Moonlit Reunion

The two children who had been smashing River Lanterns were beaten until they wailed loudly, their faces streaked with tears and snot. After Wu Zhen let them go, they scrambled away as fast as their limping legs could carry them, their terrified expressions suggesting they thought they’d encountered a villain.

Seeing the unfortunate wandering spirits whose guiding lanterns had been sunk still floundering in the water, Wu Zhen clicked her tongue in annoyance before buying a few more River Lanterns from a nearby stall and lighting them.

The two walked downstream along the canal, where people on both banks were releasing lanterns. The wealthier neighborhoods had more lanterns, and in some places, the water was nearly covered with them. One particularly generous gentleman had bought so many lanterns that they clogged the waterway, forcing his servants to clear them with long poles.

Curious, Wu Zhen took a closer look and realized the generous gentleman was an acquaintance—the white fox Bai Langjun, who had recently moved his entire clan to Chang’an.

Bai Langjun had been standing there in a dashing manner, chatting with a blushing young lady, when he suddenly spotted Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu on the opposite bank. Though both wore masks, Bai Langjun recognized the couple instantly. His entire body stiffened, and with a squeak, he ducked behind a large willow tree, startling the young lady and leaving her utterly bewildered.

Wu Zhen turned her head and remarked, "Speaking of which, when Bai Langjun first settled in the Demon Market, he was quite attentive to me. But later, for some reason, he started running away at the sight of me. How strange."

Mei Zhuyu: "…" Recalling how he had once mistaken Wu Zhen for an ordinary person and, suspecting Bai Langjun of ill intentions, had gone to warn him off, Mei Zhuyu felt a twinge of embarrassment and remained silent.

Wu Zhen had brought it up casually, but when she noticed Mei Zhuyu’s expression, she paused, then grinned mischievously, scrutinizing her husband until he grew uncomfortable.

"Did you do something, perhaps?"

"Did you? You must have done something—did you go and scare him? Or were you jealous when you saw us talking?"

Unsure why she was so amused, Mei Zhuyu lowered his voice and explained, "No. At the time, I thought you were an ordinary person. I feared the white fox was getting close to harm you, so I spoke to him."

Hearing this honest answer, Wu Zhen sighed and wrapped an arm around her husband’s waist as they walked. "I’d be happier if you said it was jealousy."

Why? Mei Zhuyu didn’t quite understand, but after a while, he murmured softly, "There was some selfishness too. He… is good-looking, more so than me. I worried you might prefer him."

Wu Zhen was notoriously hard to please. In the past, countless men and women had tried to win her favor, but few succeeded—many only managed to annoy her. Yet now, Mei Zhuyu’s few words had her beaming, her voice softening noticeably.

"I’ve seen plenty of good-looking people, but I don’t like any of them. I only like you, my husband."

Wu Zhen finished speaking, eager to see his reaction, but instead, he frowned.

"What are those?" Mei Zhuyu’s expression turned serious as he pulled Wu Zhen closer to the water, pointing at the river. Beneath the lanterns’ glow, the water reflected the shadows of numerous fish, each about six inches long. With his sharp eyesight, Mei Zhuyu could tell these fish weren’t real—only illusions—yet their movements beneath the surface didn’t disturb the water at all.Watching as a fish suddenly leaped from the water and swallowed two wandering souls from the guiding lanterns, Mei Zhuyu frowned and began forming a hand seal—only to have his fingers caught midway by Wu Zhen.

She remained calm, her gaze steady as she said, "No rush. Let's finish our earlier conversation first."

Mei Zhuyu: "..."

Wu Zhen: "There, just watch. It's fine."

Schools of fish began surfacing continuously, devouring the wandering souls. Once a soul was consumed, the lit River Lantern would extinguish, and the shadowy fish that swallowed it would grow slightly larger.

Wu Zhen observed with keen interest, showing no intention of intervening. Sensing something amiss, Mei Zhuyu asked, "Aren’t you supposed to stop these things from harming the wandering souls?" Earlier, while watching the lanterns from the tower, she had briefly mentioned that something would later attempt to prey on the souls and that she would drive them away.

Wu Zhen grinned as she walked along the canal’s edge, half her body suspended over the water. Only after watching for a while did she explain, "I do need to stop certain things from devouring the wandering souls—but not these soulfish."

Realizing his misunderstanding, Mei Zhuyu relaxed and joined her in observing the shadowy fish she called soulfish as they consumed the wandering souls.

As they walked, Wu Zhen explained to her husband, "During the Ghost Festival, the waters connect to the underworld, but not everything that enters the water can reach it—only through the River of the Dead. In the underworld, the River of the Dead is indeed a river, but in our world, what we call the 'River of the Dead' is formed by these schools of shadowy fish. They swallow the wandering souls here, then travel in groups through the water back to the underworld, linking to the River of the Dead and carrying these souls home."

"They are manifestations of the river’s waters. Though shaped like fish, they are not truly fish. They cannot see or hear—only sense the guiding lanterns. That’s why the wandering souls must ride these lanterns to be caught by the fish."

Mei Zhuyu listened carefully. Looking back at the water, he noticed the wandering souls remained calm as they were swallowed, as if aware these fish were their passage to the afterlife. Many even eagerly threw themselves into the fishes’ mouths.

Though his upbringing at Changxi Temple, under the guidance of his master and senior brothers, along with the extensive records left by predecessors, had granted him broad knowledge, Mei Zhuyu had never heard of such things. Thus, Wu Zhen’s explanation held a peculiar fascination for him.

