Moonlit Reunion

Chapter 69

Wu Zhen said she needed to discuss matters with Snake Lord Liu Taizhen, but Mei Zhuyu suspected that discussing matters was merely incidental—what she really wanted was to tease her friend.

Just as he had guessed, when the two arrived at the Liu residence and met Liu Taizhen, Wu Zhen squeezed Mei Zhuyu’s hand, signaling him to stay silent, while she stepped forward and said, "Snake Lord, we’ve come unannounced—apologies for the disturbance."

Liu Taizhen gave them a puzzled glance, frowning slightly. "What’s the matter?"

Wu Zhen was terrible at pretending to be Mei Zhuyu—even when speaking properly, she still came across as odd. With a stiff expression, she blurted out nonsense: "Oh, it’s like this—Wu Zhen is pregnant, but the pregnancy is unstable. We’re heading to Kunzhou to seek medical help, so we’ll need you to take care of the Chang'an Demon Market in the meantime..."

Before she could finish, Liu Taizhen suddenly lunged at the silent ‘Wu Zhen.’ Seeing her friend’s ruthless intent to strike, Wu Zhen didn’t dare keep up the act any longer and immediately intercepted Liu Taizhen’s hand, exchanging a few rapid blows with her. Mei Zhuyu, seeing the two suddenly start fighting, instinctively moved to intervene—but then hesitated and took a step back upon seeing his own delicate hands.

His wife’s body must not be injured.

"What kind of demon dares to act so brazenly before me?!" Liu Taizhen snapped coldly.

Wu Zhen: "Alright, alright, no more jokes! Why resort to violence? I refuse to believe you didn’t recognize me!"

Liu Taizhen slapped her away, her expression turning indescribable—as if she didn’t want to admit it but had no choice. Reluctantly, she ground out two words through clenched teeth: "Wu Zhen?"

Wu Zhen, wearing Mei Zhuyu’s face, nodded and flashed her a grin. Liu Taizhen turned her head away, as if unable to bear the sight, and only after a moment did she look back, scrutinizing her. "I never imagined you had such… peculiar tastes."

From her expression, Wu Zhen couldn’t tell whether Liu Taizhen genuinely believed that or was just mocking her. But she was thick-skinned and unfazed, stepping forward to sling an arm around her as usual—only for Liu Taizhen to dodge. "Just speak from a distance."

Her disdain was directed at both of them. Wu Zhen smirked, then explained the peculiar wedding gift from her cousin and their plan to travel to Kunzhou to find someone to break the curse. She gave a proper explanation this time and earnestly entrusted the Demon Market affairs to Liu Taizhen.

Liu Taizhen listened in silence, asking only one question in the end.

"Mei Zhuyu is really pregnant?"

Wu Zhen: "Why does that sound so strange when you say it? It’s my body that’s pregnant. My husband is just temporarily inhabiting it, taking care of our child. But really, this child is mostly my doing—it’s growing in my belly, you know."

Liu Taizhen: "Who’s arguing about which of you two contributed more?"

She then turned to Mei Zhuyu. "And you—you’re just going to let her spout nonsense like this?"

Mei Zhuyu, poised like a goddess, shook his head. "I can’t control her."

Wu Zhen burst into laughter. Liu Taizhen had no desire to engage further with this couple and only said coolly to Mei Zhuyu, "Then take good care of the pregnancy."

Mei Zhuyu: "..."Apart from Liu Taizhen, Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu did not inform any other friends when they left Chang'an, including Duke Yu. They only had servants deliver letters after their departure. If they had met face-to-face, several more people would likely have noticed something amiss, and explaining everything would have been troublesome—especially since there were so many details they couldn't disclose.

The journey to Kunzhou was long. Wu Zhen had initially prepared a horse-drawn carriage, but after the main roads, some of the smaller paths were uneven, so they switched to an oxcart. Though slower, it was steadier.

Normally, neither Wu Zhen nor Mei Zhuyu liked traveling with servants, but this time, since Wu Zhen's body was pregnant, they decided to bring two attendants. These weren’t ordinary servants—they were a pair of brothers from the Demon Market, ox demons in their true forms. Tall, burly, and rough-looking, they gave the impression of mountain bandits who might demand tolls from travelers.

Though their appearance left something to be desired and they weren’t particularly bright, they were honest, hardworking, and eager to serve. When they learned they were working for the Cat Official—and for such generous pay—they were so enthusiastic they nearly tossed out the ordinary oxen pulling the cart and transformed to pull it themselves.

Another advantage of choosing these ox demon brothers was their simple-mindedness—they completely failed to notice anything unusual about their "Cat Official." Seeing the Cat Official sitting calmly in the cart, less lively and smiling than usual, they even marveled at how much more composed the Cat Official seemed after leaving Chang'an!

Mei Zhuyu took meticulous care of his wife’s body, treating it with utmost caution, afraid of even the slightest bump or jolt. He sat motionless in the oxcart, while Wu Zhen happily rode a horse, cracking her whip, with a bow and quiver slung across her back. When the cart veered off the main road into lush vegetation, she even hunted two rabbits and proudly showed them to Mei Zhuyu.

"If we don’t reach an inn today, we can roast these rabbits somewhere," Wu Zhen said, lifting the carriage curtain and dangling the rabbits playfully.

Wu Zhen had never been fond of riding in carriages, and knowing her husband was being jostled around inside, she frequently urged him to take breaks.

"Do you need to relieve yourself? I’ll go with you."

