且說展爺見了是假人，已知中計，才待轉身，那知早將鎖簧踏著，登翻了木板，落將下去。只聽一陣鑼聲亂響，外面眾人嚷道：「得咧！得咧！」原來木板之下，半空中懸著一個皮兜子，四面皆是活套。只要掉在裡面往下一沉，四面的網套兒往下一攏，有一根大絨繩總結扣住，再也不能掙扎。
且说展爷见了是假人，已知中计，才待转身，那知早将锁簧踏着，登翻了木板，落将下去。只听一阵锣声乱响，外面众人嚷道：「得咧！得咧！」原来木板之下，半空中悬着一个皮兜子，四面皆是活套。只要掉在里面往下一沉，四面的网套儿往下一拢，有一根大绒绳总结扣住，再也不能挣扎。
Now, when Zhan Zhao saw that it was a dummy, he knew he had walked into a trap. He was just about to turn when — who could have known? — he trod on the spring of the lock; the floorboard tipped over and down he dropped. A wild clangour of gongs went up, and outside a crowd of voices shouted, “Got him! Got him!” Beneath the board, it turned out, a leather sack hung in mid-air, its mouth ringed with running nooses. Whoever fell in sank down, the netted nooses all round closed in beneath him, and a thick cord drew the whole thing together in one knot, so that he could never struggle free.
原來五間軒子猶如樓房一般，早有人從下面東明兒開了窗扇，進來無數莊丁將絨繩繫下，先把寶劍摘下來，後把展爺縛住了。捆縛之時，說了無數的刻薄挖苦話兒。展爺到了此時，只好置若罔聞，一言不發。又聽有個莊丁說：「咱們員外同客飲酒，正入醉鄉。此時天有三鼓，暫且不必回稟，且把他押在通天窟內收起來。我先去找著何頭兒，將這寶劍交明，然後再去回話。」說罷，推推擁擁的往南而去。走不多時，只見有個石門，卻是由山根鑿出來的，雖是雙門，卻是一扇活的，那一扇是隨石的假門。假門上有個大銅環。莊丁上前用力把銅環一拉，上面有消息將那扇活門撐開，剛剛進去一人，便把展爺推進去。莊丁一鬆手，銅環往回裡一拽，那扇門就關上了。此門非從外面拉環，是再不能開的。
原来五间轩子犹如楼房一般，早有人从下面东明儿开了窗扇，进来无数庄丁将绒绳系下，先把宝剑摘下来，后把展爷缚住了。捆缚之时，说了无数的刻薄挖苦话儿。展爷到了此时，只好置若罔闻，一言不发。又听有个庄丁说：「咱们员外同客饮酒，正入醉乡。此时天有三鼓，暂且不必回禀，且把他押在通天窟内收起来。我先去找着何头儿，将这宝剑交明，然后再去回话。」说罢，推推拥拥的往南而去。走不多时，只见有个石门，却是由山根凿出来的，虽是双门，却是一扇活的，那一扇是随石的假门。假门上有个大铜环。庄丁上前用力把铜环一拉，上面有消息将那扇活门撑开，刚刚进去一人，便把展爷推进去。庄丁一松手，铜环往回里一拽，那扇门就关上了。此门非从外面拉环，是再不能开的。
The five-room pavilion, it turned out, was built like a two-storey house. From below, on the east side, someone had already opened the windows, and a crowd of manor hands came in and let down the cord. First they took off his precious sword, then they tied Zhan Zhao up, making no end of nasty, sneering remarks as they bound him. Having come to this pass, Zhan Zhao could only act as if he had not heard, and said not a word. Then he heard one of the manor hands say, “Our squire’s drinking with a guest, and they’re well into their cups. It’s the third watch now — no need to report yet. Let’s lock him up in the Tongtian Grotto for the time being. I’ll go and find Chief He first and hand over this sword, and then I’ll go and report.” With that they pushed and jostled him off toward the south. Before they had gone far they came to a stone door cut into the foot of the hill. It was a double door, but only one leaf really opened; the other was a sham, of a piece with the rock. On the sham leaf was a big bronze ring. A manor hand stepped up and pulled hard on it, and a mechanism above pushed the real leaf open, just wide enough for one man to pass. They shoved Zhan Zhao inside. The moment the manor hand let go, the bronze ring drew itself back and the door shut. Unless someone pulled the ring from outside, there was no opening that door ever again.
