話說華元志、武定芳二人跟著進了廟，這人帶著由大殿往西一拐，來到西跨院。這院中是四合房，北上房三間，南房三間，東西配房各三間。把二位英雄讓到北上房，這屋中是一明兩暗，屋中倒很乾淨。二人來到屋中，這人給點上燈，倒過茶來，華元志說：「尊駕貴姓？」這人說：「我姓孫叫孫九如，未領教二位貴姓？」華元志說：「我姓華。這廟中幾位當家的？」孫九如說：「就是一位老方丈，有點老病根，可不能出來見你二位。」華元志說：「不敢勞動老方丈，你這廟中要有吃的，給我倆來拿一點來，明天多給香資。」孫九如說：「施主說哪裡話來，此乃是十方門地，十方來，十方去，十方錢糧應酬十方事，我給二位收拾去。」說著遂轉身出去，工夫大了，好容易才拿油盤來了，端進四樣素菜來，一壺酒，一盤炸麵筋，一盤炒豆腐，一盤炒白菜，一盤拌豆腐絲，杯筷碟，都給拿來。說：「二位施主被屈點罷，這廟中可沒有什麼好吃的，有饅首有粥，二位隨便用罷。」說完了話，轉身出去。
话说华元志、武定芳二人跟着进了庙，这人带着由大殿往西一拐，来到西跨院。这院中是四合房，北上房三间，南房三间，东西配房各三间。把二位英雄让到北上房，这屋中是一明两暗，屋中倒很干净。二人来到屋中，这人给点上灯，倒过茶来，华元志说：「尊驾贵姓？」这人说：「我姓孙叫孙九如，未领教二位贵姓？」华元志说：「我姓华。这庙中几位当家的？」孙九如说：「就是一位老方丈，有点老病根，可不能出来见你二位。」华元志说：「不敢劳动老方丈，你这庙中要有吃的，给我俩来拿一点来，明天多给香资。」孙九如说：「施主说哪里话来，此乃是十方门地，十方来，十方去，十方钱粮应酬十方事，我给二位收拾去。」说着遂转身出去，工夫大了，好容易才拿油盘来了，端进四样素菜来，一壶酒，一盘炸面筋，一盘炒豆腐，一盘炒白菜，一盘拌豆腐丝，杯筷碟，都给拿来。说：「二位施主被屈点罢，这庙中可没有什么好吃的，有馒首有粥，二位随便用罢。」说完了话，转身出去。
Now, Hua Yuanzhi and Wu Dingfang followed the man into the temple. He led them past the main hall, turned west and brought them to the west side courtyard. It was a courtyard with rooms on all four sides: three rooms in the main building on the north side, three rooms on the south, and three side rooms each to the east and west. He showed the two heroes into the main room on the north side. It was one open room with an inner room on either side, and it was really quite clean. When the two of them were inside, the man lit the lamp and poured them tea. “May I ask your honorable surname?” said Hua Yuanzhi. “My surname is Sun, Sun Jiuru,” the man said. “And may I ask yours, gentlemen?” “My surname is Hua,” said Hua Yuanzhi. “How many masters does this temple have?” “Just the one old abbot,” said Sun Jiuru. “He has an old ailment that keeps coming back, so he can’t come out to see you two.” “We wouldn’t dream of troubling the old abbot,” said Hua Yuanzhi. “If your temple has anything to eat, bring a little for the two of us. Tomorrow we’ll give a generous offering of incense money.” “What are you saying, sir?” said Sun Jiuru. “This is a house of the Ten Directions. The Ten Directions come, the Ten Directions go, and what the Ten Directions give pays for what the Ten Directions need. I’ll go and get something ready for you two.” With that he turned and went out. He was gone a long time, and at last he came back with a lacquered tray and carried in four vegetarian dishes and a pot of wine: a plate of fried gluten, a plate of stir-fried bean curd, a plate of stir-fried cabbage and a plate of shredded bean curd in dressing, with cups, chopsticks and saucers, the lot. “You two gentlemen will have to make do,” he said. “There’s nothing very good to eat in this temple. There are steamed buns and there’s porridge; help yourselves.” When he had said this, he turned and went out.
武定芳拿起筷子方要吃、華元志說：「賢弟，你先等等吃。」武定芳說：「怎么？」華元志說：「我看這個孫九如，方才說話，眼珠兒滴溜溜亂轉，恐其中有詐。再說這座廟，又不靠村莊，又不靠大道，每逢庵觀寺院，乃是藏賊的窩巢。出門在外，不得不留神。我看他說話伶牙俐齒，二眸子亂轉，聖人有云，胸中正，則眸子瞭焉；胸中不正，則眸子眊焉。我看其中有緣故，先等等吃罷。」說完了話，工夫不大，孫九如由外面進來，說：「二位酒夠不夠？」
武定芳拿起筷子方要吃、华元志说：「贤弟，你先等等吃。」武定芳说：「怎么？」华元志说：「我看这个孙九如，方才说话，眼珠儿滴溜溜乱转，恐其中有诈。再说这座庙，又不靠村庄，又不靠大道，每逢庵观寺院，乃是藏贼的窝巢。出门在外，不得不留神。我看他说话伶牙俐齿，二眸子乱转，圣人有云，胸中正，则眸子瞭焉；胸中不正，则眸子眊焉。我看其中有缘故，先等等吃罢。」说完了话，工夫不大，孙九如由外面进来，说：「二位酒够不够？」
Wu Dingfang picked up his chopsticks and was about to eat when Hua Yuanzhi said, “Hold off eating a moment, Brother.” “What is it?” said Wu Dingfang. “I’ve been watching this Sun Jiuru,” said Hua Yuanzhi. “Just now, while he was talking, his eyeballs kept darting round and round. I’m afraid there’s some trick in this. Besides, this temple isn’t near any village or any main road, and every temple and monastery you come across is a nest for hiding robbers. When you’re away from home, you can’t afford not to be careful. He’s got a glib, clever tongue, and his eyes keep rolling. The sage said, ‘When the heart within is upright, the pupils are bright; when the heart within is not upright, the pupils are dull.’ I can see there’s something behind this. Let’s hold off eating.” Not long after he had finished speaking, Sun Jiuru came in from outside. “Have you two got enough wine?”
