Soon after, Liaoyang fell, and the man was slain by the rampaging troops; though his head was severed, consciousness remained.

That night, a figure holding a ledger moved among the shades, chanting the tally of departed souls.

When he reached the soldier's name, he remarked to his attendants, "This man’s fate was not yet due. Add a head back to him."

Several attendants loudly agreed, hastily reattaching the head to the soldier, then gripping his arms and conveying him back to his village.

The soldier felt his steps were impossibly swift, the wind screaming past his ears, and in mere moments, he was home.

The County Magistrate heard of this and, assuming the man was a deserter, had him apprehended and interrogated. The man vehemently defended himself, but the Magistrate refused to believe him.

He ordered his subordinates to examine the man's neck, finding no trace of a blade, which only deepened his suspicion. He immediately imprisoned the soldier, preparing him for execution.

The soldier pleaded, "My Lord, please do not execute me yet. The fall of Liaoyang is news that will soon arrive. If Liaoyang remains safe when that tidings comes, then you may carry out my sentence without delay."

Not long after, the news arrived, matching precisely what the soldier had foretold.

The Magistrate realized he had apprehended the wrong person and promptly set him free.