話說眾人出來一看，這宗東西，其形像人，一概儘是人骨頭，大約有一百八十塊湊成，左手拿著勾魂取命牌，右手拿著人的骷髏骨。
话说众人出来一看，这宗东西，其形像人，一概尽是人骨头，大约有一百八十块凑成，左手拿着勾魂取命牌，右手拿着人的骷髅骨。
Now, when everyone came out to look, they saw that the thing was shaped like a man, but made entirely of human bones, some hundred and eighty pieces fitted together. In its left hand it held a soul-hooking, life-taking tablet, and in its right a human skull.
書中交代：這宗東西，名叫百骨人魔，原本是有一個妖道煉成的，能使他招魂。凡事無根不生，皆因慈雲觀有一個老道，叫赤發靈官邵華風，他要拘五百陰魂，練一座陰魂陣。他打發五個老道出來，招五百魂。這五個老道，一個叫前殿真人長樂天，一個叫後殿真人李樂山，還有左殿真人鄭華川，右殿真人李華山，還有一個七星道人劉元素，每人出來招一百陰魂。劉元素就在這小月屯正西，有一座三皇廟，他占了這座廟。在亂葬崗子，找了一百塊死人骨頭，練在一處，用符咒一催，把這百骨人魔練成了。每天初鼓以後，老道在廟中院內，設擺香案，預備了一個葫蘆，給百骨人魔一面招魂取命牌，叫他出來，到小月屯招一個魂回去，老道把魂拘來，收在葫蘆之內，打算是一百天，就把魂招夠了，小月屯就得死一百個人。沒想到今天被濟公把魔拿住。和尚隨後就夠奔三皇廟，打算要捉拿老道。焉想到老道真有點能為，今天正在院中做法，見燈光一綠，就知有人破了他的法術。又見正東上金光繚繞，瑞氣千條，老道揣起葫蘆，架趁腳風竟自逃回慈雲觀去了。從此跟濟顛和尚已結了仇。和尚來到三皇廟，老道早已逃走。和尚這才復返回到小月屯，叫馬靜等把這個百骨人魔，架火燒了。和尚說：「這又得了，從此小月屯安然無事。」
书中交代：这宗东西，名叫百骨人魔，原本是有一个妖道炼成的，能使他招魂。凡事无根不生，皆因慈云观有一个老道，叫赤发灵官邵华风，他要拘五百阴魂，练一座阴魂阵。他打发五个老道出来，招五百魂。这五个老道，一个叫前殿真人长乐天，一个叫后殿真人李乐山，还有左殿真人郑华川，右殿真人李华山，还有一个七星道人刘元素，每人出来招一百阴魂。刘元素就在这小月屯正西，有一座三皇庙，他占了这座庙。在乱葬岗子，找了一百块死人骨头，练在一处，用符咒一催，把这百骨人魔练成了。每天初鼓以后，老道在庙中院内，设摆香案，预备了一个葫芦，给百骨人魔一面招魂取命牌，叫他出来，到小月屯招一个魂回去，老道把魂拘来，收在葫芦之内，打算是一百天，就把魂招够了，小月屯就得死一百个人。没想到今天被济公把魔拿住。和尚随后就够奔三皇庙，打算要捉拿老道。焉想到老道真有点能为，今天正在院中做法，见灯光一绿，就知有人破了他的法术。又见正东上金光缭绕，瑞气千条，老道揣起葫芦，架趁脚风竟自逃回慈云观去了。从此跟济颠和尚已结了仇。和尚来到三皇庙，老道早已逃走。和尚这才复返回到小月屯，叫马静等把这个百骨人魔，架火烧了。和尚说：「这又得了，从此小月屯安然无事。」
A word of explanation: this thing was called a Hundred-Bone Fiend. It had been made by a wicked Daoist, so that he could use it to call up souls. Nothing grows without a root, and this all came about because there was an old Daoist at Ciyun Temple, Shao Huafeng, the Red-Haired Divine Officer, who wanted to seize five hundred ghostly souls and forge them into a Ghost-Soul Formation. He sent five Daoists out to call up the five hundred souls. Of these five Daoists, one was Chang Letian, the Perfected One of the Front Hall; one was Li Leshan, the Perfected One of the Rear Hall; then there were Zheng Huachuan, the Perfected One of the Left Hall, and Li Huashan, the Perfected One of the Right Hall; and one more was Liu Yuansu, the Daoist of the Seven Stars. Each of them was to go out and call up a hundred souls. Due west of this same Xiaoyue Village stood a Sanhuang Shrine, and Liu Yuansu had taken it over. At the paupers’ burial ground he had gathered a hundred dead men’s bones and forged them into one, and urged them on with charms and spells until the Hundred-Bone Fiend was made. Every night after the first drum, the Daoist set out an incense table in the courtyard of the shrine and made ready a gourd. He gave the Hundred-Bone Fiend a soul-summoning, life-taking tablet and sent it out to Xiaoyue Village to call one soul back. When the soul came, the Daoist seized it and shut it up inside the gourd. He reckoned that in a hundred days he would have called up all the souls he needed, and a hundred people in Xiaoyue Village would be dead. He never expected that tonight Ji Gong would catch his fiend. The monk went straight on to the Sanhuang Shrine after it, meaning to seize the Daoist. Who could have guessed that the Daoist really had some skill? He was working his magic in the courtyard that night, and when he saw the lamplight turn green, he knew someone had broken his spell. Then he saw golden light swirling due east, with a thousand strands of auspicious vapour, and the Daoist tucked the gourd into his robe, mounted his foot-wind and fled back to Ciyun Temple. From then on he had a feud with Crazy Ji. When the monk reached the Sanhuang Shrine, the Daoist was long gone. Only then did the monk go back to Xiaoyue Village, where he had Ma Jing and the others build a fire and burn the Hundred-Bone Fiend. “There, that’s settled,” said the monk. “From now on Xiaoyue Village will be safe and sound.”
