The Demon Lord is My Dark Moonlight [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 14

It took quite some effort and cooperation to finally take down the Desert Scorpion. Having died two or three times in the process, Gu Jinli no longer had the energy to complain. She was speechless, struck by a massive wave of helplessness.

She knew it. No wonder the lead insisted on taking her; she knew the Secret Realm would be difficult to traverse, so she brought along a permanent scapegoat and a human shield. Her “immortal” constitution made her the perfect vanguard.

“I hope you rot!”

Gu Jinli muttered this while lying flat on the sand, too tired to lift a finger. A Third-Rank Desert Scorpion was no joke. Even though the lead had mastered Ghost Qi, she was still in a “low-level” body, and her raw power was limited.

She had no choice but to take the lead, drawing the Desert Scorpion’s attention so that Shen Chigui could find an opening to strike from the shadows.

In other words, to avoid dying too many times—or dying too pathetically—Gu Jinli had to scramble around like a frantic rabbit, desperately dodging the scorpion’s venomous stinger. The sensation of being poisoned was vile; while it didn’t technically “hurt” under her new settings, the way her brain and limbs felt heavy, sore, and swollen was incredibly unsettling.

“You did a great job, Big Sister~”

Shen Chigui sat up first, taking a breath after collapse onto the sand. Looking at the mess left in the wake of the battle, she smiled. “Looks like dinner is served.”

Huh?

“You mean… this scorpion?”

Gu Jinli’s stomach gave a hollow growl. She had been hungry all day, but as she looked at the mangled, hideous corpse of the scorpion, she grimaced. “That looks absolutely disgusting.”

“You might not know this, Big Sister, but Desert Scorpion is quite a delicacy when roasted.”

Shen Chigui pulled a paper talisman from out of nowhere and flicked it toward the corpse. The moment it touched the shell, it erupted into a brilliant blaze. After a while, as the flames died down, a rich, savory aroma of roasted meat began to waft through the air.

Actually… it smelled pretty good. Gu Jinli licked her lips, her stomach growling even louder.

“Don’t be impatient, Big Sister.”

Shen Chigui used her dagger to expertly pry open the hardened carapace, revealing the steaming, tender white meat inside. She sprinkled a little something over it before beckoning Gu Jinli over. “It’s ready. Come and have a taste.”

“What did you just put on it?!” Having been tricked by the lead before, Gu Jinli was instantly on high alert.

“Just some seasoning.”

Shen Chigui scraped off a slice of meat and popped it into her own mouth, speaking casually as she chewed. “It’s meat; how can you eat it without seasoning? Come on, eat up. We still have a long way to go.”

“…”

Fair enough. Things were already this bad; it wasn’t like they could get much worse. Gu Jinli walked over, snatched the dagger from the lead’s hand, and carved out a chunk for herself.

Mmm. The flavor was… unexpectedly fresh and tender. The way she looked at the scorpion changed instantly.

******

Over the next few days, Gu Jinli followed the lead as they pushed southward. Whenever they encountered danger, she was the vanguard who absorbed the brunt of it. Aside from the absolute necessities of eating and sleeping, they barely stopped moving. After several days of this, Gu Jinli felt like her feet were one giant blister.

“We’ll rest tonight.”

Using some unknown intuition to judge the time, Shen Chigui glanced at the sky. “We’ve covered half the distance. No need to rush now. There should be an oasis further ahead; we’ll get some proper rest tonight.”

An oasis? Gu Jinli squinted at the endless dunes, unable to see a single patch of green. Besides, if they weren’t in a hurry, why had they been sprinting like marathon runners lately?

“You can only see it once we cross this dune,” Shen Chigui explained, her voice sounding a bit raspy.

She was clearly unwell; her body was shivering slightly, and her footsteps felt floaty. Desert temperatures swung wildly—the day was a furnace, the night an icebox. After days of trekking with poor sleep and meager food, even the strongest body would struggle, let alone Shen Chigui’s current nine-year-old frame.

“Oh.”

