The household of the reader-in-waiting Dong Mo'an was troubled by a fox; tiles and bricks suddenly fell like hail, and the family fled to hide, not daring to come out and work until the showers paused. Dong, worried by this, borrowed the residence of Minister Sun and moved there to escape. But the fox's troubling continued as before.
One day at court, while waiting for the dawn audience, Dong happened to speak of this wonder. A great minister said that the Taoist Jiao Ming of the eastern passes, who dwelt in the inner city and had command of the art of the talismanic scriptures, was very efficacious. Dong went to his door and begged his help. The Taoist drew a charm in cinnabar and bade him paste it on the wall. The fox was not afraid at all and threw things the more. Dong told the Taoist again. The Taoist, angry, went in person to Dong's house, built an altar, and worked his arts. Presently a huge fox was seen crouching beneath the altar. The household, long oppressed and bitterly resentful, saw a maidservant step up and strike it; but the maid suddenly fell dead. The Taoist said, "This creature is insolent; even I cannot subdue it at once. How dare a woman so lightly offend it!" Then he added, "But we may question the fox by her mouth." Pointing his finger, he muttered a spell for a while, and the maid rose and knelt at length. The Taoist demanded her abode. The maid, in a fox's voice, said, "I am of western origin; eighteen of my kind entered the capital." The Taoist said, "Beneath the very wheels of the imperial city, how can creatures like you dwell long? Be gone at once!" The fox made no answer. The Taoist struck the table in anger and said, "Will you resist my command? If you delay any longer, my arts will not spare you!" The fox then shrank and changed color, saying it would obey respectfully. The Taoist urged it to haste. The maid fell dead again and only after a long while revived. Presently four or five lumps of white were seen rolling like balls along the eaves, chasing one another, and in an instant they were all gone. From then on all was quiet.