展爺到了裡面，覺得冷森森一股寒氣侵人，原來裡面是個嘎嘎形兒，全無抓手，用油灰抹亮，惟獨當中卻有一縫，望時可以見天。展爺明白叫通天窟。借著天光，又見有一小橫匾，上寫「氣死貓」三個紅字。匾是粉白地的。展爺到了此時，不覺長歎一聲道：「哎！我展熊飛枉自受了朝廷的四品護衛之職，不想今日誤中奸謀，被擒在此。」剛然說完，只聽有人叫「苦」，把個展爺嚇了一跳，忙問道：「你是何人？快說。」那人道：「小人姓郭名彰，乃鎮江人氏。只因帶了女兒上瓜州投親，不想在渡船遇見頭領胡烈，將我父女搶至莊上，欲要將我女兒與什麼五員外為妻。我說女兒已有人家，今到瓜州投親就是為完成此事。誰知胡烈聽了，登時翻臉，說小人不識抬舉，就把我捆起來，監禁在此。」展爺聽罷，氣衝牛斗，一聲怪叫道：「好白玉堂呀！你做的好事，你還稱甚麼義士！你只是綠林強寇一般。我展熊飛倘能出此陷阱，我與你誓不兩立。」郭彰又問了展爺因何至此，展爺便說了一遍。
展爷到了里面，觉得冷森森一股寒气侵人，原来里面是个嘎嘎形儿，全无抓手，用油灰抹亮，惟独当中却有一缝，望时可以见天。展爷明白叫通天窟。借着天光，又见有一小横匾，上写「气死猫」三个红字。匾是粉白地的。展爷到了此时，不觉长叹一声道：「哎！我展熊飞枉自受了朝廷的四品护卫之职，不想今日误中奸谋，被擒在此。」刚然说完，只听有人叫「苦」，把个展爷吓了一跳，忙问道：「你是何人？快说。」那人道：「小人姓郭名彰，乃镇江人氏。只因带了女儿上瓜州投亲，不想在渡船遇见头领胡烈，将我父女抢至庄上，欲要将我女儿与什么五员外为妻。我说女儿已有人家，今到瓜州投亲就是为完成此事。谁知胡烈听了，登时翻脸，说小人不识抬举，就把我捆起来，监禁在此。」展爷听罢，气冲牛斗，一声怪叫道：「好白玉堂呀！你做的好事，你还称甚么义士！你只是绿林强寇一般。我展熊飞倘能出此陷阱，我与你誓不两立。」郭彰又问了展爷因何至此，展爷便说了一遍。
Inside, Zhan Zhao felt a damp, cold chill creep into his bones. The place was shaped like a children’s spindle toy, swelling out in the middle and closing in at the ends, with nothing anywhere to get a grip on, and plastered with oil putty to a slick shine. Only in the middle was there a crack, through which, looking up, one could see the sky. Now Zhan Zhao understood why it was called the Tongtian Grotto, the Grotto Open to Heaven. By the light from the sky he also saw a small horizontal tablet with three red characters on a whitewashed ground: “Vex the Cat to Death.” Having come to this pass, Zhan Zhao could not help heaving a long sigh. “Ah! In vain have I, Zhan Zhao, accepted from the court the post of a Guard of the fourth rank. Who would have thought that today I would fall for a villain’s scheme and be taken captive here?” He had hardly finished when he heard someone groan, “Oh, the misery of it!” It gave Zhan Zhao quite a start. “Who are you?” he asked quickly. “Speak up!” “My name is Guo Zhang, sir,” the man said, “and I’m from Zhenjiang. I was taking my daughter to Guazhou to join our relatives, and on the ferry, who should we meet but the headman Hu Lie. He carried the two of us off to the manor, meaning to give my daughter to some Fifth Squire or other for a wife. I told him my girl was already promised, and that the whole reason we were going to our relatives at Guazhou was to see that marriage through. But the moment Hu Lie heard it, he turned nasty, said I didn’t know a kindness when I saw one, and had me tied up and shut in here.” When Zhan Zhao heard this, his fury shot up to the stars, and he let out a terrible yell. “Fine work, Bai Yutang! A fine thing you’ve done! And you still call yourself a gallant? You’re nothing but a greenwood bandit. If I, Zhan Zhao, ever get out of this pit, I swear you and I shall not both stay standing!” Then Guo Zhang asked Zhan Zhao how he came to be there, and Zhan Zhao told him the whole story.