Original Text
In Lijin County there was a man named Wang Lan, who suddenly died of a sudden illness. When he arrived in the underworld, the King of Yan reviewed his case and discovered that a minor demon had mistakenly taken his soul. The King ordered the demon to return Wang Lan's soul to the mortal world for resurrection, but his body had already decayed. Fearing the King's wrath, the demon said to Wang Lan, "It is painful for a man to become a ghost after death, but if a ghost can transform into an immortal, there is great joy. If such joy exists, why bother returning to the mortal world for rebirth?" Wang Lan found this reasoning sound. The demon said, "In this place there is a fox spirit that has already refined the Golden Elixir. If we steal and swallow that elixir, your soul will not dissipate but will endure forever, allowing you to go wherever you wish without hindrance. Are you willing?" Wang Lan agreed to the plan. The demon then led him into a grand mansion with lofty gates, where towering pavilions and deep halls stood silent and empty. Under the moonlight, a fox spirit was seen tilting its head toward the sky; as it exhaled, a small pellet shot from its mouth and flew straight into the moon; when it inhaled, the pellet descended, and the fox caught it in its mouth, then exhaled again, repeating this cycle without end. The demon quietly crept close to the fox spirit, and just as it spat out the pellet, snatched it swiftly and handed it to Wang Lan, who swallowed it. The fox spirit was greatly startled and rushed forward in fury, but seeing two opponents, feared it could not prevail, so it departed in resentment. After bidding farewell to the demon, Wang Lan returned home. When his wife and children saw him, they were terrified and tried to flee. Only after Wang Lan explained what had happened did his family slowly gather around him. From then on, he lived at home as before.
Wang Lan had a friend surnamed Zhang, who upon hearing of his situation came to visit him. When they met, after exchanging some casual words of greeting and parting, Wang Lan said to Zhang, "My family and yours have always been poor. Now that I possess magical arts, I can become wealthy and prosperous. Are you willing to follow me in this endeavor?" Zhang agreed. Wang Lan then said, "I can cure illnesses without using medicine, and divine events without casting lots, with unfailing accuracy. But if I were to appear in my true form, I fear that those who know I am dead would be startled and alarmed. Let me attach myself to your body and go forth—would that be acceptable?" Zhang readily consented. That very day, they packed their belongings and set out, arriving in the region of Shanxi. There lived a wealthy man whose daughter had fallen suddenly ill, lying in a stupor day and night, unconscious and delirious. Despite all manner of treatments, from medicines to prayers to various rituals, nothing had any effect. Zhang visited the man's home and boasted of his magical powers. The rich man had only this one daughter, whom he cherished dearly, and he vowed to reward anyone who could cure her with a thousand taels of silver. Zhang then requested to see the patient. Following the rich man into the inner chamber, he found the young woman lying in a deep coma; even when he lifted her blanket and touched her body, she remained insensible. Wang Lan secretly whispered to Zhang, "Her soul has wandered away; we must retrieve it." Zhang then told the rich man, "Though the illness is critical, there is still hope." The rich man asked, "What medicine is needed?" Zhang replied that no medicine was required, saying, "Your daughter's soul has departed to another place, and I have already dispatched a divine being to seek it." After about an hour, Wang Lan suddenly returned and informed Zhang that the girl's soul had been found. Zhang then asked the rich man to enter the inner chamber again, and he once more touched his daughter. Shortly thereafter, the girl stretched her limbs and suddenly opened her eyes. Overjoyed, the rich man caressed her and asked what had happened. She said, "Earlier, I was playing in the garden when I saw a young man shooting birds with a slingshot, followed by several attendants leading fine horses. I tried to flee, but he blocked my path. He thrust the slingshot into my hands and tried to teach me to shoot. As I rebuked him in shame, he lifted me onto his horse and rode away, laughing and saying, 'I enjoy playing with you—do not be shy.' After traveling several li into the mountains, I wept and raged, and in anger, he pushed me off the road. I wanted to return home but could not find the way. Just then, a man came, seized my arm, and carried me flying as swiftly as a galloping horse. In an instant, I was home, and suddenly I awoke as if from a dream." The rich man, impressed by Zhang's supernatural abilities, indeed gave him a thousand taels of silver. That night, Wang Lan conferred with Zhang and decided to keep two hundred taels for travel expenses, while the rest was magically transported to their homes. Wang Lan knocked on his own door, handed the money to his son, and instructed him to send three hundred taels to Zhang's family, after which he returned. The next day, they bid farewell to the rich man, who, seeing no trace of where the silver was hidden, was even more astonished and presented them with generous gifts before seeing them off.
