by Shi Nai-An
"I want you to make an iron staff and a sword," said Lu Ta. "I did not know you have such good steel here."
A blacksmith answered, "We have good steel here; you had better give us the order, for we do not yet know how heavy you want them."
"I need a staff weighing one hundred and thirty-three pounds," said Lu Ta.
The blacksmith laughed, saying, "Very heavy, master. I am afraid we cannot do it: but even if we could perhaps you could not use it. The sword used by Kwan Kung was only one hundred and eight pounds."
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"I am not as good as Kwan Kung, but he was only a man," said Lu Ta.
"According to my idea, a staff of say sixty-seven pounds will be heavy enough."
"Now according to your account of Kwan Kung's sword, make me one of one hundred and eight pounds,." said Lu Ta.
"Master, it will be very big. It will not look well, and will be inconvenient to use. I think it would be better to make one of eighty-three pounds, and have it brightly polished. But if you cannot use it, do not blame me. As you have decided upon it, we need not go into details: we will use the best iron and make it here."
"How much do you want for making them?" asked Lu Ta.
"Not more than five taels of silver," replied the blacksmith.
"I will accept your word, so here is the money," said. Lu Ta. "If it is well made I will give you extra money." The blacksmith received the money, and said, "It shall be done at once."
Lu Ta walked a short distance from the shop and saw the signboard of a wine shop. He lifted the curtain at the door, entered and sat down. He tapped on the table, calling for wine.
"Excuse me, sir," said the innkeeper, "this wine shop belongs to the monastery, which furnished the capital. The abbot controls our affairs and does not like us to sell wine to men from his monastery, but should we do so, he would expel us, so do not consider it impolite if we cannot supply you."
"Never mind that," replied Lu Ta, "you can sell me some wine and I will not say a word about it."
"I cannot do that," answered the innkeeper. "Please go to another place and don't think us rude."
Lu Ta rose, saying, "I will go and will not talk further with you." Going out a few paces, he saw a flag over the door of a wine shop. He entered, sat down and called for wine. "Master, you evidently do not understand that the abbot controls our affairs, and so by coming here you endanger our livelihood."
Lu Ta was determined to have wine but he knew that they would not sell any. He tried some more shops with the same result. In the distance he saw a broom hanging in front of a house which was situated in a cluster of the apricot trees.
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Upon approaching he found it was a small inn just outside the village. He went in and sat down near the window, calling, "Innkeeper, I am a stranger here and I want a cup of wine."
The proprietor looked at him carefully, "Mr. Priest, where do you come from?"
"I am a traveling priest, and I happened to pass here."
"If you are from the monastery at Wu Tai Shan, I cannot sell you any wine."
"I do not come from there. Bring me some wine quickly."
The proprietor saw that Lu Ta had the manner and speech of another district, so asked how much wine he wanted. "Bring me a large cup of warm wine," said Lu Ta. "What meat can I have with it?"
"This morning I had some beef, but it is now all finished."
Lu Ta could smell the meat which was being cooked, so going outside he saw along the wall an earthen boiler, containing dog's flesh. He said, "Why don't you sell me this?"
I was afraid that a priest may not eat the dog's flesh."
I have some silver," said Lu Ta, offering it to the proprietor, "let me have half of the dog."
The proprietor prepared the dish with some powdered garlic, and placed it before Lu Ta who tore the flesh apart with his fingers and dipping it in the garlic, and ate it. Although he drank ten cups of wine, he still wanted more. The innkeeper was afraid and remarked he had had enough. Lu Ta stared at him, "I will pay you, so why interfere?" The man asked how much he wanted and Lu Ta said, "A bucketful." This was supplied and Lu Ta drank it rapidly. There was still a leg of the dog which he picked up and put it in his breast. As he left the inn, he said that he would come again the next day. The proprietor was speechless on hearing this, and saw that he was going in the direction for Wu Tai Shan.
Lu Ta walked halfway up the mountain and rested in an arbor till the effect of the wine passed away. At last, getting up, he said to himself, "For a long time I have had no drill in boxing and feel my body is not in good form -- I will have a little practice here. Taking his long sleeves, he rolled up the ends and thrust in all directions. He was swinging his arm, when he struck against a pillar of the arbor with such force as to break it, and it fell with a great crash. The doorkeeper of the monastery heard this
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noise, and looking below saw that Lu Ta was staggering up the path. He said, "Much trouble! This brute is extremely drunk again." He closed the gate, and taking the bar fastened it. Then gazed through a crack in the door, and watched Lu Ta approaching. When Lu Ta reached the door he struck it with his fist but the gatekeeper dared not open it. Lu Ta turned and saw on the left side of the door, an idol, covered with gilt, to which he shouted, "You, big fellow, why do you not knock the door for me, instead of frightening me with that attitude: but I am not afraid of you." He then mounted the steps-took hold of the railings in front of the idol, and pulled them up, as if plucking onions. He took one of the broken rails and struck the idol: the painted clay fell to the ground. The gatekeeper seeing this ran to report it to the abbot. Lu Ta then turned, and saw another gilded idol, at which he shouted, "You are opening your mouth wide, and laugh at me." He ascended the steps on that side and struck the foot of the idol twice with the railing. There was a tremendous noise as the idol fell to the ground at which Lu Ta laughed loudly.
