書生劉彥昌遊歷華山,遇上盜匪,幸得華山聖母相救,二人欲諧婚眷,卻被二郎神所阻。聖母以修練千年之寶蓮燈擊退二郎神,終與劉彥昌結為夫婦。
二郎神命哮天犬盜去寶蓮燈,令聖母法力頓失。她被圍攻不敵受擒,囚於華山之下。劉彥昌驚見愛妻罹禍,悲痛欲絕,後得聖母侍女靈芝相助,攜子下山。他回鄉後,娶民婦王桂英,並生下秋兒。十餘年後,沉香長成,愛抱打不平。一日,丞相之子秦官寶仗勢調戲婦女,沉香與秋兒氣憤不過,發生爭執,混亂間將秦官寶殺死。丞相大怒,下令拘捕沉香與秋兒。兩人奔告父母,又爭認兇手,劉彥昌深感為難。王桂英強忍悲痛帶秋兒應訊,又吐露沉香身世。沉香又驚又悲,辭別父母與弟,修練仙身法術,終擊敗二郎神,救出親母。
The Lotus Lamp
While touring Mount Hua, scholar Liu Yanchang is accosted by bandits. The Goddess of the Mountain comes to his rescue. They fall in love and commit themselves to matrimony. Although the demon-fighting god Erlangshen attempts to intervene, the goddess defeats him with the power of the Magic Lotus Lamp.Erlangshen retaliates by having his Celestial Howler Canine steal the lamp, depriving the goddess of her power. The goddess is besieged, captured, and imprisoned at the foot of Mount Hua. Liu is grieved by what has befallen his wife; with only the help of the Goddess’s maid, he has no choice but to move on with his life. Liu descends the mountain with Chenxiang, the child the Goddess bore him.
Back in his hometown, the scholar marries a mortal woman, Wang Guiying, who gives birth to a child named Qiu’er. Ten odd years later, Liu’s elder son,Chenxiang, has grown up into a young man and a regular champion of justice. One day, catching the prime minister’s son, Qin Guanbao, taking liberties with a woman, Chenxiang and Qiu’er become so enraged that they kill Qin during a scuffle. Incensed, the prime minister orders their arrest. The brothers rush home and admit their crime. Despite her sorrow, Wangdecides to turn Qiu’er in and finally reveals to Chenxiang the truth about his mother. Surprised and saddened,Chenxiang bids farewell to his parents and brother to meditate on the mystical. Having attained immortality and magic power, Chenxiang defeats Erlangshen and rescues his mother.