Original Text
(Text missing from beginning) Niu Tongren passed by his father's bedchamber and saw his father still lying in bed, not yet awake, thus he realized this was the work of a fox spirit. Enraged, he said, "How can the deeds of a fox be tolerated? Why must it corrupt the moral order of my family! The Sage Guan Yu, known as 'Demon Queller,' where is he now, that he allows such monsters to run rampant!" Thereupon he composed a memorial to the Jade Emperor, in which he also subtly accused Guan Yu of failing in his duties.
After a long time, one day Niu Tongren suddenly heard a shout from the air, and it was the Lord Guan. The Lord Guan angrily rebuked, "How can a scholar be so disrespectful! Am I here solely to drive away fox spirits for your family? If your petitions and complaints are not heeded, why should I bear the blame?" Thereupon the Lord Guan ordered Niu Tongren to be beaten twenty strokes, causing the flesh on his thighs nearly to fall off. After a while, a black-faced general bound a fox and led it away, and thus the strange occurrences in Niu's household ceased.
Three years later, the daughter of the Youji General of Jinan Prefecture was bewitched by a fox, and no spell could drive it away. The fox said to the girl, "In all my life, the only one I fear is a man named Niu Tongren." The Youji General did not know where Niu Tongren was from and could not find him. Just then, the Imperial Examiner arrived in Jinan to preside over the provincial examinations, and Niu Tongren came to take the exams. In the provincial capital, he was bullied by soldiers, and in anger, he went to the Youji General's yamen to lodge a complaint. As soon as the Youji General heard his name, he was overjoyed and treated him with great respect. He immediately had the soldier seized, bound, and flogged according to military law. After the matter was settled, the Youji General truthfully told Niu Tongren about the fox's mischief. Niu Tongren, having no choice, presented a memorial on his behalf to Lord Guan. In a short while, a golden-armored deity descended upon the Youji General's home. At that time, the fox was in the house; its countenance suddenly changed, and it revealed its true form, resembling a dog, running around the house howling and darting about wildly. Soon, it rushed out and threw itself at the foot of the steps. The golden-armored deity said, "Last time, Lord Guan could not bear to kill you, but now you have committed mischief again, and your crime is unforgivable!" With that, he bound the fox to the horse's neck and took it away.
Commentary
This piece is found only in the manuscript, with its upper half damaged and incomplete. The title has been confirmed by cross-referencing the blurred and indistinct table of contents with the main text in the manuscript.
From the surviving fragments, the story roughly tells that Niu Tongren discovered a fox spirit bewitching his father and captured it with the aid of Lord Guan, the Saintly Emperor. Three years later, this fox, unrepentant in its wickedness, went on to seduce the daughter of the Ji'nan Youji (a military officer). The fox declared, "In all my life, I fear only Niu Tongren." Thus, the Ji'nan Youji invited Niu Tongren to once again invoke Lord Guan to subdue the fox. In terms of a fox spirit causing mischief and being subdued, leading to its lasting fear, this tale closely resembles "The Farmer" from Volume Five, the difference being that in "The Farmer," the farmer relies on his own strength, whereas in "Niu Tongren," the aid of Lord Guan is sought.