Moonlit Reunion

After the start of summer, thunderstorms became frequent. Often the mornings would be sunny and stiflingly hot, only for dark clouds to gather by afternoon with the rumble of thunder. During this period of constant thunder, the demons within and outside the city all kept quiet. As was her custom, Snake Lord Liu Taizhen would leave the city to stay at Dongxuan Temple for half a month each year to pray for her deceased mother's blessings while also recuperating. After all, in her human identity, she was a frail and sickly woman.

Liu Taizhen spent more time in the Demon Market than Wu Zhen and handled more affairs. While Wu Zhen often indulged in laziness according to her whims, Liu Taizhen was far more diligent by comparison. Thus, during these annual two weeks when Liu Taizhen rested at the temple, all matters of Chang'an's Demon Market were left to Wu Zhen's care.

"If anything comes up, have Lingxiao or Zhu Ying call for me. Of course, if it's nothing major, don't disturb me—handle it yourself," Liu Taizhen routinely instructed the night before her departure. Wu Zhen waved her off unconcernedly, "Alright, I know. Your two deputies are quite capable. Even without you here, I guarantee Chang'an will remain perfectly fine for these two weeks."

Indeed, demons feared thunder. With the recent frequent storms, most demons were lying low, and hardly any caused trouble. This was the most leisurely time of year for them.

After Liu Taizhen left the city, Wu Zhen didn't linger in the Demon Market either. Recently, she had been staying at Mei Zhuyu's residence, keeping him company whenever possible. When he went to work, she occasionally found outdoor amusements dull and would deliberately transform into a tabby cat to visit the Ministry of Justice offices to check on her lord, while also strolling around to see if anyone was badmouthing him behind his back.

Several peaceful days passed until one midnight, Wu Zhen suddenly awoke with a start. Her eyes flew open as she pressed a hand to her chest, feeling strangely suffocated. Mei Zhuyu, sleeping beside her, was roused by her movements. He sat up to light the lamp, then leaned over to feel Wu Zhen's forehead, his voice low as he asked, "What's wrong? Are you unwell?"

Wu Zhen sat up, took a deep breath, and shook her head while supporting her forehead. "It's nothing. Probably just a bad dream."

Outside, a fierce gale raged. A bolt of lightning split the sky, its momentary brilliance illuminating heaven and earth—even seeping through the window lattice to cast the room in stark whiteness. As darkness returned, a deafening thunderclap struck, rattling the window frames. Wu Zhen turned her head toward the window, her heart inexplicably restless and unsettled.

Mei Zhuyu poured her a cup of tea, then pressed his palm to her forehead while murmuring something under his breath. Immersed in her own thoughts, Wu Zhen had felt a headache coming on, but as Mei Zhuyu touched her forehead, her mind suddenly cleared considerably. She took a sip of tea and smiled, "It's fine now. Let's go back to sleep."

"Mm." Mei Zhuyu didn't extinguish the lamp. Instead, he helped her lie back down, wrapped an arm around her, and covered her ears. "Sleep."

Though thunder roared outside, held securely by Mei Zhuyu and gazing into his steady eyes, Wu Zhen couldn't help but feel a sense of reassurance. Thus, she closed her eyes to calm her mind and gradually drifted back to sleep in his embrace.At this moment, on a desolate plain three mountain ranges away from Chang'an, a young man with a Daoist bun, clad in white robes and carrying a wooden sword on his back, was moving swiftly. His speed was inhuman, his gray cloth shoes covered in dust and mud, and the hem of his white robe splattered with dirt, making him appear rather disheveled. Yet his expression was grave, and as he hurried forward, he kept glancing back.

Behind him stretched a dark night sky, devoid of any anomalies. Yet the Daoist seemed to perceive some immense danger looming close, his face twisted with dread. In his hand, he held a yin-yang compass, its silver needle trembling, pointing unerringly toward Chang'an.

