Moonlit Reunion

Not long after the Qixi Festival passed, it was soon the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The fifteenth of July is known as the Zhongyuan Festival in Taoism and the Ullambana Festival in Buddhism. Among the three major festivals—Shangyuan, Zhongyuan, and Xiayuan—all are grand and lively celebrations. In Chang’an City, these are the only times of the year when the nightly curfew is temporarily lifted, allowing people to walk the streets at night.

However, while the Shangyuan Festival grants three days free from curfew, the Zhongyuan and Xiayuan Festivals each last only one day. On the night of Zhongyuan, none of the city gates are closed, for this is the final day when the 'Gates of Hell' remain wide open. On this day, the living must bid farewell to the spirits of their departed loved ones. If the gates were shut, the lingering souls reluctant to leave the mortal world might be unable to return.

As early as two days prior, the hundreds of temples large and small within Chang’an were already bustling with incense offerings. By the fifteenth, the entrances of major temples were packed with crowds. The giant incense burners before the halls were so densely packed with incense sticks that newcomers could hardly find space to add theirs. The thick smoke billowed skyward, filling the air with a hazy fervor. Inside the temples, the chanting of scriptures had continued uninterrupted for many days.

From the imperial nobility down to commoners, anyone with means would visit the temples to make offerings on this day. For instance, several finely dressed servants carried large lotus-shaped basins filled with fresh flowers, assorted fruits, pastries, and vegetarian dishes—these were the lavish offerings of wealthy families. Commoners brought smaller basins with bread and fruits. The temples were lined with basins of all sizes, prepared for the night’s rituals.

Even Wu Zhen obediently visited the temple on this day, having a large basin of offerings carried in. She would light an Eternal Lamp for her deceased mother and request the senior monks to chant scriptures and perform a Ritual Ceremony for her.

This year, Mei Zhuyu accompanied her to the temple. Only after arriving did Wu Zhen suddenly remember something and say, “You’re a Taoist—isn’t it inappropriate for you to be in a Buddhist place? If you’re uncomfortable, you can go back first.” Today, the Taoist temples would also be holding Taoist Rituals. It didn’t seem quite right for her husband, a Taoist, to attend a Buddhist ceremony with her.

Mei Zhuyu was observing the neatly arranged offering basins nearby and shook his head. “It’s fine.” Truthfully, he had already accompanied her before, and he harbored no aversion to other faiths.

Before the senior monks arrived, Wu Zhen leaned close to her husband’s ear and whispered, “Later, we’ll find a Taoist temple to hold another Ritual Ceremony.”

Mei Zhuyu: “…”

Wu Zhen patted his shoulder and grinned teasingly. “I have to give you some face, after all.”

Mei Zhuyu thought she was joking again, but after finishing the Ullambana offerings at the temple, she actually dragged him off to find a Taoist temple.

Taoist temples were slightly fewer in number than Buddhist ones in Chang’an, but there were still plenty. After wandering around, Wu Zhen happened upon a temple tucked away in a narrow alley. Two peculiar pine trees stood at its entrance, their shapes resembling two cranes with heads held high. Pointing at the temple, she declared, “Let’s choose this one.”

Though the exterior of this temple appeared ordinary, the interior was unexpectedly profound—a hidden gem amidst the mundane world. Stepping inside, one immediately felt a serene tranquility, as if detached from the bustling city despite still being within it. Pleased with what she saw, Wu Zhen generously paid for a Ritual Ceremony. Perhaps because her donation was too lavish, the temple’s abbot personally presided over the ceremony.The temple master, in his fifties, appeared honest and kind with clear, transparent eyes. Dressed in a simple yet clean Taoist robe, he easily inspired goodwill. The young disciples in the temple held him in high esteem and trust. Wu Zhen, observing for a while, thought he was indeed a Taoist with genuine cultivation.

After the Ritual Ceremony, Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu took a brief rest under a tree in the temple grounds. Wu Zhen mentioned the temple master and teased Mei Zhuyu, "Both being Taoists, do you know him? He seems quite accomplished, though not as much as you, but he must have trained seriously on renowned mountains."

Mei Zhuyu didn’t answer but turned to see the temple master approaching them with a smile. Standing before them, he suddenly bowed to Mei Zhuyu as a junior would to a senior, addressing him, "Little Uncle-Master."

Wu Zhen: "..."

Mei Zhuyu nodded calmly, and the two exchanged a few polite words. Only after they left the temple did Wu Zhen realize, "You actually know that temple master?"

Mei Zhuyu replied truthfully, "He was a disciple taken in by our eldest senior brother years ago. He only trained at the sect for two years before leaving the mountain. I hadn’t met him before, but before I left, the eldest senior brother mentioned he might have sent a letter to this temple master." Recognizing him was likely due to their shared cultivation methods.

Wu Zhen shook her head with a laugh. "We randomly chose a temple, yet there’s such a connection. So, the temple master’s personal attention wasn’t due to my generosity but out of respect for you, Little Uncle-Master. Ah, thank you so much today, Little Uncle-Master." She playfully bowed to her husband.

Given the hierarchy, even though Mei Zhuyu had joined the sect late and was young, many older Taoists still addressed him as "Little Uncle-Master." Teased by Wu Zhen all the way back, Mei Zhuyu could only hold her hand helplessly.

Both had departed loved ones to honor. At dusk, they placed a large basin in front of their door and burned Paper Ingots for the deceased. Yellow paper folded into ingot shapes, strung together, was tossed into the fire. Alongside the burning basin, a Revolving Lantern was set up at the entrance, creaking as it spun in the wind.

