The story begins abruptly with the narrator being startled awake by a horrifying scream in the middle of the night. The scream appears to originate from the house of William Dormouth, his eccentric and reclusive neighbor. Seized by a sense of urgency, the narrator, armed only with a heavy blackthorn, dashes toward Dormouth's house.

Upon arriving, he encounters another neighbor, John Conrad, who is similarly alarmed and equipped with a revolver. They find the front door locked but are soon driven to force entry by continued horrific sounds from within. They break into the house and rush upstairs to Dormouth's bedroom, hearing unsettling noises suggestive of a violent struggle.

Forcing their way into the locked bedroom, they find Dormouth in a ghastly state, bloodied and dying on the floor. Before he succumbs to his injuries, Dormouth utters "The jade god" as a possible clue to his assailant or the motive behind his brutal murder.

Conrad and the narrator begin to investigate the scene, hypothesizing about the nature of the weapon used due to the unusual wounds on Dormouth's body. They are interrupted by a young man named Joe, who has heard the commotion and comes to check on them. Conrad sends Joe to fetch the sheriff from the village, navigating the challenge of downed telephone lines due to a recent flood.

As they wait, Conrad speculates that the murderer escaped through a window using a nearby tree, despite the seemingly impossible distance. This theory is supported by traces of blood found on the window sill and torn away screen, suggesting a desperate escape.

While Conrad retrieves the jade idol for examination, the narrator searches the grounds for any tracks or signs of the assailant, finding none. The setting around them—barns, fields, and a foreboding forest—enhances the chilling atmosphere of the night's events.

The story cuts off here, leaving unresolved mysteries about the murderer's identity, the significance of the jade god, and the exact circumstances of the murder.