Now, Yao Dianguang and Lei Tianhua were on their way to Ciyun Temple when they met a man on horseback on the road. The man dismounted and hurried up to salute them, and when Yao Dianguang and Lei Tianhua looked, they knew him. He had once been a lowly scout for the greenwood, a fellow surnamed Zhang, named Zhang Sanlang, and nicknamed the Twin Hooks Guarding the Back (Shuanggou Hubei). Yao Dianguang took one look at him and said, “Zhang Sanlang, you’ve struck it rich! Where are you living these days?” “I’m at Ciyun Temple now,” said Zhang Sanlang. “I’m the summons-runner for the Five Roads1.” “If you’re at Ciyun Temple,” said Yao Dianguang, “let me ask you after someone. Would you know him?” “No need to tell me,” said Zhang Sanlang. “You two must be asking after Bao Lei, the Short Mountain Peak. Am I right?” “That’s right,” said Yao Dianguang. “How did you guess?” “I know you two swore brotherhood with Bao Lei,” said Zhang Sanlang. “I often hear Master Bao speak of you both.” “So he’s at Ciyun Temple now,” said Yao Dianguang. “What’s the story there?” “The man ranks high these days,” said Zhang Sanlang. “At Ciyun Temple they’ve made him the General Guarding the Hall. If you two mean to go and find him, let me tell you: whatever you do, don’t go in by the front mountain. Niutou Peak on the front mountain is held by Sun Kui, the Five-Directions Grand Duke Guarding the South, with four great generals under him. You won’t get in that way, and asking for someone won’t help either. Make for the back mountain of Woniu Rock. The mountain runs six li deep at the front, and on the north side it’s twelve li wide. You two follow the Pingshui River straight west. Past the Taohua Ferry there’s a lone grove of trees with a little boat moored by it, and four headmen on duty there who wait on nobody but us — Joiners of the greenwood2. When you get there, pinch your lips and give a whistle, and they’ll come over. Once you’re aboard you needn’t say a word; they’ll ferry you to the landing on the back mountain of Woniu Rock. It’s twenty-odd li across the water. When you get off, give them whatever you like. They won’t haggle — they’ll take you for nothing if it comes to that. There are a few rooms on the slope, and you can sit and have tea there if you like. To go up the mountain, keep straight south and you’ll see a boundary wall running east and west, sixteen feet high3, with no gate. Leap up onto the wall, but don’t jump down the other side: the ground looks flat, but it’s all hidden traps. Stand on the wall and look inside. There are five pavilions a hundred and twenty paces off, and in the middle pavilion there’s a slab of white marble. Jump onto the white marble and take the little path down the middle — and mind you don’t take the wrong one. Keep straight south and you’ll come to a three-bay walk-through hall. There are tables, chairs and benches in it and no one keeping watch, but the moment you sit down on a chair or a bench, someone will come. The benches and chairs are all wired. That’s where greenwood men buy their stupefying incense and knockout drugs. If you’re looking for someone, someone will come and pass the word along. Outsiders don’t know about it, and they couldn’t get in anyway; they’d never reach the place. A stranger who goes in gets caught by the traps. Remember all that, you two, and go and find Bao Lei. See you later — I’ve got official business.”

Hearing this, Yao Dianguang and Lei Tianhua said to themselves, “What a dangerous place! Lucky someone told us all about it. If we hadn’t known, we’d have walked straight into trouble.” “Where are you off to, Zhang Sanlang?” said Yao Dianguang. “I’m the summons-runner for the Five Roads,” said Zhang Sanlang. “All the summonses and messages for us Joiners everywhere go through me.” “Off you go, then,” said Yao Dianguang. Zhang Sanlang mounted and rode away. “Younger Brother Lei,” said Yao Dianguang, “from what we’ve just heard, Ciyun Temple has grown mighty big. They must be planning a rebellion.” “Let’s go there and take a look,” said Lei Tianhua. “When we see Second Brother Bao, if we can talk him round, so much the better. If we really can’t, there’s nothing for it. We’ll have done all a friend can do.” Talking as they went, they passed the Taohua Ferry, asked the way, and came to the lone grove. Sure enough, a little boat was moored there. The two of them gave a whistle, and four boatmen came out of the boat. “Joiners?” they said. “Joiners,” said Yao Dianguang. “Get aboard,” said the boatmen. The two of them boarded at once, and the boatmen poled off straight away, heading south until they put in at the landing on the slope of Woniu Rock. Yao Dianguang took out a lump of silver and gave it to the boatmen, and sure enough they made no fuss about it. The two of them got off the boat and followed the mountain path up. When they had gone three li, they saw a boundary wall running east and west, fifteen or sixteen feet high. They leapt up onto the wall and looked: the ground inside was very wide, and sure enough there were five pavilions.

They jumped down onto the middle pavilion and took the little path straight down the middle. When they had gone about half a li, they looked up and saw a three-bay walk-through hall. Inside were three Eight Immortals tables, with chairs and stools, and nobody about. They had no sooner sat down on the stools than a man came out of the west side room of the courtyard south of the hall. He wore a six-panel warrior’s cap of kingfisher blue and a blue robe with archer’s cuffs. He was in his thirties, with two thin eyebrows, a pair of triangular eyes and a face blotched all over with white. He came into the hall and said, “So you two have come!” “Sorry to trouble you!” said Yao Dianguang. “And your honourable surnames, gentlemen?” said the man. “My name is Yao, and his is Lei,” said Yao Dianguang. “I haven’t yet had the honour of yours, sir.” “My surname is Gan,” said the man, “and my name is Lumiao. And what are your full names, gentlemen? How should I address you?” Yao Dianguang and Lei Tianhua each gave their full names. “I’ve long heard of you, long heard of you!” said Gan Lumiao. “Have you two come to buy stupefying incense4 and knockout drugs, or is it some other business?” “We’ve come to look for someone,” said Yao Dianguang. “There’s a man called Bao Lei, the Short Mountain Peak. Is he here?” “He is,” said Gan Lumiao. “Then may I trouble you to take a message in,” said Yao Dianguang, “and tell him the two of us have come to see him?” “Certainly,” said Gan Lumiao. “Wait here a little, and I’ll go and announce you.” With that he turned and went out again, making for the west wing. Before long four Daoist acolytes came out of the west wing, all fourteen or fifteen years old, their hair done up in ox-heart topknots and held with gold pins, in Daoist robes of blue silk, swinging gilded hand censers. Then they saw four men carrying a chair between them, and sitting in it was Bao Lei, the Short Mountain Peak. On his head was a six-panel warrior’s cap of purple satin, set with six bright mirrors. Bao Lei had always been short in body and limb5, five feet tall, with a square face6, a purple chest, thick eyebrows and round eyes. He wore a blue silk robe with archer’s cuffs, a goose-yellow silk sash at his waist and thin-soled boots, with a purple satin cloak patterned with roundels thrown over his shoulders. When he came into the walk-through hall, Yao Dianguang and Lei Tianhua saw the grand airs Bao Lei was putting on. They hurried forward to salute him and said, “Second Brother Bao, have you been well?”