話說眾官人，各擺兵刃一截華雲龍，這些人如何截的住？華雲龍說：「擋我者死，閃我者生，爾等讓路！」擺刀往下一躥，手中刀亂砍官人。殺開一條大路，賊人闖出來往正北就跑。後面周瑞叫喊：「千萬莫放走了他！眾人追拿！」眾人隨後緊緊追趕。華雲龍跑的緊。後面追得緊。周瑞、羅鑣帶領眾人飛追，去華雲龍不多遠。華雲龍跑的熱汗直流，腿也發了酸，實在跑不動了。後面仍自是追，華雲龍又不敢站住。追上就沒了命，自己盡命往前跑。眼前一道沙土崗，約有一丈多高。華雲龍心裡說道：「這土岡我要兩腿一發軟上不去，一跌下可就沒了命了。」自己來到土崗，用力往上跑，焉想到土崗北邊有五個人在那裡站著。乃是威鎮八方楊明，同風裡雲煙雷鳴，聖手白猿陳亮，矮腳真人孔貴，萬里飛來陸通。
话说众官人，各摆兵刃一截华云龙，这些人如何截的住？华云龙说：「挡我者死，闪我者生，尔等让路！」摆刀往下一蹿，手中刀乱砍官人。杀开一条大路，贼人闯出来往正北就跑。后面周瑞叫喊：「千万莫放走了他！众人追拿！」众人随后紧紧追赶。华云龙跑的紧。后面追得紧。周瑞、罗镳带领众人飞追，去华云龙不多远。华云龙跑的热汗直流，腿也发了酸，实在跑不动了。后面仍自是追，华云龙又不敢站住。追上就没了命，自己尽命往前跑。眼前一道沙土岗，约有一丈多高。华云龙心里说道：「这土冈我要两腿一发软上不去，一跌下可就没了命了。」自己来到土岗，用力往上跑，焉想到土岗北边有五个人在那里站着。乃是威镇八方杨明，同风里云烟雷鸣，圣手白猿陈亮，矮脚真人孔贵，万里飞来陆通。
Now, the constables all brandished their weapons to cut Hua Yunlong off, but how could men like these stop him? “Whoever blocks me dies, whoever stands aside lives!” said Hua Yunlong. “Out of my way!” Swinging his sword, he plunged forward, hacking wildly at the constables, and cut himself a broad road out. The thief burst through and ran due north. Behind him Zhou Rui shouted, “Whatever you do, don’t let him get away! After him, all of you, take him!” The men followed hard on his heels. Hua Yunlong ran hard, and behind him they chased hard. Zhou Rui and Luo Biao led the men in a flying pursuit, never far behind Hua Yunlong. Hua Yunlong ran till the hot sweat poured off him and his legs ached; he truly could run no further. But they were still coming behind him, and he dared not stop: if they caught him, his life was over. So he ran on for all he was worth. Ahead of him lay a ridge of sandy earth, a little over ten feet high. Hua Yunlong said to himself, “If my legs give out and I can’t get up this ridge, and I fall back down, that’s the end of me.” He reached the ridge and forced his way up it. Little did he think that on the north side of the ridge five men were standing: Yang Ming, Awe of the Eight Directions; Lei Ming, Cloud and Smoke in the Wind; Chen Liang, the Masterful White Ape; Kong Gui, the Short-Legged Perfected One; and Lu Tong, the Ten-Thousand-Mile Flyer.
書中交代，這五個人，怎么會來到這裡呢？原來這五個人，在蓬萊觀廟裡住著，濟公叫他五個人，一個月之內不準出廟。要一出廟，就有性命之憂。別人都能行，惟有陸通，他在廟裡不出來，急得了不得。沒事他就拿著棍，在院裡練棍，以為解悶。分為三十六手左門棍，四十八手右門棍，莊家六棍，他自己就耍開了。這天他正在耍著，一失手把花盆砸了。道童說：「陸爺你別練了，要練到廟門口練去。」陸通說：「對，我上廟門口練去。」雷鳴說：「我陪你去，咱們兩個人練去。」楊明說：「陸通別出去！濟公說，一個月不叫出去。出去有性命之憂，不可不信。」孔貴說：「廟門口又沒人在山上頭，有什麼要緊？叫他出去瞧瞧，免得他發躁。」陸通就同雷鳴來到廟門口。一個練棍，一個耍刀。正練得高興之際，就見山上跑過一隻野貓來。陸通一瞧，拿棍就打，野貓往山下一跑，陸通同雷鳴兩個人，隨後就追。道童瞧見，去告訴楊明說：「陸通同雷鳴追野貓下山去了。」楊明、孔貴、陳亮不放心，趕緊帶上兵刃，追下山來。焉想到陸通、雷鳴追這隻野貓，一直追下去有五十里之遙。只見野貓鑽進一座墳窟窿里。