話說金面鬼焦亮、律令鬼何清二人商量好了，來到法場。一看，天光早些，差事還沒出來。二人一瞧，對面有一個酒鋪。二人掀帘子進去，一看酒飯座不少，跑堂的一看，這兩個人都長得不俗：金面鬼焦亮，是紫壯帽，紫箭袖袍，系絲鸞帶，薄底靴子，閃披寶藍英雄大氅，上繡金牡丹花，面似淡金，粗眉大眼；律令鬼何清，是黃白臉膛，穿翠藍褂，都是一表非俗，跑堂的趕緊騰了一張桌，讓兩個人坐下，要酒要菜。就聽眾酒飯座大家紛紛議論，說：「這個華雲龍，在臨安鬧的地動天翻。在尼姑庵殺人，泰山樓殺人，秦相府盜玉鐲鳳冠。要不是濟公和尚帶人出去拿，這個樣的江洋大盜，馬快焉能辦的了？」焦亮、何清一聽，是和尚拿的，二人低聲一商量：「今天先劫法場，把華二哥救了，然後咱們再找這個和尚，把和尚殺了，給華二哥報仇。」
话说金面鬼焦亮、律令鬼何清二人商量好了，来到法场。一看，天光早些，差事还没出来。二人一瞧，对面有一个酒铺。二人掀帘子进去，一看酒饭座不少，跑堂的一看，这两个人都长得不俗：金面鬼焦亮，是紫壮帽，紫箭袖袍，系丝鸾带，薄底靴子，闪披宝蓝英雄大氅，上绣金牡丹花，面似淡金，粗眉大眼；律令鬼何清，是黄白脸膛，穿翠蓝褂，都是一表非俗，跑堂的赶紧腾了一张桌，让两个人坐下，要酒要菜。就听众酒饭座大家纷纷议论，说：「这个华云龙，在临安闹的地动天翻。在尼姑庵杀人，泰山楼杀人，秦相府盗玉镯凤冠。要不是济公和尚带人出去拿，这个样的江洋大盗，马快焉能办的了？」焦亮、何清一听，是和尚拿的，二人低声一商量：「今天先劫法场，把华二哥救了，然后咱们再找这个和尚，把和尚杀了，给华二哥报仇。」
Now, the Golden-Faced Ghost, Jiao Liang, and the Command Ghost, He Qing, having settled their plan, came to the execution ground. They looked about: it was still early, and the prisoners had not yet been brought out. Across the way the two of them saw a wine shop. They lifted the door curtain and went in, and saw there were plenty of customers eating and drinking. The waiter took one look and saw that neither of these two was any ordinary man. The Golden-Faced Ghost, Jiao Liang, wore a purple hero’s cap and a purple robe with archer’s cuffs, belted with a silk sash, and thin-soled boots, and over his shoulders hung loose a sapphire-blue hero’s cloak embroidered with golden peonies. His face was the colour of pale gold, with thick brows and big eyes. The Command Ghost, He Qing, had a sallow face and wore a kingfisher-blue jacket. Both of them looked anything but common. The waiter hurried to clear a table and seated them, and they ordered wine and dishes. All around them the customers were talking it over. “This Hua Yunlong turned Lin’an upside down,” they said. “He killed at the nunnery, he killed at Taishan Tower, and he stole the jade bracelets and the phoenix crown from Chancellor Qin’s mansion. If the monk Ji Gong hadn’t taken men out to catch him, how could the mounted constables ever have handled an outlaw of the rivers and seas like that?” When Jiao Liang and He Qing heard that it was a monk who had caught him, they put their heads together in low voices. “Today we raid the execution ground first and rescue Second Brother Hua. After that we go and find this monk and kill him, to avenge Second Brother Hua.”
