Moonlit Reunion

Chapter 82

Wu Zhen actually held a great deal of respect for Sibuxiang as an adversary. Though his appearance was rather unsightly, she had to admit the creature was formidable. Before Mei Zhuyu arrived, she had tested Sibuxiang briefly and realized she couldn’t overpower him directly—hence her retreat. If she could have, she wouldn’t have wasted so many words.

Now, though she feigned casual ease while chatting with Mei Zhuyu, she remained vigilant, closely monitoring Sibuxiang’s movements and shifts.

At first glance, it seemed she had the upper hand, but Wu Zhen knew better—they were locked in a stalemate. The outcome now depended on which side would lose patience first.

The thunder above rumbled incessantly, dark clouds hanging low, yet no rain fell. The oppressive tension in the air mirrored the standoff between them.

“It seems you’re truly determined to oppose me today,” Sibuxiang—the monstrous Ying—said coldly. His eyes, nestled within his decaying skull, glowed faintly, flickering like restless embers. Wu Zhen sensed his reckless intent and tensed inwardly, though she kept her tone light. “That’s not entirely accurate. If we hand it over, how can we be sure you won’t kill us afterward?”

Ying let out a strange laugh, ignoring her words. He saw through her stalling—just as he had no intention of sparing them, Wu Zhen had no intention of surrendering anything.

Before she could speak again, Wu Zhen felt a sudden tug at her wrist. Mei Zhuyu pulled her back, his other hand already sweeping forward with the dark Peach Wood Sword. A metallic clang rang out—Ying, who had been standing some distance away, had closed the gap in an instant, his jagged bone protrusions clashing against Mei Zhuyu’s blade.

Wu Zhen clicked her tongue and casually slung the supposed corpse of the first Cat Official at her waist. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a crimson whip. If possible, she’d rather avoid a full-blown fight—she was genuinely worried about jostling the baby in her belly, which sounded like a terrible idea.

She wanted to help, but after standing by for a while, she found no opening to intervene. Worse, the battle between the two grew increasingly intense, their auras and destructive power escalating to terrifying levels, forcing Wu Zhen to retreat further. Both Mei Zhuyu and Ying fought with single-minded fury, as if they bore the hatred of a murdered father or a stolen wife.

And wasn’t that exactly the case?

“The only reason you managed to gravely wound me back then was because you absorbed your father’s lingering spiritual power before his death,” Ying murmured, his voice low and layered, echoing in Mei Zhuyu’s ears. “But can you do it again now?”

Mei Zhuyu ignored him, his movements fluid and unbroken, as if the words meant nothing.

Ying pressed on, malice dripping from his tone. “How did it feel to crush your father’s heart with your own hands to seize his remaining strength? Perhaps you could try it again this time.” His voice twisted with mockery. “You want to kill me to avenge your parents, don’t you? Why not do as you did before—go crush that woman’s heart and take her power. Maybe then you’ll stand a chance.”Mei Zhuyu, who had been expressionless all along, clenched his jaw slightly, his movements growing even more fierce. Sensing his anger, Ying laughed with a hint of satisfaction. "Just a woman. No matter how much you like her now, you'll change eventually. Nothing compares to the power you can hold in your hands."

"Back then, you crushed your own father's heart without hesitation—so cold-blooded and ruthless, even I was surprised. Yet now you're tangled up in petty emotions, unable to strike—"

Before Ying could finish, a crimson whip crackled like thunder as it lashed toward his face, cutting him off. Wu Zhen brandished the whip, her expression icy as she pointed at Ying and cursed, "You motherfucker, acting like I don’t exist? Spouting nothing but bullshit! Are your dog eyes so blind you can’t see he’s a thousand times more righteous than a rotten mud monster like you? A decaying corpse buried in the dirt for who knows how long should’ve stayed there forever. Even with just a hole for a mouth, you still yap nonstop. Fine, I’ll send you back to the dirt myself!"

Mei Zhuyu, who had also been knocked out of the fight by Wu Zhen’s whip, raised his sword with a faintly helpless expression. He knew that while his wife occasionally used coarse language around others, she usually avoided it around him, maintaining a more refined demeanor. But now, she was truly furious—enough to forget such niceties.

This wasn’t Mei Zhuyu’s first encounter with Ying. The last time they fought, Ying had similarly taunted him with words. But Mei Zhuyu was blunt and unskilled in verbal sparring, nor did he care to engage in such exchanges, so he had silently endured the provocations. Now, however, Wu Zhen was present—and she was never one to sit quietly while being insulted. Even if no one provoked her, she’d still throw barbs at those she disliked, let alone someone like Ying, who had thoroughly enraged her.

Though it was unclear where Ying had picked up the habit of digging at old wounds mid-battle, when it came to arguments, Wu Zhen feared no one. As she lashed her whip mercilessly across Ying’s massive body, she sneered, "Look at you, all bitter and resentful. What, did the first Cat Official of our Demon Market abandon you? Can’t blame them—with a face like yours, I’d have ditched you too."

