Chapter Twenty-Nine: Rhinoceros Lamp

The old man recounted an episode from his youth, and only then did we understand why he refused to dine with us.
“It must be because the spirits have chosen to test me, playing such tricks to remind me that I should do good deeds without expecting reward,” he said with a gentle smile.
Even after hearing his story, I found it difficult to believe. Was it really so serious, all over a few pieces of braised pork? It seemed a bit exaggerated.
Among everyone at the table, Shao was the most timid, yet his curiosity was unmatched. After the story, he couldn’t resist asking more questions.
“Old sir, does the Five Immortal Shrine’s spirit master have any lineage or tradition?”
The old man nodded. “At Huangshan Village, on the eastern slopes of Mount Laoshan, there is a cave of the Fox Immortal. It’s said to be where the spirit tablet of Lord Hu San is worshipped. Lord Hu San and Lady Hu San are our leaders, known as the Guardian Spirits of the household.”
In China’s many tales of the supernatural, “The Investiture of the Gods” is perhaps the most comprehensive and excellent interpretation of our celestial system. The Investiture of the Gods mythologizes the conflict between King Zhou of Shang and King Wen and King Wu of Zhou as the rivalry among three schools of thought: Human, Immortal, and Demon. This brings us to our indigenous religion, Daoism, also called the Three Pure Ones’ teaching. The Three Pure Ones are the Primordial Lord of Heaven, the Lord of Virtue (Laozi), and the Lord of Treasure (Master Tongtian). It is well-known that Master Tongtian’s school, the Demon Sect, had the most disciples. The spirit masters, or “spirit riders,” are a branch passed down from the Demon Sect of the Lord of Treasure, and today, most spirit masters are found near Changbai Mountain in the northeast.
We chatted with the old man until Yu Tianhua approached him. “Father, you should rest now.”
The old man nodded, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to us, and said, “Friends, I am too old and frail to be of much use. Mr. Shao’s request will be handled by my children and grandchildren.” With that, he nodded again, saluted, and, together with his wife, returned to their bedroom.
We all bowed deeply to the old man, whose lifetime of helping others was truly admirable.
“All right, I’m about to begin the ritual. I won’t mind if you want to watch, but as Xianzhi said yesterday, anyone with a weak heart or nerves should stay outside,” Yu Tianhua said half-jokingly.
We looked at each other uncertainly. Shao, trembling, stepped forward. “Master, may I stay outside?”
“No, you can’t. You are the host,” Yu Tianhua replied, shaking his head.
“Xue, you’re a delicate lady; perhaps you shouldn’t go in,” Yu Xianzhi teased, pulling at Xue’s sleeve.
Xue glared at him. “What, you expect me to stay here alone in the hall?”
Xianzhi was thoroughly embarrassed and scratched his head.
Just then, Yu Tianhua cast a strange glance at Mengya, who shivered under his gaze. “Daoist, what is it?”
“Um…” Yu Tianhua hesitated for a moment, then sighed, “I advise you not to go in.”
“Why?” Mengya looked puzzled.
Yu Tianhua shook his head and waved his hand. “If you insist, I won’t object.”
Listening to their exchange, I felt a sense of foreboding. I tugged at Mengya’s sleeve and suggested, “Mengya, stay outside with Xue.”
“Do you need to mind my business?”
Mengya’s sudden anger startled everyone. Yang Puqiao stammered, “What’s going on? Why is this clerk speaking to you that way?”

I ignored Yang Puqiao’s question and looked up at Mengya, handing her the car keys from my pocket.
She looked at me bitterly, understood my intention for her to leave, then forced a smile and, with tearful eyes, turned away and left the Five Immortal Shrine.
“Brother Qiu, is this really the right thing to do?” Shao asked in shock, the only one aware we lived together, hence his question.
I could only wave my hand helplessly, turning away to wipe the tears I struggled to hold back.
After a moment’s silence, Yu Tianhua looked around. “Let’s do this: all the ladies, please stay outside.”
Xue, hugging her shoulders, reluctantly sat down with Zhang Yuxi on a brocade stool beside the dining table.
We followed Yu Tianhua and his son into the backyard, where there was a single room coated in black paint. Oddly, the room had neither windows nor vents.
The Yu family knelt before the door, bowing their heads several times, muttering some incantation. After several minutes of kneeling and chanting, they bowed three times, repeating the cycle seven times. Finally, Yu Tianhua stood, saluted three times, and opened the black door.
“Creak~”
The door emitted a strange sound, opening slowly as if against resistance.
Yu Xianzhi looked back at us, nodded, and we three followed him inside.
As we stepped through the doorway, a chill swept over us, an eerie coldness even in the heat of July and August.
Inside, a shrine faced us, bearing five statues, each resembling an old man, seated on thrones with staffs—some holding dusters, all smiling kindly. Before the statues, a Ming dynasty square furnace with twin dragon handles and a pair of Qing dynasty alloy candlesticks stood on the altar.
Yu Tianhua took a dark green incense stick from beside the burner, lit it, bowed three times, and placed it in the burner, closing his eyes and reciting unknown incantations.
Yu Xianzhi lit the candlesticks, and their orange glow illuminated the room. He turned and closed the door, sealing us in.
“The spirits must avoid daylight,” Yu Xianzhi explained.
I had heard of this before; immortals in cultivation fear certain things. First, filth like excrement or bodily fluids. Second, the ‘three lights’—sun, moon, and stars. According to ancient texts, exposure to these can damage their cultivation.
Yu Xianzhi, having secured the door, looked at us and gave a strange smile. “Are you mentally prepared?”
His words sent a chill through us all. He handed a black medicine bottle to his father. Yu Tianhua chanted for several minutes, then opened the bottle and poured its contents onto the candle flame.
“Whoosh.”
The white powder turned to ash under the flame, and a horrifying scene unfolded.
The fire suddenly glowed fluorescent green, and the room, once lit by orange candlelight, turned pitch black. Shadows in white robes, hair disheveled, eyes glowing red, faces twisted, floated around us.
“Urk~”

Shao gasped and fainted, collapsing to the floor.
Yu Xianzhi sighed, walked over, and slapped his forehead.
“Smack!”
Shao slowly opened his eyes, looked at Yu Xianzhi, and tears streamed down his face. “Immortal, save me.”
“No need to fear. This is rhinoceros illumination.”
I understood instantly. The term was familiar—rhinoceros illumination refers to the light from burning rhinoceros horn, a method recorded as early as the Jin dynasty for communicating with spirits and seeing objects from both worlds and other dimensions.
“Kneel!” Yu Xianzhi whispered urgently. We obeyed, dropping to our knees.
No sooner had we knelt than Yu Tianhua, at the front, suddenly convulsed as if struck by lightning.
After several minutes of twitching, he finally calmed. He hesitated, then bowed three times and beckoned Shao over.
“Come.”
Shao, trembling, walked forward. Suddenly, Yu Tianhua grabbed a gleaming dagger from the table and stabbed Shao’s finger.
Blood streamed from Shao’s hand, dripping onto the floor.
“Mercy…”
Instantly, a mournful wail rose from the bloodstains. In the eerie green candlelight, three ghostly, terrifying figures floated above the blood.
“That’s the child!” Shao screamed, pointing at the shortest spirit.
The ghastly child sobbed in anguish, blood tears streaming down its face.
“Is this your cousin’s family?” Yu Tianhua asked, indicating the three spirits.
Shao mustered his courage, looked closely, and shook his head. “I don’t know these three.”
Yu Tianhua nodded, knelt, bowed three times, pressed his palms together, and chanted. The white-robed, red-eyed, snarling spirits slowly drifted back into the statues.