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The Cauchy-Riemann equations giveAt a regular point, each level curve has tangent perpendicular to its nonzero gradient. The two gradients, and hence the two tangents, are orthogonal. Therefore regular level curves meet at right angles.

The qualification is necessary: $|\nabla u|=|\nabla v|=|f^{\prime }(z)|$, so at a critical point both gradients vanish and this argument gives no tangent direction. For example, for $f(z)=z^2$, the zero level curves of the real and imaginary parts are diagonals and coordinate axes; they meet at $45^{\circ }$ at zero. This is the regular-point statement of orthogonal level curves of harmonic conjugates.