話說知府張有德叫人打開包裹，一看是人頭，知府勃然大怒。立刻派人，把安西縣知縣曾大老爺請來。知縣一見太守行禮說：「大人呼喚卑職，有何吩咐？」太守說：「昨天衙內，竟有賊人在我這三堂房檐下，由西往東房椽子上，掛了一個包裹，裡面是一顆血淋淋的人頭。竟有賊人這樣大膽，貴縣趕緊派人，給我捉拿兇手。訪查系何人被殺，屍身究落在何處。」知縣一聽，連說：「是。大人不便動怒，候卑職趕緊派人緝拿。」太守說：「貴縣要急速辦去，本府也派人緝捕。」知縣點頭回衙。立刻把手下快班劉春泰、李從福叫上來。老爺吩咐：「爾可即速給我拿賊，拿著我賞銀五十兩。拿不著，我要重重責罰你們。」劉春泰、李從福點頭答應。立刻下來，聚集手下眼明手快的夥計，同府衙門的班頭，在十字街路西酒店會齊。大眾商量辦案，眾官人都來到酒店後堂。眾夥計就問：「什麼案？」劉春泰說：「在知府衙門三堂，由西往東數，第十七根房椽子上，掛著一個人頭。老爺說了，辦著賞五十兩銀子，辦不著要重重責罰。」眾夥計官人一聽，一個個緊皺眉頭。都說：「這案子不大好辦。」眾人正在議論之際，就聽酒鋪門口，有人說話。說：「都是你把包裹掛在由西往東數，第十七根房椽子上。」又有人說：「不是你叫我掛的么？」眾官人一聽，剛才一愣。只見由外面進來一個窮和尚，同著兩個人，都是月白的褲褂，骨頭鈕子，左大襟，四隻鞋四樣：
一隻開口僧，一隻山東皂，一隻踢死牛，一隻搬尖靸。
眾班頭瞧著這一僧兩俗，語音不對，面生可疑，說話有因。
话说知府张有德叫人打开包裹，一看是人头，知府勃然大怒。立刻派人，把安西县知县曾大老爷请来。知县一见太守行礼说：「大人呼唤卑职，有何吩咐？」太守说：「昨天衙内，竟有贼人在我这三堂房檐下，由西往东房椽子上，挂了一个包裹，里面是一颗血淋淋的人头。竟有贼人这样大胆，贵县赶紧派人，给我捉拿凶手。访查系何人被杀，尸身究落在何处。」知县一听，连说：「是。大人不便动怒，候卑职赶紧派人缉拿。」太守说：「贵县要急速办去，本府也派人缉捕。」知县点头回衙。立刻把手下快班刘春泰、李从福叫上来。老爷吩咐：「尔可即速给我拿贼，拿着我赏银五十两。拿不着，我要重重责罚你们。」刘春泰、李从福点头答应。立刻下来，聚集手下眼明手快的伙计，同府衙门的班头，在十字街路西酒店会齐。大众商量办案，众官人都来到酒店后堂。众伙计就问：「什么案？」刘春泰说：「在知府衙门三堂，由西往东数，第十七根房椽子上，挂着一个人头。老爷说了，办着赏五十两银子，办不着要重重责罚。」众伙计官人一听，一个个紧皱眉头。都说：「这案子不大好办。」众人正在议论之际，就听酒铺门口，有人说话。说：「都是你把包裹挂在由西往东数，第十七根房椽子上。」又有人说：「不是你叫我挂的幺？」众官人一听，刚才一愣。只见由外面进来一个穷和尚，同着两个人，都是月白的裤褂，骨头钮子，左大襟，四只鞋四样：
一只开口僧，一只山东皂，一只踢死牛，一只搬尖靸。
众班头瞧着这一僧两俗，语音不对，面生可疑，说话有因。
Now, Prefect Zhang Youde had the bundle opened, and when he saw that it held a human head he flew into a rage. At once he sent for Lord Zeng, the county magistrate of Anxi County. The magistrate came, saluted the prefect and said, “Your Excellency has summoned your subordinate. What are your orders?” “Last night, inside my own yamen,” said the prefect, “some villain hung a bundle under the eaves of my third hall, from a rafter counting from west to east, and inside it was a dripping, bloody human head. That a thief should be so bold! Magistrate, send men at once and catch the murderer for me. Find out who was killed and where the body has got to.” “Yes, yes,” the magistrate kept saying. “Your Excellency need not be angry. Your subordinate will send men to make the arrest at once.” “Magistrate, see to it with all speed,” said the prefect. “I shall send men to hunt for him as well.” The magistrate nodded and went back to his yamen. At once he called up Liu Chuntai and Li Congfu, the constables of his arrest squad. “Catch this thief for me without delay,” His Honour told them. “Catch him, and I’ll reward you with fifty taels of silver. Fail, and I’ll punish you severely.” Liu Chuntai and Li Congfu nodded and said they would. They came straight out, gathered the