Original Text
Liang, the Vice General of Yangzhou, resigned from his post and returned to his hometown to live in seclusion. Each day he brought along his chess set and wine, roaming among the woods, hills, and rocks for amusement. One day, it happened to be the Double Ninth Festival, and he ascended a height for pleasure, playing chess with a friend. Suddenly, a man appeared, pacing back and forth beside the chessboard, absorbed in watching the game, unwilling to leave. Liang observed that the man had a gaunt face, wore tattered clothes, yet bore a gentle and refined demeanor, with the air of a scholar. Liang courteously invited him to sit, and the man complied, still exceedingly modest. Liang pointed to the chessboard and said, "Sir, you must be well-versed in this art; why not play a game with this friend?" The scholar declined with humility for a long while before finally beginning the match. When the first game ended, the scholar had lost, and his expression grew agitated, as if he could hardly contain himself. They started another game, and he lost again, becoming even more ashamed and vexed. When Liang offered him wine, he refused to drink, merely urging the friend to continue playing. From morning until dusk, he did not even pause to relieve himself.
Just as the two were arguing over whose turn it was to move, the scholar suddenly rose from his seat with a terrified expression, his face pale and dejected. After a moment, he knelt before Liang Gong, kowtowing until his forehead bled, begging for deliverance. Startled and perplexed, Liang Gong rose to help him up, saying, "This is merely a game of chess—why such desperation?" The scholar replied, "I implore you to instruct your groom not to bind my neck." Even more bewildered, Liang Gong asked, "Who is this groom?" The scholar answered, "Ma Cheng." Now, it so happened that Liang Gong's groom, Ma Cheng, had the ability to walk in the realm of the dead, often descending to the underworld every ten days or so to serve as a summoner of souls. Because the scholar's words were so strange, Liang Gong sent someone to check on Ma Cheng, who was found lying stiff in bed, having been unconscious for two days. Liang Gong then sternly ordered Ma Cheng to show no disrespect. In an instant, the scholar vanished from where he stood. Liang Gong sighed deeply, finally realizing that the scholar was a ghost.
After a day had passed, Ma Cheng awoke, and Magistrate Liang summoned him to inquire into the matter. Ma Cheng said, "That scholar was a native of Xiangyang in Hubei, addicted to chess to the point of ruining his family fortune. His father, distressed by this, confined him to his study, but he would always climb over the wall and take his chess companions to some secluded spot to play together. When his father heard of this, he cursed him vehemently, yet could never stop him from playing chess. The father, consumed with anger and sorrow, died of resentment. The King of Hell, deeming the scholar devoid of virtue, shortened his lifespan and condemned him to the realm of starving ghosts, where he has languished for seven years. It happened that the Phoenix Tower of Mount Tai had just been completed, and a decree was sent to all the prefectures to summon scholars to compose an inscription. The King of Hell released the scholar from the underworld, bidding him answer the summons and write the inscription to atone for his sins. But he dallied along the way, gravely delaying the appointed time. The Great Emperor of Mount Tai dispatched an officer on duty to reproach the King of Hell, who, in a fury, ordered us to hunt him down. Not long ago, I received your command, so I dared not bind him with ropes." Magistrate Liang asked, "What is the scholar's condition now?" Ma Cheng replied, "He has been returned to the custody of the underworld officials, with no hope of rebirth ever again." Magistrate Liang sighed, "So a mere obsession can bring such ruin upon a man!"
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: To see a game of chess and forget death itself, and then after death to see chess and forget life—could it be that what he loved was more precious than life itself? Yet with an obsession reaching such depths, he still could not make a single superior move, merely causing the Nine Springs to harbor a chess ghost who is forever dead yet never truly alive—how truly lamentable this is!
Commentary
Pu Songling, with profound sympathy, wrote of the tragedy of a scholar who indulged in the art of chess yet lacked true talent.
The tragedy of the Chess Ghost had two aspects in his time. First, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, talent was measured by the eight-legged essay in civil examinations, and status was determined by the attainment of official rank. Thus, as a scholar, one ought to have prioritized studying and pursuing a career. The Chess Ghost neglected his proper duties, indulging in chess to the ruin of his life, which earned him the contempt of contemporary society. His father died of grief and resentment, and he himself was condemned to the Hungry Ghost Hell. Second, chess is a competitive game requiring skill to determine victory or defeat. For mere amusement, one should not take winning and losing to heart. But once obsessed with victory, and with inferior skill, endless suffering ensues; if addicted, as he was with such a mania, the harm is boundless. The tale depicts the Chess Ghost, after losing a game, with a look of anguish and vexation, unable to contain himself. He played again and lost again, growing ever more ashamed and indignant. When offered wine, he would not drink, only dragging his opponent to play on, from dawn till dusk, not even pausing to relieve himself—thus vividly portraying his chess-crazed demeanor.
Compared to the common people of his day, Pu Songling was clearly more open-minded and enlightened. He respected the chess ghost's devotion to his passion, depicting the chess ghost as "of gentle demeanor and refined bearing, with the air of a scholar," possessing the dignity of a learned man. Even when captured, he begged Lord Liang to "instruct the grooms not to bind my neck," all of which are quite positive portrayals. The focus of his criticism fell on the second aspect: the tragedy of the chess ghost's mediocre skill. Being passionate about a pursuit does not guarantee success; being diligent and focused does not necessarily lead to achievement. "With such an obsessive addiction, yet he never attained a single masterful move, merely becoming beneath the Nine Springs a chess ghost who lives forever in death—how pitiful indeed!"