Yu Shu died, yet somehow did not die.
She was sealed inside a statue of the Ten Directions, cut off from the light of day.
Decades passed, empty and endless. The cold, rough inner walls of the statue gradually bred boundless hatred within her. That hatred turned into an unceasing stream of resentment, shrouding Mount Xiayu all year round.
One night, a young married woman came up the mountain to burn paper offerings and incense. She had come to pray for a child.
Yu Shu inhaled the incense and was deeply displeased. She was no Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy who grants children. But she longed too much to see daylight again.
So she struck a bargain with the young woman.
*
Wenzhen of Qingfeng Temple was a monk, a fake monk!
Ever since he woke up at Qingfeng Temple, he had naturally assumed he was a monk too, albeit one who had not taken full vows.
Every day, he carried water and chopped wood, unable to recall anything about his past.
That was, until several villagers came to the temple, claiming a man-eating monster had appeared in their village.
Wenzhen went to Mount Xiayu and actually dug a fearsome statue out of the ground. Sealed inside the stone statue was a female fiend.
She was dead, yet not dead, neither human nor ghost, and neither mortal nor immortal.
She wanted to kill him and eat his heart to increase her power.
He wanted to deliver her from evil, lead her back to the right path, and earn merit.
*
Yu Shu discovered that she couldn't kill the foolish monk, so she placed a spell on him: she would be the master, and he her servant.
Wenzhen thought the spell didn't seem to do much to him. Still, he felt he ought to stay by her side, keep an eye on her, and guide her toward salvation!
So, lowering his eyes obediently, he called her, "Master."
*
The crescent moon is sharp, the red coffin rocks. With gongs and drums, we invite the Yin Bride. Born of utmost yin, she delights in yin; the ghosts and gods of the Ten Directions honor Huang Liang.
Bow to the roof beam, rejoice, and invite the Yin Bride to the bridal bed. Yin Bride, Yin Bride, don't cry out. Lead me first into the Hall of Rebirth.
A revenge-seeking girl who thinks she is steeped in sin and a scheming monk who thinks he is saving all sentient beings.
(This story was inspired by the Kumari, or Living Goddess, of Nepal.)
Theme: Only when the lamp is lit can a single mote of dust be seen