sharpest-eyed, quickest-handed men under them, and arranged to meet the head constables from the prefecture at a wineshop on the west side of Shizi Street. They were all to talk over how to handle the case, and the whole body of officers came into the back room of the wineshop. “What’s the case?” the men asked. “In the third hall of the prefecture yamen,” said Liu Chuntai, “counting from west to east, a human head was hanging from the seventeenth rafter. His Honour says that if we crack it there’s fifty taels in reward, and if we don’t we’ll be punished severely.” When the men and officers heard this, every one of them knit his brows tight. “This one won’t be easy,” they all said. Just as they were talking it over, they heard someone speaking at the door of the wineshop: “It’s all because you hung that bundle from the seventeenth rafter, counting from west to east.” And another voice said, “Wasn’t it you who told me to hang it?” The officers were taken aback. In from outside came a ragged monk with two men, both in pale blue jackets and trousers with bone buttons and the big front flap fastened on the left, and between them four shoes of four different kinds:
one an open-mouthed monk’s shoe,one a black Shandong shoe,one a kick-an-ox-dead,one a slipper with a turned-up toe.
The head constables looked over this monk and these two laymen: their speech was not of these parts, their faces were strange and suspicious, and what they were saying had something behind it.
書中交代：來者非是別人，正是濟公帶領柴、杜二位班頭。和尚由常山縣，叫雷鳴、陳亮走後，和尚告辭，回到趙員外家中，柴、杜二位班頭，正等急了。見和尚回來，趙員外就問：「聖僧哪去了？」和尚說：「我在外面蹲著出恭，瞧見一個人，拿著錢褡褳直往外漏錢。我就後面跟著撿，直跟了有八里地。」趙員外說：「大概聖僧撿了錢不少罷。」和尚說：「我隨著撿，隨往懷裡揣，撿完了，我一摸，懷腰裡沒繫著帶子，隨著又都掉了，一個錢也沒落著。」趙員外一聽也樂了。立刻吩咐擺酒，又留和尚住了一天。次日和尚要告辭，趙員外還要留，說：「聖僧何妨多住幾天。」和尚道：「我實在有事。」員外拿出五十兩銀子來說：「聖僧帶著路上喝酒。」和尚說：「不要不要。拿著銀子怪重的。」柴頭說：「師父不拿著，回頭咱們吃飯住店，又沒錢。依我說，拿著罷。」和尚說：「拿著你拿著，用包袱包起。」柴頭就用包裹包好，和尚說：「你們要拿華雲龍，你們兩個有什麼能為？」柴頭說：「我有飛檐走壁之能。」和尚說：「你們把這個銀子包袱，由西往東數，第十七根房椽子，你要能給掛上了，我就帶你們拿華雲龍去。」柴頭說：「那算什麼。」當時拿著包袱，一縱身，一隻手扒住房檐，一隻手把包袱掛上。柴頭說：「師父，你瞧是第十七根不是。」和尚說：「走罷。」柴頭說：「把包裹拿下來呀。」「別不害臊了。真拿人家的銀子，跟人家有什麼交情。走罷。」柴頭一想：「你不怕餓著，我們豈怕餓。」賭氣也不言語。和尚告辭，趙員外送到外面，和尚帶領二位班頭，出了趙員外的莊，一直來到曲州府。走到酒店門口，和尚說：「咱們進去喝酒。」柴頭說：「進店喝酒，有錢么？」和尚說：「把包袱掛在由西往東數，第十七根房椽子上，你又問我。」柴頭說：「不是你叫我掛的么？」和尚說：「我叫你掛的？」「這是冤魂不散，神差鬼使，叫你掛的。」柴頭說：「什麼神差鬼使。」和尚說：「走罷。」說著話，進了酒鋪，坐下要菜。這時，安西縣與府里的眾官人，都看上了和尚。和尚吃的有八成飽了，和尚又說：「你把包袱給掛在第十七根房椽子上，這回走不了了。」柴頭說：「不是你叫我掛的么！」劉春泰越聽越是，這才過來說：「朋友，由西往東數，第十七根房椽子的包袱，是你掛的？」柴頭說：「是我掛的。」劉春泰說：「好。這場官司你打了罷。」柴頭剛要分辯，和尚說：「不用說了，官司打了，我們可沒有飯錢。」劉頭說：「飯錢我給。」
