話說雷鳴、陳亮來到小月屯，正往前走，眼前來了一人，正是華雲龍。
话说雷鸣、陈亮来到小月屯，正往前走，眼前来了一人，正是华云龙。
Now, Lei Ming and Chen Liang had come to Xiaoyue Village and were walking on when a man came toward them. It was Hua Yunlong.
書中交代，華雲龍怎麼會來到這裏？原本這小月屯住著一位老俠義士，姓馬雙名元章，綽號人稱千里獨行。此人武藝出眾，本領高強，平生不收徒弟，就傳授了兩個侄兒。一個叫馬靜，外號人稱鐵面夜叉，又叫黑虎怪海，皆因馬靜是黑臉膛所起﹔一個叫馬成，外號皆稱探海龍，弟兄兩個，是家傳武藝。老英雄馬元章在外面闖蕩江湖數十年，永遠不跟綠林人搭過伴。他手下有兩個人，一個叫探花郎高慶，一個叫小白虎周蘭，他倆成家立業，就是本地人不知他倆是綠林中人，則知道他是財主有產業。老英雄看破紅塵，自己有一座家廟毗盧寺，就在廟中出家。雖然出了家，沒受過戒，不知道僧門中有甚麼奧妙。自己雖好道，常習經卷，總不得准根，就把廟中事交給高慶、周蘭看守，自己出外方遊去。老英雄走後，家中一切事務都歸馬靜料理。每年馬靜出去一趟，或是一千八百里。找一處地方住下，做買賣，偷的都是官長富戶、大買賣人家，得些銀錢，打著騾子馱了回來，街坊鄰居要問，馬靜就說取了租子回來。
书中交代，华云龙怎么会来到这里？原本这小月屯住着一位老侠义士，姓马双名元章，绰号人称千里独行。此人武艺出众，本领高强，平生不收徒弟，就传授了两个侄儿。一个叫马静，外号人称铁面夜叉，又叫黑虎怪海，皆因马静是黑脸膛所起﹔一个叫马成，外号皆称探海龙，弟兄两个，是家传武艺。老英雄马元章在外面闯荡江湖数十年，永远不跟绿林人搭过伴。他手下有两个人，一个叫探花郎高庆，一个叫小白虎周兰，他俩成家立业，就是本地人不知他俩是绿林中人，则知道他是财主有产业。老英雄看破红尘，自己有一座家庙毗卢寺，就在庙中出家。虽然出了家，没受过戒，不知道僧门中有甚么奥妙。自己虽好道，常习经卷，总不得准根，就把庙中事交给高庆、周兰看守，自己出外方游去。老英雄走后，家中一切事务都归马静料理。每年马静出去一趟，或是一千八百里。找一处地方住下，做买卖，偷的都是官长富户、大买卖人家，得些银钱，打着骡子驮了回来，街坊邻居要问，马静就说取了租子回来。
A word of explanation: how did Hua Yunlong come to be here? Now, in this Xiaoyue Village there lived an old gallant, surnamed Ma, with the double given name Yuanzhang, whom people called the Lone Traveller of a Thousand Li (Qianli Duxing). His martial skill was outstanding and his abilities great. All his life he had never taken a pupil; he had taught only his two nephews. One was called Ma Jing, known as the Iron-Faced Yaksha (Tiemian Yecha) and also as the Black Tiger Sea-Demon (Heihu Guaihai), names that came from his dark face. The other was called Ma Cheng, known to all as the Sea-Probing Dragon (Tanhai Long). The two brothers had their martial arts from the family. The old hero Ma Yuanzhang had roamed the rivers and lakes for decades, and never once had he thrown in with men of the greenwood. He had two men under him: one called the Flower-Seeker, Gao Qing, the other the Little White Tiger, Zhou Lan. The two had settled down with households and property of their own, and the people of the place did not know they were greenwood men; all they knew was that they were men of means with land to their names. The old hero had seen through the red dust of the world. He had a family temple of his own, the Pilu Temple, and there he left the household life. But though he had left it, he had never received the precepts, and knew nothing of the mysteries of the Buddhist gate. He was drawn to the Way and often studied the scriptures, yet he never got to the root of them. So he handed the temple’s affairs to Gao Qing and Zhou Lan to look after and went off to wander far and wide. After the old hero left, all the business of the household fell to Ma Jing. Every year Ma Jing would go off on one trip, a thousand li or eight hundred, find a place to stay and do his “business.” What he stole was always from officials, rich households and big merchants. When he had got some silver, he loaded it on mules and brought it home, and if the neighbours asked, Ma Jing said he had been out collecting rents.