陸通追到這裡一看說：「好球攮的，你快出來，你不出來，我把你的窩拆了！」拿著棍就要拆墳，這個時節，楊明、陳亮、孔貴趕到。楊明說：「陸通你還不躲開，要叫人看見，說你偷墳掘墓，就把你拿住。快跟我走罷。」正說著話，只聽正南上人聲喊嚷，說：「別叫賊人走了！」雷鳴往土崗一瞧，是華雲龍被官人追下來。雷鳴說：「楊大哥，你瞧華雲龍被官人追下來。咱們幫著官人，將他拿住，好不好？」陳亮說：「不用，咱們趁早躲開，依我說，不用多管閒事。」楊明說：「不要緊，我有主意，咱們不用明著過去拿他，跟他為仇。咱們暗中拿石子打他，把他打躺下，官人就將他拿了。咱們也不必見面。」雷鳴說：「對，楊大哥會打暗器，你打的準，你打罷。」楊明就拿一塊石子，在沙崗後，見華雲龍剛要上崗，楊明一抖手說：「雲龍照打！」這石子照雲龍打去。焉想到華雲龍身往旁邊一閃，這石子正打在小玄壇周瑞的華蓋穴。周瑞哎喲一聲，翻身栽倒，立刻「哇」地一口血吐出來。華雲龍趁著周瑞一躺下，賊人連竄帶跳，越過土崗。抬頭一看，是陳亮、雷鳴、楊明這五個人。華雲龍只當是楊明暗中救他，拿石子打官人。華雲龍趕緊過來，給楊明磕頭，說：「多蒙兄長搭救，要不然，小弟今遭不測。」楊明也不好說我不是救你的，要幫官人拿你。只好隨口應承說：「我救你倒是小事，你快逃命罷。」華雲龍說：「兄長，你救人救到底，我要上古天山凌霄觀，找我叔父九宮真人華清風去。求兄長把我送了去罷。」楊明說：「你上你叔叔廟裡去，何必我送？」華雲龍說：「兄長有所不知。我叔叔脾氣太厲害，要見了我，知道我外面做的這些事，必要殺我。求兄長送了我去。給我講講情，我給兄長磕頭。」楊明本是個熱心腸的人，見華雲龍苦苦哀求，楊明說：「就是罷，我送了你去。」雷鳴、陳亮眾人都不願意，又不好不跟著。無奈大眾一直夠奔古天山而來。相隔此地不過十數里之遙。眾人來到古天山下。陸通就說：「楊大哥，你們去，我在這裡等著。我不去見華清風。見了他，還得給牛鼻子老道行禮，我不願意。我在這裡等著，你一天不來，我等一天。兩天不來，我等兩天。總等楊大哥來了，咱們一同回去。」楊明說：「也好，你等著罷。」四個人這才同華雲龍上山。來到廟門口，一叫門，道童出來，一開門說：「華二哥來了，你好呀。」華雲龍說：「好。承問承問。師弟，祖師爺在家沒有？」道童說：「在家。」眾人這才一同進去。見廟中栽松種竹，清幽之極。正北是大殿五間，東西各有配房。道童帶領眾人，越過頭層殿，由第二層院子出東角門，來到東跨院。這院中是北房三間，南房三間，東房三間。道童用手一指北上房說：「祖師爺在上房鶴軒里。」眾人隔著帘子，往裡一瞧，見裡面有一張雲床。上面有黃雲緞子坐褥，在當中坐定一個老道，盤膝打坐，閉目垂睛。頭戴青緞九梁道冠，身穿紫緞色道袍。上繡金八卦，按著乾三連，坤六段，離中虛，坎中滿，當中太極圖；腰系杏黃絲絛，白襪雲鞋；背後背著寶劍，綠沙魚皮鞘。檢銅什件，黃絨穗頭；面如生羊肝，押耳黑毫，海下一部黑鬍子，微有幾根白的。楊明、陳亮、雷鳴、孔貴四個人在外站著，華雲龍先進去。跪倒行禮說：「叔父在上，小侄男給叔父叩頭。」華清風一翻二目說：「你這逆子，在外面胡作非為！華氏門中，乃根本人家，出了你這現眼的逆子。你還有何面目，前來見我！」說著話，伸手把寶劍拉出來。楊明一瞧，生怕老道殺他。楊明趕緊邁步進去說：「祖師爺，暫且息怒，饒恕他罷。」華清風抬頭一看說：「你是什麼人？」楊明說：「我姓楊，叫楊明。」華雲龍說：「叔父，這是小侄男的恩兄，威鎮八方楊明。」雷鳴、陳亮、孔貴也都進來。華雲龍說：「叔父，這都是我的恩兄義弟。」華清風一聽，說：「你這孽障，這就該打，既是你的恩兄義弟，為何不早稟我？眾位請坐。這位道友貴姓？」孔貴說：「無量佛，弟子叫孔貴。」華清風說：「這二位貴姓？」陳亮說：「我姓陳。」雷鳴說：「我姓雷。」華清風說：「眾位來此何幹？」楊明說：「祖師爺要問，只因我義弟華雲龍，他在臨安，闖下大禍，現在靈隱寺濟顛和尚，到處拿他。他無地可躲，我等把他送到祖師爺這裡，求祖師爺大發慈悲，將他收下。濟顛和尚，也許不能來拿他。就使來了，祖師爺可以勸勸濟公。僧贊僧，佛法興。道中道，玄中妙，紅花白藕青蓮葉，三教原歸一家人。祖師爺可以庇護他。」華清風一聽，說：「你等來把他送到我廟裡來，是怕濟顛和尚拿他是不是？」楊明說：「是。」華清風：「你等敢是真心要救他，還是假心呢？」楊明聽這話一愣，說：「祖師爺這話從何說起？我等要不是真心，為何我等跟著送上山來？」華清風說：「好，你們既是真心救他，我跟你們幾位借點東西。肯借不肯借呢？」楊明說：「看是什麼東西，除非是腦袋，在脖子上長著不能借。別的東西都可以借。」華清風說：「我倒不借腦袋。我要煉五鬼陰風劍，煉好了，能斬濟顛羅漢的金光。要不煉好法寶，濟公來拿他，我也不是他的對手，你們打算救他，把你們幾位的人心，借給我煉五鬼陰風劍，可以斬濟顛和尚。」
书中交代，这五个人，怎么会来到这里呢？原来这五个人，在蓬莱观庙里住着，济公叫他五个人，一个月之内不准出庙。要一出庙，就有性命之忧。别人都能行，惟有陆通，他在庙里不出来，急得了不得。没事他就拿着棍，在院里练棍，以为解闷。分为三十六手左门棍，四十八手右门棍，庄家六棍，他自己就耍开了。这天他正在耍着，一失手把花盆砸了。道童说：「陆爷你别练了，要练到庙门口练去。」陆通说：「对，我上庙门口练去。」雷鸣说：「我陪你去，咱们两个人练去。」杨明说：「陆通别出去！济公说，一个月不叫出去。出去有性命之忧，不可不信。」孔贵说：「庙门口又没人在山上头，有什么要紧？叫他出去瞧瞧，免得他发躁。」陆通就同雷鸣来到庙门口。一个练棍，一个耍刀。正练得高兴之际，就见山上跑过一只野猫来。陆通一瞧，拿棍就打，野猫往山下一跑，陆通同雷鸣两个人，随后就追。道童瞧见，去告诉杨明说：「陆通同雷鸣追野猫下山去了。」杨明、孔贵、陈亮不放心，赶紧带上兵刃，追下山来。焉想到陆通、雷鸣追这只野猫，一直追下去有五十里之遥。只见野猫钻进一座坟窟窿里。陆通追到这里一看说：「好球攮的，你快出来，你不出来，我把你的窝拆了！」拿着棍就要拆坟，这个时节，杨明、陈亮、孔贵赶到。