Original Text
In the southern regions, there exists what is known as the Five Penetrating Spirits, much like the fox spirits in the north. However, while northern fox spirits cause mischief and people go to great lengths to drive them away, in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, the Five Penetrating Spirits often defile beautiful women in common households, and their fathers and brothers dare not speak of it, making their harm especially severe. There was a merchant named Zhao Hong, who ran a pawnshop in Wu. His wife, Lady Yan, was quite charming. One night, a man strode arrogantly into the house from outside, holding a sword in one hand and glancing around; the maids and old servants all fled in terror. Lady Yan also tried to leave, but the man blocked her way, saying, "Do not be afraid. I am the Fourth Lord of the Five Penetrating Spirits. I have taken a liking to you and will not harm you." With that, he lifted her by the waist as if she were an infant, placed her on the bed, and her clothes and girdle loosened by themselves as he violated her. His member was so large that Lady Yan could barely endure it, writhing in agony and groaning as if near death. The man, showing some pity, did not fully satisfy himself. After a while, he rose from the bed and said, "I will return in five days," then departed. Zhao Hong had his pawnshop outside the gate, and that night, a maid ran to inform him of the incident. Knowing it was the Five Penetrating Spirits, he dared not intervene. At dawn, Zhao Hong went to see his wife, finding her lying exhausted and unable to rise. Filled with shame, he warned the household not to spread the matter. Lady Yan recovered after three or four days but lived in dread of the Fourth Lord's return. The maids and old servants, too frightened to stay in the inner chambers, fled to the outer rooms, leaving Lady Yan alone by the candlelight, her eyes full of sorrow as she awaited what was to come. Before long, the Fourth Lord arrived with two companions, both handsome young men. Attendants set out wine and dishes, and they began to drink with Lady Yan. She shrank back in shame, lowering her head, and refused to drink despite their urging, her heart trembling with fear that they might take turns violating her, which would surely end her life. The three men urged each other to drink, calling one another "Elder Brother" or "Third Brother," until midnight. Then the two guests rose together and said, "Today, the Fourth Lord has entertained us with a beauty; another time, we must invite the Second and Fifth Lords to pool funds for a feast in his honor." With that, they took their leave. The Fourth Lord embraced Lady Yan and drew her into the bed curtains. She begged him desperately for mercy, but he forced himself upon her, causing her to bleed profusely until she fainted, at which point he rose and left. Lady Yan lay on the bed, barely breathing, overwhelmed by shame and rage. She tried to hang herself, but as soon as she fastened the noose, it broke by itself; she attempted it several times, each with the same result. Unable to die, she suffered greatly. Fortunately, the Fourth Lord did not come often, only appearing when he judged her body had recovered. Thus, two or three months passed, and the entire Zhao household lived in a state worse than death.
In Kuai Ji there was a man named Wan Sheng, a cousin of Zhao Hong, who was bold and fierce, skilled in archery. One day, as he passed by Zhao's home, the day was already growing late, and because all the guest rooms were occupied by family members, Zhao Hong led Wan Sheng to stay in the inner courtyard. Wan Sheng could not sleep for a long time, and then he heard footsteps in the courtyard; peering through the window, he saw a man enter Yan Shi's room. Suspicious, Wan Sheng took a knife and stealthily crept to spy, and saw the man sitting side by side with Yan Shi, with wine and dishes set on the table. In a burst of fury, Wan Sheng rushed in. The man, startled, rose and hastily sought his sword, but Wan Sheng's blade had already struck his head, splitting it open so that it fell to the ground. Upon looking, Wan Sheng saw it was a pony the size of a donkey. Astonished, he questioned Yan Shi, who recounted the whole affair in detail, adding, "Other spirits will soon arrive; what is to be done?" Wan Sheng waved his hand, bidding her to be silent, extinguished the lamp, took up his bow and arrows, and lay in ambush in the darkness. Before long, four or five figures descended from the air. Wan Sheng quickly shot an arrow, killing the foremost. The other three roared in anger, drawing their swords to search for the archer. Wan Sheng, gripping his knife, leaned against the door panel, making no sound. One man entered the room, and Wan Sheng struck him on the neck, killing him. He remained hidden behind the door, and after a long silence with no further sounds, he emerged and knocked to inform Zhao Hong. Zhao Hong was greatly alarmed, and together they lit candles to inspect, finding a horse and two pigs dead in the room. The whole household rejoiced at the slaying of the monsters, but feared the remaining two might seek revenge, so they kept Wan Sheng in the house and cooked the slain pig and horse meat to feast him. The meat was delicious, unlike ordinary fare, and Wan Sheng's fame spread greatly. After more than a month, the monsters vanished entirely, and Wan Sheng took his leave of Zhao Hong. However, a timber merchant earnestly invited Wan Sheng to accompany him.
