李生伯言，沂水人。抗直有肝膽。忽暴病，家人進藥，卻之曰：「吾病非藥餌可療。陰司閻羅缺，欲吾暫攝其篆耳。死勿埋我，宜待之。」是日果死。
李生伯言，沂水人。抗直有肝胆。忽暴病，家人进药，却之曰：「吾病非药饵可疗。阴司阎罗缺，欲吾暂摄其篆耳。死勿埋我，宜待之。」是日果死。
A scholar named Li Boyan was a man of Yishui. He was blunt and upright, and had plenty of nerve. He fell suddenly ill, and when his family brought him medicine he refused it. “No medicine can cure this illness,” he said. “The post of Yama in the underworld is vacant, and they want me to hold its seal for a while. When I die, do not bury me. Wait for me.” That very day he died.
騶從導去，入一宮殿，進冕服；隸胥祗候甚肅。案上簿書叢沓。一宗，江南某，稽生平所私良家女八十二人。鞫之，佐證不誣。按冥律，宜炮烙。堂下有銅柱，高八九尺，圍可一抱；空其中而熾炭焉，表裡通赤。群鬼以鐵蒺藜撻驅使登，手移足盤而上。甫至頂，則煙氣飛騰，崩然一響如爆竹，人乃墮；團伏移時，始復甦。又撻之，爆墮如前。三墮，則匝地如煙而散，不復能成形矣。
驺从导去，入一宫殿，进冕服；隶胥祗候甚肃。案上簿书丛沓。一宗，江南某，稽生平所私良家女八十二人。鞫之，佐证不诬。按冥律，宜炮烙。堂下有铜柱，高八九尺，围可一抱；空其中而炽炭焉，表里通赤。群鬼以铁蒺藜挞驱使登，手移足盘而上。甫至顶，则烟气飞腾，崩然一响如爆竹，人乃堕；团伏移时，始复苏。又挞之，爆堕如前。三堕，则匝地如烟而散，不复能成形矣。
Outriders and attendants led him off into a palace, where he was given a crown and robes. The clerks and runners waited on him with great solemnity. The desk was piled high with registers and papers. One case concerned a man of Jiangnan: the inquiry found that in his lifetime he had seduced eighty-two girls of good family. When he was questioned, the witnesses bore it out. Under the law of the underworld, the sentence was the roasting pillar. Below the hall stood a bronze pillar eight or nine feet high and as thick as a man could get his arms around. It was hollow and filled with burning charcoal, and it glowed red inside and out. The ghosts lashed him with spiked iron flails and drove him to climb it. He went up hand over hand, his legs wrapped around it. The moment he reached the top, smoke billowed up, there was a bang like a firecracker, and he fell. He lay curled on the ground a long while before he came to. They lashed him again, and he burst and fell as before. After the third fall he scattered over the ground like smoke and could no longer take shape.
又一起，為同邑王某，被婢父訟盜佔生女。王即李姻家。先是，一人賣婢，王知其所來非道，而利其直廉，遂購之。至是王暴卒。越日，其友周生遇于途，知為鬼，奔避齋中。王亦從入。周懼而祝，問所欲為。王曰：「煩作見證于冥司耳。」驚問：「何事？」曰：「余婢實價購之，今被誤控。此事君親見之，惟借季路一言，無他說。」周固拒之。王出曰：「恐不由君耳。」未幾，周果死，同赴閻羅質審。李見王，隱存左袒意。忽見殿上火生，焰燒梁棟。李大駭，側足立。吏急進曰：「陰曹不與人世等，一念之私不可容。急消他念，則火自熄。」李斂神寂慮，火頓滅。已而鞫伏，王與婢父反復相苦。問周，周以實對。王以故犯論笞。笞訖，遣人俱送回生。周與王皆三日而更生。
又一起，为同邑王某，被婢父讼盗占生女。王即李姻家。先是，一人卖婢，王知其所来非道，而利其直廉，遂购之。至是王暴卒。越日，其友周生遇于途，知为鬼，奔避斋中。王亦从入。周惧而祝，问所欲为。王曰：「烦作见证于冥司耳。」惊问：「何事？」曰：「余婢实价购之，今被误控。此事君亲见之，惟借季路一言，无他说。」周固拒之。王出曰：「恐不由君耳。」未几，周果死，同赴阎罗质审。李见王，隐存左袒意。忽见殿上火生，焰烧梁栋。李大骇，侧足立。吏急进曰：「阴曹不与人世等，一念之私不可容。急消他念，则火自熄。」李敛神寂虑，火顿灭。已而鞫伏，王与婢父反复相苦。问周，周以实对。王以故犯论笞。笞讫，遣人俱送回生。周与王皆三日而更生。
Another case was that of a man named Wang, from Li’s own county, whom a maidservant’s father was suing for wrongfully holding his daughter. Wang was Li’s relative by marriage. Some time before, a man had been selling a maid. Wang knew she had not come to him honestly, but the price was low and that tempted him, so he bought her. Now Wang died suddenly. The next day his friend, a scholar named Zhou, met him on the road. Knowing him for a ghost, Zhou ran and hid in his study. Wang followed him in. Zhou, frightened, prayed to him and asked what he wanted. “Only to trouble you to be my witness before the court of the underworld,” said Wang. “What case is this?” Zhou asked in alarm. “I paid good money for my maid, and now I am wrongly accused. You saw it yourself. All I need is one word from you, as from a Jilu. Nothing more.” Zhou flatly refused. As Wang went out he said, “I’m afraid it won’t be up to you.” Before long Zhou did die, and the two of them went before Yama together to be examined. When Li saw Wang, he secretly leaned to his side. Suddenly fire sprang up in the hall, and flames licked at the beams and rafters. Li was terrified and shrank aside. A clerk hurried up to him. “The underworld is not like the world of men,” he said. “Not one selfish thought is allowed here. Put the thought away at once and the fire will die of itself.” Li composed his mind and stilled his thoughts, and at once the fire went out. Then the case was heard. Wang and the maid’s father went at each other over and over. Zhou was questioned and told the truth. Wang was judged to have broken the law knowingly and sentenced to a flogging. When it was done, men were sent to escort them all back to life. Zhou and Wang both revived after three days.
