Moonlit Reunion

A gentle breeze wafted through the air. On the Yudai Pond in the southern part of the city, painted boats and pleasure vessels drifted in small clusters. Passersby strolling along the shore could clearly hear the seductive melodies emanating from the boats—soothing, melodious, and intoxicating.

Yudai Pond was a man-made canal, not particularly wide, allowing only about four or five boats to sail side by side. However, it was impressively long; a full circuit by boat would take nearly an entire day. This wasn’t actually the liveliest time for Yudai Pond. The peak of its bustle had been some time ago, when the peach, plum, and apricot trees lining its banks were in full bloom. From afar, the blossoms resembled a misty haze of rosy clouds, and the falling petals nearly blanketed the pond’s surface. The sheer number of boats had nearly clogged the waterway.

Romantic scholars, poets, and noblewomen out for a spring outing—everyone from aristocrats to commoners—had flocked to Yudai Pond to admire the flowers and scenery, reveling in the radiant springtime. But now, the blossoms had all withered, leaving only the verdant willows swaying along the banks, their catkins drifting down sporadically in the wind.

Wu Zhen leaned against the window on the second floor of a painted boat, dozing with half-lidded eyes. Her underlings were all on the first floor, their faint clamor and the strumming of pipa music making it difficult for her to sleep soundly.

Before long, light, hurried footsteps ascended the stairs. Wu Zhen cracked open one eye to glance over. It was Mei Si Langjun, clutching two paintings as he rushed over excitedly. "Zhen-jie, there you are! Why are you hiding up here sleeping alone again?"

Wu Zhen sat up, leaning against the railing, and yawned. "Stayed up too late listening to songs last night, then got dragged out of bed early by my dear old father. I’m exhausted."

She had sneaked out to Pingkang Ward the previous night and only slipped back home just before dawn. Normally, she would sleep until noon, but today, Duke Yu was home. Not long after the morning bells had rung across the city, he had summoned her for breakfast, then spent the entire morning lecturing her. She had barely managed to slip out afterward, hoping to catch up on sleep here, but peace eluded her.

The mere thought of her father made Wu Zhen sigh. This time, the old man was dead set on marrying her off. He had even postponed his return to the temple, declaring he wouldn’t leave until her marriage to Mei Jia Dalang was settled. It was clear that her freedom would be severely restricted in the coming days.

Unaware of his leader’s troubles, Mei Si eagerly unfurled his paintings like treasures. "Zhen-jie, look! My latest works. Tell me what you think."

Wu Zhen unrolled one of them—a ferocious-looking Evil Spirit with a blue face and fangs. "Hmm, not bad. Looks pretty fierce."

The young Mei Si puffed out his chest proudly. "I based this on the 'Blue-faced Devil' described in Records of Demons and Ghosts . If such a creature truly exists in this world, it must look exactly like my painting!"

Not even close , Wu Zhen thought to herself, having actually seen a Blue-faced Devil before.

The boy was obsessed with unofficial histories and miscellaneous records, particularly tales of ghosts and spirits—so much so that it bordered on fanaticism. Aside from Wu Zhen, the person he admired most in life was 'Bai She Lang,' the author of Records of Demons and Ghosts . Though they had never met, Mei Si often claimed they were kindred spirits and that they would become fast friends if they ever crossed paths.In short, because Mei Si loved Records of Demons and Ghosts so much, he decided to paint every demon and ghost described in the book. Once the collection was complete, he planned to personally visit Bai She Lang and present the album to him. Others grew impatient listening to Mei Si ramble about these supernatural tales, and his family scolded him for being idle and obsessed with nonsense. Only Wu Zhen never mocked him for it.

Mei Si could talk endlessly about this topic, and Wu Zhen had expected to endure his chatter all afternoon. But to her surprise, he suddenly stopped mid-sentence, stood up, and pointed toward the shore. "Ah! It's that Liu family crowd!"

Wu Zhen turned to look and saw a circle of curtains set up under a large willow tree by the shore, inside which sat several young noblewomen. It was common for noble ladies to enclose themselves in such curtains during spring outings to avoid unwanted disturbances.

The young women seemed to have noticed the painted boat as well. They huddled together, pointing and whispering about it before bursting into laughter.

"They must be gossiping about us again!" Mei Si huffed indignantly. Without another word, he turned and went downstairs. Soon, their painted boat docked at the shore. Wu Zhen remained motionless, leaning against the railing on the second floor, watching as Mei Si led a group of young men and women—who had been listening to music downstairs—toward the curtained enclosure.

Wu Zhen didn’t need to see to know what would happen next. Sure enough, the young women inside the curtains, sensing the hostility in Mei Si’s approach, stood their ground defiantly. Soon, both sides were shouting at each other across the curtain, the scene growing increasingly heated.

Wu Zhen’s sharp eyes caught sight of a woman seated calmly at the head of the group, shielded by the others. She gazed serenely at the willow branches, as if completely oblivious to the commotion before her. Like Wu Zhen, she was clearly accustomed to such scenes.