"How could such calamity arise?" The young, handsome Daoist gritted his teeth and quickened his pace.

At dawn, Wu Zhen awoke. Normally, she would sleep late, especially on days when Mei Zhuyu didn’t need to attend his duties—she wouldn’t rise unless he came to wake her. But this night, her sleep had been restless, and she woke early.

"It looks like rain again today. The sky has been overcast all morning," Mei Zhuyu remarked. He too sensed something amiss, though he didn’t show it.

Wu Zhen glanced outside. The sky remained gloomy even by noon, with occasional muffled thunder but no rain. After lunch prepared by the old servants, Wu Zhen bid Mei Zhuyu farewell and left the house. She behaved no differently than usual, and Mei Zhuyu noticed nothing unusual as he watched her go.

Wu Zhen galloped through the streets on horseback, a fierce wind billowing her robes. She raised her eyes to the churning dark clouds overhead, her brow furrowing as she sped toward the East Market and entered the Demon Market. By day, the Demon Market was quiet, and the stormy weather made it even more so. Wu Zhen headed straight for Yan Tower, where, to her surprise, she found Shengun inside.

Though Shengun was one of her deputies, he rarely stayed at Yan Tower—finding him usually meant scouring every nook and cranny. Today, however, he was here, and his expression was unusually grim.

Wu Zhen paused mid-step, then strode over and sat down across from him. "Have you sensed something?"

Shengun hesitated before finally pulling out his blank-paged book. Flipping through it rapidly, he finally said, "It’s not good."

Wu Zhen pressed, "What’s not good? Speak plainly."

Shengun obliged. "I can’t see it clearly, but something terrible is heading toward Chang'an."

Wu Zhen frowned. "Something terrible…"

Shengun looked at her and sighed. "Something you’ve never encountered before." Though formidable, Wu Zhen was still young. The way Shengun gazed at her now was like an elder watching a junior about to face peril, filled with concern.

Under his gaze, Wu Zhen grew calm. She smiled, displaying a steadiness unlike her usual casual demeanor. "It’s fine. Go summon Huzhu to help me activate Yan Tower’s grand formation. Then find Zhu Ying and Lingxiao—tell them to close their shop and stay here on guard. I want to see what this ‘terrible thing’ is."

As the evening drum signaling the city gates' closure was about to sound, a white-robed Daoist entered Chang'an, drawing curious glances from those around. Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries were common both inside and outside the city, as were Daoists and monks, but one as young and handsome as this was a rare sight.However, the white-robed Taoist paid no heed to the gazes upon him, single-mindedly hastening his journey until he arrived at the East Market, covered in dust.

The sudden intrusion of a Taoist into the Demon Market caused a minor commotion. Sensing the aura of the newcomer, Wu Zhen quickly appeared to quell the disturbance.

She looked at the white-robed Taoist with a familiar tone, "Taoist Shuangjiang, it's been a year. What brings you rushing into our Demon Market in such a hurry? Here to capture monsters again?"

The white-robed Taoist, whom she addressed as Taoist Shuangjiang, took a deep breath and said gravely, "Something's happened. I came specifically to warn you."

Wu Zhen's smile vanished instantly. "What is it?"

Shuangjiang quickly replied, "A 'Plague God' is heading toward Chang'an, and it's no small matter."

Upon hearing this, even Wu Zhen, known for her boldness, showed a grave expression. "A 'Plague God'? You're certain?"

Shuangjiang nodded. "Absolutely. It's almost here. I arrived just ahead of it."

Without further ado, Wu Zhen shouted, "Lingxiao!"

A gentle-mannered man appeared beside her. Wu Zhen instructed, "Go outside the city and find your Snake Lord. Tell her a 'Plague God' is approaching and she needs to return immediately."

"Understood. Hold the fort, Cat Official." With that, Lingxiao vanished on the spot.

Wu Zhen turned to another. "Shengun, stay at Yan Tower and keep an eye on the grand formation. Huzhu, come with me to the city gates."

