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Once upon a time, there was a chess player called Truong-Hoa, who had remained undefeated for all his life. One day, during a game, yet another opponent was about to be caught in a checkmate. After thinking for a long time, he admitted that only the spirit of Chess could get out of such a position ; as for him, he was ready to concede. Then, a poor beggar came and offered to finish the game in his stead. Truong-Hoa laughed and said :
– My friend has just said that only the spirit of Chess could get out of this bind, what do you intend to do ?
The beggar insisted, and not only did he find the counter, but soon, Truong-Hoa was the one in a bind. The game ended on a triumphant checkmate for the beggar. Truong-Hoa, realizing that he had faced the spirit himself, bowed down and apologized for challenging the game's heavenly representative. The beggar revealed his true form and said that he had enjoyed the game, and that Truong-Hoa's fame was well-deserved. He added that due to his sympathy for the champion, he meant to warn him : it was written in the heavenly registers that he would soon die. But he advised the chess player to summon him when he died, by lighting incense sticks and calling out his name. Then he would intervene and bring him back to life. After the initial shock, Truong-Hoa went to see his wife and explained her what she would have to do on the day of his death. That day came soon, and her wife was so stricken with grief that she let the traditional funeral rites take place and forgot to call the spirit. Only when Truong-Hoa was buried did she remember her husband's recommendations. She called the spirit, who appeared immediately.
Unfortunately, the spirit saw that it was too late to bring the chess player back to life, as his body was already decaying. Seeing the woman's sorrow, he promised her to find a solution. As he was thinking, the news of the village butcher's death spread. He offered the woman to bring her husband back in the butcher's body. It was the only way, if she cared for him. Despite her reluctance, she accepted. The spirit then used his powers, and the butcher rose from his deathbed. His wife's joy was immense, and so was her disappointment when he pushed her away, saying that she was not his wife and that he wanted to go home, at the other end of the village.
When he saw Truong-Hoa's wife, the butcher took her in his arms and kissed her. A quarrel broke out between the two wives, as one said that the risen dead was her husband and the other saying no.
They eventually decided to bring the case in front of a judge. When the latter asked the butcher to designate his wife, he pointed out to Truong-Hoa's wife. When he asked witnesses to do the same, they pointed to the butcher's wife.
Everyone was in deep embarrassment. Then, Truong-Hoa's wife told about the spirit's intervention. Knowing that the former butcher did not know anything about chess, the judge asked one of the country's best chess players to challenge the resurrected man. The former butcher beat him and everyone was forced to accept his incredible story. The butcher, or rather, his body, went to live in Truong-Hoa's house with the latter's wife, while the other woman could only cry for her husband's loss.