Now, when Lu Tong saw that Ji Gong was dead, he was refusing to let Fahong off when someone came in to report that Shao Huafeng had arrived. Fahong at once ordered him shown in and went out himself at the head of everyone to welcome him.

A word of explanation: Shao Huafeng, the Red-Haired Divine Officer, had failed to storm the jail at Changzhou, and when the whole crowd fled, they all made for Cangzhen Temple. This temple belonged to Deng Lianfang, the Soul-Chasing Attendant, a disciple of the Eight Demons. When Shao Huafeng and the others reached Cangzhen Temple, Deng Lianfang was not there. Shao Huafeng counted heads: the Perfected One of the Fifth Hall, the Perfected One of the Eight Trigrams and all the men of the greenwood had come; only Lu Tianlin, the Black Tiger Perfected One, was missing. “Brothers,” said Shao Huafeng, “that Crazy Ji is set on fighting us at every turn. Wherever we go, he comes after us. He’s pushed us too far, and I’ll never let it rest — I must have my revenge. Wait for me here in this temple. I’m going to Lianhua Stronghold on Mount Luyang to ask my sworn brother Fahong, the Painted-Faced Tathagata, and his master, the monk Jinfeng, as well. What’s more, my own master, Ma Daoxuan, is at Lügong Hall1 behind Mount Luyang. I’ll bring them all here, and together with you they’ll lend me their strength. We’ll rise in revolt against Changzhou Prefecture, kill the officials and seize the seals, and I’ll make myself King of Changzhou. Then we’ll catch Crazy Ji and have our revenge. Who’ll come with me?” Chang Letian, the Perfected One of the Front Hall, who stood beside him, said, “I’ll go with you, Patriarch.” “Good,” said Shao Huafeng. “The rest of you stay here and wait for word from me.” Everyone nodded. Shao Huafeng and Chang Letian left Cangzhen Temple, rode the foot-wind and came to Mount Luyang. They sent word in, and Fahong came out to meet them at the temple gate. The moment he saw Shao Huafeng, Fahong hurried to bow. “Brother Shao, have you been well?” “It’s terrible, brother,” said Shao Huafeng. “I’ve come back from the dead. You and I very nearly never saw each other again.” “How so?” said Fahong. “Right now there’s no road up to heaven for me and no door down into the earth,” said Shao Huafeng. “Even Ciyun Temple is gone. It all started when I sent men to gather unborn babies — purple river carts2, as they’re called —, and the case broke in Jiangyin County. A Crazy Ji caught my man Cui Yu, the Jade-Faced Fox, and then caught Zheng Tianshou, the Demon-Head Saber, and sent them under guard to Changzhou Prefecture. First Crazy Ji got Lu Xiuzhen, the Perfected One Kanli of Mount Bagua, to trick me out of my Bowl of Primal Unity; then he got the troops of Changzhou Prefecture in league with him, and they searched Ciyun Temple and seized it for the government. I meant to go to Lingyin Temple for revenge, but Crazy Ji was already there. I went back to Changzhou to storm the jail, and Crazy Ji chased me all the way to Changzhou Prefecture. Now he’s hounded me till I’ve nowhere left to go.” “I caught Crazy Ji just now,” said Fahong. “Really?” said Shao Huafeng. “Indeed I did,” said Fahong. “He came along for no reason to help Huang Yun against me, and I laid him low with my Divine-Fire Gall-Revealing Mirror. If you don’t believe me, come and see.” “If that’s so,” said Shao Huafeng, “he’s got what he deserves. Now’s my chance for revenge.” Talking, they all went inside, and there was Lu Tong coming out with Ji Gong over his shoulder. At the sight Shao Huafeng drew his sword to hack at him, but Fahong quickly stopped him. “Don’t, brother! My master told me not to harm people. My treasure may only subdue a man, never hurt him. You and I have left the world; we mustn’t take human life.” “Don’t stop me,” said Shao Huafeng. “My grudge against him is as deep as the sea. I must have his life.” “If you mean to have his life, that can be done too,” said Fahong. “If I want him dead, he stays dead; only if I chant the spell will he come back to life. For your sake, brother, I just won’t let him come back. Let him at least keep his body whole3, and leave it at that.” “Very well,” said Shao Huafeng. “If that’s how it is, he gets off lightly.” “Please come inside and sit down, brother,” said Fahong.