華元志把酒斟出來一看，酒發渾，在酒杯子裡直轉，華元志更生了疑心，說：「孫九如，你喝一盅。」孫九如一聽，連連搖頭說：「我不會喝。」華元志見孫九如轉身就要往外走，華元志過去一伸手，將孫九如揪住。一個黃鵬拿嗉，一捏嘴把這盅酒灌下去。立刻就見孫九如蹬蹬腿裂裂嘴，翻身栽倒，人事不知。華元志說：「賢弟，你看如何？」武定芳說：「總還是兄長細心，今天要是我就上了當了。兄長既把這廝拿住，打算怎么樣？」華元志說：「你我先裡面去聽聽風再說。」武定芳說：「既然這廝施展毒計，陷害你我，大概這廟中必有賊人窩藏，你我還等什麼，簡直咱們到各處探探去。」華元志一聽，說：「也好。」二人這才把孫九如捆好，口堵上，往地下一擱，二人把燈吹滅出來，將門倒帶，立刻躥房越脊，探來探去。探到東跨院一看，北上房屋中燈光閃爍。二人一看有後窗戶，來到後窗戶將窗紙濕了一個小窟窿，往屋中一看，靠北面沖南坐著兩個大脫頭和尚，可看不見臉膛。在東邊坐定一人。頭上帶紫色壯士帽，身穿青布衫，黑臉膛，凶眉惡眼，靠西邊坐定一人，穿藍翠褂，白臉膛，細眉圓眼。在南面坐定一人面沖北，頭上紫色壯士帽，紫箭袖，面如紫玉，兩道喪門眉，一雙弔客眼，雙睛暴露於外。
华元志把酒斟出来一看，酒发浑，在酒杯子里直转，华元志更生了疑心，说：「孙九如，你喝一盅。」孙九如一听，连连摇头说：「我不会喝。」华元志见孙九如转身就要往外走，华元志过去一伸手，将孙九如揪住。一个黄鹏拿嗉，一捏嘴把这盅酒灌下去。立刻就见孙九如蹬蹬腿裂裂嘴，翻身栽倒，人事不知。华元志说：「贤弟，你看如何？」武定芳说：「总还是兄长细心，今天要是我就上了当了。兄长既把这厮拿住，打算怎么样？」华元志说：「你我先里面去听听风再说。」武定芳说：「既然这厮施展毒计，陷害你我，大概这庙中必有贼人窝藏，你我还等什么，简直咱们到各处探探去。」华元志一听，说：「也好。」二人这才把孙九如捆好，口堵上，往地下一搁，二人把灯吹灭出来，将门倒带，立刻蹿房越脊，探来探去。探到东跨院一看，北上房屋中灯光闪烁。二人一看有后窗户，来到后窗户将窗纸湿了一个小窟窿，往屋中一看，靠北面冲南坐着两个大脱头和尚，可看不见脸膛。在东边坐定一人。头上带紫色壮士帽，身穿青布衫，黑脸膛，凶眉恶眼，靠西边坐定一人，穿蓝翠褂，白脸膛，细眉圆眼。在南面坐定一人面冲北，头上紫色壮士帽，紫箭袖，面如紫玉，两道丧门眉，一双吊客眼，双睛暴露于外。
Hua Yuanzhi poured out the wine and looked at it. It was cloudy and kept swirling round and round in the cup, which made Hua Yuanzhi still more suspicious. “Sun Jiuru,” he said, “you drink a cup.” Sun Jiuru shook his head again and again. “I don’t drink.” Seeing Sun Jiuru turn to go out, Hua Yuanzhi stepped over, shot out a hand and seized him. With a “yellow hawk seizes the crop” grip he squeezed the man’s mouth open and poured the cup of wine down him. At once Sun Jiuru kicked his legs, twisted his mouth, keeled over and lost his senses. “Brother, what do you say to that?” said Hua Yuanzhi. “You’re the careful one after all, Brother,” said Wu Dingfang. “If it had been me today, I’d have fallen for it. Now that you’ve caught the scoundrel, Brother, what do you mean to do?” “Let’s go farther in first and see which way the wind blows,” said Hua Yuanzhi. “Since this scoundrel tried a poison trick to do us in,” said Wu Dingfang, “there must be robbers hiding in this temple. What are we waiting for? Let’s just go and scout the whole place.” “All right,” said Hua Yuanzhi. Only then did the two of them tie Sun Jiuru up, gag him and dump him on the floor. They blew out the lamp, came out and pulled the door shut behind them, and at once they were leaping over roofs and along ridges, scouting this way and that. When they reached the east side courtyard and looked, lamplight was flickering in the main room on the north side. The two saw there was a back window. They went to it, wet a small hole in the window paper and peered into the room. Against the north wall, facing south, sat two big long-haired ascetic monks, but their faces could not be seen. On the east side sat a man in a purple warrior’s cap and a black cloth gown, with a black face, fierce brows and evil eyes. On the west side sat a man in a bright blue jacket, with a white face, thin brows and round eyes. On the south side, facing north, sat a man in a purple warrior’s cap and a purple robe with archer’s cuffs. His face was like purple jade, with Mourning Gate brows and Grieving Guest eyes, and his eyeballs bulged out.