杨明说：「陆通你还不躲开，要叫人看见，说你偷坟掘墓，就把你拿住。快跟我走罢。」正说着话，只听正南上人声喊嚷，说：「别叫贼人走了！」雷鸣往土岗一瞧，是华云龙被官人追下来。雷鸣说：「杨大哥，你瞧华云龙被官人追下来。咱们帮着官人，将他拿住，好不好？」陈亮说：「不用，咱们趁早躲开，依我说，不用多管闲事。」杨明说：「不要紧，我有主意，咱们不用明着过去拿他，跟他为仇。咱们暗中拿石子打他，把他打躺下，官人就将他拿了。咱们也不必见面。」雷鸣说：「对，杨大哥会打暗器，你打的准，你打罢。」杨明就拿一块石子，在沙岗后，见华云龙刚要上岗，杨明一抖手说：「云龙照打！」这石子照云龙打去。焉想到华云龙身往旁边一闪，这石子正打在小玄坛周瑞的华盖穴。周瑞哎哟一声，翻身栽倒，立刻「哇」地一口血吐出来。华云龙趁着周瑞一躺下，贼人连窜带跳，越过土岗。抬头一看，是陈亮、雷鸣、杨明这五个人。华云龙只当是杨明暗中救他，拿石子打官人。华云龙赶紧过来，给杨明磕头，说：「多蒙兄长搭救，要不然，小弟今遭不测。」杨明也不好说我不是救你的，要帮官人拿你。只好随口应承说：「我救你倒是小事，你快逃命罢。」华云龙说：「兄长，你救人救到底，我要上古天山凌霄观，找我叔父九宫真人华清风去。求兄长把我送了去罢。」杨明说：「你上你叔叔庙里去，何必我送？」华云龙说：「兄长有所不知。我叔叔脾气太厉害，要见了我，知道我外面做的这些事，必要杀我。求兄长送了我去。给我讲讲情，我给兄长磕头。」杨明本是个热心肠的人，见华云龙苦苦哀求，杨明说：「就是罢，我送了你去。」雷鸣、陈亮众人都不愿意，又不好不跟着。无奈大众一直够奔古天山而来。相隔此地不过十数里之遥。众人来到古天山下。陆通就说：「杨大哥，你们去，我在这里等着。我不去见华清风。见了他，还得给牛鼻子老道行礼，我不愿意。我在这里等着，你一天不来，我等一天。两天不来，我等两天。总等杨大哥来了，咱们一同回去。」杨明说：「也好，你等着罢。」四个人这才同华云龙上山。来到庙门口，一叫门，道童出来，一开门说：「华二哥来了，你好呀。」华云龙说：「好。承问承问。师弟，祖师爷在家没有？」道童说：「在家。」众人这才一同进去。见庙中栽松种竹，清幽之极。正北是大殿五间，东西各有配房。道童带领众人，越过头层殿，由第二层院子出东角门，来到东跨院。这院中是北房三间，南房三间，东房三间。道童用手一指北上房说：「祖师爷在上房鹤轩里。」众人隔着帘子，往里一瞧，见里面有一张云床。上面有黄云缎子坐褥，在当中坐定一个老道，盘膝打坐，闭目垂睛。头戴青缎九梁道冠，身穿紫缎色道袍。上绣金八卦，按着干三连，坤六段，离中虚，坎中满，当中太极图；腰系杏黄丝绦，白袜云鞋；背后背着宝剑，绿沙鱼皮鞘。检铜什件，黄绒穗头；面如生羊肝，押耳黑毫，海下一部黑胡子，微有几根白的。杨明、陈亮、雷鸣、孔贵四个人在外站着，华云龙先进去。跪倒行礼说：「叔父在上，小侄男给叔父叩头。」华清风一翻二目说：「你这逆子，在外面胡作非为！华氏门中，乃根本人家，出了你这现眼的逆子。你还有何面目，前来见我！」说着话，伸手把宝剑拉出来。杨明一瞧，生怕老道杀他。杨明赶紧迈步进去说：「祖师爷，暂且息怒，饶恕他罢。」华清风抬头一看说：「你是什么人？」杨明说：「我姓杨，叫杨明。」华云龙说：「叔父，这是小侄男的恩兄，威镇八方杨明。」雷鸣、陈亮、孔贵也都进来。华云龙说：「叔父，这都是我的恩兄义弟。」华清风一听，说：「你这孽障，这就该打，既是你的恩兄义弟，为何不早禀我？众位请坐。这位道友贵姓？」孔贵说：「无量佛，弟子叫孔贵。」华清风说：「这二位贵姓？」陈亮说：「我姓陈。」雷鸣说：「我姓雷。」华清风说：「众位来此何干？」杨明说：「祖师爷要问，只因我义弟华云龙，他在临安，闯下大祸，现在灵隐寺济颠和尚，到处拿他。他无地可躲，我等把他送到祖师爷这里，求祖师爷大发慈悲，将他收下。济颠和尚，也许不能来拿他。就使来了，祖师爷可以劝劝济公。僧赞僧，佛法兴。道中道，玄中妙，红花白藕青莲叶，三教原归一家人。祖师爷可以庇护他。」华清风一听，说：「你等来把他送到我庙里来，是怕济颠和尚拿他是不是？」杨明说：「是。」华清风：「你等敢是真心要救他，还是假心呢？」杨明听这话一愣，说：「祖师爷这话从何说起？我等要不是真心，为何我等跟着送上山来？」华清风说：「好，你们既是真心救他，我跟你们几位借点东西。肯借不肯借呢？」杨明说：「看是什么东西，除非是脑袋，在脖子上长着不能借。别的东西都可以借。」华清风说：「我倒不借脑袋。我要炼五鬼阴风剑，炼好了，能斩济颠罗汉的金光。要不炼好法宝，济公来拿他，我也不是他的对手，你们打算救他，把你们几位的人心，借给我炼五鬼阴风剑，可以斩济颠和尚。」
A word of explanation: how did these five come to be here? It turns out the five of them had been staying at Penglai Temple, and Ji Gong had told them not to leave the temple for a month: if they did, their lives would be in danger. The others could manage it; only Lu Tong, cooped up in the temple, was frantic. With nothing to do, he would take his staff and drill in the courtyard to work off his boredom, running through the thirty-six moves of the left-gate staff, the forty-eight moves of the right-gate staff and the six farmer’s strokes, all on his