As she hurried toward the gates with Huzhu, Taoist Shuangjiang silently followed.

Wu Zhen was on high alert because the 'Plague God' was no easy foe. The so-called 'Plague God' was not a deity but a filthy entity that brought plagues and diseases—neither a demon nor a monster. It was born from the corpses of humans and animals that had died en masse, absorbing all manner of foul energies from heaven and earth to grow and take form. Shapeless as mist or clouds, it was invisible to ordinary people.

The term 'Plague God' was merely a folk name, much like how people referred to the cause of locust plagues as 'Locust Gods.' These entities brought terrifying consequences, so people feared and revered them, addressing them as gods in hopes that offerings would drive them away. Wu Zhen scoffed at such practices. If offerings truly worked, so many wouldn't die each time. The only solution was to deal with them as one would troublesome demons.

As Wu Zhen hastened to the city gates, she asked Taoist Shuangjiang, who followed behind, "Chang'an is the capital of the nation. Why would such a filthy thing come here?" Normally, Chang'an, blessed with the nation's fortune and dragon veins, was shielded by auspicious energies and unlikely to attract major disasters. Yet this 'Plague God' was coming.

Taoist Shuangjiang replied coldly, "I don't know, but its arrival is suspicious." It seemed as if something had deliberately driven it here—though he kept this thought to himself, unsure.

The three of them concealed their presence and stood atop the high city gates, gazing at the distant horizon. Ordinary people saw only dark clouds, but Wu Zhen spotted a rapidly approaching black line on the horizon.

"A real 'Plague God,' and a big one at that." If it reached Chang'an, a city of millions, the death toll would be unimaginable. Wu Zhen's eyes darkened as a massive shadow rose behind her. At first, it resembled a cat, but it soon elongated, transforming into something more like a monstrous, fierce creature. Standing atop the city gates, it roared toward the distance.

"Huzhu, get ready."Huzhu abandoned her usual alluring demeanor, revealing her true form with equal solemnity, standing ready for battle.

Wu Zhen glanced again at Shuangjiang, who carried a wooden sword on his back. "Taoist Priest Shuangjiang, it might be dangerous for you here. Why not enter the city first? The Yanlou Grand Formation inside should offer protection."

Taoist Priest Shuangjiang was a disciple of the Taoist Changxi Temple. Though only around twenty-one or twenty-two years old, he could already single-handedly deal with century-old demons—a remarkable feat for his age. However, facing a calamity of this scale was beyond his capabilities, and Wu Zhen didn’t want to drag him into it.

Three years ago, Shuangjiang had chased an evil demon to Chang’an. In his pursuit to slay the creature, he had clashed with Wu Zhen, but through their conflict, they had formed a friendship. Among the Taoist priests Wu Zhen knew, he was the youngest yet held the highest status.

Though Shuangjiang was proud and unyielding by nature, he was also warm-hearted. A year ago, he had been recalled to his temple by his master, but upon discovering the calamity heading toward Chang’an during his journey, he had rushed ahead to deliver the warning. Grateful for his thoughtfulness, Wu Zhen was even more reluctant to see him die needlessly here.

Shuangjiang had always been a proud man; even when facing foes beyond his strength, he showed no fear. Yet today, he understood the gravity of the situation and hesitated for a moment.

As the calamity drew nearer, he seemed to make up his mind and gritted his teeth. "My junior martial uncle from the temple has also come to Chang’an. He is a prodigy, a hundred times more capable than I. If he were here, he could surely help Cat Official overcome this disaster. I’ll go fetch him!"

Wu Zhen had no idea who this junior martial uncle was, but if even someone as proud as Shuangjiang held him in such high esteem, he must be formidable. She was more than happy to have another ally and didn’t refuse. Nodding, she said, "Then I’ll thank you in advance. If we truly survive this, I’ll make sure to properly express my gratitude to you and your junior martial uncle."