书中交代：来者非是别人，正是济公带领柴、杜二位班头。和尚由常山县，叫雷鸣、陈亮走后，和尚告辞，回到赵员外家中，柴、杜二位班头，正等急了。见和尚回来，赵员外就问：「圣僧哪去了？」和尚说：「我在外面蹲着出恭，瞧见一个人，拿着钱褡裢直往外漏钱。我就后面跟着捡，直跟了有八里地。」赵员外说：「大概圣僧捡了钱不少罢。」和尚说：「我随着捡，随往怀里揣，捡完了，我一摸，怀腰里没系着带子，随着又都掉了，一个钱也没落着。」赵员外一听也乐了。立刻吩咐摆酒，又留和尚住了一天。次日和尚要告辞，赵员外还要留，说：「圣僧何妨多住几天。」和尚道：「我实在有事。」员外拿出五十两银子来说：「圣僧带着路上喝酒。」和尚说：「不要不要。拿着银子怪重的。」柴头说：「师父不拿着，回头咱们吃饭住店，又没钱。依我说，拿着罢。」和尚说：「拿着你拿着，用包袱包起。」柴头就用包裹包好，和尚说：「你们要拿华云龙，你们两个有什么能为？」柴头说：「我有飞檐走壁之能。」和尚说：「你们把这个银子包袱，由西往东数，第十七根房椽子，你要能给挂上了，我就带你们拿华云龙去。」柴头说：「那算什么。」当时拿着包袱，一纵身，一只手扒住房檐，一只手把包袱挂上。柴头说：「师父，你瞧是第十七根不是。」和尚说：「走罢。」柴头说：「把包裹拿下来呀。」「别不害臊了。真拿人家的银子，跟人家有什么交情。走罢。」柴头一想：「你不怕饿着，我们岂怕饿。」赌气也不言语。和尚告辞，赵员外送到外面，和尚带领二位班头，出了赵员外的庄，一直来到曲州府。走到酒店门口，和尚说：「咱们进去喝酒。」柴头说：「进店喝酒，有钱幺？」和尚说：「把包袱挂在由西往东数，第十七根房椽子上，你又问我。」柴头说：「不是你叫我挂的幺？」和尚说：「我叫你挂的？」「这是冤魂不散，神差鬼使，叫你挂的。」柴头说：「什么神差鬼使。」和尚说：「走罢。」说着话，进了酒铺，坐下要菜。这时，安西县与府里的众官人，都看上了和尚。和尚吃的有八成饱了，和尚又说：「你把包袱给挂在第十七根房椽子上，这回走不了了。」柴头说：「不是你叫我挂的幺！」刘春泰越听越是，这才过来说：「朋友，由西往东数，第十七根房椽子的包袱，是你挂的？」柴头说：「是我挂的。」刘春泰说：「好。这场官司你打了罢。」柴头刚要分辩，和尚说：「不用说了，官司打了，我们可没有饭钱。」刘头说：「饭钱我给。」
A word of explanation: the newcomers were none other than Ji Gong and the two head constables, Chai and Du. After the monk had sent Lei Ming and Chen Liang on their way from Changshan County, he took his leave and went back to Squire Zhao’s house, where Head Constables Chai and Du had been waiting until they were frantic. When the monk came back, Squire Zhao asked, “Where did you go, holy monk?” “I was squatting outside relieving myself,” said the monk, “when I saw a man with a money pouch, and coins kept trickling out of it. So I followed along behind him picking them up, and I followed him a good eight li.” “Then I suppose you picked up a fair amount, holy monk,” said Squire Zhao. “I tucked them into my robe as I picked them up,” said the monk, “and when I’d finished I felt for them, and I had no sash tied round my waist, so they’d all dropped out again as I went. I didn’t end up with a single coin.” Squire Zhao laughed at that too. At once he ordered wine to be set out, and kept the monk for another day. The next day the monk wanted to take his leave. Squire Zhao still tried to keep him. “Holy monk, why not stay a few days more?” he said. “I really do have business,” said the monk. The squire brought out fifty taels of silver and said, “Holy monk, take this to buy wine on the road.” “No, no,” said the monk. “Silver’s awfully heavy to carry.” “Master,” said Head Constable Chai, “if you don’t take it, then later on when we eat and put up at inns we’ll have no money again. If you ask me, take it.” “If it’s to be taken, you take it,” said the monk. “Wrap it up in a cloth.” Head