話說雷鳴、陳亮，見把賊人帶上堂來，陳亮一看，激靈靈打一寒戰，就知道這場官司難逃性命。賊咬一口，入骨三分，陳亮認識這個賊人，叫宋八仙。當初雷鳴、陳亮、楊明奉濟公禪師之命，給馬家湖去送信，陳亮蹲著出恭，宋八仙冒充聖手白猿陳亮，打劫人，被陳亮將他拿住。依著雷鳴、陳亮當時要殺他，威鎮八方楊明，乃是一位誠篤仁厚之人，大有君子之風，不但勸著陳亮沒殺他，還周濟宋八仙五兩銀子，叫他改行做小本經營。焉想到這小子惡習不改，在本地七里舖明火路劫，殺死家丁，搶劫衣服、首飾、銀兩。
话说雷鸣、陈亮，见把贼人带上堂来，陈亮一看，激灵灵打一寒战，就知道这场官司难逃性命。贼咬一口，入骨三分，陈亮认识这个贼人，叫宋八仙。当初雷鸣、陈亮、杨明奉济公禅师之命，给马家湖去送信，陈亮蹲着出恭，宋八仙冒充圣手白猿陈亮，打劫人，被陈亮将他拿住。依着雷鸣、陈亮当时要杀他，威镇八方杨明，乃是一位诚笃仁厚之人，大有君子之风，不但劝着陈亮没杀他，还周济宋八仙五两银子，叫他改行做小本经营。焉想到这小子恶习不改，在本地七里铺明火路劫，杀死家丁，抢劫衣服、首饰、银两。
Now, when Lei Ming and Chen Liang saw the robber brought up into the hall, Chen Liang took one look and a shudder ran through him: he knew that in this case there would be no escaping with his life. When a thief bites, his teeth go three tenths into the bone. Chen Liang knew this robber; he was called Song Baxian. Some time back, when Lei Ming, Chen Liang and Yang Ming were carrying a letter to Ma Family Lake on Chan Master Ji Gong’s orders, Chen Liang had squatted down to relieve himself, and Song Baxian, who was passing himself off as the Masterful White Ape, Chen Liang, and robbing people, had been caught by Chen Liang. Lei Ming and Chen Liang had wanted to kill him there and then, but Awe of the Eight Directions, Yang Ming, was a sincere, kindly, generous man with much of the true gentleman about him. Not only did he talk Chen Liang out of killing him, he even gave Song Baxian five taels of silver to help him along and told him to change his ways and make a living in some small trade. Who would have thought the little wretch would never mend his ways? Right here in these parts, at Qili Post Station, he had robbed travellers on the road with torches blazing, killed household servants, and carried off clothes, jewellery and silver.
同手路劫有五六個人，別人分了贓都走了，這小子沒走，犯了案被丹陽縣馬快將他拿獲。到衙門一過堂，宋八仙全招了，知縣問他，同手辦事共有幾個人？宋八仙說：「有通天和尚法雷，小喪門謝廣，賽雲龍黃慶，還有幾個人，都是西川路上的人。在七里舖搶劫卸任職官，殺死三個家丁，得贓均分，他等都遠走了，我也不知去向。我分了幾十兩銀子，連嫖帶賭也都花了。」知縣一聽，先把他釘鐐入獄。宋八仙倒沒打算拉雷鳴、陳亮。皆因雷鳴、陳亮，堵著皮緒昌門首一罵，通天和尚法雷先叫管世寬出來，用好言安慰，用計把雷鳴、陳亮支走了。法雷說：「皮員外，這兩個人可不好惹，素常無故，這兩個人在外面盡講究殺人。你跟他家結了仇，這兩個人更不能善罷甘休了。」
同手路劫有五六个人，别人分了赃都走了，这小子没走，犯了案被丹阳县马快将他拿获。到衙门一过堂，宋八仙全招了，知县问他，同手办事共有几个人？宋八仙说：「有通天和尚法雷，小丧门谢广，赛云龙黄庆，还有几个人，都是西川路上的人。在七里铺抢劫卸任职官，杀死三个家丁，得赃均分，他等都远走了，我也不知去向。我分了几十两银子，连嫖带赌也都花了。」知县一听，先把他钉镣入狱。宋八仙倒没打算拉雷鸣、陈亮。皆因雷鸣、陈亮，堵着皮绪昌门首一骂，通天和尚法雷先叫管世宽出来，用好言安慰，用计把雷鸣、陈亮支走了。法雷说：「皮员外，这两个人可不好惹，素常无故，这两个人在外面尽讲究杀人。你跟他家结了仇，这两个人更不能善罢甘休了。」
Five or six men had done the robbery together. The others had taken their shares of the loot and gone, but this wretch had stayed, and when the case broke the mounted constables of Danyang County caught him. Brought before the court at the yamen, Song Baxian confessed everything. When the county magistrate asked him how many had been in on the job with him, Song Baxian said, “There was the monk Tongtian, Falei; Little Mourning Spirit, Xie Guang; the Cloud Dragon’s Better, Huang Qing; and a few others, all men from out on the Xichuan Circuit. We robbed an official leaving his post at Qili Post Station and killed three of his household servants. We split the loot equally, and they’ve all gone far away. I don’t know where. I got a few dozen taels of silver, and I spent the lot on whoring and gambling.” Hearing this, the magistrate first had him put in irons and thrown into jail. Song Baxian had never meant to drag in Lei Ming and Chen Liang. It all came about because Lei Ming and Chen Liang had stood at Pi Xuchang’s gate and cursed him, and the monk Tongtian, Falei, had first sent Guan Shikuan out to soothe them with kind words and had tricked Lei Ming and Chen Liang into going away. “Squire Pi,” said Falei, “those two are not men to be trifled with. Even in ordinary times, with no cause at all, they talk of nothing but killing people out there. Now that you’ve made enemies of their family, those two will never let the matter rest.”