After a few days, Zhang encountered his fellow villager He Cai in the outskirts. He Cai was addicted to drinking and gambling, neglected his proper duties, and was exceedingly poor, almost like a beggar. Having heard that Zhang had learned a miraculous art and obtained countless silver coins, he came to seek Zhang out. Wang Lan advised Zhang to give He Cai a small amount of silver and send him away. But He Cai did not reform his old evil habits; within ten days, he had squandered all the silver and wished to come again to Zhang. Wang Lan, having secretly learned of this, said to Zhang, "He Cai is reckless and perverse; we cannot associate with him. It is best to give him some money and let him go. Even if he causes trouble, the harm to us will be less severe." The next day, He Cai indeed came and insisted on joining Zhang in his activities. Zhang said, "I knew you would return. You indulge in drinking and gambling daily; even a thousand taels of silver could not fill your bottomless pit. If you can truly reform your ways, I will give you a hundred taels." He Cai promised to mend his ways, so Zhang gave him all the silver from his purse. After leaving, He Cai, emboldened by his hundred taels, gambled even more recklessly and frequented brothels, spending money like water. The local constables, suspecting he had committed a crime, arrested him and brought him before the magistrate for interrogation, subjecting him to brutal torture. He Cai confessed the entire origin of the silver. The magistrate then sent constables to arrest Zhang, but after a few days, He Cai died on the road from his injuries. His soul, however, did not forget to seek Zhang and went to attach itself to Zhang's body, thus joining Wang Lan's soul. One day, as they gathered for a drinking party at the ruins of an old beacon tower, He Cai's soul became thoroughly drunk and began to shout wildly, despite Wang Lan's efforts to restrain him. Just then, the imperial censor's carriage passed by; hearing the noise, he ordered a search, and Zhang was captured. Greatly frightened, Zhang told the truth. The censor, enraged, ordered Zhang flogged and submitted a complaint to the gods. That night, the censor dreamed of a golden-armored deity who told him, "It is found that Wang Lan died innocently by mischance and has now become a ghost immortal. His healing of the sick is an act of benevolence, and he should not be punished as a demon. Today, by the Jade Emperor's decree, he is appointed as the Cleansing Path Commissioner. He Cai, lewd and dissolute, has been sentenced to exile on Mount Tiewei. Zhang is innocent and should be pardoned." The censor awoke from his dream, greatly astonished, and released Zhang.
Zhang packed his belongings and returned to his hometown. There were still several hundred taels of silver left in his purse, so he took out half and respectfully delivered it to the Wang family. The descendants of the Wang family thereby became wealthy.
Commentary
This chapter consists of three loosely connected short tales. The first story tells of Wang Lan, who was mistakenly summoned by a ghostly emissary; to avoid blame, the emissary struck a bargain with Wang Lan, and together they stole a fox spirit's golden elixir, enabling Wang Lan to become a ghost immortal. The second story recounts how Wang Lan, in collaboration with his friend Zhang Sheng, cured the daughter of a wealthy man, earning a reward of a thousand gold pieces. The third story describes He Cai, a fellow villager of Wang Lan and Zhang Sheng, who, given to drunkenness and gambling, heard of Zhang Sheng's wealth and forced his way into their company to demand money, which he then squandered on drink and gambling, ultimately bringing trouble upon Wang Lan and Zhang Sheng. Fortunately, the Heavenly Emperor saw all with perfect clarity, punishing He Cai, releasing Zhang Sheng, and granting Wang Lan the title of Pure Path Envoy for his virtuous deeds in healing others.
Among these three short tales, the latter two are rather ordinary, while the first is quite splendid. In it, a ghost designs a life plan for Wang Lan, saying: "A man who becomes a ghost suffers, but a ghost who becomes an immortal finds joy. If one is joyful, why must one be born?" This is filled with romantic imagination. It describes Wang Lan and the ghost joining forces to deal with a fox: "There was a fox under the moonlight, looking up at the sky; with a breath, a pellet emerged from its mouth, rising straight into the moon; with an inhale, it fell back, caught in its mouth, then expelled again. This continued without cease. The ghost lurked nearby, waiting for it to spit out, then swiftly snatched the pellet and handed it to Wang Lan to swallow. The fox, startled, turned on them in fury. Seeing two opponents, it feared it could not prevail, and departed in bitter resentment." Vivid and amusing, it brings a smile to the reader's lips.