Wang Yantai’s family of Lin’an was very rich, with fine houses and everything at a word. He suddenly proposed to sail to the southern seas for trade in boats and cargo. The boats were ready, and because his wife Fang was young and beautiful he could not bear to leave her lightly, and it was a long time before he finally decided. Year after year he did not return, and letters stopped.
That spring the people of Hangzhou were going out daily to the lakes and hills. Fang was naturally reserved and would not go out. Walking behind the house in a small garden to relax, in the shadow of red flowers she met a young man in red silk trousers and a close-fitting gold cap, his flesh as though powdered, his manner slow and scholarly. He watched her secretly from a concealed place, and took out the slingshot he carried, meaning to shoot her.
Fang cursed him: “I am from a good family. My husband has been away for years and I keep the house and stay inside. What kind of man are you, to come into my garden without cause, and to take a slingshot and shoot me? How can you be so rude?”
The young man was ashamed and frightened, lowered his bow, clasped his hands, and bowed in apology. Fang sternly told him off, and he suddenly vanished. She ran back and called to her maids, and felt her spirit confused and her strength failing, and by midnight the young man came straight into the hall. She tried to flee, and he reached out his arm and caught her hem — his arm was several feet long. All the maids pulled with their strength and could not free her, so he carried her up onto the couch and lay with her.
After that he left at dawn and came at dusk, and there was no way to escape. Whatever she wanted in her heart, without her saying it, it arrived before she had finished turning round.
She thought of Wang Yantai with all her heart, and wrote to her family, who invited a Daoist to perform the Five Thunder method and set up a fast, and chose twenty monks to hold a Yoga rite. The long arm beat them all off and could not exhaust its skill.
Some months later the young man said miserably: “Your husband is coming back by sea. When he arrives and you see each other, do not on any account reveal my business. If you break my prohibition I will certainly kill you. You know my powers. Though water and fire and blades cannot add a hair to me —”
Before long Wang returned. Fang wept and said: “I have a crime reaching to Heaven. You should cut me to pieces to apologise to our relatives.” Wang asked in alarm what it was, and she told him the whole thing. Wang said: “This is a mountain sprite or wood demon. I will certainly kill it.” So he stored a sharp sword to wait for its coming.
One evening it came as usual, and Wang drew his sword and pursued it and struck its back with a clanging like metal or jade. It turned into a white light, blazing several feet across, and passed through the air and away, and after that the sound ceased. Wang and his wife treated each other as before.
