The Demon Lord is My Dark Moonlight [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 21

Shen Chigui narrowed her eyes, sensing Gu Jinli’s wariness. She stared at the girl’s face for a long time.

“Does our village have a stutterer?” she suddenly asked the boy beside her. “Since when?”

“This stutterer has been here for years! At least five or six by now!” The boy puffed out his chest, as if offering up a prized secret. “The Village Chief found her under a pear tree. She almost froze to death. When she woke up, she was all dazed and couldn’t speak. Later, when she finally managed to talk… she had a terrible stutter.”

“All these years, the little stutterer hasn’t liked going up the mountain. Instead, she likes to compete with the village dogs for food… that’s how she’s barely survived until now.”

Gu Jinli estimated this body was only about eight or nine years old. Hearing that she had been in this village for so long came as a surprise even to her.

“I see.”

Shen Chigui didn’t seem particularly interested in the backstory. She didn’t withdraw her gaze, however; she scanned Gu Jinli from head to toe once more. A few seconds later, she let out a cold laugh.

“How interesting. Another one has appeared.”

Having said that, Shen Chigui stood up and walked out of the thatched hut without looking back.

“…”

Gu Jinli watched her leave, then saw the boy chase after her. She hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to follow them secretly. The lead’s last comment bothered her; if Shen Chigui had no memory of reality, then the “anomaly” she referred to likely had everything to do with the illusion itself.

To break this illusion sooner, she had to investigate.

******

It turned out that even after losing her memories and becoming a completely “new person,” the female lead was still the female lead—if she didn’t want to be found, she wouldn’t be.

Gu Jinli lost track of her within minutes. However, based on the direction they had vanished, they seemed to be heading deeper into the village.

The village…

Gu Jinli’s stomach gave a hollow growl as she remembered the half-cake that had been stolen from her. She was still hungry, but she hesitated. She didn’t fully understand the situation here yet, and she didn’t want to be toyed with by those village brats again.

I should have gone to the mountains with Nangong Jinyao to forage…

Muttering to herself, she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she circled the outskirts of the village, keeping a wary eye out for others while gathering as much information as possible.

An hour later, her legs were like jelly. She sat down under a pear tree at the back of the village to sort through her findings.

This village was indeed strange. While wandering the perimeter, she noticed the houses were built in a peculiar way. Every mud-brick house had its “door” facing the exact same direction: the absolute center of the village.

Even though Gu Jinli didn’t understand metaphysics, such an obvious anomaly made it clear that something was hidden in the village center. Was the village worshipping something?

Common tropes from her years of web-novel surfing flooded her mind. A remote village, only elders and children… this was the perfect setup for a horror story! It wouldn’t be complete without some sort of “Evil God” or sacrificial ritual.

Plus, hearing the lead say “another person has appeared” practically screamed “supernatural event.” No, she had to ask Nangong Jinyao when she got back.

******

Leading a group of “little bean sprouts,” Nangong Jinyao returned to the hut at dusk. Her basket didn’t hold much, but she still called Gu Jinli over and pressed a small, green apple into her hand.

“How did you rest, Xiao Wu? Do the bruises still hurt?” she asked cheerfully.

Gu Jinli shook her head to show she was fine. She took the apple, tugged on Jinyao’s sleeve, and pointed toward the village. “T-t-t-this…”

Crap. She had forgotten she was a severe stutterer now. It would take ages to get a single sentence out. Asking Jinyao anything in this state was going to be an ordeal.

How do I say “is the village worshipping something” in a short way?

“V-v-v-village… i-i-i-inside…”

Even that short fragment took an eternity to squeeze out. Gu Jinli was stunned by the severity of her own condition. She flailed her arms in frustration as she tried to continue.

After several minutes, a patient and understanding Jinyao asked, “Do you have something to tell Second Sister? Don’t worry, take your time.”

Take my time? At this rate, the sun will rise before I’m done…

“…”

Her mouth twitched. This was the first time she had ever been frustrated by an inability to communicate. She pointed at herself, then at the village, scratching her head in a frenzy. Finally, she used hand gestures, forming the shape of a house and stuttering: “I-i-i-is… n-n-n-no…”

Is it worshipping something?!

The words were stuck in her throat, and the effort of trying to force them out left her drenched in cold sweat.

“Is it… what?”

The downside of a severe stutter was on full display. Even with Jinyao’s best efforts to guess, she couldn’t grasp Gu Jinli’s meaning. They spent a long time in a “chicken-talking-to-duck” scenario before Gu Jinli finally gave up.

Dammit! I can’t express myself at all! Even if Jinyao gave her the time, her broken sentences wouldn’t make sense. Was this why she was allowed to keep her memories? A stutterer, even if she discovered the truth, could never warn anyone.

Gu Jinli felt officially emo.

“Is Xiao Wu still thinking about this afternoon?” Seeing her pointing at herself and the village while gesturing the “shape of a person,” Jinyao assumed she was still upset about being bullied.

“N-n-n-no…”

It’s not that! Even a rebuttal was a struggle. Gu Jinli shook her head in despair and refused to speak another word. She realized that even if she managed to finish the sentence, she couldn’t explain why she was suspicious.

“Second Sister knows you’re upset,” Jinyao sighed, convinced she was right. “Just try to stay out of the village center if I’m not with you.”

“…”

Gu Jinli nodded wordlessly. She knew there was a misunderstanding, but she couldn’t explain it. She decided she would speak as little as possible from now on. She’d just pretend to be a mute. Honestly, being a mute would be easier than this.

Half an hour later, a famished Gu Jinli pulled out her apple and took a massive bite.

“Hiss~”

So sour.

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