They all came into the room and took their seats. “Where have you come from, brother?” said Fahong. “From Cangzhen Stronghold,” said Shao Huafeng. “This Crazy Ji has really hunted me hard.” “I don’t see that Crazy Ji has any great powers,” said Fahong. “Why should you be afraid of him, brother?” “No,” said Shao Huafeng, “his powers are great. You don’t know.” “You say his powers are great,” said Fahong, “yet I’ve laid him low. And you’re not blameless yourself, brother. I often hear people say you sell knockout incense and knockout drugs at Ciyun Temple and gather greenwood robbers around you. We’ve both left the world, so why do such things? What more are you after? I’ve never had the time; if I had, I’d have tried long ago to talk you out of it, and you wouldn’t have come to such a pass.” “Let me tell you,” said Shao Huafeng. “I’m going to rise in revolt against Changzhou Prefecture and make myself King of Changzhou. I’ve come to ask you, brother, to help me bring off the great enterprise. I also mean to ask your master, Elder Jinfeng, and my master, Ma Daoxuan, to lend me their strength together.” When Fahong heard this he said, “Stop this nonsense, brother. How could my master help you rebel? You’d only be turned down for nothing. And I can’t go either. My master told me long ago that I’m not to harm people. Once we’ve left home, we’ve leapt out beyond the Three Realms and stand outside the Five Elements; we cultivate not for this life but for the next, and work off the sins and grudges of this one. If you ask me, you should let it go too. Find some deep mountain, some secluded spot, and settle down to real spiritual practice. Wouldn’t that be better?” “You’re wrong there, brother,” said Shao Huafeng. “One day the Nine-Five4 will be mine.” Just as they were talking, there was a great uproar in the east side courtyard. Fahong was taken aback. “What is it?” One of his men came to report: “There’s a ragged monk in the kitchen who’s stolen all the wine and food we had ready and eaten it.” At this Shao Huafeng began to shake. Then they heard someone outside give a shout: “Good! So you’ve come, Shao Huafeng. This monk has been waiting for you a long time.” When Shao Huafeng heard it, fear wounded the six lobes of his lungs and liver5, terror shook the three hairs and seven openings of his heart, and at once he and Chang Letian kicked out the back window and fled. Fahong, the Painted-Faced Tathagata, looked and saw that it was Crazy Ji. “Strange! Strange!” Fahong cried. “Quite right,” said Ji Gong. “I only wanted to find out how much magic there was in this Divine-Fire Gall-Revealing Mirror of yours. I took a little stroll in there, nothing to it, and so I came out again.” At the sight of him Fahong’s anger surged up. “You crazy monk, don’t you move!” He reached for the Gall-Revealing Mirror again, but Ji Gong waved his hand and chanted, “Om mani padme hum!” Fahong felt in his pouch: the treasure was gone. Who would have thought the monk had long since taken it by the art of magical transport? Fahong thought to himself, “Strange. I killed him with my treasure just now — how has he come back to life?” He did not know that Ji Gong had only been shamming dead. Lu Tong had carried Ji Gong to the back courtyard, set him down and gone off to find a coffin, and Ji Gong had got up and headed for the front. First he went to the kitchen and stole food and wine; the cook saw him and shouted, and only then did the monk run out to the front. Fahong still meant to catch the monk with the Gall-Revealing Mirror, but when he felt in his pouch it wasn’t there. As he stood there dumbfounded, Ji Gong gave a great laugh. “It’s here with me. Now it’s my turn to shine it on you.” Fahong, Fayuan, Fajing and Fakong were so frightened they turned tail and ran, out through the back gate. “Let’s go and find Master,” said Fahong.