Mending the Moon

Legend has it that the moon is made from seven treasures, and 82,000 people work year-round to carve them.

If there are not enough treasures to supply the moon and it becomes damaged, ghosts and monsters will surely run rampant and wreak havoc on the world.

Shu Jin found a skeleton by the roadside.

He named it Pansheng, carried it on his back, and wandered from place to place.

Shu Jin was strange in his ways, and his identity was a mystery. Most people avoided him.

He didn't care, and continued to cherish Pansheng and search together with him for the legendary seven treasures.

*

Someone vanished inside the main hall of Lanruo Temple, then reappeared forty years later without having aged.

A painted-skin ghost hid in the cracks of porcelain, selling each painted skin for three thousand gold pieces.

The White Tiger's gaze sealed people in amber.

A fish swam across the four seas just to hunt down another fish.

Merfolk wept pearls beneath the moon, while birds coughed up gold in their cages.

Evil birds devoured their fathers, evil beasts devoured their mothers, babies vanished without a trace, and monsters took the place of young men...

As Shu Jin and Pansheng searched for the seven treasures, they witnessed the good and evil in people's hearts and the beauty and ugliness of demons and monsters.

*

"You're going to repair the moon!" Pansheng guessed.

Shu Jin smiled. "That's right."

Pansheng said, "I want to go to the moon too."

"Once we've found all the treasures, I'll take you there," Shu Jin said softly.

Under Shu Jin's devoted care, Pansheng gradually took on a human appearance and became deeply attached to him. Yet on a bright moonlit night, Shu Jin hurt him with his own hands.

"Whatever you look like, I'll stay by your side forever." With Pansheng's blood on his hands, Shu Jin held him and spoke tenderly.

Before You Read:

1. The story has a complete outline, and the main plot won't change. I will finish it, but I write at a snail's pace and revise obsessively, so updates are every other day. I'll post extra chapters when writing goes smoothly.

2. The chapter comments contain annotations. I recommend turning on their display.

3. Author's notes will occasionally include trivia, bonus scenes, and bad jokes. I recommend reading them.

4. The main source texts include Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang, and What the Master Would Not Discuss, among others. I'll publish a separate reference book after the story is complete. The source stories take place in different dynasties, so the time and setting are fictionalized. Characters' experiences and plot developments will also be adjusted, so don't get hung up on the details.

Below is a preview of an upcoming modern cultivation danmei novel:

Thrown into the World

Before Dan Zhifan left the mountain, his master's wife stopped him and said, "Zhifan, remember your name. All the things of the mortal world disturb the heart. When you lose your way, you must know to return."

Dan Zhifan thought he was always disciplined, so that wouldn't happen. Still, he nodded solemnly. "This disciple will remember."

After coming down from the mountain, Dan Zhifan realized he had overestimated himself

Phones are fun.

Shui Zhongyu, his roommate and romantic tribulation, is interesting.

Outdoor practical classes at the Cultivation Academy are really fun!

Hmm, phone monsters and thesis demons... aren't quite as cute.

During field observation, should he choose the Immortal Alliance or Department 305?

Shui Zhongyu hates him. Should he let things take their course or make an effort?

Forced to leave school, where should he go next?

Shui Zhongyu says he believes in him, but can they still have a future together?

All the things of the mortal world really do interfere with cultivation.

Luckily, he still ascended to immortality.

*

Shui Zhongyu hates cultivators. Superstition kills people!

All right, so cultivation is real after all.

Department 305? Never heard of it. Pretending to be a government agency? I'm reporting it.

A cultivator hurt an ordinary person, and they need someone to monitor a suspicious target?

I'm willing to join Department 305 and serve my country!

*

Excerpts from Shui Zhongyu's surveillance diary about Dan Zhifan:

Year X, Month X, Day X

He tried to use magic illegally to alter my memories. Reporting this, reporting this!

Year X, Month X, Day X

Hmph! Lackey of the Immortal Alliance!

Year X, Month X, Day X

I designed this pistol and added his spiritual energy to it. This time, I'll definitely win the competition's grand prize!

Year X, Month X, Day X

You have to undergo a romantic tribulation, so I'm supposed to cooperate?

Dream on!

Year X, Month X, Day X

He still ascended to immortality.

Year X, Month X, Day X

We've always been walking the same path.

Couple: Cultivator at the Cultivation Academy [Top Surveillance Target] x Mortal at the Mechanical Engineering Academy [Dedicated Monitor]. A bickering couple on opposite sides, but united in purpose.

[This blurb may still be revised before the story is officially published, but the main plot is set and won't change.]

2026.10.20

Theme: Embrace differences