General Zhou Youde, the military governor, hired numerous artisans to construct the government offices, and everyone lodged right on the worksite.

Among the carpenters was one named Feng Minghuan. One evening, as he lay in bed, the window suddenly flew open, bathing the room in moonlight as bright as day. Focusing his gaze, he saw a crimson rooster perched atop the low wall; as he watched, the rooster flapped its wings and soared down to the ground.

Shortly after, a young woman peeked in through the window, spying stealthily. Feng Minghuan assumed she was a prostitute brought by one of his companions, so he listened closely. Inside the room, snores thundered like claps of thunder; everyone else was sound asleep.

Feng Minghuan's heart hammered against his ribs. He mused, "This woman is exquisitely beautiful; to be close to her, even death would be worthwhile."

In a moment, the woman did indeed slip through the window and fall into his embrace. Feng was overjoyed, remaining utterly silent.

They clung to one another, sharing deep affection and intimacy.

Afterward, the woman slipped away as lightly as she had come.

From then on, she visited every night. Initially, Feng Minghuan was delighted to indulge, but as time wore on, unease began to creep into his heart. He finally asked her, "Have you perhaps mistaken me for someone else?"

The woman replied, "No, I deeply admire your character, which is why I have offered myself to you."

The two became deeply attached, their bond growing profoundly intimate.

Eventually, the construction project concluded, and Feng packed his belongings to return home. The woman was already waiting for him by the roadside.

Feng’s residence was not far from the county town, and the woman accompanied him back to his ancestral home.

Upon entering the courtyard, his family members could not see her at all.

Feng suddenly understood everything; he knew then that the woman was absolutely not human.

Months later, Feng was perpetually listless, his body and spirit utterly drained. He hired a Daoist master to exorcise the spirit, but despite exhausting every method, it had not the slightest effect.

That night, the woman arrived dressed in her finest attire and said, "Fate is predetermined; what is bound to arrive cannot be stopped, and what is meant to depart cannot be held back. Today, I have come to bid you farewell."

As soon as the words left her lips, she vanished, never to appear again.