皮緒昌說：「賢弟，你有什麼高明主意？」法雷說：「不要緊，我有一個絕妙的主意，非得把他兩個人治死，給他個一狠二毒三絕計，量小非君子，無毒不丈夫。你要不治他，他絕不能饒你，這個後患可就大了。不用多，你花幾百銀子，就可以要他兩個人的命。」皮緒昌說：「幾百銀倒現成，怎么樣呢？」法雷說：「現在丹陽縣獄裡收著一個宋八仙，乃是本地七里舖明火執仗，殺死三條人命。這案是我們一同做的，他可不知道我在這本地有廟的。到獄裡花錢買通了，叫宋八仙當堂將雷鳴、陳亮一口咬定，就把他兩個人拿了去，用刑具一拷，他兩個受刑不過，就得招認。他二人身受國法，一來也除了後患，再說要搶陳廣泰的女兒也行，非這樣辦不可，你見了宋八仙，可別提見著我們三個人。」皮緒昌說：「甚好，我這就到丹陽縣去。」立刻到裡面，帶上五百銀子，叫家人備兩匹馬，帶著一從人，從家中起身，來到丹陽縣，翻身下馬。眾官人一瞧認識，說：「皮員外來此何幹？」皮緒昌說：「我到獄裡瞧個朋友。」叫家人拉著馬，皮緒昌拿著十封銀子，來到獄門，一招呼，管獄的出來問：「找誰？」皮緒昌說：「尊駕姓什麼？」管獄的說：「我姓錢。」皮緒昌說：「我這裡有二百銀子，送你買包茶葉喝，我要跟宋八仙說幾句話，行不行？」管獄的聽說有銀子，財能通神，連說：「行，行。」
皮绪昌说：「贤弟，你有什么高明主意？」法雷说：「不要紧，我有一个绝妙的主意，非得把他两个人治死，给他个一狠二毒三绝计，量小非君子，无毒不丈夫。你要不治他，他绝不能饶你，这个后患可就大了。不用多，你花几百银子，就可以要他两个人的命。」皮绪昌说：「几百银倒现成，怎么样呢？」法雷说：「现在丹阳县狱里收着一个宋八仙，乃是本地七里铺明火执仗，杀死三条人命。这案是我们一同做的，他可不知道我在这本地有庙的。到狱里花钱买通了，叫宋八仙当堂将雷鸣、陈亮一口咬定，就把他两个人拿了去，用刑具一拷，他两个受刑不过，就得招认。他二人身受国法，一来也除了后患，再说要抢陈广泰的女儿也行，非这样办不可，你见了宋八仙，可别提见着我们三个人。」皮绪昌说：「甚好，我这就到丹阳县去。」立刻到里面，带上五百银子，叫家人备两匹马，带着一从人，从家中起身，来到丹阳县，翻身下马。众官人一瞧认识，说：「皮员外来此何干？」皮绪昌说：「我到狱里瞧个朋友。」叫家人拉着马，皮绪昌拿着十封银子，来到狱门，一招呼，管狱的出来问：「找谁？」皮绪昌说：「尊驾姓什么？」管狱的说：「我姓钱。」皮绪昌说：「我这里有二百银子，送你买包茶叶喝，我要跟宋八仙说几句话，行不行？」管狱的听说有银子，财能通神，连说：「行，行。」
“Worthy brother,” said Pi Xuchang, “have you some clever idea?” “Don’t worry,” said Falei. “I have a splendid idea. We have to do the two of them to death: hit them with a plan that’s ruthless first, venomous second and final third. A small-hearted man is no gentleman, and a man without venom is no true man. If you don’t finish them, they’ll never let you off, and then you’ll have real trouble on your hands later. It won’t take much. Spend a few hundred taels of silver and you can have both their lives.” “A few hundred taels I have ready to hand,” said Pi Xuchang. “How would it work?” “At this moment,” said Falei, “there’s a man called Song Baxian locked up in the Danyang County jail. Here at Qili Post Station he robbed with torches and drawn weapons and took three lives. We did that job together, but he doesn’t know I have a temple here in these parts. Go to the jail, spend some money and buy him over, and have Song Baxian swear in open court that it was Lei Ming and Chen Liang. Then they’ll be arrested and put to the torture, and when they can’t bear it any longer they’ll have to confess. Once the two of them have paid the price under the law of the land, you’ll be rid of your trouble for good, and besides, you’ll be able to carry off Chen Guangtai’s daughter. It has to be done this way. Only, when you see Song Baxian, don’t mention that you’ve seen the three of us.” “Excellent,” said Pi Xuchang. “I’ll go to Danyang County right now.” He went straight inside, took five hundred taels of silver, had a servant saddle two horses, and set out from home with one attendant. When he reached Danyang County he swung down from his horse. The runners there all knew him by sight. “Squire Pi,” they said, “what brings you here?” “I’ve come to see a friend in the jail,” said Pi Xuchang. He had his servant hold the horses, took ten packets of silver and went to the jail gate. He called out, and the jailer came out. “Who are you looking for?” “May I ask your honourable surname?” said Pi Xuchang. “My name is Qian,” said the jailer. “I have two hundred taels of silver here,” said Pi Xuchang, “for you to buy yourself a packet of tea. I’d like a few words with Song Baxian. Will that do?” When the jailer heard there was silver in it — and money can reach even the gods — he said at once, “It’ll do, it’ll do.”