話說雷鳴、陳亮同秦元亮三個人，方一進酒館，見鐵背子高珍站起來就跑。立地瘟神馬兆熊一聲喊嚷，怪叫如雷，站起來隨後就追。雷鳴、陳亮、秦元亮這三個人，也不知道因為什麼，隨後也追趕出來。酒飯座唬的一陣大亂，飯館那掌柜的也不敢攔，只打算雷鳴他們三個人是辦案的番子，高珍這兩個人必是賊人，大眾胡思亂想，紛紛議論。雷鳴、陳亮、秦元亮三個人追來，就見高珍在頭前奔命逃走，真是急急如喪家之犬，忙忙似漏網之魚，連頭也不回。就聽馬兆熊隨後追趕口中喊嚷：「好囚囊的！你給我們攏對，我焉能饒你？今天你上天，趕到你凌霄殿，入地趕到你水晶宮，焉能放你逃走！」飛天火祖秦元亮後面喊嚷說：「馬賢弟，你因為什麼追趕高珍？」馬兆熊說：「三位跟我來！這小子他搬弄是非，他說雷鳴、陳亮把你殺了，我幾乎受騙。」
话说雷鸣、陈亮同秦元亮三个人，方一进酒馆，见铁背子高珍站起来就跑。立地瘟神马兆熊一声喊嚷，怪叫如雷，站起来随后就追。雷鸣、陈亮、秦元亮这三个人，也不知道因为什么，随后也追赶出来。酒饭座唬的一阵大乱，饭馆那掌柜的也不敢拦，只打算雷鸣他们三个人是办案的番子，高珍这两个人必是贼人，大众胡思乱想，纷纷议论。雷鸣、陈亮、秦元亮三个人追来，就见高珍在头前奔命逃走，真是急急如丧家之犬，忙忙似漏网之鱼，连头也不回。就听马兆熊随后追赶口中喊嚷：「好囚囊的！你给我们拢对，我焉能饶你？今天你上天，赶到你凌霄殿，入地赶到你水晶宫，焉能放你逃走！」飞天火祖秦元亮后面喊嚷说：「马贤弟，你因为什么追赶高珍？」马兆熊说：「三位跟我来！这小子他搬弄是非，他说雷鸣、陈亮把你杀了，我几乎受骗。」
Now, Lei Ming, Chen Liang and Qin Yuanliang had only just stepped into the wine shop when they saw Gao Zhen, Iron Back, jump up and run. Ma Zhaoxiong, the Plague God on Earth, let out a roar like thunder, sprang to his feet and went after him. Lei Ming, Chen Liang and Qin Yuanliang had no idea what it was all about, but they came chasing out after them too. The diners were thrown into an uproar. The boss of the eating house did not dare stop them either: he took Lei Ming and his two friends for thief-catchers out on a case, and Gao Zhen and Ma Zhaoxiong for a pair of thieves, and the whole crowd let their imaginations run and fell to talking all at once. As Lei Ming, Chen Liang and Qin Yuanliang gave chase, they saw Gao Zhen up ahead running for his life — truly, frantic as a dog that has lost its home, hurried as a fish slipped through the net — without so much as a look behind him. And they heard Ma Zhaoxiong shouting as he chased, “You jailbird bastard! You tried to set us at each other’s throats, and you think I’ll let you off? Go up to heaven today and I’ll chase you into the Hall of Celestial Mists; go down into the earth and I’ll chase you into the Crystal Palace. You’re not getting away!” Behind him Qin Yuanliang, the Flying Fire Patriarch, shouted, “Brother Ma, why are you chasing Gao Zhen?” “Come with me, you three!” said Ma Zhaoxiong. “This little bastard’s a troublemaker. He told me Lei Ming and Chen Liang had killed you, and I nearly fell for it.”
