Moonlit Reunion

Mei Zhuyu had not slept all night. Carrying the wooden box on his back, he arrived outside a desolate mountain residence. The house had long been abandoned, its walls collapsed and nearly overtaken by wild grass—it looked even more dilapidated than it had several years ago.

Several years ago, it was here that he had gravely wounded that monster. He knew this was the place where the creature would be waiting.

Without further hesitation, Mei Zhuyu stepped inside the residence. He walked forward slowly, his expression cold and stern. As he passed a mottled bluestone in the courtyard, his footsteps paused briefly.

The blood that had spilled across the ground on that rainy night was long gone, but the stone where two corpses had once lain remained in place.

Standing atop the bluestone, Mei Zhuyu looked around. Suddenly, his expression froze as his gaze locked onto a withered tree in the distance. Something hung from its bare branches, dripping blood incessantly.

It was the corpse of a cat—a Tabby Cat that looked eerily familiar. In an instant, Mei Zhuyu’s face turned ashen, veins bulging on his forehead. His usually calm expression twisted into something terrifyingly fierce. He strode forward abruptly and reached for the cat’s body. The Tabby Cat had been gutted, long devoid of life, and beneath the tree, a pool of shockingly red blood lay thick and congealed.

Was it her? Was it Wu Zhen? Mei Zhuyu stared unblinkingly at the corpse in his hands, his heart wrenching so violently he could barely breathe. He hadn’t expected to see this—it was the worst outcome he had imagined on his way here, yet it had appeared before him so suddenly.

No—that couldn’t be. Mei Zhuyu took a deep breath, forcing a sliver of calm through the chaos in his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut, then snapped them open again, murmuring a few words under his breath. With his left hand, he swiftly drew a talisman in the air before pressing two fingers firmly against his forehead.

In that instant, accompanied by a faint sting of pain, Mei Zhuyu realized the cat corpse in his hands had transformed into a cold, black snake, its tongue flickering menacingly.

Almost the moment Mei Zhuyu saw the creature’s true form, the snake lunged at him, swift as lightning.

A muffled pop sounded—like something bursting—and the black snake, mere inches from Mei Zhuyu’s face, exploded into a cloud of dark mist.

A faint blue crackle of lightning still lingered on Mei Zhuyu’s left hand. He flicked his wrist, withdrawing his hand into his sleeve, then exhaled sharply. When he surveyed his surroundings again, his expression grew even more solemn and wary.

The black snake had been a warning. From the moment he stepped into this place, its master had likely been preparing to kill him. Who knew how many more things like that snake lurked nearby?

As the thought crossed his mind, Mei Zhuyu heard the sound of unsteady footsteps.

His hand moved swiftly, gripping a dark Peach Wood Sword. Frowning, he turned toward the noise—only for his guarded expression to shift into surprise when he saw the figure that emerged.

The person stumbling forward appeared from behind a doorway. Her face, initially fierce, faltered in shock upon seeing Mei Zhuyu before lighting up with joy.

"Langjun!" she called out.

The unexpected arrival was none other than Wu Zhen. She looked worse for wear—pale, her clothes stained with blood, an uncharacteristic mess. One hand clutched her stomach, and her tightly furrowed brow betrayed the pain she was enduring.Mei Zhuyu noticed the hem of her dress was continuously stained with spreading blood—she was bleeding profusely, and a faint metallic scent began to permeate the air. His expression changed, and he finally quickened his pace toward her. Wu Zhen, seeing him approach, suddenly slumped to the ground as if relieved of all tension. "You're finally here," she murmured weakly, her face etched with worry. "Our child... I don't know if something's wrong with them."

"It hurts so much..."

Mei Zhuyu's eyes filled with concern and distress as he hurried to her side, reaching out to check her pulse. Just then, the seemingly lifeless Wu Zhen abruptly transformed—her entire head morphed into a gaping maw, lunging to bite him. Yet before the monstrous mouth could reach Mei Zhuyu's head, it froze mid-air.

With a soft sigh, Mei Zhuyu swiftly drew his Peach Wood Sword. The moment the creature had opened its maw, his instincts had flared—his sword, faster than thought, had already pierced its heart.

As the Peach Wood Sword was withdrawn, the 'Wu Zhen' shrieked, dissolving into a wisp of black shadow before vanishing.

This place was indeed teeming with 'distractions.' Mei Zhuyu suspected he would encounter more 'Wu Zhens' later. His prediction proved correct as he ventured deeper into the estate—three more 'Wu Zhens' appeared in succession. One was a corpse, its death gruesome beyond measure: head severed, limbs torn apart, pinned to the ground with sharp stones.

Though he knew these were likely illusions, the sight of the corpse bearing Wu Zhen's exact likeness still compelled him forward. Only when the dismembered remains transformed into another attacking entity—and were subsequently dispersed by his blade—did Mei Zhuyu finally ease, certain this was not the real Wu Zhen.