Gu Jinli nodded and kept walking, ignoring the lead’s weakness. In fact, she sped up.

Truthfully, seeing the lead fall ill gave her a spark of surprise. In her writing, the protagonist was the definition of a “monster”—unstoppable and powerful. Seeing her get sick now made Gu Jinli want to gloat. After being used as a human shield for days because of her special constitution, she was simmering with resentment.

Finally! Shen Chigui is sick! A nine-year-old brat, sick in the middle of a barren desert! What a joyous occasion. Truly, Karma is a beautiful thing. Gu Jinli half-hoped the girl would just keel over right then and there. Preferably after a bit of suffering. She’d even help dispose of the body—toss it to the monsters or scatter the ashes, she wasn’t picky.

“Big Sister,” Shen Chigui said, her legs wobbling as she kept pace. “You look quite happy. What are you thinking about?”

“…”

Crap, I got too excited and showed it. Gu Jinli instantly wiped the expression off her face, touching the corner of her mouth to check for a smirk. “Nothing. Just thinking about getting a good night’s sleep.”

She paused, then couldn’t resist adding: “Are you… alright?”

“Me?” Shen Chigui caught the glint of expectation in the other’s eyes and let out a cold laugh. “Don’t worry, Big Sister. I’m not going to die.”

“Oh.” How disappointing. Gu Jinli’s eyes dimmed visibly.

Shen Chigui: “…”

This woman is unexpectedly easy to read.

******

They crested a dune and saw a massive, dark shadow in the distance. The sky had darkened, and the moon bathed the desert in a holy, silver glow.

“Is that it?” Gu Jinli pointed and started running. Finally, a rest! She could build a fire and stay warm. The temperature had already dropped to the teens; after midnight, it would plummet toward freezing. Even with her constitution, she had frozen to death out here once before.

Usually, the desert winds were so strong that fires were constantly snuffed out, forcing them to wake up and relight them. A good night’s sleep was impossible. But in an oasis, there would be shelter! The fire could burn all night!

Just as she was imagining the warmth, Gu Jinli felt the ground turn soft. The next second, the sand beneath her began to sink.

“!!!”

What’s happening?! In the blink of an eye, her feet were swallowed. Feeling the heavy suction, she tried to pull her legs out, only to find they were stuck. The more she struggled, the faster the sand devoured her. It was a liquid trap, much like a swamp. Gu Jinli froze, afraid to move.

“Shen Chigui! Help me!”

She pinned her hopes on the lead, knowing the girl was right behind her.

“Big Sister.”

Shen Chigui walked closer and inspected the site. The sand was flowing inward in concentric circles around Gu Jinli. It was a quicksand pit—a treacherous trap that would swallow anything whole.

“This pit is huge; I can’t get close.” Shen Chigui looked around for anything to use as a lever, then turned her gaze toward the nearby oasis. “It’s quicksand. Try to stay still and lean back to distribute your weight. I’ll go to the oasis and find a long branch to pull you out.”

“Okay.”

Despair washed over Gu Jinli. She forced herself to stay calm and asked, “You… you’ll come back, right?”

Honestly, despite their time together, she wasn’t certain. This was quicksand; one wrong move and the lead would be swallowed too. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, the lead could just leave her. She wouldn’t die anyway.

“Hey, Shen Chigui… you’re coming back, right?” Her voice began to tremble. No matter how she tried to hide it, she was terrified. Truly terrified. “Don’t leave me here. I don’t want to be buried in the sand forever…”

Gu Jinli wouldn’t die. But in this situation, death seemed preferable. She couldn’t imagine the horror of regenerating over and over while crushed and suffocating beneath the dunes.

“Big Sister, you’re only ever honest at times like this.”

Shen Chigui’s footsteps paused for a fraction of a second. She curled her lip and spoke in a light, chilling tone: “Don’t worry, Big Sister. The road ahead is long, and I still have plenty of uses for you.”

She paused, then added a sentence that made Gu Jinli’s blood boil: “You’re far too useful. I don’t want to lose you just yet.”

Gu Jinli: “…”

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