She strode boldly toward the trees, then turned back when Mei Zhuyu didn’t follow. "What’s wrong? Come on."

Mei Zhuyu: "No need. You can wait over there."

Wu Zhen: "But we’re in the middle of nowhere—I’m worried something might happen to you."

Mei Zhuyu pointed to a distant rock. "Wait there."

Seeing his unyielding tone, Wu Zhen reluctantly obeyed, calling after him, "Are you sure you don’t want me to come?"

Mei Zhuyu didn’t even glance back. Unlike Wu Zhen, he hadn’t adjusted well to inhabiting his wife’s body. Every time he had to clean or attend to personal needs, he felt a faint sense of shame, as if he were doing something improper. Even though she was his wife, he never felt entitled to touch her body freely, nor could he look at it without recalling... certain scenes from their past.

Daoist Mei was utterly mortified.Wu Zhen felt no burden at all, finding everything quite fresh. Only occasionally would she glance at her husband wearing her face and say gloomily, "I can't bring myself to kiss my own face."

Mei Zhuyu: "...No need to kiss." He was already ashamed enough to be in his wife's body. Any intimacy now would be even more impossible for him. Even if it was his beloved wife, the mere thought of such notions would likely earn him a talisman from Daoist Mei to calm her down.

Given Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu's status, they could stay at official post stations. If none were available, they didn't fuss—simply lighting a fire in the wilderness and resting in their carriage sufficed. Mei Zhuyu was accustomed to an unpretentious, frugal life. In the past, he had gone days without sleep while hunting evil spirits through mountains and forests. When truly exhausted, sitting cross-legged and meditating for half an hour was enough.

Wu Zhen, however, surprised him. Having grown up in the lap of luxury in Chang'an, and with Mei Zhuyu well aware of her fastidious habits, he had worried she would struggle with the rough conditions on the road. Yet now, she adapted quite well. Her occasional sighs and complaints were only lamentations about the lack of good wine in the wild.

Since their masters didn't mind, the servants Niu Yi and Niu Er cared even less. They could make do with a rock or a patch of grass for the night.

Whenever they encountered an official post station, the two would stop to rest, wash up, change clothes, and replenish their supplies. Mei Zhuyu would also take the opportunity to brew the medicine prescribed by Imperial Physician Liu—a secret palace tonic for nourishing the body during pregnancy.

Mei Zhuyu personally prepared the medicine, cooling it slightly in cold water before drinking it down without batting an eye. His stoic expression left Wu Zhen pale-faced. The mere smell of the concoction made her want to flee, yet her husband drank it as calmly as if it were plain water.

After finishing, noticing her expression, he even asked if she felt unwell.

Wu Zhen forced a dry laugh. "Does this stuff taste good?"

As a Daoist priest, Mei Zhuyu had some knowledge in this area. He didn't comment much on the taste but affirmed its efficacy.

Wu Zhen sprawled shamelessly on the small stool he used for brewing medicine, kicking the medicine pot away disdainfully. "If you think it's good, drink as much as you want now. I won't touch a drop of it later."

Mei Zhuyu knew better than to argue. When the time came that she truly needed to drink it, he would make her—whether she liked it or not. Some things could be indulged; others could not.

Wu Zhen shivered inexplicably, eyeing her upright husband with suspicion.

It was midsummer, with the blazing sun high in the sky. The roadside silvergrass swayed, its plumes stretching into a vast white expanse in the distance. Wildflowers bloomed in abundance, their fragrance filling the air, while the rustling of mountain forests whispered in their ears. The sky was vast and azure, dotted with soft, snow-white clouds—a stark contrast to the bustling splendor of Chang'an.

The farther they traveled from the capital, the more the scenery changed. Though they journeyed day after day, amusing incidents occasionally occurred along the way—such as encountering mischievous little spirits blocking their path.

Since the two had swapped bodies, Wu Zhen couldn't use her own powers. Mei Zhuyu's body was filled with spiritual energy, but without knowing how to wield it, she could only stare helplessly. To ensure her safety, Mei Zhuyu took the opportunity to teach her some gestures and incantations for exorcising demons and ghosts. Whenever troublesome creatures blocked their way, he had her practice her newfound skills.Wu Zhen had been curious about these things before, and now that she had experienced them firsthand, she understood even more just how terrifying her young husband was. The sheer depth of his spiritual power was something ordinary people might not accumulate in a hundred years. Even if he was exceptionally gifted, it still seemed excessive. Wu Zhen suspected he might have encountered some extraordinary opportunity, but her keen intuition told her the reason behind it might not be a happy one. So she didn’t ask. Instead, she simply followed Mei Zhuyu’s lead and learned some basic spells, indulging in the thrill of being a Taoist for a while.

After learning Taoist arts from Mei Zhuyu, Wu Zhen also wanted to teach her husband how to adapt to the unique Demon Power within her body. But when she brought it up, Mei Zhuyu shook his head and said, “I’ve already gained some understanding on my own.”

He spent a few quiet days meditating in the oxcart and soon adapted to the Demon Power within Wu Zhen’s body—far quicker than he had adjusted to her physical form.

Once again witnessing her husband’s astonishing comprehension, Wu Zhen believed him in her heart but teased, “I’m not entirely convinced. Why don’t you prove it to me?”

Mei Zhuyu: “How?”

Wu Zhen immediately said, “Turn into a cat!”

A cat that has been petted will inevitably pet back—this was something Taoist Master Mei now understood.