When the abbot heard of the matter, he said, "We must not make him angry: you had better go away." A crowd of priests had collected, and they said, "That wild cat is extremely drunk He has broken the arbor and the idols at the entrance. What shall we do?"
"Since ancient times the emperor has always avoided drunken men, so why should I not do the same," said the abbot. "As to the images and the arbor he destroyed, the patron will repair them."
The priests left the abbot's quarters saying, "How stupid is our abbot. The doorkeepers do not open the door but listen."
Outside, Lu Ta was shouting, "You bald-headed donkeys and robbers of women! If you do not let me enter the temple I will set fire to the building."
The priests upon hearing this told the gatekeepers to draw the bar and let the brute in. They did this quietly and stealthily, and then hurried into the buildings to hide themselves. The priests also got out of the way.
Lu Ta using both hands pushed against the doors with great force and fell to the ground as they opened. Scrambling
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up, he rubbed his head, and then rushed into the worship. ing hall. There were many visiting priests seated in contemplation, and they were alarmed at his sudden, noisy entrance. Lu Ta went to the side of the hall and vomited. The priests were disgusted with the stench and covered their noses with their hands. Lu Ta got on a bed, took off his silk belt, and tore apart the fastenings of his clothes, and the dog's leg fell out. "How nice," he said (picking it up), "I am very hungry just now." So saying he ate it. Upon seeing this the priests covered their faces with their sleeves, and those on both sides of him withdrew, Lu Ta seeing this movement, offered a piece of the dog's leg to a priest who covered his face with his sleeves. Lu Ta asked why he did not eat it, and then pushed the flesh at the lips of another priest. About five priests on neighboring beds leapt forward to intervene but Lu Ta throwing the meat away hit the priest with his fist several times. This raised a loud shout from the priests who went to the cupboards to get their clothes and alms bowls with the idea of leaving. This created
a general confusion which the priest in charge could not control. The superintendent summoned all the servants, including coolies, cooks' assistants, messengers, sedan-chair carriers, altogether about two hundred men, who seized sticks, rice shovels, staffs and cudgels, and placing towels round their heads, entered the hall in a body. Upon seeing them Lu Ta howled, and, having no weapon, hurried to the center of the hall, pushed over the table for offerings in front of Buddha, and having broken off two of the legs he advanced. When the menial priests saw his fierce expression, they retreated to the veranda, but as Lu Ta only flourished the table legs they soon returned to the attack. Lu Ta was very angry and struck on both sides. He had moved towards the hall where the scriptures were expounded, and there he met the abbot who called out, "Lu Ta, you are unreasonable! You priests must not lay a hand on him." The priests retreated and Lu Ta threw away the legs of the table, asking the abbot, "Will you tell me what I must do?" At that moment Lu Ta was nearly sober.
"Lu Ta, you have implicated me seriously," said the abbot. “You were drunk previously and created a lot of trouble. Now you are again drunk, knocked down an arbor and
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broken two idols. You have also made trouble with the priests, so that they have all to go away. This sin of yours is not a small one. This, my Wen Chu Temple, on Wu Tai Shan, has been kept holy and sacred for more than a thousand years, so how can I keep a filthy thing like you here? But you can live in my quarters for a few days more until I find a place for you to go to."
Lu Ta accompanied the abbot to his quarters. The abbot sent word for the visiting priests to return and continue their contemplations. The priests that were injured had their wounds attended to.
Next day, the abbot wrote a letter to Squire Chao sending it with two messengers who waited for his reply -- When Squire Chao read the letter, he was very sad. He wrote a reply and said that he would pay for the repairs; as for Lu Ta, he would leave him to the abbot to be banished.
When the abbot received the letter, he instructed his attendants to bring a gown of black cloth, a pair of shoes, ten ounces of silver, and fetch Lu Ta. Upon his arrival the abbot reproved him about his offences; telling him he had decided to expel him from the monastery. He continued, "During the night I thought of your affairs, and have prepared for you four sentences from our sayings which you can use until your dying day."
Laughing priest with staff so rare,
And ordained sword so beautiful;
Fought with heroes everywhere,
And punished traitorous ministers,
We will now relate what the abbot said.
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CHAPTER 4
LITTLE TYRANT WHEN DRUNK GOES INSIDE
THE BED CURTAINS; LU TA, THE PRIEST
HAS A FIGHT AT TAO HWA TSUN
THE abbot spoke, "Chih Shen (Wise and Deep), you certainly cannot stay here, but I have a mate called Chih, Ching, who is the abbot of Ta Hsiang Kwo Temple in Kaifeng, and you can go there for refuge, and work for the priests. I have here a letter of introduction for you. Last night I thought over your case, and decided to give you four sentences from our sacred sayings, and until your dying day you must not forget them."
Lu Ta (Chih Shen) knelt down, and said, "I am willing to listen to these sayings."
The abbot continued and said: (1) "When you see a forest your lot will be improved; (2) when you see a mountain you will become rich; (3) when you enter a department (chou) you will move on; and (4) when you see a river (chiang, also a man's name) you will stop."