Another hung lifelessly from a tree. Mei Zhuyu approached to lower her, but this one proved stronger than the others. Revealing its true form, it split into two after being cleaved by his sword, forcing him to fight both halves. Though he ultimately prevailed, a small wound marked his arm.

The last one wasted no time, attacking on sight before meeting the same fate as the others. As Mei Zhuyu pressed on, the true monster remained elusive—only these relentless, Wu Zhen-like distractions frayed his resolve.

The relentless cycle numbed him. Even knowing they were false, repeatedly destroying these facsimiles of his beloved was far from pleasant. His expression grew colder, and he paused, pressing a hand thoughtfully against the wooden box on his back, considering his next move.

Just then, another 'Wu Zhen' materialized before him. Mei Zhuyu stood motionless, watching as this one, like the others, charged at him, her whip lashing out without mercy.

He raised his sword to parry, but this time, she blocked his strike. For some reason, locking eyes with her, Mei Zhuyu felt an odd stirring—something about her seemed... different.Hesitation in the heart led to hesitation in the hand. Strangely, the whip that had been fiercely aimed at his face seemed to miss its mark as if it couldn't find its direction. That 'Wu Zhen' narrowed her eyes, suddenly retracted the whip, and closed the distance between them. Just as Mei Zhuyu tensed up to retreat, he felt this 'Wu Zhen's' hand lightly yet firmly grope his backside, then give it a very improper and practiced squeeze.

With just that one touch, Mei Zhuyu stiffened, blinked, and abruptly halted both the Peach Wood Sword in his right hand and the thunder talisman ready in his left. He stared at the person before him with a gaze full of disbelief and uncertainty.

But Wu Zhen was faster. She wrapped her arms around his waist and threw herself into his embrace, laughing, "Oh my, it really is my husband! I almost hit you for real. Let me see if you're alright."

"You... are the real Madam?"

Wu Zhen nodded. "It's me. Don't believe me?"

Mei Zhuyu reached back to stop her hand from squeezing his buttocks again, sounding somewhat helpless. "I believe you. Just... not like this..."

Wu Zhen, pulled back by him, showed no trace of shame. She grinned at him, studying his face intently before sighing in admiration. "My husband is so much more handsome. When I was in your body, looking in the mirror always felt off—it just didn't have the same charm."

Despite entering with a heavy heart, hearing Wu Zhen's casual words softened Mei Zhuyu involuntarily. Still holding the sword in one hand, he tightly grasped her hand with the other and asked, "How did you end up here? Where is that monster now?"

Wu Zhen narrowed her eyes, scanning their surroundings. "That monster's gone mad right now. I provoked him into insanity, and while he was losing his mind, I disrupted the Barrier he created. As the Barrier dissipated, I ended up here. I suspect his domain was anchored to this place. Now that the Barrier is gone, everything there has scattered chaotically, which is why this place has turned into such a mess. These are all remnants of demonic energy that pry into people's hearts—endless to eradicate."

Mei Zhuyu listened silently for a long moment. "Provoked him into insanity? And the Barrier is gone?"

When he had been trapped in Wu Zhen's body within that Barrier, he had searched in vain for its weakness to break free. How had Wu Zhen managed it?

"You could break the Barrier—truly impressive," Mei Zhuyu praised his wife sincerely.

Wu Zhen chuckled softly and shook her head. "You righteous gentlemen—your minds are so inflexible. Who said I had to break the Barrier myself? Honestly, I had no idea how to dismantle it, nor did I want to waste time looking for its weak points."

Mei Zhuyu: "...?"

Wu Zhen looked utterly matter-of-fact. "Apart from the monster, weren't there many Demon Servants living inside that Barrier? Those little demons might not be very powerful, but they'd been there so long—of course they knew how to go out and buy things. In a way, they were the most convenient 'keys.' While I couldn't handle the formidable Barrier, I could handle those Demon Servants. Turning all of them might've been difficult, but a few were easy to sway. After all, even the strongest things are most vulnerable from within, aren't they?""See, no matter when, don't be too full of yourself. That monster made that mistake and now it's paying the price," Wu Zhen said nonchalantly.

Mei Zhuyu was at a loss for words. Clearing his throat, he asked, "Where is that monster now...?"

Wu Zhen: "No idea where he’s gone mad. What, are you planning to look for him? Don’t tell me you actually brought what he wanted to trade for me?" Even if you were going to trade, you should’ve at least tampered with it or something.

Mei Zhuyu didn’t know what to say again. Wasn’t his approach the most straightforward?

Wu Zhen understood just by looking at his expression. She clicked her tongue repeatedly. "My husband is such an honest man." Then, with a mischievous grin, she suddenly reached out and stroked Mei Zhuyu’s face. "But I like it."

Mei Zhuyu: Suddenly unsure what to do now—should he still go look for that monster or not?

"Boom—boom—"

A low rumble of thunder suddenly echoed across the sky.