話說九宮真人華清風，抬頭往北山坡一瞧，原來是一條大蟒。頭在東山頭，尾在西山頭，真有幾百丈長，有大缸粗細。華清風瞧著，倒抽一口涼氣。只見那蟒在山岫里抽來抽去，抽到一尺來長，一溜煙起在半懸空。華清風看的目瞪口呆，正在發愣，後面一聲「無量佛」，說：「華道友，你可曾看見了？」華清風回頭一看，乃是常老道。華清風說：「看見了，道友請廟裡坐罷。真是法力無邊。」常老道說：「華老道友，你我道義相投，要有用我之處，我萬死不辭。」華清風說：「甚好。」兩個老道，朝夕在一處講道。這天姜天瑞來到凌霄觀。一見華清風，華清風說：「你做什麼來了？」姜天瑞說：「我住的鐵佛寺，日久失修。我打算重修，怎奈工程浩大，獨力難成，我求師父給我想個主意。」華清風尚未答言，常老道答了話，說：「不要緊，你得用多少銀子？」姜天瑞說：「總得一萬兩銀。」常老道說：「你回去罷。我明天在開化縣灑三天災。你貼上報單，就說鐵佛顯聖治病。不出十天，我能給你個十萬八萬的。」華清風說：「好。你謝過你師伯。」姜天瑞就給常老道磕了頭，自己先回廟貼報單。常老道就在河裡井裡一噴毒氣，誰一吃水，立刻就得臌症。蟒精就來到鐵佛寺，充鐵佛說話治病。有錢人家求藥，要一兩銀子，寒苦人家要一吊錢。這開化縣所屬八百多村莊，無數人都得一樣的病。妖精正然給聚錢，哪想今天濟公來了。一打鐵佛的嘴巴，妖精已害怕，驚走了。自己一想：「這窮和尚把我趕走，我有何面目去見華道友？莫若我把和尚吃了。」想罷一陣風回來，顯出原形，由半空中往下一落，是一條大蟒，有三四丈長，把和尚盤住，抬頭要咬，和尚拿手一捏蟒的脖子，蟒妖不能動，睜著眼瞧著和尚。和尚瞧著蟒，嚇得廟裡作買作賣的、燒香的善男信女，連四位班頭，全都跑出廟去。正在這般光景，外面一聲「無量佛」，金眼佛姜天瑞來了。
话说九宫真人华清风，抬头往北山坡一瞧，原来是一条大蟒。头在东山头，尾在西山头，真有几百丈长，有大缸粗细。华清风瞧着，倒抽一口凉气。只见那蟒在山岫里抽来抽去，抽到一尺来长，一溜烟起在半悬空。华清风看的目瞪口呆，正在发愣，后面一声「无量佛」，说：「华道友，你可曾看见了？」华清风回头一看，乃是常老道。华清风说：「看见了，道友请庙里坐罢。真是法力无边。」常老道说：「华老道友，你我道义相投，要有用我之处，我万死不辞。」华清风说：「甚好。」两个老道，朝夕在一处讲道。这天姜天瑞来到凌霄观。一见华清风，华清风说：「你做什么来了？」姜天瑞说：「我住的铁佛寺，日久失修。我打算重修，怎奈工程浩大，独力难成，我求师父给我想个主意。」华清风尚未答言，常老道答了话，说：「不要紧，你得用多少银子？」姜天瑞说：「总得一万两银。」常老道说：「你回去罢。我明天在开化县洒三天灾。你贴上报单，就说铁佛显圣治病。不出十天，我能给你个十万八万的。」华清风说：「好。你谢过你师伯。」姜天瑞就给常老道磕了头，自己先回庙贴报单。常老道就在河里井里一喷毒气，谁一吃水，立刻就得臌症。蟒精就来到铁佛寺，充铁佛说话治病。有钱人家求药，要一两银子，寒苦人家要一吊钱。这开化县所属八百多村庄，无数人都得一样的病。妖精正然给聚钱，哪想今天济公来了。一打铁佛的嘴巴，妖精已害怕，惊走了。自己一想：「这穷和尚把我赶走，我有何面目去见华道友？莫若我把和尚吃了。」想罢一阵风回来，显出原形，由半空中往下一落，是一条大蟒，有三四丈长，把和尚盘住，抬头要咬，和尚拿手一捏蟒的脖子，蟒妖不能动，睁着眼瞧着和尚。和尚瞧着蟒，吓得庙里作买作卖的、烧香的善男信女，连四位班头，全都跑出庙去。正在这般光景，外面一声「无量佛」，金眼佛姜天瑞来了。
Now, Hua Qingfeng, the Perfected One of the Nine Palaces, raised his head and looked toward the northern hillside, and there lay a huge python. Its head was on the eastern hilltop and its tail on the western hilltop: it was truly several thousand feet long, and as thick as a big water vat. At the sight of it Hua Qingfeng drew in a sharp, cold breath. He watched the python draw itself in and in among the hills until it was about a foot long; then, in a flash, it shot up into midair. Hua Qingfeng stared, struck dumb. As he stood there in a daze, he heard a “Limitless Buddha!” behind him, and a voice said, “Fellow Daoist Hua, did you see it?” Hua Qingfeng turned round: it was Old Daoist Chang. “I saw it,” said Hua Qingfeng. “Fellow Daoist, please come and sit in the temple. Your magic power truly knows no bounds.” “My old friend Hua,” said Old Daoist Chang, “you and I are of one mind in the Way. If ever you have a use for me, I won’t refuse, though it cost me ten thousand