A certain official in Yangzhou, while sleeping one night, dreamed of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, whose face was etched with anger, loudly reprimanding him.

He looked up and saw an envoy standing beside the Emperor, pleading on his behalf.

Awakening in fright, he immediately proceeded to the Emperor’s temple to pray for penance.

Upon leaving, he passed by a pharmacy, where he noticed a man inside—it was the very same envoy from his dream.

When asked about his profession, the man replied, "I am a physician."

The official nodded at this, thought nothing more of it, and took his leave to return home. Not long after, he was suddenly struck by a virulent illness, prompting him to seek medical aid. The doctor prescribed a dose of medicine, instructing him to swallow it by dusk. The official complied exactly as told, and by midnight, he was dead.

It is said that the King of Hell and the Great Emperor of Mount Tai dispatch an equal number of male and female envoys—one hundred and eight thousand in total—to travel the world under the guise of practicing medicine. Their true purpose is to gather souls, and they are known as the "Soul-Reaping Messengers."

Thus, those who consume medicine must remain ever vigilant.