Liu Zhongkan of Luocheng possessed mediocre talent. One day, while reading at home, a burst of exotic fragrance filled the air, and a stunning beauty appeared, followed by several maids dressed in palace attire. Liu Zhongkan was greatly alarmed and immediately knelt to pay his respects. The beauty helped him up and remarked, "Were you not quite arrogant before, sir? Why such deference now?" Liu Zhongkan replied, "Miss, you are an ethereal being. We have never met; when was I ever disrespectful?"

The beauty smiled. "It has not been long since we parted; how could you forget the past? Was the gentleman grinding bricks on the ground not you?" Liu Zhongkan was bewildered. "Grinding bricks? I have no recollection." The beauty continued, "Let me tell you the truth: you are the reincarnation of Liu Gonggan, and I am Empress Zhen of Cao Pi. You brought disaster upon yourself for my sake back then and suffered punishment; I feel quite bad about it, which is why I have come to compensate you. Ah, since we parted at the Jade Pool, centuries have passed. Your spiritual essence is lost; you are far from the talented scholar you once were." As she spoke, she produced a pill. "This is the Tangwo Crystal Pill. After taking it, your brain will be sharpened and your intellect improved."

Liu Zhongkan swallowed the pill and inquired, "Where is Emperor Wen of Wei? Where is he now?" The beauty replied, "That boy Cao Pi is a mere mediocrity. Because he usurped the Han throne, he was cast into the underworld upon his death and suffers endless punishment daily. I haven't heard news of him in ages."

After talking for a while, the two retired to bed. Afterwards, the beauty departed on a cloud. From that day forward, Liu Zhongkan’s literary inspiration soared, yet he spent his days lost in thought, missing the fair lady deeply. An old woman in the household saw his state and asked him, "Sir, have you contracted lovesickness?" Liu Zhongkan sighed deeply and recounted the entire affair. The old woman responded, "This is not difficult. Please write a letter, sir, and I will find a way to deliver it to Consort Zhen for you."

Liu Zhongkan was overjoyed and said, "But she resides in the Celestial Court; are you truly confident you can deliver the letter? If you succeed, I will never forget your great kindness." He immediately wrote the letter and handed it to the old woman.

Around midnight, the old woman returned, saying, "I did not fail my mission. As soon as I reached the South Heaven Gate, the guarding general recognized me as a fox spirit and was about to seize me. In desperation, I presented the letter, claiming to be a confidante of Consort Zhen. Only then did the general relent and allow me entry. Consort Zhen accepted the letter and told me, 'My fate with the young master is exhausted; please stop thinking of her. Tomorrow at noon, a new bride will be sent to you.'"

The next day at noon, an old woman indeed brought a girl to their door. The bride's beauty was unparalleled, and she introduced herself as "Chen Sixiang." Liu Zhongkan was beside himself with joy and asked, "What is your relationship with Consort Zhen?" Sixiang replied, "Hundreds of years ago, I was a singer at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, and later I was transferred to the Crown Prince’s residence to serve Consort Zhen." Liu Zhongkan’s face changed. "Then you are a female ghost?" Sixiang said, "Not so. Both the Consort and I have attained the Dao and attained immortal status, listed among the immortals. However, I was banished to the mortal realm for violating celestial law and am currently undergoing trials for spiritual refinement." Liu Zhongkan breathed a sigh of relief, his worries eased.

One day, a blind man leading a yellow dog came to beg for food. Liu Zhongkan personally came out to entertain them, and Sixiang was helping nearby. The yellow dog suddenly broke free from its leash and began barking ferociously at Sixiang. Immediately, its eyes turned fierce, and it lunged, biting a piece of Sixiang’s outer garment and tearing off a scrap, which it chewed to dust. Liu Zhongkan was furious, picked up a wooden stick, and drove the dog away, thus quelling the disturbance.

Not long after, the blind man took his leave. Liu Zhongkan asked his wife, "Are you not an immortal? Why are you afraid of a dog?" Sixiang replied, "My husband, you must not know. This dog is the incarnation of Cao A'man. When Cao A'man was near death, he left a will requiring us to divide his legacy and sell his shoes to support ourselves. Since I did not abide by this decree, he has specifically come for revenge."

Two years passed in the blink of an eye. Sixiang lived in seclusion, rarely interacting with relatives. When asked about her origins, she remained vague. Liu’s mother secretly suspected she was a demon and invited a Daoist priest to subdue the spirit, setting up an altar in the courtyard to perform the rites. Sixiang looked mournfully displeased and said, "I intended to stay with my husband until death. Since the mother is suspicious, I cannot remain. However, to think a mere Daoist priest could capture me is sheer delusion." As she spoke, she ignited a bundle of dry straw and tossed it down the steps. In an instant, thick smoke billowed throughout the residence, and thunder roared in the sky, shaking the soul. Then the smoke dissipated, and Sixiang had vanished without a trace. Looking at the Daoist priest, his seven orifices were bleeding; he had been dead for a long time.

(Liu Gonggan, or Liu Zhen, was one of the Seven Sages of Jian'an, renowned for his exceptional literary talent and highly esteemed by Cao Pi. On one occasion, Cao Pi hosted a banquet for the scholars. During the gathering, Empress Zhen appeared to greet the guests. Upon seeing the beauty, the assembled scholars immediately lowered their heads, daring not to look up. Only Liu Zhen stared intently, scrutinizing Empress Zhen without restraint. Cao Cao learned of this, became enraged, and immediately punished Liu Zhen with hard labor, banishing him to the Western Quarry to grind stones. One day, Cao Cao inspected the quarry. All the officials and laborers prostrated themselves in deference. However, Liu Zhen remained composed, continuing to grind a stone in his hand as usual. Cao Cao grew furious, walked up to Liu Zhen, and reprimanded him sternly. Liu Zhen’s expression did not change, and he stated, "The King of Wei's might is known throughout the realm; as a laborer, how dare Liu Zhen disrespect His Highness. But having served in the Wei court for years, I have often heard the King teach that one must exert one's utmost effort in any task; success pleases the King, and failure brings the King disgrace. Zhen is currently a laborer, dedicating himself to stone processing. Grinding stone is an act of loyalty to His Highness, so I dared not cease my work." The King of Wei then asked, "What of the stone?" Liu Zhen replied, "It comes from the peak of the Jingshan cliff, possessing five colors on the outside and the treasure of the Bian stone within. Grinding it does not enhance its luster, and carving it does not improve its pattern. It possesses inherent firmness and integrity, naturally endowed. However, its nature dictates that its true worth is twisted and confined, unable to be fully expressed.")

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