For the first time, Ying experienced what Mei Zhuyu had once endured. Wu Zhen’s mocking words, laced with amusement, struck him like daggers to the heart, dredging up memories of the past—painful, hateful memories. In a fit of rage, he tore open most of his body, transforming the bones within into jagged spikes that shot toward Wu Zhen.

The spikes were wreathed in a sinister black mist; even a graze would be unbearable. But Wu Zhen, ever ruthless, didn’t retreat. Instead, she advanced with a cold laugh, yanking the cat corpse in her hand forward to meet the corrosive corpse fluid. Caught off guard, Ying hastily recoiled, terrified of damaging his last remaining "medicine." Seizing the opportunity, Wu Zhen swung her whip with such force it nearly cleaved his body in two.

Ying let out a piercing shriek as he staggered back, but he was no pushover. Despite the injury, he retaliated with a sharpened bone spike, angling it upward in a vicious strike that nearly slit Wu Zhen’s throat. Forced into a clumsy retreat, she barely managed to block it with her arm.A string of blood droplets flew from her arm as Wu Zhen landed to the side. She reached out to touch the wound, her hand instantly covered in red, and couldn't help but curse under her breath. Their clash had lasted mere moments. Mei Zhuyu glanced at her injured arm, frowning as he said, "Stay out of this. I'll handle it."

Though she knew his concern stemmed from worry that she might get hurt again, Wu Zhen remained unmoved by his sentiment. If two could fight together, then overwhelming the enemy with numbers was the way to go—anything else would be foolish and wasteful.

"Now's not the time to take turns like we're playing archery games," she retorted, shaking the blood from her arm. "Let's just attack together and finish this thing off."

Mei Zhuyu's expression turned icy at the sight of her bloodied hand. "No. I can handle this alone. You shouldn't be moving so violently in your condition."

Wu Zhen didn't waste words arguing. "I said I can, so I can." With that, she gripped her whip and charged at Ying once more.

Ying was more severely wounded, but his body healed unnaturally fast—or perhaps it was simply strange to begin with. His form was already tattered, and even with new gaping wounds, he showed no signs of impairment. Instead, grotesque bone spikes sprouted from his injuries, making his appearance even more indescribable.

Mei Zhuyu had no choice but to leap forward, overtaking Wu Zhen to intercept the majority of Ying's attacks himself.

But then, the unexpected happened.

Blood from Wu Zhen's wound dripped onto the cat corpse beside them. Suddenly, the corpse erupted in a radiant light, transforming into a glowing mass that shot straight into Wu Zhen's body. Her eyes flew wide open before she collapsed backward, limp and unconscious.

The abrupt turn of events left all three combatants reeling. A bone spike thrust toward Wu Zhen's heart—an attack she could have easily dodged if conscious. But now, defenseless, she was moments from being impaled. Without hesitation, Mei Zhuyu diverted his sword mid-swing, intercepting the spike to save her. The maneuver left his own abdomen pierced by the jagged bone.

With a swift motion, he severed the spike embedded in his stomach and pulled Wu Zhen into his arms, retreating several steps.

Ying, realizing the cat corpse had inexplicably vanished into Wu Zhen's body, flew into a rage. The object of his desire had been stolen. With a furious roar, every bone spike on his body bristled violently.

Clutching the unconscious Wu Zhen with one arm, Mei Zhuyu ignored the blood streaming from his wound. His sword hand remained steady. Feeling her steady breaths, he exhaled in relief and carefully laid her beneath a withered tree nearby. Then, yanking the bone spike from his abdomen, he raised his sword skyward, summoning a thunderous spiritual sigil to call down lightning.

Ying, now frenzied, sought to kill Wu Zhen for taking the cat corpse. But Mei Zhuyu stood firm, blocking his path. Their battle grew desperate—crimson blood and blackened corpse fluids drenched the earth around them. Thunder roared as the ruined buildings nearby trembled, their remnants scattering like leaves in a storm.

Then, Wu Zhen's eyes snapped open. She rose to her feet, examining her hands and body.

Mei Zhuyu noticed her awakening first, but before he could speak, she lunged straight for Ying. With a chilling smile, she addressed him: "To see you again after all these years... I never imagined you'd become like this."

"Back then, I wanted you to live forever. Only later did I realize how terribly wrong I was." Her voice hardened. "Ying, your existence pains me more than your death ever could. Now, I will correct that mistake."Mei Zhuyu realized immediately that this was not Wu Zhen. As for Ying, he had quieted down the moment "Wu Zhen" spoke her first words. He seemed to recognize who this was, gazing at the current "Wu Zhen" with a peculiar expression—one that seemed to carry both hatred and fear, yet also nostalgia and sorrow. But in the end, all that remained was greed and murderous intent.

"I won't die. I will live on forever. Since you're already dead, don't get in my way," he said.

"Wu Zhen" paid no heed and instead laughed loudly. "That won't do. Not only will I get in your way, but I'll also kill you."

In some ways, this person suspected to be the first Cat Official did bear some resemblance to Wu Zhen.