deaths.” “Excellent,” said Hua Qingfeng. From then on the two old Daoists were together morning and night, discussing the Way. One day Jiang Tianrui came to Lingxiao Temple. When he saw Hua Qingfeng, Hua Qingfeng said, “What have you come for?” “Tiefo Temple, where I live, has gone a long time without repair,” said Jiang Tianrui. “I mean to rebuild it, but the job is huge and I can’t manage it alone. I’ve come to beg you, Master, to think of a plan for me.” Before Hua Qingfeng could answer, Old Daoist Chang spoke up. “Nothing to it. How much silver do you need?” “Ten thousand taels at least,” said Jiang Tianrui. “Go on home,” said Old Daoist Chang. “Tomorrow I’ll scatter three days of plague over Kaihua County. You put up notices saying the Iron Buddha is working miracles and curing the sick. Inside of ten days I can get you eighty or a hundred thousand.” “Good,” said Hua Qingfeng. “Thank your Senior Uncle.” Jiang Tianrui kowtowed to Old Daoist Chang and went back ahead of him to his temple to put up the notices. Old Daoist Chang spat poisonous vapour into the rivers and wells, and whoever drank the water came down at once with the bloating sickness. Then the python demon went to Tiefo Temple and passed itself off as the Iron Buddha, speaking and curing the sick. For medicine it asked a tael of silver from a family with money, and a string of cash from a poor one. In the eight hundred and more villages under Kaihua County, countless people fell ill with the same sickness. The demon was busy raking in money for Jiang when, who would have thought it, Ji Gong turned up today. When he slapped the Iron Buddha across the mouth, the demon took fright and fled. Then it thought to itself: “This poor monk has driven me off. How can I face Fellow Daoist Hua? Better to eat the monk.” With that it came back in a gust of wind and showed its true form: down out of midair dropped a great python, thirty or forty feet long. It coiled itself round the monk and reared its head to bite, but the monk reached up and squeezed the python by the neck. The python demon couldn’t move; it could only glare at the monk, and the monk glared back at the python. The traders doing business in the temple and the good men and faithful women burning incense were so frightened that they all ran out of the temple, the four head constables with them. Just at that moment there came a “Limitless Buddha!” from outside: Jiang Tianrui, the Golden-Eyed Buddha, had arrived.