雷鳴、陳亮一聽，氣往上撞說：「追他，別放他走了。」陳亮說：「高珍他是慈雲觀的餘黨。」眾人緊緊一追，高珍頭前逃走，這幾個人也不知高珍要往哪跑，馬兆熊是死心眼非要把高珍追上不可，直追出有五六里地。見高珍進了一座山口，眾人也追進山口，高珍直奔北山坡，見山坡上有一座大廟，正當中的山門，兩邊的腳門，前有鐘鼓二樓，後有藏經樓，大概有四五層大殿，見高珍跑進東角門，馬兆熊也追進東角門。高珍要往東配殿里跑，活該腳底下一忙，台階絆了一筋斗，馬兆熊一個箭步，躥到跟前，手起刀落，扎在高珍的後心，當時高珍氣絕身亡，血流滿地。此時雷鳴、陳亮、秦元亮也趕到了，秦元亮說：「馬賢弟怎么樣了？」馬兆熊說：「把囚囊的扎死了。」
雷鸣、陈亮一听，气往上撞说：「追他，别放他走了。」陈亮说：「高珍他是慈云观的余党。」众人紧紧一追，高珍头前逃走，这几个人也不知高珍要往哪跑，马兆熊是死心眼非要把高珍追上不可，直追出有五六里地。见高珍进了一座山口，众人也追进山口，高珍直奔北山坡，见山坡上有一座大庙，正当中的山门，两边的脚门，前有钟鼓二楼，后有藏经楼，大概有四五层大殿，见高珍跑进东角门，马兆熊也追进东角门。高珍要往东配殿里跑，活该脚底下一忙，台阶绊了一筋斗，马兆熊一个箭步，蹿到跟前，手起刀落，扎在高珍的后心，当时高珍气绝身亡，血流满地。此时雷鸣、陈亮、秦元亮也赶到了，秦元亮说：「马贤弟怎么样了？」马兆熊说：「把囚囊的扎死了。」
When Lei Ming and Chen Liang heard this, their anger flared. “After him!” they said. “Don’t let him get away.” “Gao Zhen is one of the Ciyun Temple gang who got away,” said Chen Liang. They all chased hard, with Gao Zhen running on ahead. None of them knew where he meant to run to, but Ma Zhaoxiong was a stubborn one and would not stop until he had caught Gao Zhen, and they chased him a good five or six li. They saw Gao Zhen go into the mouth of a valley, and they all went in after him. Gao Zhen made straight for the northern slope. On the slope stood a large temple, with the main gate in the middle and side gates on either hand, a bell tower and a drum tower in front and a sutra library at the back, and perhaps four or five courtyards of great halls. They saw Gao Zhen run in by the east side gate, and Ma Zhaoxiong chased in by the east side gate after him. Gao Zhen meant to run into the east side hall, but as fate would have it, in his haste his feet caught on the steps and he went sprawling. Ma Zhaoxiong was on him in one flying stride. Up went his blade and down it came, into Gao Zhen’s back behind the heart, and Gao Zhen died on the spot, his blood running all over the ground. By now Lei Ming, Chen Liang and Qin Yuanliang had caught up too. “Brother Ma, how did it go?” said Qin Yuanliang. “I’ve stabbed the jailbird bastard dead,” said Ma Zhaoxiong.