own. This day, in the middle of his routine, his staff slipped and smashed a flowerpot. “Master Lu, stop practising,” said the Daoist boy. “If you want to practise, go and do it at the temple gate.” “Right,” said Lu Tong, “I’ll go and practise at the temple gate.” “I’ll go with you,” said Lei Ming. “The two of us will practise together.” “Lu Tong, don’t go out!” said Yang Ming. “Ji Gong said we weren’t to go out for a month. If we go out our lives will be in danger. We’d better believe him.” “The temple gate’s up on the mountain and there’s nobody about,” said Kong Gui. “What harm can it do? Let him go out and have a look round, so he won’t get so restless.” So Lu Tong went to the temple gate with Lei Ming, one drilling with his staff, the other playing with his sword. Just when they were enjoying themselves most, a wild cat came running across the mountain. The moment Lu Tong saw it he swung his staff at it; the wild cat ran off down the mountain, and Lu Tong and Lei Ming chased after it. The Daoist boy saw this and went to tell Yang Ming: “Lu Tong and Lei Ming have gone down the mountain chasing a wild cat.” Yang Ming, Kong Gui and Chen Liang were uneasy; they quickly took up their weapons and went down the mountain after them. Who would have thought that Lu Tong and Lei Ming, chasing this wild cat, would keep going for fifty li? At last they saw the cat dive into a hole in a grave mound. Lu Tong came up, looked and said, “You little bugger, come out quick! If you don’t come out, I’ll tear your nest apart!” He took his staff and was about to break open the grave when Yang Ming, Chen Liang and Kong Gui caught up. “Lu Tong, get away from there!” said Yang Ming. “If anybody sees you, they’ll say you’re robbing graves and arrest you. Come along with me, quick.” As he was speaking, they heard shouting from the south: “Don’t let the thief get away!” Lei Ming looked over at the ridge and saw Hua Yunlong being chased their way by constables. “Brother Yang,” said Lei Ming, “look, Hua Yunlong’s being chased this way by constables. What do you say we help the constables catch him?” “No need,” said Chen Liang. “We’d better get out of the way while we can. If you ask me, we shouldn’t meddle in other people’s business.” “It doesn’t matter,” said Yang Ming. “I have an idea. We needn’t go out in the open to take him and make an enemy of him. We’ll hit him on the quiet with a stone and knock him flat, and then the constables can take him. We don’t even have to