Legend had it that each turn of the lantern was a departed loved one reaching out to signal their return. As people who could see Ghost Monsters, both Mei Zhuyu and Wu Zhen knew this wasn’t true—they had never seen their loved ones’ spirits. Yet, they still set up the lantern.

The flames illuminated the surroundings, lifting the blackened ashes into the sky as the lantern spun, its creaks almost convincing of an unseen presence.

Standing at the door, Mei Zhuyu and Wu Zhen watched the last embers in the basin fade, just as the final rays of sunset vanished from the horizon.

The night of the fifteenth day of the seventh month had arrived.

As the last light disappeared, Wu Zhen sighed softly. Gazing past the overlapping eaves into the distant sky, what still seemed bright to ordinary eyes was, to her, already shrouded in vast darkness.Indeed, the unrestrained revelry of ghosts and monsters on this day was too unbridled. All sorts of things that usually hid in the shadows took advantage of the lingering influence of the Ghost Gate to stir up trouble. Even those not intending any mischief still emerged to take a breath of fresh air.

Every year on this day, Wu Zhen would inevitably be busy the entire night. The barrier between the world of ordinary people and that of demon creatures and ghost monsters became exceptionally thin, making it easy for problems to arise. As the Cat Official, she had to take responsibility, overseeing the myriad ghosts and demons within Chang'an City to ensure no major incidents were caused by non-human entities on this day.

Stretching her wrists, Wu Zhen grabbed her husband and flashed him a smile. "Come, tonight I'll take you out to have some fun."

Hearing her mention fun, Mei Zhuyu was taken aback. "Didn't you say earlier that tonight would be chaotic?"

Wu Zhen remained unperturbed. "Busy is busy, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun. We can work and play at the same time—no conflict there."

Mei Zhuyu had never heard such twisted logic before, but since it came from Wu Zhen, he decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Whether it was for fun or work, he was prepared to accompany her tonight and help out. He couldn't just stand by and watch his wife labor alone.

As night fell, lanterns lit up everywhere. With no curfew in place, the streets were adorned with lanterns, and many people carried them as they strolled outside. In front of every household lay the remnants of burnt paper, and some families were still burning Paper Ingots. White lanterns hung outside—these marked homes that had suffered a recent bereavement.

At the entrance of each ward stood a tall Lantern Tower, with Paper Ingots burning beside it—offerings for wandering spirits. As Wu Zhen passed by, she glanced at the burning basin, causing a few small ghosts who had been scavenging in the flames to scatter in fright, hiding behind the Lantern Tower. Only when they saw Wu Zhen had no intention of troubling them did they cautiously return to the basin to continue their scavenging.

Unlike the Lantern Festival, the Ghost Festival didn't feature bustling night markets, but there were still plenty of stalls set up for the occasion. The most common were of two types. The first sold Ghost Masks. Since the Ghost Gate had yet to close, spirits still roamed the mortal realm. It was said that if people wandered outside during this time, they risked being accosted by ghosts. Wearing these masks would either make them unrecognizable or trick the ghosts into thinking they were fellow spirits, ensuring peaceful coexistence.

The second type of stall sold lanterns—different from the ones people carried. These were mostly lotus-shaped River Lanterns, and nearly everyone bought one or two to release into rivers or lakes, letting them drift downstream.

As the saying goes: "Lanterns of the Lantern Festival reach for the heavens; lanterns of the Ghost Festival connect to the earth." The lanterns of the Ghost Festival illuminated the path for spirits returning to the underworld. The dark waters, linked to the netherworld, carried the lanterns to guide the ghosts. Without these lights, the watery path would be pitch-black and bitterly cold, forcing the spirits to suffer greatly as they groped their way forward. Moreover, these lanterns carried the longing of the living. When the ghosts saw them, they would know their loved ones still remembered them.

Wu Zhen bought two Ghost Masks from a roadside stall. She wore one depicting a Blue-faced Devil, while placing the other—a white ghost mask—over Mei Zhuyu's face. The white mask looked somewhat comical, with an ambiguous half-smile. Amused, Wu Zhen laughed, her muffled giggles echoing beneath her mask.The two of them arrived at the entrance of the East Market. Wu Zhen spotted a woman standing beneath the Lantern Tower, dressed in a long qingshan-blue skirt. Unlike most people who wore Ghost Masks, she only had on a Veiled Hat, its gauzy curtain reaching below her waist. Bathed in the bright lantern light, her figure appeared slender and hazy, almost translucent.

Wu Zhen crept up behind her silently, intending to startle her, but the woman, with her back still turned, said coldly, "You're too slow."

Undeterred, Wu Zhen let out a loud "Boo!" anyway. The woman glanced at her through the veil, and even though her expression wasn't clear, Wu Zhen knew those eyes were undoubtedly filled with a look that said, "Are you out of your mind?"

Laughing it off, Wu Zhen threw an arm around the woman's shoulders. "Little Snake, what's the plan this year? Me patrolling outside while you guard the Demon Market?"

Liu Taizhen replied coolly, "What else? You've already decided to take Taoist Priest Mei to see that thing, haven't you? If I don't stay here to watch over it, will you?"

Wu Zhen gave her a playful shake. "Alright, alright, next year we'll switch. Or how about this—for the next three years during the Ghost Festival, you can have fun outside while I guard the Demon Market. Deal?"

Liu Taizhen said, "Enough. Hurry up and take him away. It's about to start."

Wu Zhen made a gesture and dashed toward Mei Zhuyu, who was waiting nearby. Grabbing his hand, she quickly pulled him around the street corner. Meanwhile, above the East Market behind Liu Taizhen, a faintly glowing night market began to materialize—none other than the Demon Market, invisible to ordinary people on any other day.