Chapter Four: Moon Gazing

Night. A bright moon. A refined scholar.

No matter how Shen Chang’an turned it over in his mind, he could not shake the feeling that something was amiss. Especially considering he had just been engaged in a fierce battle—if this scholar in white had been present the whole time, had he witnessed everything? What unsettled Shen Chang’an even more was that, despite having activated the Jade Talisman of Zhonglong, he had not sensed the faintest trace of this man’s presence throughout.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Chang’an tightened his grip on his alloy staff.

Just then, the scholar in white turned his head and looked at Shen Chang’an.

“Are you here to admire the moon as well, sir?”

“To admire the moon?” Shen Chang’an was momentarily taken aback. He quickly calculated the time in his mind—surely the Mid-Autumn Festival had already passed. At this hour, who would still be out admiring the moon?

“But of course,” the man replied. “How could one waste such a beautiful moonlit night?”

Shen Chang’an frowned slightly; the man’s manner was peculiar, and suspicion churned in his heart. The Jade Talisman of Zhonglong could not discern his aura, so it was impossible to tell if this was a man or a ghost… Most likely not a human, but was he friend or foe?

“If you’ve come to admire the moon, then please proceed inside. If not, I suggest you leave,” the white-clad scholar said.

Shen Chang’an found the man’s behavior increasingly odd and was just about to depart when, suddenly, the moonlight above began to shift, flowing like liquid, rippling through the air as if it might spill down at any moment.

“What is this…” Shen Chang’an murmured, astonished. But before he could speak further, the scholar in white approached and firmly grasped him by the arm.

“It is about to begin. Since you have stayed, you must be one who wishes to admire the moon. Come with me.”

Before Shen Chang’an could react, the world spun wildly around him. When his vision cleared, he found himself surrounded by a host of animals.

“Hmm? Where did this monkey come from?” someone whispered nearby.

Shen Chang’an turned toward the voice and saw a little rabbit, gazing at him with curiosity, actually speaking aloud.

He looked about and realized that the animals surrounding him were all monsters, some even having taken on nearly human forms.

“I’m not a monkey…” Shen Chang’an said softly.

The little rabbit studied him for a moment before exclaiming in realization, “Ah, so you’re a human! How strange—why would Master Jade Toad invite a human here?”

Shen Chang’an was momentarily stunned. Jade Toad? So the scholar in white was a toad spirit who had cultivated into a demon? The toad is associated with the moon, so if he was indeed a toad spirit, his fondness for moon gazing made sense. Yet Shen Chang’an had not intended to attend a gathering of monsters and had been forcibly brought here.

“Little rabbit, aren’t you afraid of me?” Shen Chang’an asked, both out of curiosity and to probe his surroundings.

The rabbit chuckled. “Why would I be? You may look bigger than me, but this is Master Jade Toad’s moon-viewing gathering—you wouldn’t dare cause trouble here.”

Shen Chang’an was left speechless, then let out a wry laugh at his own apprehension.

He decided to relax, reclining on the ground as the other monsters did, gazing up at the moon which now appeared like shimmering liquid in the sky, lost in thought.

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared in the heavens, treading on air, distant from worldly concerns. Clad in flowing white robes, he floated beneath the night sky like an immortal from the moon: graceful as jade, and solemn with dignity.

He raised both hands high, eyes closed as if in prayer.

Then, the liquid moon could no longer bear its weight; it slowly descended, becoming a pool of bright silver that fell into a cauldron prepared by Master Jade Toad.

“Moon essence?” Shen Chang’an murmured in amazement. He hadn’t expected Master Jade Toad to possess such power, able to draw down the essence of the moon.

Suddenly, a faint and exquisite fragrance of wine tickled his nose. Instantly, every pore in his body seemed to open, as when he consumed the purple energy that morning, bringing a rush of inexplicable delight.

“To think that merely inhaling it could be so beneficial… If I could drink just one mouthful, the effects must be boundless.”

But that was only a fleeting thought—this was Master Jade Toad’s doing, surely meant for his own enjoyment.

Just then, the moon essence in the sky began to fluctuate, fading rapidly. Yet Master Jade Toad had only managed to collect half; the rest remained suspended above, unmoving.

Master Jade Toad frowned, and Shen Chang’an could sense a surge of oppressive power emanate from him. Still, the moon’s radiance remained unaffected, refusing to descend.

Gazing at the moon essence, a sudden thought struck Shen Chang’an: What if I used the art of Breathing in Nine Breaths to directly absorb the moon essence?

With a single thought, he activated the Breathing in Nine Breaths technique. At once, the moon essence poured into him in great draughts, streaming through his meridians and washing over his body.

Shen Chang’an instantly felt his magic power grow significantly. His body and meridians were being cleansed by the moon essence, transforming him from within. Most notably, his already striking features now became even more handsome!

“Remarkable… the effect is astonishing,” Shen Chang’an marveled inwardly. Meanwhile, because of his sudden inhalation, the remaining moon essence in the sky seemed to have been pierced, cascading down in a torrent, all of which Master Jade Toad quickly guided into his cauldron.

Master Jade Toad cast Shen Chang’an a look of surprise, then nodded in acknowledgment—a gesture of thanks.

He then withdrew a small spoon, tapped it gently on the cauldron, and immediately several little demons brought out a heap of wine cups, which they handed to Master Jade Toad one by one.

Master Jade Toad ladled out the moon essence and poured it into the cups, which the little demons then distributed among the guests.

Shen Chang’an watched in astonishment. He had thought Master Jade Toad would keep the moon essence for himself, not expecting that he would share it with every monster present.

A little squirrel demon brought a cup of the moon essence wine to Shen Chang’an, but before it could hand it to him, Master Jade Toad spoke softly, “He cannot drink it.”

The little demon paused, then withdrew the cup.

Shen Chang’an was surprised. He had just absorbed a massive amount of moon essence—if he were to drink more, he might well burst from the excess. But he hadn’t expected Master Jade Toad to discern this so easily; his abilities were indeed extraordinary.

While Shen Chang’an was reflecting, Master Jade Toad approached, set a small wine cup before him, then drew a little gourd from his waist. Opening it, he poured out a small measure of emerald-green liquid.

“If a Daoist cannot drink the moon essence, perhaps he would like to try my own Hundred Herbs Wine.”

Shen Chang’an eyed the green liquor, inhaling deeply, and was instantly enveloped in a rich aroma of herbs and spirits.

Hundred herbs? Surely this was brewed from ginseng, lingzhi, and the most precious of tonics!