show our faces.” “Right,” said Lei Ming. “Brother Yang, you’re the one who throws hidden weapons, and your aim is good. You throw it.” So Yang Ming took a stone and waited behind the sandy ridge. Just as Hua Yunlong was about to come up the ridge, Yang Ming flicked his hand and called, “Yunlong, take this!” The stone flew straight at Yunlong. Who would have thought Hua Yunlong would dodge aside, so that the stone struck Zhou Rui, the Little Marshal Xuantan, right on the Huagai point? With a cry of pain Zhou Rui pitched over, and at once he spat out a mouthful of blood. The moment Zhou Rui went down, the thief leaped and bounded over the ridge. Looking up, he saw Chen Liang, Lei Ming, Yang Ming and the rest of the five. Hua Yunlong took it that Yang Ming had secretly saved him by hitting the constable with a stone. He hurried over and kowtowed to Yang Ming. “I owe you my rescue, brother,” he said. “But for you, I’d have met my end this time.” Yang Ming could hardly say, “I wasn’t saving you; I was helping the constables catch you.” All he could do was go along with it: “Saving you is a small matter. Run for your life, quick.” “Brother,” said Hua Yunlong, “if you’re going to save a man, save him all the way. I’m going to Mount Gutian, to Lingxiao Temple, to find my uncle, Hua Qingfeng, the Perfected One of the Nine Palaces. I beg you, brother, take me there.” “If you’re going to your uncle’s temple,” said Yang Ming, “why do you need me to take you?” “You don’t know, brother,” said Hua Yunlong. “My uncle has a terrible temper. If he sees me and finds out the things I’ve been doing out in the world, he’s sure to kill me. I beg you, brother, take me there and put in a word for me. I’ll kowtow to you.” Yang Ming was a warm-hearted man by nature. Seeing Hua Yunlong begging so piteously, he said, “All right, I’ll take you.” Lei Ming, Chen Liang and the others didn’t want to, but they could hardly refuse to go along. There was nothing for it: the whole party headed straight for Mount Gutian, which was no more than a dozen li or so from there. When they reached the foot of Mount Gutian, Lu Tong said, “Brother Yang, you lot go. I’ll wait here. I’m not going to see Hua Qingfeng. If I see him I’ll have to bow to that ox-nosed Daoist, and I won’t. I’ll wait here. If you don’t come back for a day, I’ll wait a day. If you don’t come for two days, I’ll wait two days. However long it is, I’ll wait till Brother Yang comes, and we’ll go back together.” “All right,” said