正說著話，由外面進來一個窮和尚。大眾有認得的就嚷。這個說：「濟師父來了！」那個說：「聖僧來了！」和尚說：「眾位別嚷，我就是拿華雲龍的和尚，拿華雲龍的就是我。有不服的，只管找我。」焦亮、何清一瞧，心裡說：「原來就是這么個窮和尚拿的我們華二哥。今天我們先到法場，然後跟這個和尚，看他往哪廟裡去，晚上去殺他。」和尚瞧了一瞧，在這兩個人的旁邊坐下，也要了酒菜。工夫不大，就聽外面瞧熱鬧人一陣大亂，說：「差事來了！」由北面一下車，兩個官人攙著一個，頭一個就是鎮山豹田國本。都是繩縛二臂，背著招子。田國本很不含糊說：「我在下叫田國本。閻王造就三更死，誰敢留人到五更。生有處，死有地。我乃堂堂正正，英雄烈烈，轟轟豪傑，死而無懼。雖然身受國法，很不算什麼。」第二個就是鐵腿猿猴王通，口中直罵：「我姓王，名通。我也不是殺人兇犯，又非響馬的強盜，但我只因替兄報仇，要殺知府楊再田。沒殺成他，今天身受國法王章。我雖死，也是好朋友，死後我有陰魂，也把楊再田活捉活拿。」第三個是野雞溜子劉昌。這小子垂頭垂氣，低著頭心想：「無緣無故被華雲龍牽連，不分首從，全都斬決，連自己此時靈魂都沒有了。」第四個是邱成，第五個是楊慶，都比劉昌還強的。第六個是華雲龍，自己談笑自若，說：「眾位瞧熱鬧人聽真，在下我就是乾坤盜鼠華雲龍。我自生以來，殺人也過了百了。我吃也吃過，我穿也穿過，大丈夫生而何歡，死而何懼？我今天身受國法，不過二十餘年，又長成這樣。頭裡眾朋友都是我的摯友，應該活著一處為人，死了一處做鬼。眾位比我年長，應當叫他們眾位頭裡走。」眾瞧熱鬧人，一陣大亂。
正说着话，由外面进来一个穷和尚。大众有认得的就嚷。这个说：「济师父来了！」那个说：「圣僧来了！」和尚说：「众位别嚷，我就是拿华云龙的和尚，拿华云龙的就是我。有不服的，只管找我。」焦亮、何清一瞧，心里说：「原来就是这么个穷和尚拿的我们华二哥。今天我们先到法场，然后跟这个和尚，看他往哪庙里去，晚上去杀他。」和尚瞧了一瞧，在这两个人的旁边坐下，也要了酒菜。工夫不大，就听外面瞧热闹人一阵大乱，说：「差事来了！」由北面一下车，两个官人搀着一个，头一个就是镇山豹田国本。都是绳缚二臂，背着招子。田国本很不含糊说：「我在下叫田国本。阎王造就三更死，谁敢留人到五更。生有处，死有地。我乃堂堂正正，英雄烈烈，轰轰豪杰，死而无惧。虽然身受国法，很不算什么。」第二个就是铁腿猿猴王通，口中直骂：「我姓王，名通。我也不是杀人凶犯，又非响马的强盗，但我只因替兄报仇，要杀知府杨再田。没杀成他，今天身受国法王章。我虽死，也是好朋友，死后我有阴魂，也把杨再田活捉活拿。」第三个是野鸡溜子刘昌。这小子垂头垂气，低着头心想：「无缘无故被华云龙牵连，不分首从，全都斩决，连自己此时灵魂都没有了。」第四个是邱成，第五个是杨庆，都比刘昌还强的。第六个是华云龙，自己谈笑自若，说：「众位瞧热闹人听真，在下我就是乾坤盗鼠华云龙。我自生以来，杀人也过了百了。我吃也吃过，我穿也穿过，大丈夫生而何欢，死而何惧？我今天身受国法，不过二十余年，又长成这样。头里众朋友都是我的挚友，应该活着一处为人，死了一处做鬼。众位比我年长，应当叫他们众位头里走。」众瞧热闹人，一阵大乱。
Just as they were talking, a poor monk came in from outside. Those in the crowd who knew him called out. “Master Ji is here!” said one. “The holy monk is here!” said another. “Don’t shout, all of you,” said the monk. “I’m the monk who caught Hua Yunlong, and the one who caught Hua Yunlong is me. Anyone who doesn’t like it, just come to me.” Jiao Liang and He Qing looked him over and thought, “So it was this poor monk who caught our Second Brother Hua. Today we go to the execution ground first, then we follow this monk, see which temple he goes to, and kill him tonight.” The monk took a look at the two of them, sat down beside them and ordered wine and dishes too. Before long there was a great commotion among the onlookers outside. “Here come the prisoners!” they cried. To the north the prisoners were helped down from the carts, each one held up between two constables. The first was Tian Guoben, the Mountain-Subduing Leopard. Every one of them had both arms bound with rope and a placard on his back. Tian Guoben did not flinch in the least. “I am called Tian Guoben,” he said. “When King Yama has fixed your death for the third watch, who dares keep you alive till the fifth? Life has its place and death has its ground. I am an upright man, a fiery hero, a roaring champion, and I die without fear. I suffer the law of the land, but that is nothing at all.” The second was Wang Tong, the Iron-Legged Ape, cursing without a stop. “My surname is Wang, my given name Tong. I’m no murderer, and no mounted highwayman either. It’s only because I wanted to avenge my brother that I set out to kill Prefect Yang Zaitian. I didn’t manage to kill him, and today I suffer the law of the land and the king’s statutes. But though I die, I die a stand-up fellow. After I’m dead I’ll have a ghost, and I’ll come and seize Yang Zaitian alive.” The third was Liu Chang, the Skulking Pheasant. The wretch hung his head with all the spirit gone out of him, thinking, “For no reason at all I got dragged in by Hua Yunlong. No telling ringleader from follower, they’re beheading the lot of us, and right now my very soul has left me.” The fourth was Qiu Cheng and the fifth Yang Qing, both of them bearing up better than Liu Chang. The sixth was Hua Yunlong, talking and laughing as if nothing were the matter. “All you onlookers, hear me well,” he said. “I am Hua Yunlong, the Thieving Rat of Heaven and Earth. Since the day I was born I’ve killed more than a hundred men. I’ve eaten my fill and I’ve dressed my fill. What joy is there in life for a real man, and what is there to fear in death? Today I suffer the law of the land, but in little more than twenty years I'll have grown into a man like this again. My friends out in front are all my true friends. We ought to live together as men and die together as ghosts. They’re all older than me, so they ought to go first.” The crowd of onlookers broke into a great commotion.
