Moonlit Reunion

Wu Zhen proposed going goose hunting, and naturally, the others responded enthusiastically. They all went home to change into riding gear, bringing along their bows, knives, and trained hunting dogs and falcons before setting off in a grand procession toward the city outskirts.

Though this group was often labeled as spoiled and unaccomplished, they weren’t entirely useless. At the very least, they could all ride and hunt, and many excelled in polo. Mei Si was skilled in painting, Cui Jiu in playing the guqin, Xie Twelve in sword dancing, and Sun Niangzi in incense-making. There were also two among them who were particularly adept archers.

Coming from privileged backgrounds, they had been exposed to many things and thus acquired a few respectable skills. Those who truly lacked any talent were rare. Even that Lu Langjun, who constantly opposed Wu Zhen over Huzhu, had excellent calligraphy.

The group gathered at the city gate. Wu Zhen wore a deep blue lapel robe, her hair not styled in a woman’s bun but gathered under black gauze, dressed entirely as a man. At first glance, she looked like a strikingly handsome young lord. Her gear was simple—just a bow on her back and two quivers on her horse. Seeing the others with falcons and hounds, she smirked. "We’re hunting geese today, not going on a mountain hunt. Are you bringing these things just for a joyride?"

The young men, who had intended to show off, chuckled awkwardly at her words and had their servants take the falcons and hounds back home. After a brief delay, they left the city. Wu Zhen led the charge, galloping ahead with the others trailing three or four horse lengths behind. They raced all the way to the lakeshore at the foot of South Mountain before Wu Zhen slowed her pace, allowing the panting group to catch up.

"Zhen-jie, geese are rare this season. Are there really any here?" one of them asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

Wu Zhen gazed at the vast, rippling green waves by the lake and suddenly smiled. "I asked the local farmers. They said they’ve seen a few geese here recently."

"Oh? But why the sudden interest in hunting geese?"

"Zhen-jie probably just got a craving for it."

As they searched for traces of geese, they chatted.

"Zhen-jie often acts on whims—whatever she wants to do, she does. How could you guess her reasons?"

"Pfft, if we can’t guess, can Mei Si?"

"Maybe… maybe she’s planning to propose marriage," Mei Si joked offhandedly, sparking another round of laughter.

Wu Zhen: "…"

Ignoring the playful banter behind her, she focused on tracking the geese. Wading deeper into the knee-high grass, she caught a whiff of fresh greenery—the same scent that had clung to Mei Jia Dalang yesterday afternoon. So, he really had hunted geese here.

"Ah! There!" Sun Niangzi, sharp-eyed, spotted a goose in the sky and gasped. At the same moment, an arrow whistled through the air, and the goose let out a mournful cry as it plummeted.

The shot was Wu Zhen’s. Her reflexes were the fastest, and her archery the most practiced. Before the others could react, her arrow had already struck.

The arrow pierced the goose’s wing, leaving it alive but wounded, crying pitifully in the grass. Wu Zhen dismounted, walked over, and tied it up. Lifting it for inspection, she frowned slightly in dissatisfaction.Mei Si and the others gathered around, with someone eagerly suggesting, "Let's find a tavern today and have this goose roasted with sauce. Though it's a bit scrawny, it’ll still be a fresh treat."

Wu Zhen didn’t even look up. "If you want to eat, go hunt your own. I have other plans for this one."

Mei Si burst into laughter. "Zhen-jie, you’re not seriously planning to use this goose for a marriage proposal, are you? Hahaha~"

Wu Zhen glanced at him, thinking to herself, If you knew who this goose is for, you wouldn’t be laughing.

Inspired by Wu Zhen, the others also rolled up their sleeves, determined to hunt a few geese themselves. But by the afternoon, though their horses were laden with wild birds and rabbits, not a single goose was among their spoils. Only Wu Zhen had seven geese tied in a bundle on her horse. There was no helping it—whenever Wu Zhen took aim, the rest of them stood no chance. The moment they spotted a goose, before they could even nock their arrows, Wu Zhen’s shot would already be flying, hitting the mark dead-on, leaving them no opportunity to intervene.

"Alright, it’s getting late. Time to head back," Wu Zhen said, leading the way on horseback as the others followed behind.

Cui Jiu had been eyeing her geese the entire journey and finally couldn’t hold back once they entered the city. "Zhen-jie, what do you need so many geese for? Why not give us a couple to eat?"

Truth be told, they weren’t particularly keen on eating goose—it wasn’t exactly a delicacy—but after failing to bag even one despite their efforts, they felt somewhat defeated and wanted to salvage something from the trip.

Wu Zhen replied, "No."

Her refusal surprised everyone. Their Zhen-jie was usually generous to a fault, so it was odd for her to be stingy over a few geese. Yet she had now refused twice. Instantly, everyone grew curious—what special purpose did she have for these geese?

Near the East Market, Wu Zhen parted ways with the group. The young men and women who should have gone their separate ways exchanged glances and, with silent understanding, quietly trailed after her. Their curiosity about Wu Zhen’s intentions was simply too strong.

Following her cautiously, they noticed she wasn’t heading back to Daning Ward but instead entered Changle Ward.

"Changle Ward? There aren’t any famous music houses or brothels there, are there?"

"Nor any particularly renowned taverns or wine shops, as far as I know."

"Could Zhen-jie be visiting a friend here?"

"I’ve never heard of any young master or lady living in Changle Ward."

