Moonlit Reunion Episode 5 Recap
> Moonlit Reunion Recap
Mei Zhuyu, hearing a noise, coldly demanded, "Who?" Wenhua, who had just entered, reassured him, "Master, what's wrong?" Mei Zhuyu dismissed it, saying, "It's nothing, perhaps I misheard." He then told Wenhua to wait outside. Wu Zhen, who had already transformed into a tabby cat, leapt onto his desk, and Mei Zhuyu uncharacteristically picked her up and held her close.
Later that night, Mei Zhuyu buried what he believed to be the Undying Bone, sealing it with a spell, unaware that Wu Zhen had already swapped it. Wu Zhen returned to the Beast Market with the true Undying Bone. Together with the elders, she cast a spell to destroy it. However, the moment the bone shattered, a chilling killing qi emanated, shocking everyone. They realized it was not an ordinary Undying Bone but the remains of the Evil Demon Infant.
Eighteen years prior, the Evil Demon Infant had single-handedly invaded Chang'an, causing widespread chaos and nearly overthrowing the Beast Market. The previous Lord Cat had sacrificed his life and soul to eradicate it. The reappearance of its remnants meant the Evil Demon Infant might return, putting the entire Beast Market in dire peril. Meanwhile, a lone woodsman encountered a thick fog while walking in the mountains.
Through the haze, he saw an old woman by the roadside, whom he recognized as his long-deceased mother. Overwhelmed with joy and sorrow, he knelt, tearfully recounting his longing, oblivious to the sinister smile that touched the old woman's lips. The old woman's form gradually shifted, transforming into a beautiful young woman named Shan Posuo, who swiftly drained the woodsman's vital essence. Shan Posuo reflected on how easily mortals are fooled, lamenting the scarcity of people in her current location.
She mused that if she could enter Chang'an, she could cultivate and indulge as she pleased, finding great delight in it. Over several days, six cases of villagers disappearing in Chang'an's western outskirts caused widespread concern. Mei Zhuyu noticed the abnormality and wished to investigate personally, but Xu Luan had already dispatched his deputy officials.
These officials struggled along the arduous mountain path, complaining about the difficulty and their superior, Xu Luan, not taking the matter seriously, having sent them merely "to go through the motions." They speculated that the villagers were either lost or had eaten poisonous mushrooms, causing hallucinations. Suddenly, a dense fog enveloped them, and the mountain path seemed to twist, clearly indicating Shan Posuo's illusionary spell, drawing them into her trap.
Three missing villagers stumbled out of the mist, their faces ashen, eyes cloudy, snarling as they lunged at the officials. Shan Posuo, hidden behind trees, was about to claim her prey but was infuriated when a Rat Spirit intervened. The Rat Spirit warned Shan Posuo that such ostentatious hunting would surely attract the two Lords of the Beast Market. Seeing Shan Posuo's hesitation, the Rat Spirit asserted that by helping her, he was also helping himself.
Mei Zhuyu meticulously reviewed all the case files in the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs archives but found no record of the "Heavenly Fire" incident from eighteen years ago. He questioned Xu Luan about the missing file. Xu Luan vaguely replied that the relevant documents had been taken by the palace, explaining that even he, as the Chief Inspector, could only apply monthly to the palace records chamber to review them.
Just then, villagers from the western outskirts converged on Minister Liu Gongshen's residence, kneeling and begging him to intervene. Minister Liu publicly questioned Xu Luan regarding the matter. However, the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and the Capital Prefecture began to blame each other, neither willing to take on the troublesome case. With the crowd of villagers outside growing agitated and the situation nearly spiraling out of control, Mei Zhuyu stepped forward from the throng.
He clasped his hands and requested permission to investigate the western outskirts case himself. Minister Liu immediately granted his request. From the shadows beneath the eaves, Wu Zhen and Liu Taizhen watched from a carriage, exchanging a meaningful glance. Following this, Wu Zhen and Liu Taizhen returned to the Beast Market. Zhu Ying, Lord Snake's deputy, reported that lightning-struck wood, the only way to neutralize the Undying Bone's killing qi, was located in a cave in the western outskirts.
Wu Zishu elaborated that ordinary demons could not approach it, but Wu Zhen, as a half-demon, could approach it in her human form during the day. Wu Zhen immediately decided to go to the western outskirts herself the following day to retrieve the wood. Mei Zhuyu carefully counted his salary and the reward money from his cases, storing them securely in a box. He planned to propose to Wu Zhen in two days.
He realized the muddy, narrow path to his door and the dilapidated donkey shed were not suitable for Wu Zhen's arrival. Thus, he instructed Wenhua to hire people to pave the path and demolish the donkey shed, to which Wenhua reluctantly agreed, noting that while Mei Zhuyu was poor, Wu Zhen was wealthy, making them a suitable match. Empress Wu, concerned for her sister Wu Zhen's safety, dispatched Jinwu Guards Huai'an and Linyuan to escort her.
Though Wu Zhen found their presence superfluous, she did not refuse, heading directly to the western outskirts with them. Upon their arrival, Mei Zhuyu was surrounded by angry villagers questioning him. Seeing him alone and simply dressed, they assumed the authorities were merely placating them. Wu Zhen immediately declared her identity as County Princess Qinghe of the Duke Wu's residence, her regal bearing causing the villagers to retreat in awe, finally believing that the court was genuinely investigating the case.
As they entered the mountains, Mei Zhuyu led a donkey while Wu Zhen rode it, creating a harmonious scene. Wu Zhen told Mei Zhuyu she had informed her sister that she went because she was worried about his delicate health, which she claimed would not last an hour in the mountains. Elder Ash again sought out Wu Zhen, intending to report the disappearance of a rat demon. Wu Zishu coldly intercepted him, stating he would personally investigate the matter.
Elder Ash hinted that Wu Zishu should not let "blind loyalty" hinder his demonic cultivation, reminding him that Wu Zhen was, after all, only half-demon. After Elder Ash departed, Wu Zishu entered a secret chamber. He had already planned to extract a demon core to accelerate Wu Zhen's full demonic transformation. To prevent Elder Ash's suspicion, he summarily threw the rat demon into a cauldron, silencing it permanently.
Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu continued their journey up the mountain, where a gray miasma permeated the forest, accompanied by a faint, putrid smell. Mei Zhuyu thought it was ordinary fog, but Wu Zhen immediately recognized it as Shan Posuo's illusion. She promptly gave Mei Zhuyu a silk veil to cover his face. They bypassed the miasma, taking an alternate route into the mountains. Wu Zhen accidentally twisted her ankle, and Mei Zhuyu, without a word, carried her on his back as colorful butterflies fluttered around their intertwined figures.
