Episode Summary
Shuang Jiang's attempt to earn money leads to a comical "ghost hunt" with Hu Zhu, where he inadvertently saves her, sparking a connection. Mei Zhuyu has a tense reunion with Wu Zhen, becomes the new head of the Xuanjian Division, and is entrusted with a map of demonic cases. The episode ends on a cliffhanger when Mei Zhuyu and Wu Zhen discover bleeding flowers in the palace garden.
Spoiler Alert
Moonlit Reunion Episode 8 Recap: New Jobs and Old Demons
Episode 8 of Moonlit Reunion begins with Shuang Jiang trying to make some money. Since his master, Mei Zhuyu, is super frugal and there's no meat at home, Shuang Jiang sets up a fortune-telling stall on the street. It's a total bust—nobody stops all day.
Just as he's starving, Hu Zhu appears with a chicken leg. She leads him to an abandoned house, claiming it's haunted and she needs a demon slayer. Shuang Jiang looks around the rundown place, sees some stray cats and cobwebs, but doesn't sense any demonic energy. He tells Hu Zhu she's just being paranoid. She playfully insists she's a demon, but he laughs it off, saying all demons are hideous. Annoyed, Hu Zhu secretly uses her powers to make a rotten roof beam fall right towards her. But, in a twist, Shuang Jiang dives in and saves her. His heroic act makes her anger melt away, replaced by a spark of attraction.
Just then, a Futon Demon, looking like a little kid, shows up and starts messing with Shuang Jiang, who can't even touch it. While he's busy looking through his "Demonpedia" for a weakness, the demon vanishes. Hu Zhu just laughs and tells him what a great job he did.
Meanwhile, Mei Zhuyu hears that Shuang Jiang is at the abandoned house and rushes over, worried he's in danger. The first person he sees is Wu Zhen. The two share a tense moment, clearly having some history (that whole "kiss" thing). He's cagey about it, but she misunderstands his mood, thinking he's worried about his career. She gives him a little pep talk, telling him to ignore what others think and just be himself. Her words actually get through to his cold exterior.
Shuang Jiang then runs up to his master, proudly boasting about how he "defeated" the demon. Mei Zhuyu, knowing exactly what his disciple is like, apologizes to Wu Zhen and Hu Zhu for his foolishness and quickly drags him away.
Once they're gone, Wu Zhen goes back into the house and uses the Wordless Book to trap the Futon Demon. She asks why it's keeping all the wild cats. The demon explains that the house used to be a popular temple, but now it's forgotten, and the cats are just for company. Feeling for it, Wu Zhen offers it a new home in the Demon Market, and the demon happily agrees.
Later, Shuang Jiang asks Mei Zhuyu why their sect, Changxi Palace, has such a bad reputation. Mei Zhuyu explains that because they've been out of the public eye for a century, scammers have been using their name. He tells Shuang Jiang to keep a low profile, but Shuang Jiang is determined to prove their skills and restore their honor. At the same time, the Wordless Book is helping Wu Zhen recover her demonic powers with a special herbal treatment.
Mei Zhuyu officially takes over as the head of the Xuanjian Division. It's a dream come true for him, but his new subordinates are clearly not thrilled and look at him with contempt. The former head, Xu Luan, leaves in disgrace but seems more relieved than anything. He admits to Mei Zhuyu that he knows he's capable. Before he leaves, he shows Mei Zhuyu a secret map of unsolved supernatural cases in Chang'an, all linked to demonic energy. Xu Luan confesses he couldn't handle them and didn't want to see more of his men die trying. He hands the heavy responsibility over to Mei Zhuyu.
Soon after, Mei Zhuyu goes to the archives to look up files on an old "sky fire" incident and runs right into Empress Wu. She tries to pull rank and intimidate him, but he stays cool and clearly explains why he's there. His composure impresses her, and she warms up to him. Wu Zhen arrives just in time to see her sister smiling and nodding approvingly at Mei Zhuyu, much to her relief. But as they're leaving the palace, a scream rings out. In the garden, white camellia flowers are bleeding red, dripping into a pond and turning the water a horrifying, bloody color.