馬靜也是一身好武藝，平生就交了一個朋友，也是本地人，姓李名平，跟馬靜學了有五成能為，人送外號叫登山豹子李平。有一個兄弟叫李安哥，住在小月屯村外，開酒舖為生。常有本地的匪棍，在他舖子喝酒，三五成群，湊了十數位，竟要跟李平學藝。這些人本來都是無賴匪棍，遊手好閑，無所不為，狐假虎威。這些人都有外號，叫做：平天轉、滿天飛、轉心狼、黑心狼、滿街狼、花尾狼等，湊了十幾個人。在小月屯村外有座破三皇廟，在廟內立把式場，認李平為師。人家練工夫，為的是身子健壯，這些人練能為，所為充光棍，李平交結這些人，可以多賣點酒，各有所貪。這些人吃別人的東西不給錢，吃李平的酒飯不敢不給錢。時常跟李平練工夫，這個練一趟刀，那個練一趟槍，後來，這些人裏有一個外號叫軍師的，說：」你們不用練了。」大眾說：「怎麼不用練？」軍師說：「師父無能弟子濁，李平本來就是有名無實，跟他練不行了。」大眾說：「不跟他練，跟誰練去？」軍師說：「咱們這地方算誰有名？」大眾說：「要講真有名，就是鐵面夜叉馬靜。」軍師說：「咱們何不把馬大爺請出來，咱們跟他練。」大眾一想：「這話對呀！」眾人商量好了，次日早晨，大眾來到馬靜門首叫門，拿著紅白帖，有家人進去一回稟，馬靜由裏面出來。大家一瞧，說：「馬大爺早起來了。」馬靜說：「眾位找我甚麼事？」眾人說：「我等久知馬大爺威名遠振，特意來請你老人家。我等在三皇廟立把場子，要跟你老人家學武藝，馬大爺祇要肯教我等，必有一分人情。」馬靜一瞧，心裏說：「交結你們這些匪徒，把我都沾染壞了。」嘴裏不肯得罪，都是老街舊鄰，馬靜說：「眾位既來約我，按說我不當辭卻，無奈現在我母親病著，我所以不能從命，眾位請罷。等我母親好了，我必去。」大眾碰了個大釘子回來，都埋怨軍師胡出主意，叫我們碰釘子。軍師說：「你們眾位不用埋怨我，我要不叫李平把馬靜請出來，我不叫軍師，叫我小卒，好不好？」大眾說：「就是。」
马静也是一身好武艺，平生就交了一个朋友，也是本地人，姓李名平，跟马静学了有五成能为，人送外号叫登山豹子李平。有一个兄弟叫李安哥，住在小月屯村外，开酒铺为生。常有本地的匪棍，在他铺子喝酒，三五成群，凑了十数位，竟要跟李平学艺。这些人本来都是无赖匪棍，游手好闲，无所不为，狐假虎威。这些人都有外号，叫做：平天转、满天飞、转心狼、黑心狼、满街狼、花尾狼等，凑了十几个人。在小月屯村外有座破三皇庙，在庙内立把式场，认李平为师。人家练工夫，为的是身子健壮，这些人练能为，所为充光棍，李平交结这些人，可以多卖点酒，各有所贪。这些人吃别人的东西不给钱，吃李平的酒饭不敢不给钱。时常跟李平练工夫，这个练一趟刀，那个练一趟枪，后来，这些人里有一个外号叫军师的，说：」你们不用练了。」大众说：「怎么不用练？」军师说：「师父无能弟子浊，李平本来就是有名无实，跟他练不行了。」大众说：「不跟他练，跟谁练去？」军师说：「咱们这地方算谁有名？」大众说：「要讲真有名，就是铁面夜叉马静。」军师说：「咱们何不把马大爷请出来，咱们跟他练。」大众一想：「这话对呀！」众人商量好了，次日早晨，大众来到马静门首叫门，拿着红白帖，有家人进去一回禀，马静由里面出来。大家一瞧，说：「马大爷早起来了。」马静说：「众位找我甚么事？」众人说：「我等久知马大爷威名远振，特意来请你老人家。我等在三皇庙立把场子，要跟你老人家学武艺，马大爷祇要肯教我等，必有一分人情。」马静一瞧，心里说：「交结你们这些匪徒，把我都沾染坏了。」嘴里不肯得罪，都是老街旧邻，马静说：「众位既来约我，按说我不当辞却，无奈现在我母亲病着，我所以不能从命，众位请罢。等我母亲好了，我必去。」大众碰了个大钉子回来，都埋怨军师胡出主意，叫我们碰钉子。军师说：「你们众位不用埋怨我，我要不叫李平把马静请出来，我不叫军师，叫我小卒，好不好？」大众说：「就是。」
Ma Jing too was a fine all-round fighter. In all his life he had made only one friend, also a local man, surnamed Li and named Ping, who had learned perhaps half of Ma Jing’s skill from him. People called him the Mountain-Climbing Leopard (Dengshan Bao), Li Ping. He had a brother called Li Ange, who lived outside Xiaoyue Village and kept a wine shop for a living. Local ruffians often drank in his shop, in threes and fives, and when a dozen or so of them had gathered, they actually wanted to learn martial arts from Li Ping. These men were nothing but good-for-nothing thugs, idle loafers who would stop at nothing, foxes who borrowed the tiger’s terror. They all had nicknames: Whirls-the-Sky (Pingtian Zhuan), Flies-All-Over (Mantian Fei), the Shifty-Hearted Wolf (Zhuanxin Lang), the Black-Hearted Wolf (Heixin Lang), the Wolf of the Streets (Manjie Lang), the Fancy-Tailed Wolf (Huawei Lang) and