A novel that opens in Hell, where Lord Yama, king of the underworld, has Ximen Nao tortured endlessly in order to force a confession of guilt from him. When his efforts remain fruitless, Lord Yama allows Ximen Nao to return to earth, where he is reborn first as a donkey, then a horse, a pig, a monkey, and, finally, the big-headed boy Lan Qiansui.