Lu Ta upon hearing these four "sayings" kotowed three times three. He then put on his back a bundle, two girdles round his waist, hid away the letter, bid farewell to the abbot and the crowd of priests. He departed from Wu Tai Shan and went to the inn in the village, near the blacksmith's shop, where he stayed for a few days until the priest's staff and sword were finished. He also got a scabbard for the sword, and had the staff varnished. He took a number of pieces of silver and paid the blacksmith. He left, and the passers-by gazed after him as he was really a very strange sight. He followed the road towards the Eastern Capital (Kaifeng). In more than half a month he had not slept in a single temple; but had rested and eaten his food at inns, and bought his wine in wine shops. One day he was enjoying the scenery of a mountain stream and did not notice it
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was evening, and that he had not found a place to sleep. The road was quite deserted. After he had gone thirty li more, he passed over a plank bridge, where he saw in the distance a red light emerging from a group of trees. It was a farmhouse in a wood with surrounding wild mountains rising one above the other. He went to the farmhouse and saw outside a dozen men who were very busy moving things about. He placed his staff against the wall and spoke to the men to attract their attention.
The villagers said, "Mr. Priest, why do you arrive so late at our farm?"
"As I cannot find an inn near here," replied Lu Ta, "I should like to stay at your farm to-night, and will leave here early to-morrow morning."
"We have some business here to-night so that you cannot stay. "
"However inconvenient it is, let me stay to-night," said Lu Ta.
"Mr. Priest, you had better go at once, and do not risk your life here."
"This is strange," replied Lu Ta. "If I only stay for one night how shall I risk my life?" "Go away!" said the villagers. "If you do not go we shall tie you up."
Lu Ta became angry. "You villagers are unreasonable. I have not said anything wrong, yet you want to tie me up."
Some of the villagers abused him, while others acted as mediators. Lu Ta took his staff and threatened to beat them; just then he saw an old man. He was over sixty years of age and was walking with a staff that reached above his head. He called, "What is all this noise about?"
The villagers answered, "This detestable priest desires to beat us." Lu Ta spoke, "I am from Wu Tai Shan, and am on my way to the Eastern Capital on some business. This evening I have not found an inn, and should like to make use of your noble house for one night. Your servants were unreasonable, and wanted to tie me up."
"As you are a priest from Wu Tai Shan please come inside," the old man said. They went into the guest chamber and sat down. The old man said, "You must not think us impolite because our servants did not know that you are from a place where there is a living Buddha, and they took you
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as an ordinary person. I previously believed in Buddhism. Although we have some affair this evening, yet you may stay here tonight."
Lu Ta placed his staff against a chair, and rising, signified his appreciation, and then asked his host's name.
"My name is Liu and the villagers call me 'Sire Liu.' This place is called Tao Hwa Tsun. May I ask your name and also your priestly name?"
"My superior -- the abbot Chih Chen, gave me the name Chih Shen (Wise and Deep) but my surname is Lu."
"Master, will you take a little supper with me? but I do not know whether you are willing to eat meat with me," said Sire Liu.
"I can eat meat and drink wine. Whether the wine is yellow or clear, or from Shaoshing, I am not particular; and I can eat either meat or dog's flesh."
Very soon the servants prepared a table with a plate of beef and four, different vegetables. Lu Ta (Chih Shen) took off his belt and waist girdle, and sat down. He did not stand on ceremony, nor did he decline anything, Sire Liu, who sat opposite, stared at him, but only ate rice. When the servants cleared the table Sire Liu told them that as things were upset, Lu Ta would sleep in a small side room. He then informed Lu Ta that if there was a noise outside in the night, he should not notice it. Lu Ta inquired what was the affair to occur that night, and he was told that it was something that a priest could not take part in.
"But why is your appearance so sorrowful?" asked Lu Ta, "I hope that my coming has not been inconvenient. I will give you money for my lodging to-morrow."
"Master, please listen to me," said Sire Liu, "I always give food to pries
ts, and bestow charity on them, so I cannot accept money from you. To-night I have invited some one to come and marry my daughter, therefore I am quite busy."
Lu Ta laughed loudly. "When men and women are fully grown they must marry; this is the proper thing for men and it is in accordance with the five constant virtues. So why should there be trouble?"
"You, master, do not understand this marriage," said Sire Liu, "but the fact is that my daughter is not willing to marry."
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Lu Ta laughingly replied, "Sire, you are a silly fellow. If she does not agree why have you invited the man to marry her?"
"I have only one daughter, and she is ninteen years old," Sire Liu remarked. "Near here, there is a mountain called Tao Hwa Shan. Recently two bandit chiefs have erected a stronghold there, and have collected about seven hundred men, and they rob the cottages near here. The officers in charge of the troops at Ching Chou have tried to arrest them without success. The bandits then came here, and demanded money. When one of the chiefs saw my daughter, he presented her twenty ounces of gold, and a roll of red embroidered silk as a token of his desire for an engagement. He has selected this night to come and marry the girl. I cannot dispute the matter with him but I must agree to his demand. And that is why I am annoyed."