Yang Ming, “you wait, then.” Only then did the four of them go up the mountain with Hua Yunlong. At the temple gate they called out, and a Daoist boy came and opened it. “Second Brother Hua’s here! How are you?” “Fine,” said Hua Yunlong. “Kind of you to ask. Little brother, is the Patriarch at home?” “He is,” said the boy. Only then did they all go in together. Inside they saw pines and bamboo planted all round the temple, wonderfully secluded and peaceful. Due north stood the main hall of five bays, with side halls to east and west. The boy led them past the first hall and through the second courtyard, out by the east corner gate and into the east side courtyard. Here there were three rooms on the north side, three on the south and three on the east. The boy pointed to the main room on the north side and said, “The Patriarch’s in the Crane Studio, in the main room.” Peering in through the door curtain, they saw a cloud bed inside, with a cushion of yellow cloud-patterned satin on it. In the middle of it sat an old Daoist, cross-legged in meditation, his eyes closed and lowered. On his head was a black satin Daoist cap with nine ridges, and he wore a Daoist robe of purple satin, embroidered in gold with the Eight Trigrams, laid out by the rule ‘Qian is three whole lines, Kun is six pieces, Li is hollow in the middle, Kan is full in the middle’, with the Taiji diagram in the centre. Round his waist was an apricot-yellow silk cord; he wore white socks and cloud-patterned shoes. On his back he carried a sword in a green sharkskin scabbard, with brass fittings and a yellow silk tassel. His face was the colour of raw mutton liver, black bristles grew down over his ears, and under his chin hung a full black beard with a few white hairs in it. Yang Ming, Chen Liang, Lei Ming and Kong Gui, the four of them, stood outside, and Hua Yunlong went in first. He knelt and made his bow. “Uncle, your nephew kowtows to you.” Hua Qingfeng’s eyes flew open. “You wicked wretch, running riot out in the world! The Hua family is a decent, respectable family, and it has produced a disgrace like you. What face have you got left, to come and see me?” As he spoke, he reached back and drew his sword. Yang Ming saw it and was afraid the old Daoist would kill him. He quickly stepped in and said, “Patriarch, calm your anger for now. Spare him.” Hua Qingfeng looked up. “And who are you?” “My surname is Yang,” said Yang Ming. “My name is Yang Ming.” “Uncle,” said Hua