▁also ▁known ▁as ▁" The ▁Ch ess ▁Ghost ", ▁() ▁is ▁a ▁short ▁story ▁by ▁Q ing ▁dynast y ▁writer ▁Pu ▁Song ling , ▁collected ▁in ▁Str ange ▁T ales ▁from ▁a ▁Chinese ▁Studio ▁( L ia oz hai ; ▁ 1 7 4 0 ). ▁It ▁per tain s ▁to ▁a ▁Chinese ▁general ' s ▁encounter ▁with ▁the ▁tit ular ▁" wei qi ▁devil ". ▁The ▁story ▁was ▁first ▁translated ▁into ▁English ▁by ▁Herbert ▁G iles ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁translation ▁of ▁L ia oz hai . ▁ ▁Plot ▁A ▁General ▁Li ang ▁is ▁enjo ying ▁a ▁public ▁hol iday ▁at ▁his ▁residence . ▁Half way ▁into ▁his ▁game ▁of ▁we i qi ▁with ▁a ▁peer , ▁a ▁dis he vel led - looking ▁passer - by ▁appears ▁and ▁begins ▁obser ving ▁the ▁game ▁int ently . ▁Cour te ous ▁but ▁al o of , ▁the ▁stranger ▁initially ▁decl ines ▁the ▁general ' s ▁game ▁request ▁but ▁ultimately ▁gives ▁in , ▁only ▁to ▁lose . ▁At ▁this ▁point ▁the ▁stranger ▁has ▁become ▁imm ers ed ▁in ▁the ▁game , ▁and ▁he ▁continues ▁to ▁playing ▁with ▁the ▁general ▁and ▁his ▁m ates . ▁▁ ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁one ▁match , ▁the ▁stranger ▁is ▁suddenly ▁ter r ified ▁and ▁beg s ▁for ▁General ▁Li ang ' s ▁rescue ; ▁upon ▁enqu iry , ▁he ▁reve als ▁that ▁the ▁general ' s ▁gard ener , ▁Ma ▁Ch eng , ▁is ▁out ▁to ▁get ▁him . ▁Without ▁warning , ▁however ,