李視事畢，輿馬而返。中途見闕頭斷足者數百輩，伏地哀鳴。停車研詰，則異鄉之鬼，思踐故土，恐關隘阻隔，乞求路引。李曰：「余攝任三日，已解任矣，何能為力？」眾曰：「南村胡生，將建道場，代囑可致。」李諾之。至家，騶從都去，李乃更生。
李视事毕，舆马而返。中途见阙头断足者数百辈，伏地哀鸣。停车研诘，则异乡之鬼，思践故土，恐关隘阻隔，乞求路引。李曰：「余摄任三日，已解任矣，何能为力？」众曰：「南村胡生，将建道场，代嘱可致。」李诺之。至家，驺从都去，李乃更生。
When Li had finished his duties, he set off home by carriage. On the way he saw several hundred people, headless or with their feet cut off, lying on the ground and wailing. He stopped the carriage and questioned them closely. They were ghosts who had died far from home and longed to set foot on their native soil, but they feared the passes and checkpoints would stop them, and they begged for travel passes. “I was acting for only three days,” said Li, “and I have already left office. What can I do?” “Hu, the scholar in South Village, is about to hold a rite,” they said. “If you put in a word for us, we can get them.” Li promised. When he reached home, the attendants all left him, and Li came back to life.
胡生字水心，與李善，聞李再生，便詣探省。李遽問：「清醮何時？」胡訝曰：「兵燹之後，妻孥瓦全，向與室人作此愿心，未向一人道也。何知之？」李具以告。胡嘆曰：「閨房一語，遂播幽冥，可懼哉！」乃敬諾而去。次日，如王所，王猶憊臥。見李，肅然起敬，申謝佑庇。李曰：「法律不能寬假。今幸無恙乎？」王雲：「已無他症，但笞瘡膿潰耳。」又二十餘日始痊。臀肉腐落，瘢痕如杖者。
胡生字水心，与李善，闻李再生，便诣探省。李遽问：「清醮何时？」胡讶曰：「兵燹之后，妻孥瓦全，向与室人作此愿心，未向一人道也。何知之？」李具以告。胡叹曰：「闺房一语，遂播幽冥，可惧哉！」乃敬诺而去。次日，如王所，王犹惫卧。见李，肃然起敬，申谢佑庇。李曰：「法律不能宽假。今幸无恙乎？」王云：「已无他症，但笞疮脓溃耳。」又二十余日始痊。臀肉腐落，瘢痕如杖者。
Hu, styled Shuixin, was a friend of Li’s. Hearing that Li had come back to life, he went to call on him. Li at once asked, “When is your offering rite?” Hu was astonished. “After the war, when my wife and children came through alive, my wife and I vowed to hold one. I have never told a soul. How did you know?” Li told him everything. Hu sighed. “A word spoken in the bedroom, and it spreads through the underworld! It is frightening.” He respectfully promised and left. The next day Li went to Wang’s house. Wang was still lying in bed, worn out. Seeing Li, he rose respectfully and thanked him for his protection. “The law could not be bent,” said Li. “I hope you are well now?” “There is nothing else wrong with me,” said Wang, “only the sores from the flogging have festered.” It was another twenty days and more before he healed. The flesh of his buttocks rotted and fell away, and the scars were like those left by a beating with the rod.
異史氏曰：「陰司之刑，慘于陽世，責亦苛于陽世。然關說不行，則受殘酷者不怨也。誰謂夜臺無天日哉？第恨無火燒臨民之堂廨耳！」
异史氏曰：「阴司之刑，惨于阳世，责亦苛于阳世。然关说不行，则受残酷者不怨也。谁谓夜台无天日哉？第恨无火烧临民之堂廨耳！」
The Historian of the Strange says: The punishments of the underworld are crueller than those of the world of the living, and it holds men to account more strictly too. But no one can pull strings there, and so those who suffer its cruelties bear no grudge. Who says the Night Terrace never sees the light of day? My only regret is that no such fire burns in the halls of the officials who govern the people!