A certain mad scholar from Jining had a great passion for wine.

Though his household was impoverished, any money that came into his hands was immediately spent on drink.

The county magistrate, also a man devoted to the way of the bottle, possessed a prodigious capacity, rarely meeting his match.

Hearing of the scholar’s drinking prowess, the magistrate summoned him to a feast for a drinking contest, a long bout that ended in a truce, neither gaining the upper hand.

The magistrate was delighted and henceforth associated frequently with the scholar, their relationship growing close.

However, the scholar grew presumptuous with favor, taking secret bribes whenever a lawsuit came his way, interceding on behalf of others, and interfering with the due process of law.

At first, the magistrate could tolerate it, but over time, he grew increasingly annoyed.

One morning, the scholar arrived again to plead a case.

The magistrate smiled faintly, offering no comment.

The scholar roared, "If Your Excellency agrees to my request, a simple nod will suffice.

If not, speak plainly.

Why this smile? A scholar may be killed but not humiliated; you may smile, but so can I!" With that, he burst into loud laughter, the sound shaking the roof tiles.

The magistrate thundered, "Insolent fool! How dare you show such disrespect! Have you not heard the tale of the 'Exterminating Magistrate'?" The scholar tossed his sleeve, turned on his heel, and walked away, muttering as he went, "I am a solitary man; I have no household to exterminate." The magistrate’s fury intensified, and he immediately had the scholar detained.

An investigation revealed that the scholar had only a wife, and the two lived in a decrepit tower on the city wall, their circumstances truly wretched.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, the magistrate let the matter drop and released the scholar, but simultaneously issued an order: from that day forward, the scholar was forbidden from residing in the city tower.

When friends heard the news, they pooled their resources to purchase a few mu of land and a small hut for the scholar to settle in.

After moving in, the scholar sighed, "'The Exterminating Magistrate' is truly formidable! I dare not be so audacious again."