In Hejian County, a scholar lived in a house where the threshing floor was piled high with sheaves of wheat straw. Every day, his family would pull straw from the mound to burn for cooking. Gradually, a hollow formed in the stack, where a fox demon took up residence. It often emerged from the opening, assuming the guise of an old man to meet the scholar.

One day, the fox demon invited the scholar into the den for a chat. The scholar was greatly hesitant, but the demon pressed him repeatedly. Finally, having no choice, the scholar squeezed into the cave. Inside, the rooms were spacious and extraordinarily luxurious. As soon as they were seated, the fox demon immediately served fragrant tea and fine wine. They conversed until the sun began to set, at which point the demon rose to depart. On his way out, the scholar glanced back occasionally, only to find the furniture gone, vanished entirely from the den.

The fox demon often kept to the night, seeming utterly untraceable. When asked where he went, he would always reply, "Attending a feast with friends." The scholar implored the demon to take him along, but the fox refused. After repeated pleas, the demon finally consented. He extended his right hand, grasped the scholar’s arm, and they sped away like flying wind, faster than a gale. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at a great capital city.

The two entered a bustling tavern, packed with patrons drinking and loudly reveling in the merriment. The fox demon led the way, guiding the scholar upstairs. From above, the scholar could clearly see the dishes, fine wines, and delicacies spread across the tables below. The fox demon went downstairs alone and freely selected wine, food, vegetables, and fruit from the tables for the scholar to enjoy; none of the other patrons noticed a thing.

Not long after, the scholar spotted a guest dressed in red, with golden tangerines set before him, and he begged the fox demon to procure some. The fox demon said, "That is a man of true principle; we must not approach him." The scholar thought to himself: The fox demon’s association with me must be because of my previously licentious words and actions. From this day forward, I must surely mend my ways and become righteous. As he pondered this, his body moved without conscious will, and he suddenly tumbled from the second floor to the ground. The patrons were terrified, shouting in unison, "What monster is this? How dare it cause trouble here!"

The scholar looked up and realized he hadn't been on the second floor at all, but rather perched on a crossbeam. He then explained the entire story in detail. Seeing his sincere words and believing he was not lying, the crowd bestowed travel money upon him and ordered him to return home.

The scholar asked, "Where is this place?" The reply came, "Yutai."

The scholar was greatly shocked; he realized that without knowing it, he had traveled a thousand li away.