Original subtitles

[Moonlit Reunion]

[Adapted from Fuhua's novel, Mrs. Mei's Way of Love]

[Episode 17]

[Mei Mansion]

Little Loach.

I told you, I'm not a loach.

Well, I got you fried loach anyway.

White Snake said

for an injured demon,

what's torn must be healed within and without.

It's almost your size.

How are you going to eat it?

I'm not dealing with this.

Figure it out yourself.

How many times do I have to say it?

I am an Obsidian Serpent,

and don't you forget it!

Fine. You don't want it?

I'll take it.

This is top-grade ink.

Thankfully, you didn't ruin it.

It is perfect for painting.

I'm going to paint a book of demons

for Ms. Liu

as a gift.

The demons you know

are all from the Chronicles of the Uncanny

on the table.

It's been recorded by previous generations.

Why paint it again?

Just echoing others and adding what's not needed.

You wouldn't understand this, would you?

This is the most comprehensive record

of all kinds of spirits and demons.

You mistook me for a loach sprite.

Guess this book isn't as great as you think.

You...

Demons arise

from the harmony of heaven and earth,

ever-shifting, ever-elusive.

Those unseen and unheard

by mortals are countless.

I stand above them all.

So, you are a mighty one?

I suppose that means

you know everything.

To spare me from your endless questions,

which are quite annoying,

I'll tell you some stories.

Consider it my repayment for your care.

Okay, take your time.

I'll draw as you talk.

The tiger reigns supreme in the mountains.

Today, let me tell you

about a tiger demon that gained form after centuries of cultivation.

Its fangs are jagged, its eyes sharp with spirit.

Having mastered fire magic,

it has a flame-shaped mark between its brows.

Standing three chi tall,

it transforms into an eight-chi demon when its power surges.

When does that happen?

When its vital point,

that is, its brow, is attacked.

I see.

How's the drawing coming along?

It shakes the heavens and strides the earth,

ruler of the mountain wilds,

yet this is your depiction? Pathetic.

Overall, it's impressive.

It has its unique charm.

What do you think?

It's really well done.

So lifelike.

No wonder that ink seemed odd to me.

It actually contained evil arts.

It could cause some trouble for the Demon Market.

Something's off.

It has no demon core?

[Duke of Wu's Mansion]

Mr. Mei!

I haven't seen you at the Xuanjian Division in days.

I've heard so many rumors on the streets

that I can't tell what's true

and what's not anymore.

What have you heard?

Word has spread across the city.

First, they say

the Princess cast you out of Chang'an.

Then, that she's found herself a new flame.

And now, they say

two young men have offered to move into the Duke's Mansion.

The gossip never ceases.

One before the last

has even had time to die down.

I'm still trying to process the last round of stories,

and already

there's talk of the Incense Contest.

The rumors say a highly skilled Mr. Mei

saved the Princess,

and I thought,

could someone that outstanding

really be Mr. Mei Si?

Alright, that's enough chatter.

What brings you here so early?

Something important

came up.

Mr. Mei,

the case is indeed a bit tricky.

What?

What happened?

Little Loach.

What's all the fuss about?

The whole room was covered in bloodstains.

How did it turn into ink?

What bloodstains?

It was probably just a trick of the eye from lack of sleep.

Little Loach, look at this.

Why has this tiger demon faded?

Maybe the ink wasn't properly ground.

Ridiculous! I've done it all my life.

There's nothing wrong with it.

Are you questioning me?

I...

I'm not.

Still want stories of spirits and demons?

Of course I do.

Today, let's begin with the tale

of the pomegranate demon, Pining.

Its head was a pomegranate,

but it posed as a beautiful woman,

using long hair to mask the truth.

In battle, it'd thrash its head around,

flinging its hair aside.

Endless seeds lay within,

sharp as darts,

perfect for stealth.

It shakes its head when fighting?

Little Loach, are you really not tricking me?

Why would I?

It's like that thing you humans have,

what was it called?

A rattle drum.

I once fought a deer demon

with eyes sprouting from its back,

ever swiveling, ever watching.

It saw in every direction.

Four razor-sharp antlers crowned its head.

They say it often sharpened its antlers

on venomous tree bark.

Over time,

they became laced with deadly poison,

nearly impossible to cure.

In this world,

not only can plants and beasts turn into demons,

but even objects, once stained with blood,

become vessels of malevolence.

A demon was born

from a jade dice in a gambling house.

Legend says

a gambler, driven mad by loss,

began slashing wildly.

His blood splattered on the dice,

making it malevolent.

Though small,

it was vicious.

Its six sides bore

twenty-one crimson eyes.

The more bloodshed it saw, the more frenzied it became.

I remember a temple,

forsaken and forgotten.

In its front courtyard lay a shattered water jar.

Though it could no longer hold water,

its fractured form could ride the wind

and channel its whispers into a weapon.

The moon is veiled by a sea of stars,

while strange omens below arise.

Just last night,

a wicked demon appeared in Chang'an

with a form woven from smoke and shadow,

restless and ever-changing.

It looks like fear will grip Chang'an.

Have you heard

there's a demon in Chang'an?

The liquor seller says it's a pig demon.

Nonsense! It's clearly a fox demon.

Excuse me, gentlemen, where did you hear

about this demon?

Everyone in the city is talking.

Let's go.

Who are you calling a pig?

Oh please, as if you're any better.

Your ridiculous family is even worse!

Mr. Mei, what were you talking about?

I heard that many people in Chang'an

have started discussing supernatural events.

Impossible.

We told the locals clearly

not to mention this to anyone outside,

as we didn't want to stir up panic.

If it's spread this far in under a day,

we're dealing with more than just rumors.

You mean

someone is fanning the flames behind the scenes?

I wouldn't rule it out.

Mr. Mei,

you want me to look into

the registration records of the ink house?

I think the ink is the key to those traces.

But the power inside it is not demonic.

It feels more like some kind of dark art.

- Dark art? - Dark art?

- What is it? - What is it?

Have you ever heard of Conscious Imbuement?

No.

Simply put, it's a forbidden technique

learned not through years of training,

but by sacrificing one's body.

Then, Mr. Mei,

how did you figure out this case

involved Conscious Imbuement?

Yeah, exactly.

Any true demon leaves behind a body.

There's no way it could just vanish.

If nothing remains, it wasn't a demon.

Conscious Imbuement means

embedding part of one's mind

into an object

to control it.

The traces left after the tiger's death

are its external manifestation.

- I see. - I see.

Can you give it to me now?

Here you are.

So, how should we investigate this practitioner?

Starting from the ink house?

It's our only way out now.

[Literati Inkwell]

The Xuanjian Division is handling a case.

We need to see your ledger.

That's a secret of my shop.

I can't show it to you, no matter who you are.

Alright, then, please come with me.

To the Xuanjian Division? I don't want to go there!

I'll get it, just a moment.

Please take a look.

[Purchase: Mei Si of Chang'an]

Have a pleasant day.

Sir,

may I see the ledger

he was just looking at?

Which division are you from?

My ledger isn't some common item

for everyone who walks by to look at.

Go!

Please

take your time.

Well...

[Mei Mansion]

Si.

Si.

Si.

Si!

Si.

Si.

So, the ink demons came from these paintings.

Si!

Get up.

Alright, get up.

Si!

Come.

Get away!

Stop!

If you want to save him, don't come any closer.

- Mr. Si! - Mr. Si!

Are you alright?

Zhuyu?

You're back now, aren't you?

How did I get here?

What happened to me?

Why did you kick the table for no reason?

No,

I didn't.

Didn't you see something pass by?

What is it?

You must be seeing things.

Hey, I'm right here.

What's got your attention up there?

I'm not in the clouds, you know.

Why are you looking at the sky like that?

What did you say?

I wanted to ask you,

between Mr. Pei and Mr. Mei,

which one do you actually prefer?

You went so far as to issue an imperial decree,

and this is what you wanted to discuss?

Mr. Mei

risked everything to save you.

He's a good man, no doubt about that.

But his background just doesn't fit.

Pei Jiya comes from the right family

and is also your childhood companion.

But if you marry him,

I'm afraid you'll have to go to Kun.

Let's not rush into anything.

Choosing a husband is a significant life decision.

It deserves thoughtful consideration.

There's no time to keep delaying.

Zhen,

you're not getting any younger. Time to settle down.

If you keep waiting,

no one will want you.

But if I don't meet someone

I truly want to spend my life with,

I can be happy and live freely on my own.

Where are you going?

We're not finished here.

You keep repeating yourself.

My ears are going to fall off.

I won't marry

unless I find

the right man.

You!

Don't be upset.

I need to take care of something,

so I'll be heading back now.

See?

Just look at her!

Not a single formal bone in her body.

Please calm down.

Take a look at these trinkets, everyone!

May I try it?

Be my guest.

Maybe next time.

Aunt.

Take it easy.

I was just telling him

that you'd also visited the palace today.

And what did he say?

He said he was grateful to you

for helping him with his illness.

Really?

Isn't it just the wind blowing the trees?

How come I can't hear it at all?

Aunt!

Little Loach, I'll protect you.

Stay in my arms.

It's just an ink demon.

As if I need your protection.

My power hasn't recovered.

What a nuisance.

Aunt!

Is that you, Hua?

Don't be afraid.

I'm here.

No.

Hua!

Hua!

Hua!

Hua!

Hua!

Hua!

Hua!

Hua!

Hua!

Hua!

Your Highness.

Hua!

Are you alright?

Thank you, Your Highness,

for giving me a name.

My name is Yuanzhen. What's yours?

I don't have a name.

How can that be?

Everyone in this world

should have their own name.

♪Memory brews a bitter tale♪

But I am not human.

You're a camellia flower.

Hua. [*Meaning "flower"]

Your name will be Hua.

Is that okay?

Hua.

♪Without you, all fades into nothing♪

♪Past joys and sorrows tangle in dreams♪

♪The deepest pain is parting's gleam♪

♪A lifetime vowed to share with you♪

I was nothing but dead wood.

But after meeting you,

I bloomed for the first time.

♪Petals drift, then fade from sight♪

Hua!

Hua!

♪How is falling for love not right?♪

Hua!

Hua!

♪Moonlight chills the breath I keep♪

Hua!

Hua!

♪I hold you close, but silence runs deep♪

Hua!

♪Petals drift, then fade from sight♪

♪How is falling for love not right?♪

♪Your glance flickers, memories bloom♪

♪How can I find you through the gloom?♪

The ink demons have overrun the city.

I need to draw them out.

So quick.

Mr. Pei.

The ink demons have been destroyed.

- How is that possible? - How is that possible?

If my benefactor were to learn

that I failed him...

- Mr. Pei. - Mr. Pei.

What exactly went wrong?

Ink demons appeared again, Ms. Wu.

Did you encounter any during the day?

I did.

But don't worry.

I sent you to investigate the Western Market.

Did you find any clues?

I roughly

know where the ink demons came from.

[Mei Mansion]

Si.

Si.

- Why are you here? - Why are you here?

I came to see Si.

Me too.

I heard you beat him up.

His mind was disturbed earlier.

I was just helping him clear his head.

Mind disturbed?

Why?

Conscious Imbuement.

Conscious Imbuement, you say?

What are you two doing?

Why are you here?

Where did you go?

To get scolded by my father.

He said I wasted my time

on demon stories, and that's why I got possessed.

Then how did you know

he was possessed?

I happened to visit him

and found that he was not right.

By the way, Si,

do you still have the ink you used for painting?

I'll go check.

It should be all used up.

Since you are fine,

I'll be leaving.

Take care.

What's wrong?

Ms. Wu, would you like to come with me?

Si, I'm leaving too.

Okay, Zhen.

♪A sigh for mortal dust♪

♪As blossoms burn to dusk♪

♪Memories tint the heart♪

♪Carved in silence, fading unseen♪

♪Candle shadows carve through grief♪

♪Seasons turn in silent thief♪

♪Night rain murmurs, faint and slow♪

♪Tears fall quiet, lost below♪

♪I drift away with scattered stars♪

♪Glancing back at time's worn scars♪

♪You're the longing that defies the end of days♪

♪If the tale could turn anew, and reshape the skies♪

♪I would spend my life on you, in patient sacrifice♪

♪Let fate rise through the storm, as love begins again♪

♪Never could I forget♪

♪When oaths dissolve into oceans, drifting through the years♪

♪Memory walks beside me, ever close, forever clear♪

♪A will that never falters♪

♪Fading beneath time's quiet hush♪

♪If the tale could turn anew, and reshape the skies♪

♪I would spend my life on you, in patient sacrifice♪

♪Let fate rise through the storm, as love begins again♪

♪Never could I forget♪

♪When oaths dissolve into oceans, drifting through the years♪

♪Memory walks beside me, ever close, forever clear♪

♪A will that never falters♪

♪Fading beneath time's quiet hush♪