這時酒鋪里有愛貪熱鬧的，也往外跑。金面鬼焦亮、律令鬼何清聽差事到了，二人伸手拉刀，嚇的夥計往桌底下躲，就喊：「掌柜的救命！」焦亮剛把刀拉出來一舉，何清尚未拉出刀來，和尚用手一指，一個「唵，敕令赫」，把這兩人定住。和尚頭裡站著，這兩人在後面比著不能動轉。就聽外面喊嚷：「好刀！」華雲龍人頭落地，瞧熱鬧人四散，和尚就往外走，說：「掌柜的，給我寫上。」掌柜的說：「是了，濟師父請罷。有你徒弟楊猛、陳孝留下話，你勿論錢多少，不跟你要。到三節跟楊太爺去要錢。」和尚說：「掌柜的，我跟你要點東西，給不給？」掌柜的說：「要什麼？」和尚說：「我要你們一個老倭瓜。」掌柜的說：「你拿罷。」和尚扛起一個倭瓜，出了酒鋪，信口唱著山歌道：
这时酒铺里有爱贪热闹的，也往外跑。金面鬼焦亮、律令鬼何清听差事到了，二人伸手拉刀，吓的伙计往桌底下躲，就喊：「掌柜的救命！」焦亮刚把刀拉出来一举，何清尚未拉出刀来，和尚用手一指，一个「唵，敕令赫」，把这两人定住。和尚头里站着，这两人在后面比着不能动转。就听外面喊嚷：「好刀！」华云龙人头落地，瞧热闹人四散，和尚就往外走，说：「掌柜的，给我写上。」掌柜的说：「是了，济师父请罢。有你徒弟杨猛、陈孝留下话，你勿论钱多少，不跟你要。到三节跟杨太爷去要钱。」和尚说：「掌柜的，我跟你要点东西，给不给？」掌柜的说：「要什么？」和尚说：「我要你们一个老倭瓜。」掌柜的说：「你拿罢。」和尚扛起一个倭瓜，出了酒铺，信口唱着山歌道：
By now those in the wine shop who loved a spectacle were running out too. When the Golden-Faced Ghost, Jiao Liang, and the Command Ghost, He Qing, heard that the prisoners had arrived, both of them reached for their blades. The waiter was so frightened that he ducked under a table, shouting, “Help, boss!” Jiao Liang had just drawn his blade and raised it, and He Qing had not yet got his out, when the monk pointed a finger at them with an “Om! By command — he!” and the two of them were frozen where they stood. The monk stood in front, and the two of them stood behind him, stuck in mid-gesture, unable to move. Then they heard a shout go up outside: “A clean stroke!” Hua Yunlong’s head had fallen to the ground. The onlookers scattered in every direction, and the monk headed out. “Boss,” he said, “put it on my account.” “Right you are,” said the shopkeeper. “Off you go, Master Ji. Your disciples Yang Meng and Chen Xiao left word: however much you run up, we’re not to ask you for it. At the three festivals we go to Grand Master Yang for the money.” “Boss,” said the monk, “I want something from you. Will you give it to me?” “What do you want?” said the shopkeeper. “I want one of your old pumpkins,” said the monk. “Take it,” said the shopkeeper. The monk hoisted a pumpkin onto his shoulder, left the wine shop and sang a mountain song, making it up as he went: