Chapter 28: Reverence for the Divine
Madam Sha stood frozen, her mind struggling to process the whirlwind of events.
Chen Shi, catching his breath, removed the ram-horn bronze lamp from his back and smiled. "Madam, I’ve retrieved your lamp!"
To his surprise, the old woman trembled as she rushed forward, embracing him tightly. Her frail body shook with sobs, tears streaming down her weathered face as she held him like a lost child returned home.
"My boy, my precious boy… I’ll never let you risk your life again!"
She cried so bitterly that Chen Shi felt both touched and awkward. Despite her earlier obsession with the lamp, she now ignored it entirely.
For a long time, she held him close before finally releasing him, wiping her tears. She checked him over thoroughly, ensuring he was unharmed, only then breathing a sigh of relief.
"Madam, are you alright?" Chen Shi asked tentatively.
Hearing his voice, Madam Sha’s eyes filled with sorrow. Memories of her own son, Tianyu, flooded back.
"If Tianyu were still alive," she murmured, "he’d be grown by now, probably with a family of his own. His child might be about your age."
Her thoughts drifted to the past, recalling her clever, mischievous boy who had always been so full of life and promise. Like Chen Shi, he had been both naughty and kindhearted, capable of driving her mad one moment and melting her heart the next. But her ambition had cost her dearly. In her quest for the mystical Three Lives Stone—a treasure that could only be found in the Netherworld—she had sent Tianyu’s soul into that perilous realm, armed with protective talismans and spells. She had hoped the stone would help her transcend her limits and achieve greatness.
Tianyu had gone willingly, trusting her completely.
But he never returned.
When seven days passed, his body, untended and soulless, succumbed to death. Her precious son was lost, his soul wandering the Netherworld without a way back.
His death shattered her family. Her husband left her, unable to forgive what she had done. Since that day, guilt and remorse had haunted her every waking moment.
She sighed deeply, placing a hand on Chen Shi’s head.
"I won’t ask you to do anything dangerous again," she whispered.
Chen Shi raised the lamp with a grin. "Is this the lamp you were looking for?"
Madam Sha managed a small smile, nodding. "For this stupid lamp, I nearly got you killed. Do you hate me, Little Ten?"
Shaking his head, Chen Shi replied earnestly, "Grandpa told me you’ve done so much for me in the past. He said I should repay your kindness."
Her heart warmed, and she felt tears threaten to fall again. She quickly changed the subject. "It’s getting late. Let’s head back."
As they walked toward Gangzi Village, Madam Sha explained the lamp’s origins.
"This is no ordinary lamp. It’s called the Ram-Horn Celestial Lamp, a treasure wielded only by ghost kings among the Yin Wardens. It can pierce the veil between the mortal and Netherworld realms, revealing hidden truths and secrets."
She continued, "Years ago, a few of us joined forces to defeat the Horse-Faced Ghost King, whose lamp was a fearsome weapon. Severely injured, he fell into the River Wangchuan with the lamp. I thought for sure he’d died, but he managed to survive thanks to the river’s unique properties."
Madam Sha shuddered at the thought. "If he had retained even a shred of his former strength, a single breath would’ve crushed you."
They reached the village at dusk, where Black Pot awaited at the entrance.
"Black Pot, did Grandpa send you to fetch me for dinner?" Chen Shi asked, scratching the dog’s ears.
The dog wagged its tail but said nothing.
"Go home and eat," Madam Sha urged. "Come by tomorrow, and I’ll take you to the temple you’re looking for."
Chen Shi thanked her profusely before departing with Black Pot, their figures disappearing into the evening haze.
Watching them go, Madam Sha was overwhelmed by bittersweet emotions.
"He’s just like Tianyu was—so smart, so determined, always keeping his promises," she thought wistfully.
Back at her home, she placed the bronze lamp on the table, its weight causing the wood to groan. Though it had seemed light in Chen Shi’s hands, the lamp weighed over 300 pounds.
Using a silver hairpin, she adjusted the wick. The lamp’s flame flared, and the tiny bronze figure atop the ram let out an eerie scream, its face contorted in pain. Gradually, the flame stabilized, and the figure’s expression relaxed into a strange smile.
Madam Sha activated the lamp, and its light surged outward, piercing through her home, the village, and even the mountains, illuminating the shadows of the Netherworld.
Peering into the gloom, she whispered, "Tianyu, where are you? Have you lost your way? Mother has come to find you…"
At home, Chen Shi found Grandpa waiting with dinner already prepared. After washing up, he sat down to eat.
"Did Madam Sha ask you to do anything dangerous?" Grandpa inquired casually.
Chen Shi shook his head with a smile. "No, Grandpa. She’s very kind to me."
"Good," Grandpa replied, his tone measured. He turned away, chewing on a candle. "Madam Sha is a good person, but her obsessions sometimes drive her to extremes. If she ever asks you to go to the Netherworld, don’t agree."
Chen Shi felt a chill run down his spine. "Too late," he thought, deciding not to confess his adventure.
The next morning, Chen Shi eagerly set off for Gangzi Village after paying respects to his Godmother Tree.
At the village entrance, Black Pot barked once.
"I know," Grandpa muttered darkly. "He’s lying. He went to the Netherworld yesterday."
Black Pot tilted its head, as if to protest, but Grandpa continued grimly, "That boy needs a lesson in honesty. And Madam Sha—she’s meddling too much. She even dared to try and steal my grandson!"
Black Pot sighed internally. "Why do I always get blamed?"
In Gangzi Village, Madam Sha had prepared breakfast and waited for Chen Shi.
"Grandpa’s cooking is so bad, even dogs wouldn’t eat it. You’ve endured it for years!" she teased, watching him devour her meal.
Afterward, Chen Shi eagerly helped her clean up, then waited expectantly.
"You’re impatient, aren’t you?" she chuckled, grabbing a basket and leading him toward the mountains.
The trail was steep and treacherous, carved into the cliffs with barely enough room for a single person to pass. At one point, they encountered a massive ancient tree, its gnarled roots sprawling across the landscape like a natural fortress.
"Pay your respects to Madam Zhuang," Madam Sha instructed, lighting incense at the tree’s base.
From a hollow in the trunk emerged a tiny, elderly spirit with kind eyes and a toothless smile.
Chen Shi bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Madam Zhuang."
The spirit nodded approvingly. "Good boy, good boy."
As they continued their journey, Madam Sha imparted wisdom: "Respect the mountains as you would the gods. Everything here has a spirit—the trees, the stones, the streams. Show reverence, and the path will open. Show disrespect, and even safe roads may turn deadly."
At one point, their path was blocked by black stones. Madam Sha lit incense and bowed. "We mean no harm. Please allow us passage."
The stones shifted, revealing themselves to be the scales of a massive black serpent. As they moved, the colossal creature came into view, its breath stirring clouds and winds.
Chen Shi gazed in awe at the serpent, a tranquil guardian of the mountain, embodying the spirit of the wild.