Now, when Ji Gong told Su Beishan there was a smell of thief under the bed, Su Beishan at once had his servants fetch a stick and jab it under the bed several times. Nothing stirred, but Chen Liang was frightened out of his wits — his soul fled a thousand li.

A word of explanation: how was it that Chen Liang was never struck? The fact was that Chen Liang had sprung upward and pressed himself flat against the underside of the bed, holding himself there entirely by the knack of drawing his breath up1, so that though the servants jabbed several times in a row, they never touched him. Chen Liang thought he had got away with it. “Master,” he said to himself, “you’re having a joke at my expense. What if somebody catches me because of this?” Then he heard a servant say, “Squire, there’s no thief in here. If there was anyone, wouldn’t the stick have found him?” “What do you mean, no thief?” said the monk. “Take a lantern and have a look. Or the four of you turn the bed over and see whether there’s anyone there or not. When I say there’s a thief, there’s a thief.” Squire Su told the servants to come in and turn the bed over to see. In came the servants, and sure enough the four of them heaved the bed over. How could Chen Liang stay hidden? Gripping his saber, he darted out, and everyone jumped with fright. A servant at one side blocked him with a wooden stick, and Chen Liang’s saber chopped right into the stick. The crowd closed round him. Chen Liang took fright and ran for it, and the saber was left behind. The servants all set up a shout: “Catch him!” But Chen Liang was already up on the roof. Too frightened to stay long, he went out to a deserted spot, first changed into his night clothes2, and then waited in the dark.

By the time it was broad daylight he was outside the Su residence. The main gate opened from inside, and Su Fu came out, talking to himself. “The squire doesn’t want me anymore. Where am I supposed to go now?” While he stood there at a loss, Chen Liang came over. “Stop right there. Don’t move. I’ve been wanting to give you a beating.” He reached out, grabbed Su Fu first and laid into him with his fists, till the wicked servant was begging piteously for mercy. Chen Liang was enjoying himself thoroughly when two men came along from the other direction, on their way to the fruit market first thing in the morning. Seeing two men fighting as they came up, they stepped in. “Stop fighting, you two. It’s barely morning — what are you fighting about? That’s enough.” Chen Liang looked up. “Since you two gentlemen have come to make peace, I’ll be reasonable. ‘Lucky herbs may sprout before the hall3, but even a good thing is not as good as nothing happening at all.’ Since you two have come to make peace, I’ll let it go for your sakes.” The two men thought this was an easy fight to break up — one word and it was over. Then they took another look and recognised Su Fu. “Isn’t this Steward Su? What were you two fighting about?” “I don’t know myself,” said Su Fu. “I don’t know this fellow at all. There’s no quarrel between us, no grudge. I came out of our house early this morning, and he told me to stop and grabbed hold of me, and I don’t know what for.” “Steward Su, you’d better be going,” said the two men. Su Fu didn’t dare not go; he couldn’t win a fight with the man anyway, so he had no choice but to leave. He had only just gone when Yu Tong came out of Squire Su’s house. Su Beishan had wanted to send the two of them to the county to be punished, but Ji Gong said, “No need. Since the two of them have begged so hard, just let them learn their lesson. If they don’t mend their ways after this, they’re sure to meet an evil end.” “Since you plead for them, Master,” said Su Beishan, “you two wretches are getting off lightly.” Only when it was light did Squire Su give orders to let the two of them go. Yu Tong was let out first. No sooner had he come out than Chen Liang saw him, and anger surged up in him. “You wretch,” he thought, “if it weren’t for the two of you, would I ever have put myself in danger?” With that he rushed over, seized Yu Tong and, without letting him say a word, laid into him with his fists, kicking and stamping besides, till Yu Tong was rolling all over the ground. This beating was even worse than Su Fu’s. As luck would have it, a passer-by stepped in, and Chen Liang left off. “That’s that,” he kept saying. Yu Tong had no idea what it was all for either, and went off nursing his pain. Chen Liang stood waiting there, and before long he saw Ji Gong come out, holding Chen Liang’s saber in his hand. “Master,” said Squire Su, “have something to eat before you go. Why go back to the temple so early?” “I must get back to the temple,” said Ji Gong. “I’m very uneasy about it. It’s been a good half month, and I haven’t been back once.” With that he set off. He hadn’t gone far when Chen Liang looked about and saw no one around. He wanted to go up and ask Ji Gong for his saber, yet didn’t dare come near. Then he heard Ji Gong saying, “You really have a nerve, wanting your saber back from me! Come near me and I’ll chop you with it. ‘Even what you see with your own eyes may be false; what you hear with your ears is not sure to be true.’ For no reason at all you set out to kill a man’s whole household, without even finding out what was true and what was false. I’m going to sell this saber. Whoever wants to buy it, I’ll sell it to him.” Over there was a man who dealt in curios, calligraphy and paintings, books, swords and sabers. Hearing what Ji Gong said, he came over and looked: the saber was forged of pure steel. After looking it over he said, “Master, how much do you want for it? I’ll buy it.” “Give me the price of two bottles of wine,” said the monk, “and it’s yours.” “Master,” said the man, “what price of wine do you drink?” “I drink the ten-taels-of-silver-a-pot4 kind,” said the monk.

The man laughed and walked off. Chen Liang followed Ji Gong all the way to the Lengquan Pavilion5 by West Lake, then came forward and knelt. “Master, I was muddle-headed for a moment and did wrong. Have mercy on me.” “Get up,” said Ji Gong. “I’ll give you your saber. Come back to the temple with me.” Chen Liang said he would and followed behind. When they reached the gate of Lingyin Temple they met the gate monks. “My two Brothers,” said Ji Gong, “I’ve taken a disciple. What do you two think — good or not?” Jingming looked and said again and again, “Congratulations, congratulations! Go on in, Brother!” “He’ll have to be introduced, though,” said Ji Gong. “Chen Liang, come here and kowtow to your Uncles6.” The gate monks only said, “We don’t deserve it.” “No need for empty words,” said Ji Gong. “The kowtow has to be made. Now that you two have accepted his bow, give your nephew in the Way some money7.” “We haven’t any, we haven’t any,” said the two. “Where would we get money? Stop joking.” Ji Gong took Chen Liang in through the temple gate and saw the prior standing over there. “Chen Liang, quick, come and kowtow to your Grand-Uncle,” said Ji Gong. “Don’t kowtow,” said Guangliang. “I haven’t any money.” Ji Gong took Chen Liang to the abbot’s quarters, where they first paid their respects to the old abbot. Then they went on to the Main Hall. First they bowed to the Buddha; then the bell was rung and the drum beaten to gather all the monks. “Brothers, elder and younger,” said Ji Gong, “I’ve taken a disciple, and I want all of you to look after him. But there’s one thing. Chen Liang, you’re my disciple. When I fancy a drink, you go and buy me wine. When I fancy some meat, you go and buy me meat.” “Yes,” said Chen Liang. “A disciple ought to wait on his master.” “And what if you run out of money?” said Ji Gong. “Money or no money, your disciple knows where to go and find some,” said Chen Liang. “No need to go looking,” said the monk. “If you’re going to steal, steal right here in our own temple. They’re all your uncles and grand-uncles, and whoever sees you can’t raise a fuss. Am I right or not?” All the monks laughed when they heard this. “Fine! Teaching him to steal before anything else! Like master, like disciple.” From that day on Chen Liang bought wine and meat every day to keep Ji Gong supplied. He spent all the money he had, then pawned his clothes, and in barely ten days or so every stitch of his clothing was pawned.

While the two of them were arguing, two men came in from outside. “However much the monk has had, we’ll pay for it,” they said. “Finding the monk has been like drilling ice for fire or pressing sand for oil. Master, come along with us, quick!” Ji Gong looked at them. Who were the two newcomers? To learn what happened next, read the next chapter.