Constable Chai wrapped it up in a bundle. “You two want to catch Hua Yunlong,” said the monk. “What skills have you got?” “I can fly over eaves and run along walls,” said Head Constable Chai. “Take this bundle of silver,” said the monk, “and count the rafters from west to east. If you can hang it on the seventeenth, I’ll take you to catch Hua Yunlong.” “Is that all?” said Head Constable Chai. He took the bundle there and then, sprang up, caught hold of the eaves with one hand and hung the bundle up with the other. “Master,” said Head Constable Chai, “see whether that’s the seventeenth or not.” “Let’s go,” said the monk. “Get the bundle down first!” said Head Constable Chai. “Have a little shame. If we really took the man’s silver, what friendship do we have with him to justify that? Let’s go.” Head Constable Chai thought, ‘If you’re not afraid of going hungry, why should we be?’ He was too put out to say a word. The monk took his leave, Squire Zhao saw them out, and the monk led the two head constables out of Squire Zhao’s village and straight on to Quzhou Prefecture. When they reached the door of a wineshop, the monk said, “Let’s go in and have a drink.” “Go in and drink?” said Head Constable Chai. “Have we got any money?” “You hung the bundle on the seventeenth rafter counting from west to east, and now you ask me?” said the monk. “Wasn’t it you who told me to hang it?” said Head Constable Chai. “I told you to hang it?” said the monk. “It was the wronged ghost that won’t rest. Spirits sent you and demons drove you to hang it.” “What spirits and demons?” said Head Constable Chai. “Let’s go,” said the monk. Still talking, they went into the wineshop, sat down and ordered food. By now the officers from Anxi County and from the prefecture all had their eyes on the monk. When the monk had eaten until he was eight parts full, he said again, “You hung that bundle on the seventeenth rafter, and this time there’s no getting away.” “Wasn’t it you who told me to hang it!” said Head Constable Chai. The more Liu Chuntai heard, the surer he was. Only then did he come over and say, “Friend, the bundle on the seventeenth rafter counting from west to east — did you hang it?” “I did,” said Head Constable Chai. “Good,” said Liu Chuntai. “Then this case is yours to answer.” Head Constable Chai was about to explain himself when the monk said, “No need to say any more. We’ll answer the case, but we haven’t any money for our meal.” “I’ll pay for the meal,” said Head Constable Liu.
