Pogumni Tang Ying in prikazni v prenočišču

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Pogumni Tang Ying in prikazni v prenočišču

In the days of Wu, the upper rooms of the public lodging house in Luling Commandery were haunted, and anyone who spent the night there would die. After this, no official traveling on duty dared lodge there. At that time, a man from Danyang named Tang Ying, renowned for his courage and prowess, came to Luling on official business and chose to spend the night in the lodging house. The clerk warned him against it, but Ying would not listen. He sent his attendants outside and stayed alone in the building with only a large saber. At the third watch, he suddenly heard a knock at the door. Ying called out, asking who was there. A voice replied, “The commandery inspector sends his greetings.” Ying told the visitor to enter. The man delivered his message and left. A short while later, another visitor knocked as before and said, “The prefect sends his greetings.” Ying again bade him enter. The man was dressed in black. Even after he had gone, Ying took him for a human being and suspected nothing. Soon there was another knock, and a voice announced, “The commandery inspector and the prefect have come to call.” Now Ying grew suspicious. “This is no hour for a visit,” he thought, “and the commandery inspector and the prefect ought not to be traveling together.” Realizing that they were spirits, he took up his saber and went to meet them. He saw two men, both splendidly dressed. They entered together and sat down, and the one calling himself the prefect began talking with Ying. Before their conversation was over, the commandery inspector suddenly rose and moved behind Ying. Ying turned and struck at him with his saber, landing a blow. The prefect sprang from his seat and fled outside. Ying pursued him to the wall behind the lodging house, caught up with him, and wounded him with several strokes. Then Ying returned to bed. At dawn, he took some men to search the grounds. They found trails of blood and followed them to both creatures. The one who had called himself the prefect was an old wild boar; the commandery inspector was an old wildcat. From that time on, the haunting ceased.