Wen Rensheng, a man from Henan, had been confined to bed sick for many days. One day while recuperating, he saw a scholar enter his room, kneel, and perform the proper salutations, saying, "Please, sir, step outside for a moment. I have something to discuss." The two walked outside, and the scholar took hold of Wen’s arm, chatting as they walked. Before they knew it, they had covered more than a li. Wen Rensheng stopped, bowed his thanks, and prepared to part ways, but the scholar insisted, "Sir, please do not go. I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?" Wen Rensheng inquired. The scholar replied, "To be frank, I am a scribe from the Underworld, under the jurisdiction of the 'Department of Corrupt Examination.' Our Chief is named the 'Void-Bellied Ghost King.' This fellow has a bizarre custom: anyone meeting him for the first time must offer a piece of flesh sliced from their thigh as a gift. I have no desire to lose flesh, so I hoped you might intercede for me." Wen Rensheng asked, "What crime has your friend committed to deserve such cruel torture?" The scholar explained, "I have committed no crime. This is the Ghost King's private rule, always observed. The only way to avoid the penalty is through bribery, but I am destitute and have no silver to offer."

"I am not acquainted with the Ghost King," said Wen Rensheng. "Even if I pleaded, it would be useless." The scholar countered, "In your previous life, sir, you were an elder to the Ghost King. He might listen to your words."

As they spoke, they arrived at a walled city and approached a government office. The buildings were not grand, featuring only one vast main hall. Beneath the hall, on the east and west sides, stood stone tablets inscribed with large, green characters. One read: Filial Piety, Brotherly Love, Loyalty, Trust; the other read: Propriety, Righteousness, Integrity, Shame.

Wen Rensheng stepped into the hall. Above him hung a plaque bearing the three large characters: "Department of Corrupt Examination." Carved on the round pillars on either side was a couplet. The upper line read: To educate, to order, to instruct; two characters guiding moral transformation; the lower line read: Upper scholars, middle scholars, lower scholars; an assembly of ritual music for the ghost disciples.

As Wen Rensheng was admiring the couplet, an official stepped out—curly-haired, hunched back, nostrils upturned, lips everted, his forehead crisscrossed with wrinkles. Though perhaps not yet two hundred years old, he looked to be around one hundred and eighty. Attending the official was a Registrar, human-bodied with a tiger's head, and behind the Registrar followed more than ten spectral bailiffs, each with a terrifying countenance.

The scholar whispered, "This is the Ghost King." Wen Rensheng was horrified and attempted to flee, but the Ghost King had already seen him. He called out to stop him, respectfully ushering Wen into a room, showing him every courtesy and concern. Finally, he asked, "Sir, what brings you to this place?" Wen Rensheng replied, "I have come to plead for the scholar." The Ghost King’s expression changed upon hearing this. "Slicing flesh from the thigh—this is an old precedent. Even if my own father came, it could not be changed." Seeing the King’s imposing and unyielding aura, Wen dared not press the matter further and immediately took his leave. The Ghost King personally escorted him all the way to the gate.

Once the Ghost King had departed, Wen Rensheng secretly crept back toward the lower part of the main hall to observe. He saw the scholar and several other students, all with their hands tied tightly behind their backs, completely restrained. A spectral bailiff held a sharp knife, slit the scholar’s outer garments, and with a swift motion, carved a piece of muscle from the scholar’s thigh. The scholar shrieked in agony.

Seeing this, Wen Rensheng's anger boiled over, and he shouted, "Such cruelty! Is there any law here?" The Ghost King started in shock and waved a hand, commanding, "Hold the slicing for a moment." He looked toward Wen, smiling, "Sir, you returned. What instruction do you offer?" Wen Rensheng retorted bitterly, "You treat human lives so cheaply; I shall report this to the Jade Emperor." With that, he turned and left.

Outside, Wen Rensheng asked a passerby for the location of the Jade Emperor's residence. Someone laughed, "Sir, you are quite naive. Where would the Jade Emperor be in the Underworld? If you wish to file a complaint, you should seek the King of Yama." As he spoke, he pointed out the direction.

Following the local's guidance, Wen Rensheng arrived at the Hall of King Yama. The hall was solemn and magnificent in its presence. Upon the high seat sat a King radiating righteousness. The moment Wen saw him, without needing to ask, he knew from the very aura that this was the King of Yama. He immediately knelt down, crying out his grievance.