馬靜謝過濟公，次日和尚告辭。雷鳴、陳亮說：「師父，你老人家到白水湖去捉妖，我二人隨後找師父去。」和尚說：「去罷。」當時帶領孫道全、胡秀章告辭。出了小月屯，順大路往前夠奔。道路上有話即長，無話即短。這天走到蕭山縣地面，正往前走，見大道旁邊樹林子，有兩個人。在那裡歇息：一位是文生公子打扮，頭帶翠藍色文生巾，雙飄秀帶，身穿翠藍色文生氅，腰系絲絛，白綾高腰襪子，厚底竹履鞋，三十來往的年歲，白臉膛，俊品人物；跟著一個老者，是家人的打扮，青截帽，青銅氅，有五十多歲，花白鬍須。和尚一看，不是外人，立刻叫孫道全、胡秀章頭前走，先往白水湖約會，不見不散。孫道全說：「師父上哪去？」和尚說：「我辦點事，隨後就到。」這兩個人頭前走了。和尚踢踏踢踏，來到樹林，沖這位文生公子，打了一個問訊，道：「施主請了。」
马静谢过济公，次日和尚告辞。雷鸣、陈亮说：「师父，你老人家到白水湖去捉妖，我二人随后找师父去。」和尚说：「去罢。」当时带领孙道全、胡秀章告辞。出了小月屯，顺大路往前够奔。道路上有话即长，无话即短。这天走到萧山县地面，正往前走，见大道旁边树林子，有两个人。在那里歇息：一位是文生公子打扮，头带翠蓝色文生巾，双飘秀带，身穿翠蓝色文生氅，腰系丝绦，白绫高腰袜子，厚底竹履鞋，三十来往的年岁，白脸膛，俊品人物；跟着一个老者，是家人的打扮，青截帽，青铜氅，有五十多岁，花白胡须。和尚一看，不是外人，立刻叫孙道全、胡秀章头前走，先往白水湖约会，不见不散。孙道全说：「师父上哪去？」和尚说：「我办点事，随后就到。」这两个人头前走了。和尚踢踏踢踏，来到树林，冲这位文生公子，打了一个问讯，道：「施主请了。」
Ma Jing thanked Ji Gong, and the next day the monk took his leave. “Master,” said Lei Ming and Chen Liang, “you go on to Baishui Lake to catch the demon, and the two of us will come and find you later.” “Go on, then,” said the monk. Then and there he took his leave, with Sun Daoquan and Hu Xiuzhang. They left Xiaoyue Village and pressed on along the high road. On the road, where there is something to tell the tale runs long, and where there is nothing it runs short. One day they came into Xiaoshan County. As they walked on, they saw two men resting in a grove beside the high road. One was dressed as a young scholar: on his head a kingfisher-blue scholar’s cap, with two embroidered ribbons fluttering behind; a kingfisher-blue scholar’s cloak, a silk sash at his waist, tall white damask stockings, and thick-soled shoes of woven bamboo. He was thirty or so, fair of face, a handsome figure of a man. With him was an old man dressed as a household servant, in a black cap and a black cloak, over fifty, with a grizzled beard. One look told the monk these were no strangers. At once he told Sun Daoquan and Hu Xiuzhang to go on ahead to Baishui Lake and wait for him there; they would meet, and not part until they had. “Where are you going, Master?” said Sun Daoquan. “I’ve a little business to see to,” said the monk. “I’ll be along later.” The two of them went on ahead. Slap-slap, slap-slap, the monk came into the grove, saluted the young scholar with palms joined, and said, “Greetings, patron.”