Now, the Five-Directions Grand Duke Guarding the South, Sun Kui, received word that government troops had come to attack Woniu Rock. At once Sun Kui ordered his men, the water-ghost bandits who fought beneath the water, to muster in their ranks, and fifty Mayang war boats were drawn up in a single line, banners flying and pennants streaming. In the middle stood a great banner thirty-three feet high, with a gilded gourd on its tip, a border of flame-and-goose pattern, tassels running down it like centipedes and bronze bells weighting its foot; when the wind shook it, it set up a jangling clatter. It was of white satin lettered in black: ‘Arbiter of the Three Armies1’, with a single character ‘Sun’ as big as a peck measure in the middle, and ‘Commander’ on the back. Sun Kui held a three-section hooked spear in his hand. He wore a water-parting fishskin cap, a sun-and-moon lotus-seed headband, a diving suit, footed trousers of oiled silk and Xianghe fishskin wading socks. His face was like purple jade, purple glowing with red; he had thick brows and big eyes, and a grizzled beard spread over his chest like a fan. Truly he was an awesome figure, a man of commanding presence. Across the water the government boats stood in good order. In the very middle was a great banner bearing the character ‘Lu’; on one side, in the place of honour, stood the prefect, Gu Guozhang, and on the other a ragged monk. “Which of you will go,” the Five-Directions Grand Duke Sun Kui ordered, “and put an end to the prefect Gu Guozhang first?”

The words were hardly out of his mouth when someone beside him answered, “Let me go!” Sun Kui looked: it was the Wave-Turning Ghost, Wang Lian. Wang Lian brandished his three-section hooked spear, his boat surged forward, and standing at the prow he called out, “Which of you whelps dares come out and get himself killed?” The military inspector, Lu Zhong, looked the bandit over. He stood eight feet tall and was broad across the shoulders. He wore a water-parting fishskin cap, a sun-and-moon lotus-seed headband, a diving suit, footed trousers of oiled silk and Xianghe fishskin wading socks. His face was pasty as greased powder, with two sword-blade brows, a pair of triangular eyes, a hooked parrot’s nose and a wide, gaping jaw. He looked as savage as the Plague God3 and as fierce as the Grand Duke, and he held a three-section hooked spear in his hand. “Which of you will go,” Lu Zhong ordered, “and take that bandit for me? It will count as a deed of special merit.” Beside him an officer, Wang Wenyu, a Gentleman of Trust and Martial Merit2, spoke up. “Don’t trouble yourself, my lord. Let your humble officer go.” Wang Wenyu was just about to swing his broadsword and go out when the monk said, “Wait! These bandits all come and go over the rooftops. They’re outlaws of the rivers and seas, outstanding in skill and strong in fighting. Master Wang may not be able to take him, and I’m afraid he’d fall into their trap.” “Then what should we do, holy monk?” said Lu Zhong. “These bandits dare to beat their drums and fly their banners in the open and resist the government’s troops. How can this be allowed?” “Chen Liang,” said the monk, “go and put an end to that bandit, to lift the army’s spirits.”

The Masterful White Ape, Chen Liang, did as he was told. He drew his broadsword at once and hurried forward. The Wave-Turning Ghost, Wang Lian, was strutting in high glee when, with a shout, a man stepped out from the government ranks. He stood over seven feet tall, slim-waisted and girt tight. On his head was a kingfisher-blue six-panel warrior’s headcloth, with arrowhead-leaf ornaments standing up over his forehead, and tucked slantwise at his temple was a sprig of the Flower of Rectitude and Chastity. He wore a blue robe with archer’s cuffs, a silk sash at his waist, a single-layer jacket and thin-soled boots, with the front and back flaps of his robe tucked up. His face was like fine jade; he had thick brows and big eyes, and he held a steel broadsword in his hand. When he reached the prow, Wang Lian pointed at him with his three-section hooked spear. “You whelp, who are you, that you dare come here to get yourself killed?” “Since you ask,” said Chen Liang, “your great-grandsire here is surnamed Chen and named Liang, and people call me the Masterful White Ape. And who are you?” “My surname is Wang and my name Lian,” said Wang Lian, “and people call me the Wave-Turning Ghost. If you know what’s good for you, go back now and don’t come here to get yourself killed.” Chen Liang laughed aloud. “You ignorant rebels, you truly will not see sense! Ever since the Great Song founded its rule, ‘when the sovereign has the Way, every household is happy; Heaven and earth are impartial, the same everywhere.’ You are all subjects of the Great Song. Instead of minding your proper business, you listen to a sorcerer leading people astray with wicked talk, you gang together in hordes and rebel against the state. The imperial house has lightened punishments and lowered taxes; the five grains ripen in plenty, all the people live content at their work, the sovereign is upright and his ministers loyal. In what way has it ever wronged you? For no reason you slaughter living beings and poison the common people. Above, you bring down Heaven’s anger; below, you bring down men’s anger. Rebel ministers and traitorous sons — every man has the right to kill them. Don’t you know: a thief for a day, a bandit for life? Those before you become a thief’s father and mother; those after you, a thief’s sons and wife. Once the officers of the law take you, your graves will be dug up three generations back and ruin will fall on your kin to the ninth degree4, and when you’re dead you’ll be cursed for a thousand years. If you understand the times and know what’s good for you, lead your men to kneel down now, confess your crimes and give in. The prefect here has some measure of the virtue that loves life; he may still spare you from death. But if you insist on resisting by force — well, Ciyun Temple is no bigger than a pellet, and the men under your command are no more than swarms of ants and clouds of gnats, a rabble like a flock of crows; you couldn’t stand up to a baby throwing stones. Now that the inspector and the prefect have come with heaven’s own troops, surrender at once and save your lives!” When Wang Lian heard this he was so enraged that he bellowed “Waaah-yah-yah!” like thunder. “Whelp, stop spouting your loud, wild talk! Don’t you know that the empire belongs to everyone under heaven, not to one man? He who has virtue holds it; he who lacks virtue loses it. The winner is king and lord, the loser is a bandit. The dog barks at the sage Emperor Yao5: each serves his own master. How much skill do you think you have?” At this, Chen Liang’s anger surged up. He swung the broadsword in his hand and chopped straight at the bandit’s head. Wang Lian blocked upward with his spear. Chen Liang thrust his broadsword straight at his heart; the bandit swept it aside with a slanting ‘embrace the moon’. Chen Liang drew his blade round and hacked at the bandit’s neck; the bandit raised his spear in an ‘iron door-bar’ and met it from below. The two of them fell to fighting at the prow, each showing what he could do. Chen Liang thought to himself: “Today, in front of the prefect Gu Guozhang and all these people, I’ve got to put in some effort, show what I can do in front of everyone and come out top among the best.”