This is a story from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.
One day, a scholar named Wang Sheng from Taiyuan encountered a beautiful girl on his way out. He secretly brought her back and hid her in his study, as she asked him not to tell anyone.
Days later, Wang met a Taoist priest who asked, "Have you had any peculiar encounters?" "No," Wang firmly denied. "But you have an evil aura about you," the priest said with concern. "Your essence is about to be drained by a monster."
Upon returning home, Wang peeked through the window lattice into his study before entering. He saw a fierce-looking devil painting a human hide. Hearing his footsteps, the devil hastily draped the hide over itself and transformed back into the beautiful girl. Terrified, Wang tried to flee, but it was too late. The devil caught him, tore open his chest, and devoured his heart.
Wang's wife witnessed this horror. In her grief, she fled to seek help from the priest. To test her sincerity in saving her husband, the priest mocked her and even commanded her to eat something he had vomited. Determined to save her husband, she endured it all. The priest then laughed and left.
Back home, she felt the urge to vomit. Something from her mouth fell into her husband's open chest. Slowly, her husband regained his life.