Yunlong, “this is the brother I owe my life to: Yang Ming, Awe of the Eight Directions.” Lei Ming, Chen Liang and Kong Gui came in as well. “Uncle,” said Hua Yunlong, “these are all my sworn brothers, elder and younger, who have done me great kindness.” Hearing this, Hua Qingfeng said, “You wretch, you deserve a beating for this. If they’re your sworn brothers and they’ve been good to you, why didn’t you tell me sooner? Please be seated, all of you. Fellow Daoist, may I ask your honourable surname?” “Limitless Buddha!” said Kong Gui. “This disciple is called Kong Gui.” “And you two gentlemen?” said Hua Qingfeng. “My surname is Chen,” said Chen Liang. “My surname is Lei,” said Lei Ming. “What brings you all here?” said Hua Qingfeng. “Since the Patriarch asks,” said Yang Ming, “it’s because my sworn brother Hua Yunlong has stirred up serious trouble in Lin’an, and now Crazy Ji of Lingyin Temple is hunting for him everywhere. He has nowhere to hide, so we’ve brought him here to you, Patriarch, to beg you in your great compassion to take him in. Perhaps Crazy Ji won’t come for him at all. And even if he does come, Patriarch, you can talk Ji Gong round. When monk praises monk, the Buddha’s teaching flourishes; the Way within the Way, the wonder within the mystery; red flower, white lotus root, green lotus leaf — the Three Teachings were one family from the start. The Patriarch can shelter him.” Hearing this, Hua Qingfeng said, “So you’ve brought him to my temple because you’re afraid Crazy Ji will catch him — is that it?” “Yes,” said Yang Ming. “Do you truly mean to save him,” said Hua Qingfeng, “or are you only pretending?” Yang Ming started at this. “What makes the Patriarch say that? If we didn’t mean it, why would we have come all the way up the mountain with him?” “Good,” said Hua Qingfeng. “Since you truly mean to save him, I’d like to borrow something from you gentlemen. Will you lend it or not?” “That depends on what it is,” said Yang Ming. “Except our heads — those grow on our necks and can’t be lent. Anything else we can lend.” “It’s not your heads I want to borrow,” said Hua Qingfeng. “I want to forge the Five-Ghost Chill-Wind Sword. Once it’s forged, it can cut through the golden light of Crazy Ji the arhat. If I don’t forge this magic treasure, then when Ji Gong comes to take him I’m no match for him either. Since you mean to save him, lend me your hearts, gentlemen, to forge the Five-Ghost Chill-Wind Sword, and then it can cut down Crazy Ji.”