This composed woman was Liu Taizhen, daughter of Censor Liu. The censor was a formidable figure who even gave the emperor headaches—a man of unyielding integrity, described privately by the emperor as "a stinking rock in a latrine." He dared to speak his mind and admonish anyone, no matter their rank. Even more daunting was his tenure as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, where he had cultivated a generation of equally rigid-minded disciples. Now, the entire Censorate followed his lead, making them a fearsome bunch.

Liu Taizhen was the beloved daughter of this formidable censor, and everyone in Chang’an knew better than to provoke her—except Wu Zhen.

If Wu Zhen was the leader of Chang’an’s spoiled young nobles, leading them in mischief, then Liu Taizhen was the epitome of grace and propriety among noblewomen. The two factions despised each other, and over time, their encounters inevitably devolved into shouting matches. It had all started years ago with a single quarrel between Wu Zhen and Liu Taizhen. Their followers, eager to defend their leaders’ honor, escalated the feud until it became the norm.

Now, the grudge had grown so deep that even Wu Zhen’s attempts to stop the quarrels were futile. She could only let them bicker—it wasn’t as if things could get any worse.

As Wu Zhen watched the scene, her brow suddenly lifted. She had noticed Liu Taizhen glancing in her direction.Amid the heated argument, no one noticed that Liu Taizhen, who had been sitting to the side, had disappeared. She slipped away from the crowd and walked alone to a large tree not far away. Meanwhile, Wu Zhen, who had originally been on the painted boat, had somehow also arrived by her side.

The two legendary rivals stood shoulder to shoulder, the atmosphere between them surprisingly calm.

"Something filthy has infiltrated Chang'an," Liu Taizhen said bluntly, her pale face as cold as ice.

Wu Zhen raised an eyebrow. "What kind of filth? I haven't noticed anything."

Liu Taizhen shot her a glance and retorted sharply, "How could the Cat Official possibly notice when she spends her days listening to music in pleasure houses?"

Wu Zhen draped an arm over her shoulder with a laugh. "Now, now, little snake, that's unfair. I was at the Demon Market last night and didn't see anything amiss. On the other hand, I didn't spot you or your two deputies at Yan Tower. Where did you run off to play?"

"Do you think I'm like you, always thinking about fun?" Liu Taizhen's tone was biting, but she didn't shake off the hand. "I took them to track that filthy thing."

"Oh, hard at work then," Wu Zhen said. "Find anything?"

Liu Taizhen pulled a small object from her sleeve. "We didn't catch it, but we found this."

Wu Zhen's expression darkened the moment she saw it. "Damn it, not these pests again. What a nuisance."

In Liu Taizhen's palm lay a crystal-clear stone, flawless except for a drop of vivid red frozen at its core. To ordinary eyes, it might appear strangely beautiful, but to non-human entities, it radiated profound malevolence.

In this world existed monsters known as 'Undying Corpses'—spirits born from humans who died in extreme agony, their resentment too heavy to pass on. These monsters rotted away to fleshless bones that never decayed, transforming into translucent stones like this one. The crimson drop within was condensed resentment. Such stones were called 'Undying Bones.'

Undying Corpses would distribute these resentment-filled 'Undying Bones' to unsuspecting humans. Anyone who wore one would meet an unnatural death within half a month.

Wu Zhen despised these monsters who took pleasure in harming others. Most were former humans who had lost all reason in death, retaining only their murderous instincts. As the Cat Official, purging such filth from Chang'an was her duty.

"We don't know how many more 'Undying Bones' are out there. They need to be found quickly, or more people will die," Liu Taizhen said.

Wu Zhen grunted in agreement, plucking the stone from her hand and tossing it into a pouch at her waist. "Your constitution doesn't agree with holding these things. I'll keep it."

Liu Taizhen blinked, her tone noticeably softening. "Don't think about slacking off. Do your job properly." Having known each other since childhood, she was well aware that for all Wu Zhen's playfulness, she was utterly reliable—once she took on a task, it would be seen through to the end.

Wu Zhen laughed and flicked a strand of Liu Taizhen's hair, adopting the manner of a rogue. "Yes, yes, Snake Lord. This humble one wouldn't dare be lazy."

Liu Taizhen's brow twitched violently, but before she could retort, Wu Zhen had already vanished into the distance with ringing laughter.

...Mei Si and his friends had a satisfying round of banter with those sharp-tongued young ladies before returning to the painted boat. He wanted to continue discussing his paintings with Wu Zhen but noticed her playing with a peculiar transparent stone.

Casually, he remarked, "I have one of those stones too."

"Oh, you do?" Wu Zhen paused her movements and naturally extended her hand. "I like this thing. Give me yours."

Mei Si scratched his head with a regretful expression. "Ah, but my cousin came by this morning, and since he liked it, I gave it to him."

Wu Zhen looked at him strangely. "Your cousin—Mei Jia Dalang?"

Mei Si nodded. "Yes, my eldest cousin. To be honest, I'm not very familiar with him. We've only met a few times and don't usually interact. He came today, probably because of his upcoming marriage. The last time I saw him was during the New Year. Oh, right, he serves as a Director in the Ministry of Justice. Sister Zhen, you probably don’t know him."

Wu Zhen: "..."

Little did he know, Sister Zhen not only knew him but might very well become his cousin-in-law, Wu Zhen thought to herself.