Now, Chan Master Ji Gong, with Deng Lianfang the Soul-Chasing Attendant and Shen Rui the Golden-Staff Sorcerer, had just come to Pantao Ridge when they heard a shout from the far side: “You crazy monk! Where do you think you’re going? Yours truly1 has been hunting for you, and it’s been like drilling ice for fire or pressing sand for oil2!” Deng Lianfang looked up. The newcomer was a monk shaped like a ghoul: ten feet tall, with shoulders three spans broad. His hair hung loose about his head, held by a band of gold. His face was a deep green, with two golden eyebrows and a pair of bulging golden eyes that stood right out of their sockets; red bristles grew down over his ears, and his whole face was a mass of red beard. He wore a green robe, held a fly whisk in his hand and carried a monk’s knife on his back. He looked as fierce as a plague god, as hideous as a ghoul. One look, and Deng Lianfang was taken aback. “Monk,” he said, “what are you here for?” “I mean to capture Crazy Ji,” said the strange monk, “to take my revenge and wipe out my shame.” “No need for you to catch him, monk,” said Deng Lianfang. “The two of us will catch him for you.” “I doubt the two of you can,” said the strange monk. “You don’t know me,” said Deng Lianfang. “I don’t suppose you know where I come from, either.” The strange monk gave a great laugh. “Yours truly knows five hundred years back and five hundred years ahead; I know all that has been and all that is to come. How could I not know you? We’ve never met, but where you come from is no secret to me. You are a disciple of the Eight Demons of Shengjiao Hall on Mount Wanhua, and your name is Deng Lianfang. You don’t know yours truly — when you go back and see your master, just mention a green-robed monk of Pantao Ridge, and he’ll most likely tell you. And since the two of you want to catch Crazy Ji, what powers have you got?” “I have a magic treasure here,” said Deng Lianfang. “Good,” said the green-robed monk. “Since you have a treasure, you take him first. If you can’t, yours truly will take him after.”

Hearing the big talk from this monk, Deng Lianfang had no idea who he could be. “Crazy Ji,” said Shen Rui, “do you know me?” “How could I not know you?” said Ji Gong. “You’re a demon’s whelp3.” At this Shen Rui flew into a rage. “You crazy monk! You dare insult me? I’ll finish you off!” “You, finish this monk off?” said Ji Gong. “You’re not fit to.” At once Shen Rui pulled out the Six Directions Pearl and hurled it straight at Ji Gong. A beam of white light shot at the monk, and they heard him shout, “Oh, this is terrible! Help! Help!” Before the words were out of his mouth, the Six Directions Pearl went off with a crash like mountains falling and the earth splitting open, and Ji Gong pitched over onto the ground, senseless. Shen Rui laughed aloud. “Brother Deng, did you see that? I thought this Crazy Ji would be something, but he’s nothing out of the ordinary — the Six Directions Pearl has him pinned. Let’s carry him back up the mountain and burn him to death, to avenge Younger Brother Han.” “Green-robed monk,” said Deng Lianfang, “you may as well go home too. We two will take Crazy Ji back to the mountain, and that will count as your revenge as well.” “Very well,” said the green-robed monk. “Lucky for him. You two carry him off.”

Only then did Deng Lianfang hoist Crazy Ji onto his shoulder, and with Shen Rui he rode the foot-wind to Shengjiao Hall on Mount Wanhua. When they came to the great hall, they found Lingxiao, the Recluse Woyun, talking together with Yang Mingyuan, the Old Angler of the Milky Way, Wang Jiufeng, the Woodcutter of Guilin, and Songhai, the Boy of the Six Directions. As Deng Lianfang and Shen Rui came into the reception hall, Songhai said, “Where have you two been?” “I won’t hide it from you, Venerable Patriarchs4,” said Deng Lianfang. “We two went down the mountain and caught Crazy Ji, to avenge my Younger Brother Han.” “You pair of wretched beasts,” said Songhai, “you really have made a show of yourselves! Letting Crazy Ji make fools of you like this — you have truly disgraced Mount Wanhua!” “How have we made a show of ourselves?” said Deng Lianfang. “Take a look,” said the Boy of the Six Directions. “Is that Crazy Ji you’re carrying?” With that one remark the trick was laid bare. Deng Lianfang and Shen Rui looked again: what they had been carrying was a lump of stone. The two of them were so furious their eyes stood fixed in their heads. “If you two truly mean to take revenge on Crazy Ji,” said Songhai, “don’t be in such a hurry. You can’t catch him anyway; we will talk it over and find a way. Hand me back my Six Directions Pearl, and no more of your nonsense.” Shen Rui had no choice but to give the Six Directions Pearl back to Songhai. Just as they were talking, someone suddenly came in from outside to report: “Demon Masters, there’s a ragged monk outside the main gate, blocking the doorway and cursing at the top of his voice. He says if the Demon Masters send Shao Huafeng out at once, that’s the end of it. If not, he’ll fight his way into Shengjiao Hall and kill everything in it, down to the chickens and dogs.” When the Demon Masters heard it, they were so enraged they roared “Wa-ya! Wa-ya!” like thunder. “That Crazy Ji has a nerve, coming to our own Shengjiao Hall and behaving so outrageously! We will go and take him ourselves.” As they spoke, the Demon Masters made straight for the gate.