書中交代，姜天瑞帶領華雲龍夠奔小西村，一見眾紳士大眾，彼此行禮，問：「道爺貴姓？」姜天瑞通了名姓，說：「找我什麼事？」眾紳士大家說道：「現在我們這村里，家家人人得了臌症。大概這是佛爺顯聖，所為修廟。只要道爺給求求佛爺，大發慈悲，我們村里人都好了，我等情願湊錢給修廟。省得我們自己求佛爺去。道爺給代代勞，不知道爺意下若何？」姜天瑞說：「好辦。只要眾位肯施捨銀錢修廟，我可以求求佛爺。」正說著話，外面有人進來回稟說：「外面有鐵佛廟兩位和尚，一個叫皂托頭彭振，一個叫萬花僧徐恆，來找道爺，有要緊事。」姜天瑞一聽一愣，趕緊告辭。帶華雲龍出來一瞧，見皂托頭彭振、萬花僧徐恆二人，驚惶失色。姜天瑞就問：「什麼事？」彭振說：「了不得了！現在濟顛和尚來到廟裡攪鬧，你快去那瞧罷。」華雲龍一聽就要跑，姜天瑞說：「二弟不要擔驚，待我去結果濟顛的性命。我將濟顛拿住，給你殺他報仇。」
书中交代，姜天瑞带领华云龙够奔小西村，一见众绅士大众，彼此行礼，问：「道爷贵姓？」姜天瑞通了名姓，说：「找我什么事？」众绅士大家说道：「现在我们这村里，家家人人得了臌症。大概这是佛爷显圣，所为修庙。只要道爷给求求佛爷，大发慈悲，我们村里人都好了，我等情愿凑钱给修庙。省得我们自己求佛爷去。道爷给代代劳，不知道爷意下若何？」姜天瑞说：「好办。只要众位肯施舍银钱修庙，我可以求求佛爷。」正说着话，外面有人进来回禀说：「外面有铁佛庙两位和尚，一个叫皂托头彭振，一个叫万花僧徐恒，来找道爷，有要紧事。」姜天瑞一听一愣，赶紧告辞。带华云龙出来一瞧，见皂托头彭振、万花僧徐恒二人，惊惶失色。姜天瑞就问：「什么事？」彭振说：「了不得了！现在济颠和尚来到庙里搅闹，你快去那瞧罢。」华云龙一听就要跑，姜天瑞说：「二弟不要担惊，待我去结果济颠的性命。我将济颠拿住，给你杀他报仇。」
A word of explanation: Jiang Tianrui had taken Hua Yunlong with him to Xiaoxi Village. When he met the gentlemen and all the rest, they exchanged bows, and they asked him, “Daoist Master, may we ask your honoured surname?” Jiang Tianrui gave his name. “What did you want me for?” he said. “These days in our village,” said the gentlemen, all together, “every household, every last person, has come down with the bloating sickness. Most likely the Buddha is working a miracle so as to get his temple repaired. If only you would pray to the Buddha for us, Daoist Master, and ask him to show great mercy, so that everyone in our village gets well, we’ll gladly pool our money to repair the temple. It would save us going to pray to the Buddha ourselves. Would you take the trouble on our behalf, Daoist Master? What do you say?” “That’s easily done,” said Jiang Tianrui. “As long as you gentlemen are willing to give money to repair the temple, I can pray to the Buddha for you.” As they were talking, someone came in from outside to report: “There are two monks from Tiefo Temple outside, one called Peng Zhen, the Black Tuotou, and one called Xu Heng, the Monk of Ten Thousand Flowers. They’re looking for the Daoist Master on urgent business.” Jiang Tianrui was taken aback at this, and hastily took his leave. He came out with Hua Yunlong and saw Peng Zhen the Black Tuotou and Xu Heng the Monk of Ten Thousand Flowers, both of them pale with alarm. “What is it?” asked Jiang Tianrui. “Disaster!” said Peng Zhen. “Crazy Ji has come to the temple and he’s raising havoc. Hurry over there and look!” The moment Hua Yunlong heard this, he wanted to run. “Second Brother, don’t be alarmed,” said Jiang Tianrui. “Wait till I go and finish off Crazy Ji. Once I’ve caught him, I’ll give him to you to kill, and you’ll have your revenge.”