Recalling their circle of acquaintances, none seemed to reside in this area. Their curiosity only deepened—except for Mei Si, whose expression grew increasingly peculiar as Wu Zhen approached a familiar residence.

Cui Jiu noticed his odd look and nudged him. "Hey, what’s with that face? You look like you’re about to burst."

Sun Niangzi, one of the two young women in the group, sensed something amiss and eyed Mei Si suspiciously. "Hold on, Mei Si. Out with it—do you know whose house Zhen-jie is visiting?"

Mei Si watched as Wu Zhen actually entered the residence, his face twisting into an indescribable expression. Surrounded by his eager companions, under their insistent gazes, he finally had no choice but to confess: "That’s my eldest cousin’s house."

A stunned silence fell over the group before they exchanged bewildered looks. "Huh? Your eldest cousin? Who’s that?"This was Wu Zhen's first time entering Mei Zhuyu's residence through the main gate. He wasn't home yet, still at his official duties, leaving only the elderly servant in the house. The old man didn't recognize her, so when he opened the door, his expression was puzzled. But when Wu Zhen identified herself, the old man immediately broke into a warm smile and enthusiastically invited her inside.

Since Mei Zhuyu wasn't home, Wu Zhen didn't stay long. After leaving all the wild geese behind, she borrowed paper and brush to leave a message before departing for home.

When Mei Zhuyu returned, the old servant greeted him with a beaming face. "Young master, the Second Lady from the Wu family came by earlier."

Mei Zhuyu: "...She's already left?"

"Yes, she left after delivering some things." The old servant handed him two sheets of paper. "But she left you a message."

Standing before the cage of wild geese, Mei Zhuyu unfolded the papers to find wildly scrawled handwriting covering both pages.

—Courtesy demands reciprocity. These first four words left Mei Zhuyu speechless. There was no such custom of reciprocal courtesy in this matter. He had personally hunted geese to deliver as betrothal gifts—this was both his heartfelt intention and proper etiquette. But there was no tradition of the bride's family returning geese to the groom's family.

They had only completed the first of the Six Rites—the Proposal. There were still the Name Inquiry, Auspicious Betrothal, Formal Betrothal Gifts, and Date Setting ceremonies to come, each requiring him to hunt another goose to deliver to Duke Yu's residence. But now...

In her letter, Wu Zhen explained that these geese were for his future use, saving him the trouble of hunting more. As for any extras, she suggested he cook and eat them.

Mei Zhuyu stood silently for a long while before sighing softly. He carefully folded the papers and put them away, then studied the cage of geese before selecting the most injured one and handing it to the old servant.

Old servant: "Young master, this one?"

Mei Zhuyu: "Cook it."

Regardless of Mei Zhuyu's thoughts, Wu Zhen's intentions were genuinely considerate. First, she thought it unnecessary for the delicate young scholar to personally hunt geese each time. While hunting geese came easily to her, it was challenging for most people. The scholarly young man didn't seem like someone skilled with a bow—it probably wasn't easy for him.

Second, she hadn't detected any trace of the Undying Corpse within the city walls and suspected it might be hiding outside. Since the young man had previously carried the Undying Bone with him, he might have absorbed some of its aura, making him a potential target for the Undying Corpse. By delivering the geese herself, she spared him the effort and kept him from wandering outside the city where he might encounter danger.

That night, Wu Zhen went to the Goose Tower in the Demon Market, where Huzhu and The Charlatan were already waiting.

"Tonight we continue investigating the Undying Bone. We should gather all necessary items as soon as possible to force out and eliminate that Undying Corpse," Wu Zhen said. She was thoroughly tired of these creatures—once they went into hiding, they became difficult to find and rarely revealed themselves willingly.

The Charlatan, currently transformed into a white-bearded old man, asked curiously, "Why is Cat Official in such a hurry this time? A few days won't make much difference—nothing will happen so soon."

Wu Zhen: "The sooner we resolve this, the better."

As she spoke, she noticed lights appearing on the right side of Goose Tower. "Ah, Little Snake has come tonight. You two go ahead—I'll ask Little Snake if she has any news about the Undying Corpse."

Goose Tower blazed with light as the Demon Market bustled with activity, while the night over ordinary Chang'an remained quiet. Yet even in this peaceful nocturnal world, there were corners of unrest.In the dark alley at the southeast corner of Jinchang Lane, a shadow frantically fled. It had originally taken human form, but now, wounded with a long slash across its chest from a sharp blade, black sludge continuously oozed from the gash. With each step, its body twisted and elongated until it completely shed its human shape, writhing forward on the ground.

All living beings in this world fear death—even if it was an Undying Corpse that had claimed countless lives, even if it had long been dead.

The Undying Corpse scurried through the dark alley, desperately trying to escape the silent pursuer behind it. Yet, no matter how it struggled, the figure chasing it drew closer and closer.

Finally, the tall, lean figure cut off the Undying Corpse’s path, blocking its escape completely. Backlit by the moonlight, his long shadow stretched across the moss-covered, mottled wall. In his hand was a dark, unassuming Peach Wood Sword. Perhaps because he was too gaunt, the sharp contours of his face, gilded by the moonlight, made him appear cold and indifferent, brimming with a razor-sharp killing intent.

This tall, slender man, who had driven the Undying Corpse into a corner, was none other than the frail-looking young lord in Wu Zhen’s eyes—Mei Zhuyu.