." Scholar Qi was overjoyed and would not let either woman leave; the three of them reveled day and night. After seven or eight days, the time limit approached. The husband and wife were dejected and asked Adun for another solution. Adun replied, "At this point, it is difficult to think of another way. We can try again, but without a million mingbi (underworld currency), it will be impossible to manage."

Scholar Qi burned the required amount of joss paper. That night, Adun arrived, delighted, saying, "I sent someone to plead with the bailiffs, but they initially refused. Later, when the bailiffs saw the considerable gold and silver, they finally softened. They agreed to find another soul to be reborn in the madam's place."

From then on, the three stayed together constantly. Even during the day, the two women did not leave, only instructing Scholar Qi to close the doors and windows and draw the curtains tightly to prevent sunlight exposure. The lamps and candles inside burned continuously from dawn till dusk. A year passed in this manner when Adun suddenly fell ill and could not rise, her spirit distraught as if tormented by a malevolent ghost. His wife said, "This is a ghost sickness." Scholar Qi was confused and asked, "Adun is already a ghost; can ghosts fall ill?"

His wife explained, "That is incorrect. A person who dies becomes a ghost; a ghost who dies becomes a ni (a higher, more potent shade); ghosts fear the ni, just as humans fear ghosts." Scholar Qi asked, "Should we invite a shaman-doctor to examine her?" His wife replied, "How would a mortal diagnose a ghost sickness? Old Mrs. Wang, our neighbor, works in the Underworld now; we can invite her. However, the Wang residence is over ten li away, and my legs are too weak to travel far. Please ask your esteemed husband to burn a paper horse for me."

Mr. Wang complied and burned the paper horse. As the flames rose, a maidservant appeared leading a red horse. His wife mounted the horse and vanished in an instant. A short while later, the wife returned, riding tandem with an old woman, both arriving as if floating. The old woman entered the room, placed her hands on Adun’s ten fingers, checked her pulse, then sat up straight, her head shaking rhythmically. She then collapsed to the floor before leaping up, exclaiming, "I am the Great King of Black Mountain! The madam's illness is not light, but thankfully she encountered this minor deity—a great fortune. This is the work of a malevolent ghost, but it's manageable, manageable. However, once she recovers, remember to burn me one hundred ingots of gold, one hundred strings of copper coins, and a full banquet spread—not a single thing less."

The wife agreed to all conditions. The old woman fell back to the ground, then suddenly awoke, murmuring incantations and scolding the patient ceaselessly for a long time before stopping. She then turned to leave, and the wife escorted her out, presenting her with the red horse. The old woman accepted it joyfully and departed happily.

The wife re-entered to check on Adun, who seemed slightly more lucid than before. The couple was greatly relieved. Adun suddenly murmured, "This humble servant fears her end is near. Whenever I close my eyes, I see the vengeful ghost demanding my life. Alas, this is fate." After one night, Adun’s condition worsened; her entire body trembled. She clung tightly to Scholar Qi, burying her face in his embrace, seemingly terrified of the malevolent spirit’s harassment. Whenever Scholar Qi tried to move, Adun cried out in distress.

Six or seven days passed like this, and the couple was helpless. It happened that Scholar Qi had to go out on an errand and returned only half a day later. Upon entering the room, he heard his wife weeping. He rushed to the bed and saw that Adun had already died; her clothes remained, but when he lifted them, only a pile of white bones was left. Scholar Qi was overcome with grief and accorded Adun the burial rites reserved for the living, interring her beside his ancestral graves.

One night, his wife wept in a dream, saying, "Just now, Adun appeared to me in a vision, thanking me. She said her grievance has been resolved, and she will soon be reborn as the daughter of the City God. Please convey this message to your esteemed husband for me." Scholar Qi said, "That is easily done; I will invite monks immediately."

His wife replied, "Supervising the deliverance of a ni ghost is not something you can manage. Leave it to me." She stood up and left, returning a moment later to say, "I have already arranged for monks to be invited, but joss paper must be burned beforehand to cover the ni ghost’s expenses." Scholar Qi agreed. As dusk fell, monks gathered, with gongs, drums, and chanting of Buddhist scriptures, just as they would in the world of the living. His wife complained that the noise of the gongs and drums was too loud, but Scholar Qi heard nothing at all.

After the rites were concluded, his wife dreamt that Adun came to her, expressing her thanks, saying, "The enmity has been dissolved, and I will soon be born as the City God’s daughter. Convey my farewell to the young master."

His wife resided in the tower for three years. At first, the family was deeply fearful, but over time, they grew accustomed to it. Sometimes when Scholar Qi went out, the family members would consult his wife through the window. One night, his wife suddenly wept, "The ghost bailiffs have been exposed for accepting bribes; the Eastern Window affair has come to light, and the King of Hell is pursuing the matter urgently. I fear we will be separated soon."

A few days later, his wife indeed fell ill and said, "For the one I truly love, I would wish to remain dead rather than be reborn. Now, this eternal separation—is this Heaven's will?" Scholar Qi looked bewildered and asked, "Is there still a way?" His wife answered, "No." Scholar Qi inquired, "Will we be punished?" His wife replied, "A minor reprimand for a great offense; it’s nothing serious. Stealing life is a grave crime, but stealing death is a minor one." With these words, she stopped moving. Upon close examination, his wife’s countenance grew faint and finally vanished completely.

In memory of his late wife, Scholar Qi often slept alone in the empty tower, hoping for a miracle. But the tower remained silent, and no strange occurrences ever happened again; from then on, peace settled in his heart.