The clerk now held on to the great teacher with his free hand as if never to let go, and before long they came to the wulong altar. Groups of monks and wizards had already been waiting there for some time; on hearing that the new wizard had arrived they formed two groups in front of the altar to welcome him.

Zhang Ying noted that the altar was situated on high ground, surrounded on all sides by forest. The remaining five dragons left behind by the nun Xi had been constructed with bones of bamboo and paper skin pasted on, with scales of the appropriate color painted on each. At the center of the ritual ground stood a large oilcloth tent supported on a frame, with tables and chairs set up inside. Before long the common folk began arriving in throngs, thousands of them from both sides of the wall, but the magistrate was nowhere to be seen.

"He wasn't willing to follow me here," thought Zhang, "and for whatever convenient reason of his made me walk on while he rode in the carriage alone. Well, I'm here to make rain for these good people so I'll just pretend that walking the distance wasn't really an indignity, but why don't I have a little fun with him while I'm at it?" He then called over a young Daoist.

"The county chief hasn't arrived yet, so why don't we start warming things up in advance?" he instructed. He then took hold of the young man's arm and drew it forward, drawing an invisible amulet with his finger on the boy's open palm and folding his own paper sword charm.

"When you meet the county chief, tell him get over here in person and receive his rain. If he can't decide just open this fist and he'll become a believer fast! He can't just wait it out on the road somewhere."

Then he told the youth to remove his shoes and drew charms on the soles, telling him that he'd walk really fast upon putting them back on, and that he could stop by shouting the words "Whoa! Stop!" in a loud voice. Now, when that young man put on those shoes he was moved away at once, swept off as if by the wind. He fairly flew along that road to town for four or five li when he met with the county magistrate and shouted ""Whoa! Stop!" as directed. As a result he came to a gentle stop right in front of the chief's retinue. There was his excellency the magistrate sitting in a veiled bluish green and red summer palanquin, his four bearers and four assistants holding up a large blue tassled parasol for shade. The young Daoist walked up to him and relayed the message as he'd been told to.

"The Wizard requests that you come immediately to receive the rain!"

"And just where is there any rain to be found on a hot day like this?"

"He was afraid you would hesitate so he ordered me to show my palm as a message!" the youth replied, flinging open his fist.

Suddenly a crash of thunder and lightning seemed to come from his open palm, flattening that palanquin down to its carrying poles! The magistrate leapt out of the collapsing sedan chair in horror, hands tightly covering his ears and face like ash. The others lay all over where they had fallen and even the young Daoist cringed dumbly in fear. After a moment of calm the chief sent a man to crawl forth and assist the others nearby, and to go try to borrow a mule or horse to continue the journey. But there were only a few monks to be seen leading a fair number of ordinary folk, all worked up and eager to escort the county chief to worship at the altar.

Now, that magistrate had received a terrible shock and now didn't dare dally around. He could only give the order and off he went, pressed and jostled by the surging crowd as they made their way to the rain altar, having first sent a man back to the county office to bring both horses and palanquin for his return.

Zhang Ying spotted the magistrate approaching and went forth to welcome him to the site. "Why hasn't your excellency come by sedan chair?" he asked.

The county chief then told him how the palanquin had been flattened by that thunderbolt. "Master," he continued, "with powers like yours it won't be difficult at all to bring rain and make all of our people so happy!"

"It's no idle boast of mine, either," said Zhang; "that wind, thunder, cloud and rain are all things I carry around in the little bag on my belt. A little theatrics and you'll see for yourself. Now if I may trouble you for a big umbrella..."

The magistrate called out, came up with three blue silk umbrellas and passed them to Zhang Ying, who took one in hand, whirled around twice and leapt up with his arms raised. "Rise!" he shouted, and upon his breath that umbrella ascended ever so gradually into the sky. At its maximum height it changed into a dark cloud, covering the sun and holding back its red rays. The assembled folk all raised their faces to behold the sight, and Zhang then beckoned with his hand for the cloud to obligingly descend and change back into that umbrella, and once again the fiery round sun came out.

The magistrate was at once delighted and afraid and asked Master Zhang to take to the altar and quickly pray for rain to relieve the entire region's drought.

"We mustn't overdo the formalities," announced Zhang. "Ten days ago I encountered a heavy rainstorm while passing Mt Nanminshan, and I'm going to bring those clouds here now to fulfill their destiny right over your fine county!"

He then reached into his thorn basket, took out a tiny gourd medicine vial and held it before the altar, instructing the magistrate to burn incense and pray. Zhang then folded slips and recited charms, and when they had taken effect he collected the resulting potion on his tortoise shell fan and poured it into the vial. Suddenly a blast of strong wind arose before the altar while a black ether rose into the sky from out of that gourd vial, and the two combined into a heavy overcast. He then put away the vial, walked over beside those bamboo and paper dragons and chanted:

Then what did they see but the dragon's scales and fins all beginning to move, and then suddenly it soared up into the sky and disappeared. A few moments later lightning flashed wildly and thunder cracked and rumbled, and raindrops as big as fists began falling. The people roared in amazed delight and ran for cover every which way.

The county magistrate also wanted to leave but his palanquin hadn't yet arrived from the county hall, so he was forced to take shelter under the big canopy together with his men and all of the monks and wizards. In an instant it was coming down in torrents, but the cloth of the tent had been treated with hot oil and placed carefully high up on the frame above them so that very little water dripped inside. They had to use tables and chairs, however, to block the unprotected sides from the rain and gale. Some of the people had brought parasols, but the wind caught them and turned them inside out. Then all of a sudden just as the storm was at the peak of its fury what should appear but a golden snake, attacking wildly to the accompanyment of crashing and rolling thunder and just swirling left and right without leaving the altar! "Dare I ask, Master," enquired the Magistrate, "why the Thunder God is so angry?"

"I suppose he's seen inside our hearts and knows there are some wicked people here, eh?" answered Zhang, who then addressed the serpent in a loud voice:

"Lord of Thunder, hear my pronouncement of Heaven's law! If there really is a corrupt clerk or official, fallen monk or rogue wizard among us then you must punish him at immediately! If not, go away at once!"

At that moment the the thunder roared and crashed without cease while the magistrate fell down in prayer, crying out regrets for his past failings. The clerks and officials present were likewise saying what they no doubt thought to be their last prayers as were the Buddists and Daoists, all falling over each other in heaps as they chanted frantically for forgiveness. Zhang Ying saw everything with that flawless eyesight of his and laughed.

After about an hour the sound of rain stopped and the lightning and thunder ceased as well. The people felt relieved, and clambered forth from the ritual ground to take in the sights and sounds of the mist-veiled mountains so full of fowl, the gushing streams and overflowing ponds, clear evidence that three feet of rain had indeed fallen.

Zhang Ying looked down and saw a Daoist with a crippled leg doing the talking. Slight of build and in filthy clothing, he was carrying a green wooden staff. During the heavy rain he had hobbled up to the altar yet he didn't have a drop of water on his entire body. Mounting the altar he cast down his stick, clasped his hands and kowtowed to the magistrate, much to the shock of all present.

"You begging priest!" exclaimed Zhang. "I succeed in making rain from this very altar, saving all the living souls here, and you stand here besmirching my good name and deeds! Would you dare to enter a little duel of sorcery against me?"

"Whatever magic you think you know, I'll see you and do you one better!" said the cripple, who was of course our very own Quezi.

Enraged, Zhang Ying dropped his tortoise shell fan. "Go hit that beggar priest!" he shouted, and the fan sailed forth gradually bound for Quezi's scalp, causing him to laugh loudly and raise his head, making up his turban rise up as if on a pair of stilts to catch the that fan in mid air! They looked just like two fighting eagles, one on top of the other!

"Where are you, my stick?" shouted Quezi. Suddenly that green wooden staff was seen jumping right up, bounding over and striking Zhang Ying, who brushed off his sleeve and made that thorn basket of his rise up in front of him as if at the end of a carrying pole. The onlookers could only gasp in amazement and step aside, and even the magistrate didn't dare get too close. Each of the combatants stood his ground but neither could gain the advantage and both received a harsh dose of Heaven's law.

In great anger did Zhang Ying then pull himself together for another effort. "Black dragon, come at once!" he shouted, raising his arms toward the north. Quezi heard this and enlisted the help of that yellow dragon by the altar. That same black dragon that had previously soared on high to make rain could now be seen flying back through the clouds and fog toward the altar, while the yellow dragon, its scaley wings and fins drumming to life, leapt off the ground and soared up to meet it in aerial combat! Now, since olden times it has been said that "earth blocks water", and accordingly the black dragon could not best his yellow adversary. "Green dragon, go up to assist!" ordered Zhang Ying. Then Quezi ordered the white dragon off to intercept them. Gnashing his teeth Zhang Ying quickly ordered the red dragon up to help out. The five dragons then danced and swirled wildly as they grappled in the sky, the five elements gold, wood, water, fire and earth mutually joining and blocking each other and making a great commotion. A wild wind then arose and blew down the tent and bamboo scaffold.

Now, just as the people were struggling back to their feet yet another monk walked onto the scene. With gold rings hanging from his ears and wearing a cassock with a flame design, he was holding a small crystal monk's bowl in his palm. Nobody had even seen which way he'd just come from!

"All right, I'm here to break it up!" he shouted. "You're both about the same in skill and you're just harming yourselves with your combined powers!" He then cocked his arm and threw that crystal monk's bowl with all his might up into the sky, where it changed into a bright, five-colored pearl. The five dragons were then attracted to this treasure and deployed themselves in a circle around it. Quezi recognized the interloper at once as Bonze Dan, and although secretly pleased he went along with it without giving them both away. All eyes were on the monk as he spoke.

"You two have battled to a draw with Heaven's charms as weapons. Well, whichever of you can snatch up that cystal bowl of mine and give it back to me I'll proclaim the master!"

"No problem at all!" said Zhang Ying and Quezi in harmony, accepting the challenge. They then chanted to themselves and received powers, and suddenly those dragons were once again just bamboo with paper pasted on, sitting inanimately in their old places without having left a trace of their return flight for anyone to see. And there in front of everybody Zhang Ying caught the crystal bowl in his sleeve and returned it to the monk.

"It's a fraud!" shouted Quezi. It's really right here on me!" And sure enough he removed the very same crystal bowl, same size and all, from inside the seat of his pants! The monk would take neither as his original, but instead stroked his own sleeve and produced that same bowl. "Mine is here," he laughed. "Now quit fooling around, you two!"

Actually, Zhang Ying's "crystal bowl" was only a transformation of his little gourd medicine vial, while Quezi's was merely transformed out of his own gourd flask. As soon as the real crystal bowl appeared these two fakes returned to their original forms, and everybody had a good laugh while putting them away.

Secretly, Zhang Ying was shocked. "That begging monk's powers really are a match for mine," he fumed, "and the wild bonze is just too much!" And here's a poem: