Original subtitles

[Moonlit Reunion]

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

[Episode 29]

You've occupied Ruyi Pavilion for days,

yet it remains shrouded in darkness

and you neither eat nor drink.

What a strange way to enjoy yourselves.

If you're finished,

may I take him with me?

Of course.

Oh, by the way,

I had no idea you two were coming.

If I'd known you were going to be here,

especially on a day like this,

I would have invited you over.

You're too kind.

It's the least I could do.

For such honored guests,

I should have made every preparation

to welcome you.

Let's go.

Zhuyu said he entered the White Night Formation

with some noble intention,

but in the end, it was all for a woman like that.

He's completely besotted.

Who would have known?

Why don't you go and see for yourself?

What do you mean?

Nothing.

Just in case.

I thought some demon would come rushing to save you,

but turns out,

they couldn't care less if you lived or died.

What's even the point

in taking all this suffering for them?

Tell me how to get into the Demon Market,

and I'll spare you from all this.

Otherwise,

your life ends by my hand.

I didn't expect you to come.

I was surprised you were actually here.

I know

you wouldn't even show up at Ruyi Pavilion,

let alone take their word for it.

Of course you know that.

You'd never go there just to mess around

and you'd never think you could fool me.

Wu Zhen,

don't help the wicked.

Don't move.

Stay still.

A once-in-a-century genius?

He's nothing but a lustful, worldly man.

[Mei Mansion]

I was planning

to give you a surprise today.

I didn't expect the surprise you had for me

would be even bigger.

This is the place.

What you said

matches what we already know.

But no matter what we try,

we still can't get in.

The entrance to Demon Market

is right here,

but it's sealed off.

Mortals and unregistered creatures

are kept out.

Wu Zhen,

let's talk.

[Changxi Palace is entering the Demon Market tonight.]

Maybe later.

Mei Zhuyu.

When I get back,

I'll make things right.

Ms. Huzhu,

lead the way.

Okay.

Shadow demon?

How would you know

such obscure lore?

I grew up in the countryside.

Tales of demons were my bedtime stories.

Besides, as nobility, you should know

why the Xuanjian Division was established.

It's all documented.

Why are you surprised?

It seems...

It seems this is what Xuanjian Division is looking for.

In Qu, I heard

that to dispel this kind of miasma,

you need to find its source

and clean it up thoroughly.

You've learned quite a lot in Qu, Young Lord.

But you never said you could fight.

You never asked.

So where did you learn to fight?

When I was a child, an elder taught me some basic moves.

He really knows Celestial Master arts.

Ms. Wu,

if he is indeed tied to Changxi Palace,

we may have a real problem.

Where's Mr. Mei?

Haven't seen him since earlier.

Found you at last.

- Senior... - Shiyi.

Shiyi? [*Meaning "Eleventh"]

You have so many people there?

Yes,

our hometown is quite lively.

There are eleven of us brothers.

The first ten are ranked by age.

Shuangjiang and I

met last.

I invited you for drinks,

but you said you were too busy.

I heard my cousin came here to hunt a demon.

I got worried, so I came to check.

Mr. Mei, how did you know about Conscious Imbuement?

Records Repository at Xuanjian Division

have records of such dark arts

from sixty years ago.

You can even remember that.

You have a really good memory.

I grew up in Qu

and was raised by my master.

Though he's passed away now,

I still

want to return and tell him about us.

Are you going back to Qu?

It's a long journey.

I'd like to leave today.

So this is the lady you married.

Yes.

You're the Princess.

Yes.

Zhuyu,

who are they?

A few old friends from Qu.

Zhen?

You once said

that the seasons change

and flowers bloom in their own time.

Even with magic,

we shouldn't go against the natural order.

But now, to enter the Demon Market,

you've dared to draw down lightning.

It seems

you must enter this place today.

Yes.

Have you ever thought about

what would happen to us

after tonight?

I never intended to hide this from you.

This is your last chance.

If you stop now,

there's still hope for us.

But if you insist on entering here...

What happens...

if I do?

Then this is

the end for us.

It's them or me.

Who do you choose?

Cat.

Cat Lord.

Wait, Senior Zhuyu's wife

is the Cat Lord?

Your friends

are more than they seem.

You're not short on relatives yourself.

Senior Zhuyu, are you alright?

Mr. Mei,

why are you all so aggressive?

What exactly are you trying to do?

What else can we do?

Slaying demons and banishing evil

is the sacred duty

of every Celestial Master.

I've seen countless Celestial Masters like you,

full of self-righteous talk.

All of you talk a better game than you play.

I thought you were a smart one,

but you're no different from these fools

who were strung up.

Who are you calling a fool?

Look at yourself.

I call you a fool, and you keep proving it.

I had no idea you two were coming.

If I'd known you were going to be here,

especially on a day like this,

I would have invited you over.

You're too kind.

It's the least I could do.

For such honored guests,

I should have made every preparation

to welcome you.

Demons are wicked by nature.

So the talk was just a cover.

Are demons inherently evil?

Can good and evil be judged by birth alone,

and not by one's deeds?

With behavior like yours,

no wonder chaos rules the Changxi Palace.

No wonder it vanished.

Changxi Palace was driven out by the Demon Market.

Besides, humans and demons are not the same.

What makes a human different?

What makes a demon less?

Demons live

in peace here.

They eat, sleep, and trade like anyone else.

You were born human.

But what makes you think you're above them?

The book says demons are all wicked.

The book says so?

If books were always right,

that fool Shuangjiang

would've been skinned by Huzhu ages ago.

And you lot

shouldn't still be breathing.

That way lies the Demon Market.

Open your eyes and see for yourselves.

Is it truly the den of filth and chaos

you've imagined all this time?

Enjoy your meals.

Here you go, your noodles.

Thank you.

- Bravo! - Good show!

That candy shop over there looks pretty good.

They haven't stepped out

in centuries, not even once.

What wrong have they done?

And you,

posing as righteous, have barged in here.

What exactly do you plan to do to them?

Demons

are evil by nature.

If they are not eradicated,

it will only bring calamity.

Mei Zhuyu,

even if you've forsaken your duty to Changxi Palace,

have you also forgotten how your parents died?

You came to Chang'an for the Demon Market.

Wasn't it to avenge them?

In the Great Fire, eighteen years ago,

they ravaged the human realm, and countless lives were lost.

Have you truly forgotten all of that?

If you're here for what happened eighteen years ago,

then I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place.

You claim you have nothing to do with it,

but words alone prove nothing.

There's proof.

I'll show you.

What is this place?

Demon Prison.

Just like the human realm,

we have our own laws.

This is your so-called evidence?

Nonsense.

You planned this from the start, didn't you?

Lured us here

to wipe us out.

Keep dreaming.

Letting you into Demon Prison?

I wouldn't even stain the place.

We're here.

Its cell.

Who?

This was the Malevolent Phantom

responsible for the Great Fire eighteen years ago.

You shaped the heavens, forged the three realms,

and were worshiped by all.

But now,

it's time this world had a new master.

Phantom.

Stand down.

You dream of balance between the Market and the human realm?

Utter foolishness!

Why should these weak, pathetic mortals

trample over demons?

How unjust!

They scorn us, hunt us down,

and now they come begging.

Cat Lord,

this is what Chang'an should be.

We were meant to rule this world.

You're absolutely hopeless.

I'll reduce you to ash.

You? Kill me? Don't make me laugh.

Back then, the Malevolent Phantom descended upon Chang'an,

slaughtering and wreaking havoc.

To stop it, the Demon Market

paid a terrible price. To stop it, the Demon Market

paid a terrible price.

Even the former Cat Lord lost his life.

But you are

always blinded by obsession

and insist all demons are evil,

because you refuse to believe the Market could ever save you.

That's

just your side of the story.

Who knows what kind of magic you pulled

to spin these illusions

and fool everyone?

The Mirror was bought with the Cat Lord's life.

How could it be fake? The Mirror was bought with the Cat Lord's life.

How could it be fake?

Mr. Changming,

this is crafted from Mt. Rong's unique jade.

It reveals the heart and reflects true nature.

With powerful seals binding it,

tampering is impossible.

It is, without doubt, the Mirror of Clarity.

Then that means

everything shown in the Mirror is real?

Yes.

If the Mirror of Clarity recorded it, it cannot be wrong.

Mei Zhuyu, what do you say?

You just believe them like that?

I believe in the Mirror of Clarity.

So after all we've been through,

the culprit is already dead?

No.

The Great Fire may not be tied to the Demon Market,

but the one responsible is still alive.

That's impossible.

The Phantom's remnant soul?

That's impossible.

If the soul remains,

then its Core must still be intact.

Where the Core exists, the soul endures.

The former Cat Lord fought to the death

and retrieved a vision from the Mirror of Clarity

to prove the Phantom was dead.

But it was probably just a cover-up.

Regardless,

the Phantom still exists.

We will investigate to the very end.

Now that

we're off the mountain,

let's investigate together.

Mr. Changming, what are you doing?

Naturally, hunting demons.

What? What did Mr. Changming do?

The spell he used to trap Ms. Huzhu

carries the same evil aura.

So much demonic power at my disposal.

Why would I waste it?

This technique.

It's him.

Looks like fresh prey just walked in.

He's the one who absorbed demon power

back on Luwei Mountain.

Art of transformation?

How could he?

Mr. Changming

is practicing dark arts?

Senior Changming, stop!

Don't keep making the same mistake!

Mistake?

What mistake have I made?

I've trained in the art of transformation

to fight demons, no less.

So it was with you all along.

Once I consume this Phantom Core,

I'll be ridding the world of evil!

- Cat! - Ms. Wu!

Dark forces are always bound together.

Once the art of transformation is used,

it will draw out the Core.

So the Cat Lord really deceived us.

He hid Lord Phantom.

The Phantom's Core?

No wonder

he gave all his power to Wu Zhen.

How could it be?

Zhuyu,

watch closely.

Once I absorb the Phantom Core,

consider it vengeance for your parents.

I'm doing you a favor.

I didn't expect

Lord Phantom to be hidden

inside this wretched brat.

I wonder

whether this twist

is a blessing or a curse.

How could it be inside her?

Desperate, aren't you?

The Changxi Mace has long been mine.

Changxi Mace,

return!

- Zhen! - Ms. Wu!

Mei Zhuyu!

I am the Leader of Changxi Palace,

and you dare use the Mace against me?

Senior Changming,

you practice dark arts,

and wage war against the Demon Market.

This was never about slaying demons and wage war against the Demon Market.

This was never about slaying demons

but was always for your own gain.

Someone like you,

gifted and unburdened in cultivation,

how could you ever understand my suffering?

I chose what I wanted.

What mistake have I made?

What's happening?

Could it be Master?

Changming.

Art of transformation?

Where did you learn such dark arts?

I came across it by accident

while reading ancient texts in the archives.

You know the rules of Changxi Palace.

What punishment awaits those

who practice dark arts?

Master.

I lost my judgment for a moment.

Please forgive me, just this once.

Master.

Master.

I swear,

if I ever practice these dark arts again,

may I be reduced to ashes,

with no grave to hold my bones.

Enough.

To turn back at the edge of the cliff

is not too late.

Changming, remember,

the path of cultivation is like climbing a mountain.

The rugged side may offer shortcuts,

and seem tempting,

but once you step onto it,

you may fall from the cliff at any moment

and be shattered beyond recognition.

Before you entered the Palace...

I was always next in line to succeed the Leader.

Who would've thought that after you came...

Master would have a change of heart?

♪The wind chimes sway, hearts astray♪

I lost again. ♪The wind chimes sway, hearts astray♪

I lost again.

I knew your moves,

but you didn't know mine.

I had the advantage.

No need to be modest.

I'm older than you.

Losing to you shouldn't have happened.

♪Petals fall, though it means no harm♪

Master,

It's my turn to clean the lecture hall.

I'll head off now.

Go ahead.

♪The wind never rests♪

♪The moon clings to the window, refusing to leave♪

Don't feel bad.

Zhuyu may be younger than you,

and joined later,

but he truly is the most gifted disciple

Changxi Palace has seen in ages.

And his heart is unwavering.

♪The moon is cold, the moon is kind♪

Such a shame. ♪The moon is cold, the moon is kind♪

Such a shame.

If not for his ties to the mortal world,

I would've made him the next Leader.

Master,

the Leader's role has always gone to the eldest disciple.

I know. Just saying.

♪Later, the wind stills, the moon sets♪

Compared to Zhuyu...

Changming's talent falls far behind.

♪Long nights lost in dreams♪

♪Then my heart stirs, then dawn breaks♪

♪The scenery that follows♪

Talent is innate.

I'm not as gifted as you.

♪I search for you in the seasons' glow♪

I never had a choice.

♪Later, the wind stills, the moon sets♪

♪Then, without you♪

♪Long nights lost in dreams♪

♪Then my heart stirs, then dawn breaks♪

♪The scenery that follows♪

♪I search for you in the seasons' glow♪

♪I search for you in the seasons' glow♪

Just one step away,

and Lord Phantom would've returned.

That wretched brat got lucky.

Zhu Ying is still guarding the barrier's entrance.

Ling Xiao, go assist her

and see if it can be repaired.

Yes.

This was our fault.

Even if Mr. Changming misled us,

we believed him without question,

blinded by our own prejudice.

We assumed all demons were evil.

And I'm even more to blame.

I left the mountain before the others.

In Chang'an,

I met Ms. Huzhu and Ms. Wu.

They never harmed me.

In fact, they often looked after me.

Yet even so,

I failed to trust what I saw and felt.

I still followed Mr. Changming's orders

and raised my blade against them.

I'm truly sorry.

We only ever heard rumors about the Demon Market.

But just now, we saw it for ourselves,

food stalls lining the streets,

shops selling clothes and trinkets.

Had we not barged in...

they would still be

living peacefully.

If any of you believe

Changming's death

isn't enough to atone for what Changxi Palace has done...

I'm willing to stay behind.

You may deal with me as you see fit.

But please

let the others leave.

Since you've said your piece,

we aren't unreasonable.

Wouldn't want word spreading

that we bully mortals.

You may leave.

But from now on,

none of you may target us without cause.

Two powers...

cannot coexist.

From this day forward...

Changxi Palace shall not return to Chang'an.

Huzhu.

See them out.

Everyone.

Please follow me.

How are you holding up?

You should go too.

Mei Zhuyu,

stay away from Zhen.

Mei Zhuyu.

You saw it for yourself.

The one who took your father's life...

is now inside me.

Cat.

It must be the influence of the art of transformation.

Mr. Mei, don't worry.

I'll take good care of her.

♪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♪