Moonlit Reunion: Episode 31 Recap and Spoilers

Episode Summary

Wu Zhen and Hu Zhu lay a trap for Zhangming, luring him into the Demon Market. There, the truth about a past conflict is revealed, exposing the demons as victims, not villains. Zhangming is unmasked as an evil cultivator, and in a final confrontation, he attempts to steal a life-saving demon core from Wu Zhen. This forces Mei Zhuyu to fight him. Zhangming is ultimately destroyed by a secret oath he swore years ago. In the end, Wu Zhen banishes the entire Celestial Master sect from the city before collapsing.

Spoiler Alert

The Set-Up

So, Wu Zhen confronts Mei Zhuyu about his sketchy friends from Changxi Palace hanging out at her lounge. He plays it cool. He says they're just old buddies in town for a good time. Wu Zhen doesn't buy it for a second but leaves with him. As they go, Zhangming, the headmaster, tells one of his juniors to tail them.

Mei Zhuyu is sharp, though. He spots the spy. To throw him off, he pulls Wu Zhen close and pretends to be all over her. The junior disciple sees this, scoffs, and decides Mei Zhuyu is just some guy obsessed with women. He reports back that there's nothing to worry about. It's a pretty slick move.

The "Betrayal" and the Trap

While that's happening, Zhangming is back at the lounge, torturing Hu Zhu. He wants the location of the Demon Market. Hu Zhu is tough and refuses to say a word. Shuang Jiang is there but can't do anything because he has to follow the headmaster's orders.

Then, Hu Zhu "cracks." She agrees to lead them to the Demon Market. She takes Zhangming and his crew to an old, abandoned temple. She points to a deep pool of water and says the entrance is at the bottom, hidden by a magical barrier. This is all an act. Shuang Jiang secretly sends a paper crane with a message to Mei Zhuyu, warning him.

Mei Zhuyu gets the message just as he and Wu Zhen are about to head home. He tells her to wait for him and that he'll explain everything later. He has to go.

The Showdown at the Demon Market

Left alone, Wu Zhen finally puts all the pieces together. She remembers Mei Zhuyu mentioning he was the eleventh disciple and his skills in both magic and fighting. She realizes he must be from Changxi Palace.She isn't waiting around.

She follows him to the temple, transformed into a calico cat. Mei Zhuyu arrives, finds the entrance, and immediately recognizes the cat is Wu Zhen.There are no secrets between them now.

Wu Zhen transforms back. She asks him if he's really going to enter the Demon Market, warning him that this will be the end of their relationship. He hesitates, but ultimately chooses his mission. Wu Zhen tries to stop him, and they fight. He manages to break past her and steps into the Demon Market.

Inside, he finds a surprise. Zhangming and all his disciples are hanging in mid-air, completely helpless. It was a trap all along.

The Truth Comes Out

It turns out Wu Zhen's conversation at the Ruyi Lounge earlier was a coded message for Hu Zhu.Hu Zhu's "betrayal" was just an act to lure Zhangming's group into a perfectly laid trap.

Wu Zhen then shows Mei Zhuyu the real Demon Market. It’s a peaceful place where demons live quiet lives. They aren't the monsters Changxi Palace hunts. She uses a magical item, the Zhaoming Mirror, to show him the truth about an incident from 18 years ago. The Demon Market actually suffered massive losses to destroy a powerful entity called the Evil Spirit Infant.

Zhangming, still caught in the trap, refuses to believe it. He calls it all demon propaganda. But the other disciples are starting to have serious doubts.

The Headmaster's True Colors

This is where it all goes wrong for Zhangming. He completely loses it. He reveals he's an evil cultivator and starts absorbing demon power directly from his surroundings.Liu Taizhen instantly recognizes the technique. This is the same move used by the mysterious attacker they fought in the woods. The disciples are horrified. Their own leader is the evil cultivator they were supposed to be hunting.

At the same time, a demon core inside Wu Zhen's body starts to act up. We learn this core was a gift from the dying Evil Spirit Infant, placed inside her to save her life all those years ago. Zhangming sees this and, in his greed, tries to rip the core right out of her.

Seeing Wu Zhen in agony is the last straw for Mei Zhuyu. He finally summons his ultimate weapon, the Changxi Jian, and attacks Zhangming.

A Karmic End

Zhangming feels no remorse. He turns on Mei Zhuyu, ready to kill him. But as he powers up his evil magic, his body just explodes. Everyone is stunned.

Here's the backstory we get: Years ago, their master discovered Zhangming secretly studying forbidden evil arts. Zhangming pretended to be sorry and swore a magical oath that if he ever used those arts again, he would be struck down by the heavens. What he didn't know was that their master secretly carved that oath directly into his spiritual veins. He was also intensely jealous that the master favored Mei Zhuyu.

So, Zhangming's death was his own doing, the price of breaking his oath. The other disciples are left ashamed and confused. From the shadows, Elder Hui, who was hoping Zhangming would succeed, is disappointed.

Wu Zhen, though weakened, has the final word. She forgives the remaining disciples but banishes the entire Celestial Master sect from Chang'an forever. With that, she collapses. The Wordless Book appears, picks her up, and carries her away, pointedly walking right past a heartbroken Mei Zhuyu.