The King of Yama questioned the case in detail and, upon learning of the Ghost King's malfeasance, his face darkened with anger. He commanded, "Guards, swiftly seize the Ghost King and bring him here." Two spectral bailiffs accepted the order and departed. In a short while, the Ghost King, shackled, was driven by the bailiffs into the Hall of King Yama. The King of Yama berated him, "Audacious Ghost King! I pitied your lifetime of hard study and specially entrusted you with an important post. Who knew you would become so arrogant and disregard the law—truly hateful. Guards! Take the Ghost King and sever his 'Benevolence Tendons,' augment his 'Malice Bones,' and punish him to eternal reincarnation, never to hold office again."

The bailiffs loudly assented, producing a bronze hammer. With one blow, they smashed the Ghost King to the ground. He cried out in pain, his mouth opening to expel a mouthful of blood mixed with several teeth—a horrifying, stark red. The bailiffs, expressionless, then produced a small knife, cut open the Ghost King’s fingers, and pulled out a thin, silken, bright-white tendon. The Ghost King screamed in agony, his cries like that of a slaughtered pig. The bailiffs worked skillfully, finishing the finger tendons before moving on to the toes, laboring for a full half-hour until they were all extracted.

The execution complete, the bailiffs escorted the Ghost King to prison. Wen Rensheng bowed deeply in thanks, rose, and departed, the scholar following him out. As they walked through the marketplace, they passed a certain doorway; within, an embroidered curtain hung low, and behind it stood a woman of unparalleled beauty, eclipsing all others. Wen Rensheng asked, "Where is this?" The scholar replied, "This is a brothel."

They continued their talk, but Wen Rensheng could not forget the beautiful woman, turning back frequently. Finally, he stopped and said, "Though I see you a thousand li on your way, we must still part. Friend, you need not escort me further; I bid you farewell here." The scholar protested, "I came with you, sir. How could I bear to let you return alone?"

Wen Rensheng insisted repeatedly. Unable to refuse, the scholar departed. As soon as Wen saw the scholar walk away, he hurried into the embroidered curtain. The woman greeted him with a beaming smile, clearly delighted. They exchanged names; the woman introduced herself as "Surname Liu, given name Qiuhua." While they were speaking, an old woman emerged from inside the room carrying fine wine and delicacies to entertain the guest.

After the meal, the two retired to bed and engaged in unrestrained intimacy. Wen Rensheng swore eternal vows of love and pledged a lifelong commitment to the woman. As dawn broke in the east, the old woman entered the room and said, "The firewood and rice are exhausted. I ask the young master to grant some silver to maintain our livelihood." Wen Rensheng reached into his robes, found nothing, and stammered awkwardly, "I am embarrassed, sir. I left in too much of a hurry this time and forgot to bring any money. How about I leave an IOU for Mother, and I will immediately send the payment upon my return?" The old woman's face changed at this. "How can a patron visit a house of pleasure and not pay? Leaving an IOU is a fine idea, but sadly, this old woman is illiterate; writing it would be useless."

Wen Rensheng pondered for a moment and then said, "How about this: I will pawn my clothes to Mother?" The old woman scoffed, "Sir, do not blame me for being blunt, but this ragged robe you wear is barely worth a flask of wine." She grumbled and complained for quite a while before finally grasping the woman’s hand and turning back into the room.

Unsure of what the two planned to do with him, Wen Rensheng crept to the window to spy. He saw the old woman and the young woman transform in the blink of an eye. The peerless beauty was gone, replaced now by creatures with ox heads and human bodies—their features hideous and terrifying beyond measure.

Great fear gripped Wen Rensheng’s heart, and he fled in panic. He wanted to go home, but the streets were a maze of forks and turns, and he had no idea which path to take. Running wildly, he became utterly exhausted, starved, and caught in an impasse. Just then, he unexpectedly ran into the scholar. Seeing his disheveled state, the scholar asked, "Sir, what has happened to make you look like this? You’ve even lost your outer garments?"

Wen Rensheng sighed, "Don't even mention it. Alas, it was all caused by lust." The scholar laughed, "No need to say more. You must have been bewitched by the Flower Yakshini. Hmph. Qiuhua and her mother were old acquaintances of mine. How dare they bully my friend! This is utterly disrespectful to me." Saying this, the scholar angrily departed.

Not long after, the scholar returned, holding a set of outer clothes, and said, "Shameless slut! I have already scolded her." He escorted Wen Rensheng home and then took his leave.

Upon reaching home, Wen Rensheng had already been dead for three days. It was only at this moment that he returned to life.

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