Seeing his interest, Wu Zhen elaborated further. The fish in the river, having swallowed the wandering souls, gradually grew several feet wide, nearly filling the water’s surface. Then, they stopped consuming more souls and began sinking slowly, preparing to vanish into the depths.

At that moment, a clear, melodious birdcall rang out from the sky.

Mei Zhuyu looked up and saw countless white birds descending from the clouds. Their wings spread gracefully, light as mist, their white feathers elegant and striking even in the darkness.

Despite the sudden appearance of so many white birds, the crowd by the river remained oblivious, their revelry uninterrupted.

Mei Zhuyu only felt a sudden gust of wind beside him. When he turned, Wu Zhen had already vanished from her spot.

In the sky, the shadow of a giant cat appeared—elongated, almost more like some other, more terrifying creature than a cat. She hovered above the canal, her jaws snapping shut around several white birds attempting to dive for the shadowy fish. She swallowed them whole, their falling white feathers dissipating into smoke midair.Mei Zhuyu had originally come determined to help, yet from start to finish, he never got the chance to act. Wu Zhen alone firmly held control over the river channel, not allowing a single white bird to approach the water's surface.

The shadowy fish sank in groups, only to reappear in waves, while more and more lanterns on the river extinguished.

Unable to catch the fish shadows, the white birds grew visibly impatient, launching even fiercer attacks. The large cat raised its paw unceremoniously, swatting the birds away. One landed at Mei Zhuyu’s feet, still struggling. Thinking to finish it off, he found that neither talismans nor spells had any effect—he couldn’t even touch the bird.

Meanwhile, the enormous cat shadow continued its mighty display, opening its maw like a vast net and swallowing all the white birds whole.

Watching her do this, Mei Zhuyu suddenly worried whether Wu Zhen might suffer a stomachache later. She always seemed fond of swallowing things indiscriminately.

As he pondered this concern, the white bird at his feet struggled before dissipating into a wisp of white smoke. Mei Zhuyu reached out to touch the smoke and suddenly had a realization—these birds seemed to be condensed life energy.

Unlike malevolent spirits, life energy was harmless to humans, but for wandering ghosts of the dead, it was harmful. The reason these birds sought to prey on the fish shadows in the river was likely because the fish, formed from the waters of the underworld, carried death energy. The two forces naturally clashed, hence the battle between fish and birds.

Realizing he couldn’t help, Mei Zhuyu stopped wasting effort and simply stood watching. Wu Zhen didn’t need his assistance anyway—she handled all the white birds with ease. Once midnight passed, no more birds emerged from the clouds, and the fish shadows in the water sank completely.

The Ghost Gate had closed—the night of the Ghost Festival was over.

Instead of his wife, Mei Zhuyu was met with a Tabby Cat that looked thoroughly stuffed, its belly round and full.

The cat landed in his hands, instinctively curling up against his arm before letting out an involuntary burp. Covering its mouth with a furry paw, the Tabby Cat said, "Swallowed too much life energy—my stomach’s bloated. Carry me back."

Mei Zhuyu stroked the furry belly and indeed found it swollen. When he pressed lightly, the Tabby Cat burped again, exhaling a puff of white mist.

"Stop poking," Wu Zhen scolded, swatting his hand away. If he pressed any harder, he might burst her stomach.

Mei Zhuyu glanced back at the river before obediently carrying the cat home. Hesitantly, he asked, "If it really hurts, maybe I could brew you some talisman water?"

Wu Zhen immediately refused. "No, absolutely not. If you make that stuff again, I’m not going back."

Mei Zhuyu fell silent. He truly thought talisman water was useful—vomiting out the excess would surely relieve her discomfort. But Wu Zhen clearly disagreed. Just the thought of that vile taste made her fur bristle.

Left with no choice, Mei Zhuyu spent the entire night massaging the Tabby Cat’s belly. His pressure control was inconsistent, and every now and then, the cat would exhale clouds of mist. If he pressed too hard, the Tabby Cat would swat him—Mei Zhuyu lost count of how many times he was struck.

While the couple spent the Ghost Festival in relative peace, someone else had an unspeakable ordeal that very night.

Not long after the Ghost Festival began, Mei Si passed through the East Market. He had just finished drinking with Zhao Langjun and the others and was about to head home when he remembered a shop in the East Market that sold particularly delicious waxberry cakes—his parents loved them. So he turned his steps toward the market.Tonight's East Market was even more bustling and lively than in his memories of previous years, almost as bright as daytime, Mei Si thought drunkenly. This year's Ghost Festival night market could almost rival the Lantern Festival market of the first lunar month.

Mei Si walked forward when suddenly, he realized something was wrong - he couldn't find that Yangmei cake shop anymore. It used to be at the end of this street, but now a pharmacy stood in its place.

Am I lost? The thought finally surfaced in Mei Si's alcohol-fogged mind after a long while. With delayed realization, he noticed that this didn't seem to be the familiar East Market, even though he was certain he'd walked toward its location.

Turning his head in confusion, Mei Si noticed another odd detail. Although everyone was supposed to wear Evil Spirit masks tonight, some of the people passing by didn't just have masks - some had even attached fake tails?

Why would they bother with such tails? Was this some new kind of Acrobatic Show? Mei Si stared dumbly at the passing creature's tail.