柴頭也不言語。就知道和尚不安好心，要吃人家一頓飯。直至吃喝完畢，一算帳，和尚吃了十兩零三錢。劉頭說：「我給了，三位跟我們走罷。」和尚說：「好。」大眾一同出了酒館，來到知府衙門。劉頭說：「朋友，你說說罷，在三堂第十七根房椽子上掛的人頭，是殺的什麼人？屍身現在哪裡？你可說罷。」柴頭一聽說：「什麼人頭不人頭！我不知道。」劉春泰說：「方才在酒館，不是你說的，由西往東數，第十七根椽子上掛的包裹，是你掛的么？」柴頭說：「不錯。我告訴你說，我姓柴，叫柴元祿，他叫杜振英，我二人是臨安的馬快。這個和尚，是濟公，奉秦丞相趙太守諭，出來辦案，拿乾坤盜鼠華雲龍。昨天我們住在趙家莊，今天早晨，濟公問我們有什麼能為，要辦華雲龍，我說，會飛檐走壁，濟公叫我把五十兩銀子的包袱，掛在由西往東數第十七根房椽子上，看看我的能為，我掛的上掛不上。包袱是我掛的，可是銀子包袱。你要不信，我這裡有海捕公文。」劉春泰一聽，心說：「這頓酒錢白花了。」往裡一回稟，知府在京中見過濟公，知道濟公是得道高僧，趕緊吩咐，把聖僧請到書房。
柴头也不言语。就知道和尚不安好心，要吃人家一顿饭。直至吃喝完毕，一算帐，和尚吃了十两零三钱。刘头说：「我给了，三位跟我们走罢。」和尚说：「好。」大众一同出了酒馆，来到知府衙门。刘头说：「朋友，你说说罢，在三堂第十七根房椽子上挂的人头，是杀的什么人？尸身现在哪里？你可说罢。」柴头一听说：「什么人头不人头！我不知道。」刘春泰说：「方才在酒馆，不是你说的，由西往东数，第十七根椽子上挂的包裹，是你挂的幺？」柴头说：「不错。我告诉你说，我姓柴，叫柴元禄，他叫杜振英，我二人是临安的马快。这个和尚，是济公，奉秦丞相赵太守谕，出来办案，拿乾坤盗鼠华云龙。昨天我们住在赵家庄，今天早晨，济公问我们有什么能为，要办华云龙，我说，会飞檐走壁，济公叫我把五十两银子的包袱，挂在由西往东数第十七根房椽子上，看看我的能为，我挂的上挂不上。包袱是我挂的，可是银子包袱。你要不信，我这里有海捕公文。」刘春泰一听，心说：「这顿酒钱白花了。」往里一回禀，知府在京中见过济公，知道济公是得道高僧，赶紧吩咐，把圣僧请到书房。
Head Constable Chai said nothing. He knew the monk was up to no good and meant to get a meal out of the man. When they had finished eating and drinking and the bill was reckoned, the monk had eaten ten taels and three qian. “I’ve paid,” said Head Constable Liu. “Now, the three of you, come along with us.” “Good,” said the monk. They all left the wineshop together and came to the prefecture yamen. “Friend,” said Head Constable Liu, “speak up. The head hanging from the seventeenth rafter of the third hall — who was it you killed? Where is the body now? Come on, out with it.” When Head Constable Chai heard this, he said, “Head? What head? I don’t know anything about it.” “Just now in the wineshop,” said Liu Chuntai, “didn’t you say you were the one who hung the bundle on the seventeenth rafter, counting from west to east?” “That’s right,” said Head Constable Chai. “Let me tell you: my surname is Chai, my name is Chai Yuanlu, and he is Du Zhenying. The two of us are mounted constables from Lin’an. This monk is Ji Gong. On the orders of Chancellor Qin and Prefect Zhao he’s come out on a case, to catch Hua Yunlong, the Thieving Rat of Heaven and Earth. Last night we stayed at Zhao Family Village. This morning Ji Gong asked us what skills we had, if we meant to take Hua Yunlong. I said I could fly over eaves and run along walls. Ji Gong told me to hang a bundle with fifty taels of silver in it on the seventeenth rafter counting from west to east, to see what I could do, whether I could get it up there or not. I hung a bundle all right, but it was a bundle of silver. If you don’t believe me, I’ve got a wanted warrant here.” When Liu Chuntai heard this, he thought, ‘So I paid for that meal for nothing.’ He went in and reported. The prefect had met Ji Gong in the capital and knew that Ji Gong was an eminent monk who had attained the Way. He hurriedly gave orders to invite the holy monk into his study.