It turned out that the timber merchant had a daughter who was not yet married. One day, suddenly a god of the Five Penetrations descended upon his home. He was a handsome young man of about twenty years, who declared he wished to take the merchant's daughter as his wife. He offered one hundred taels of silver as a betrothal gift, set a date for the wedding, and then departed. When they calculated that the day of his coming to fetch the bride was drawing near, the entire merchant household was seized with fear and anxiety. Having heard of Wan Sheng's great reputation, they earnestly invited him to stay as a guest in their home, but fearing he might refuse, they concealed the truth about the impending arrival of the Five Penetrations god and did not tell him. After a lavish feast had concluded, the merchant had his daughter dress up and come out to pay respects to the guest. The girl was about sixteen or seventeen years old, a beautiful maiden. Wan Sheng was startled at the sight, not understanding the reason, and rose from his seat to bow to her. The merchant pressed him back down and revealed the truth. At first, Wan Sheng was shocked, but being bold and heroic by nature, he did not decline. On the appointed day, the merchant still hung lanterns and colored silks at his gate and had Wan Sheng sit inside the house. They waited until the sun had sunk in the west, but the Five Penetrations god had not yet arrived. Wan Sheng thought that this bridegroom was already doomed. Shortly thereafter, a bird seemed to alight by the eaves, and upon closer look, a young man in splendid attire entered. As soon as he saw Wan Sheng, he turned and fled. Wan Sheng gave chase, and saw the man release a puff of black vapor, about to fly away. Wan Sheng leaped up and struck with his blade, cutting off one of the creature's feet. It let out a loud howl and escaped. Wan Sheng looked down and saw that the severed claw was as large as a human hand, but he could not identify what sort of beast it was. Following the trail of blood, he found that it had fallen into the river. The timber merchant was overjoyed. Hearing that Wan Sheng was not yet married, that very night he used the bridal bed that had been prepared and had Wan Sheng and his daughter become husband and wife. From then on, all the households that had feared the Five Penetrations came to invite Wan Sheng to stay for a night. After more than a year, Wan Sheng finally took his wife and returned home. From that time onward, only one of the Five Penetrations remained in the Wu region, and it no longer dared to openly harm the people.
The Chronicler of the Strange remarks: The Five Penetrations and the Frog Spirit, these monstrous beings, have long bewitched the common folk, to the point that people allowed them to debauch their women without daring to whisper a single word in private. Truly, Wan Sheng is a man of refreshing boldness under heaven!
Commentary
The story begins by comparing the difference between the Five Penetrations of the south and the fox spirits of the north—the distinction lies not in the magnitude of their supernatural powers or the harm they inflict, but in the northerners' combative stance toward fox spirits, while southerners adopt an attitude of avoidance and compromise toward the Five Penetrations.
Because Pu Songling held the southerners' cowardice in contempt, the following story thus explicitly describes how the Five Passions ravaged women through sexual acts, while the men dared not even inquire, until fortunately the appearance of Wan Sheng brought about a cleansing of the shame. The process by which Wan Sheng eliminated the Five Passions was simple, swift, and effortless, requiring little effort as he eradicated in one stroke "one horse and two pigs," and then proceeded to dispatch a water monster—"from then on, in the region of Wu, only one Passion remained, and it no longer dared to openly cause harm."
Struggle, never submission. This was Pu Songling's consistent stance. In dealing with the ugliness of the human world, and even more so with the fox spirits and the Five Passages, it was precisely the same!