話言未了，就見由東配房一聲喊嚷：「阿彌陀佛！」大眾睜眼一看，出來一個大脫頭和尚。身高八尺，膀闊三停，頭大項短，披散著頭髮，打著一道金箍，面如鍋底，粗眉大眼，身穿青僧衣，白襪僧鞋。和尚出來一看，說：「施主這是怎么了？我這廟裡是佛門善地，為什麼在我廟裡來殺人？」秦元亮說：「你別管，他是個賊，我們把他摔到山澗去，沒你的事。」和尚說：「在我廟內，焉有不管之理？你們幾位貴姓？死的這個是誰呀？」雷鳴、陳亮各通了名姓，秦元亮、馬兆熊也說了名姓，說：「這個賊人叫鐵背子高珍，他是由慈雲觀漏網之賊。」和尚說：「呵，他是慈雲觀的賊，破慈雲觀有你們幾位么？」雷鳴、陳亮說：「有咱們。」秦元亮說：「我也在那裡。」正說著話，就見由屋中出來一個人，正是黑毛蠆高順。說：「當家的別叫他們走，破慈雲觀有他們，把我哥哥殺了。好好，我焉能跟他等善罷甘休！」和尚哈哈一笑，說：「不用你，他們幾個是放著天堂有路他不走，地獄無門自找尋。這也是自來找死。」眾人一聽，說：「好禿驢！你要多管閒事，先拿刀砍你。」和尚用手一指，說聲「敕令！」竟把四位英雄定住。
话言未了，就见由东配房一声喊嚷：「阿弥陀佛！」大众睁眼一看，出来一个大脱头和尚。身高八尺，膀阔三停，头大项短，披散着头发，打着一道金箍，面如锅底，粗眉大眼，身穿青僧衣，白袜僧鞋。和尚出来一看，说：「施主这是怎么了？我这庙里是佛门善地，为什么在我庙里来杀人？」秦元亮说：「你别管，他是个贼，我们把他摔到山涧去，没你的事。」和尚说：「在我庙内，焉有不管之理？你们几位贵姓？死的这个是谁呀？」雷鸣、陈亮各通了名姓，秦元亮、马兆熊也说了名姓，说：「这个贼人叫铁背子高珍，他是由慈云观漏网之贼。」和尚说：「呵，他是慈云观的贼，破慈云观有你们几位幺？」雷鸣、陈亮说：「有咱们。」秦元亮说：「我也在那里。」正说着话，就见由屋中出来一个人，正是黑毛虿高顺。说：「当家的别叫他们走，破慈云观有他们，把我哥哥杀了。好好，我焉能跟他等善罢甘休！」和尚哈哈一笑，说：「不用你，他们几个是放着天堂有路他不走，地狱无门自找寻。这也是自来找死。」众人一听，说：「好秃驴！你要多管闲事，先拿刀砍你。」和尚用手一指，说声「敕令！」竟把四位英雄定住。
Before the words were out of his mouth, a cry came from the east side room: “Amitabha!” They all looked, and out came a big long-haired ascetic monk. He stood eight feet tall and was broad across the shoulders, with a big head and a short neck. His hair hung loose, held by a gold band. His face was black as the bottom of a pot, with thick brows and big eyes, and he wore a black monk’s robe, white socks and monk’s shoes. The monk came out, took one look and said, “Patrons, what is all this? My temple is holy Buddhist ground. Why have you come into my temple to kill a man?” “Keep out of it,” said Qin Yuanliang. “He’s a thief. We’ll throw him into the ravine, and it’s no business of yours.” “In my own temple, how could it not be my business?” said the monk. “May I ask your honourable names, gentlemen? And who is this dead man?” Lei Ming and Chen Liang each gave their names, and Qin Yuanliang and Ma Zhaoxiong gave theirs too. “This thief is called Gao Zhen, Iron Back,” they said. “He’s a thief who slipped through the net at Ciyun Temple.” “Oh,” said the monk, “so he’s a thief from Ciyun Temple. Were you gentlemen among those who broke Ciyun Temple?” “We were,” said Lei Ming and Chen Liang. “I was there too,” said Qin Yuanliang. As they were talking, a man came out of the room. It was Gao Shun, the Black-Haired Scorpion. “Abbot, don’t let them go!” he said. “They were in on breaking Ciyun Temple, and they’ve killed my brother. Fine, fine — I’ll never let this rest with them!” The monk laughed aloud. “No need for you. These fellows have a road to heaven and won’t take it, and hell has no gate, yet they come looking for one. They’ve walked in here asking to die.” When they heard this, they said, “You bald ass! Meddle in this and we’ll cut you down first.” The monk pointed a finger and said, “By command!” And he fixed all four heroes to the spot.