so on, a dozen or more of them in all. Outside Xiaoyue Village stood a ruined Sanhuang Shrine, and in it they set up a training ground and took Li Ping as their master. Other people practise kung fu to make their bodies strong; these men practised so they could play the local bully. Li Ping made friends with them because it meant selling a bit more wine. Each had his own greed. These men ate other people’s food without paying, but Li Ping’s wine and food they did not dare leave unpaid. They often trained with Li Ping: this one would go through a sabre routine, that one a spear routine. Later, one of them, nicknamed the Strategist (Junshi), said, “You lot can stop training.” “Why stop?” said everyone. The Strategist said, “Useless master, muddled pupils. Li Ping’s all name and nothing behind it. Training with him’s no good.” “If we don’t train with him, who do we train with?” said everyone. “Around here, who’s got a real name?” said the Strategist. “If you mean a real name,” said everyone, “that’s the Iron-Faced Yaksha, Ma Jing.” “Then why don’t we ask Master Ma to come out and train us?” said the Strategist. Everyone thought it over. “That’s right!” Having agreed on it, the next morning they all came to Ma Jing’s gate and knocked, carrying red and white cards. A servant went in to announce them, and Ma Jing came out. Everyone looked at him and said, “Up early, Master Ma!” “What do you gentlemen want with me?” said Ma Jing. “We’ve long known how far your fame has spread, Master Ma,” they said, “and we’ve come specially to invite you, sir. We’ve set up a training ground at the Sanhuang Shrine and want to learn martial arts from you. If only you’ll teach us, Master Ma, we’re sure to show our gratitude.” Ma Jing looked them over and said to himself, “Get mixed up with scoundrels like you, and you’d rub your filth off on me.” But he would not offend them to their faces; they were all old neighbours from the same streets. “Since you gentlemen have come to invite me,” said Ma Jing, “by rights I ought not to refuse. But my mother is ill just now, so I can’t do as you ask. Please go. When my mother’s better, I’ll be sure to come.” They had run into a big nail, and back they went, all grumbling at the Strategist for his harebrained idea that had got them snubbed. “Don’t you lot blame me,” said the Strategist. “If I don’t get Li Ping to bring Ma Jing out, don’t call me the Strategist. Call me Foot Soldier. How’s that?” “Done,” said everyone.