The Demon Lord is My Dark Moonlight [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 37

The escape plan hadn’t been perfect. Gu Jinli hadn’t expected the Tier-1 beast to be a nesting Seven-Headed Bird. Once she saw the egg, she had to change plans on the fly, rushing away from the nest toward another direction. She remembered the map showed a large lake to the right of the den. Perhaps she could use the water…

Just as she was thinking this, the bracelet on her arm grew scorching hot. Then, an urgent voice echoed in her mind.

“She’s coming.”

Without waiting for a response, the bracelet erupted in a brilliant flash of light that instantly enveloped Gu Jinli. In the blink of an eye, both the girl and the bracelet disappeared.

*****

“Are you sure you won’t be discovered like this?!”

Having successfully escaped the Phantom Forest with the Tower’s help, Gu Jinli had been transferred to a hidden floor within the Tower’s interior.

“No,” the thick black mist replied, coalescing into a humanoid form before her. “The internal floors of the Tower are the only places she cannot scry.”

While the Secret Realm was largely under Shen Chigui’s control, the interior of the Tower of Heaven was the exception. The Tower spirit was the sole overseer here.

“You’ve helped me so much… I have no way to repay you.”

Pulling a fast one right under Shen Chigui’s nose was no small feat. Gu Jinli was truly worried that if the Tower spirit were caught, the consequences would be irreversible.

“How could I ask for repayment?” The shadow seemed surprised. It tilted its form and stated clearly, “I was born from you. This world was born from you. You are the only true Deity here. This is simply my duty.”

It paused for a moment, then bowed low. “You may command me to do anything. Even Shen Chigui is beneath you. In this world, no one can refuse the decree of the Deity.”

The weight of that information was massive. Gu Jinli, who had always felt like she had a “trash-tier” cheat code, felt like she’d finally had an epiphany.

“You mean, if I want to hide my movements in the Secret Realm, the Realm itself will mask me?”

If that was true, her options had expanded exponentially. Even against Shen Chigui, she finally had the power to resist.

“Yes. Anything you require.” The Tower spirit seemed happy to help its Deity, the black mist around it swaying like seaweed in a current as it danced with joy.

“In that case… Shen Chigui’s natal sword, the ‘Night Moon’… can I use it too?” Gu Jinli tested the waters. “If I ever clash with her, whose side would you take?”

“As long as you speak the word, you shall stand above all,” the shadow answered. “The Night Moon rightfully belongs to your service.”

Whoa. This meant her control over the world was actually higher than the protagonist’s. Though it sounded a bit like an edgy chuunibyou fantasy, Gu Jinli let out a genuine sigh of relief. Her restless heart finally found a place to settle. She was finally beginning to see this world for what it truly was.

“I won’t make things difficult for you.” Gu Jinli had no intention of challenging the lead’s authority just yet. She wasn’t greedy; her priority was her own combat power. She asked, “Given my lack of spiritual roots, what should I cultivate? What would be best if I want to become stronger than Shen Chigui?”

She was sick of being pushed around. If she needed a goal to get strong, then “pressing Shen Chigui into the dirt” was her ultimate objective.

“You can cultivate Ghost Qi and become a Ghost Cultivator,” the Tower spirit suggested. “Only by learning to wield Ghost Qi can you avoid being restricted by Shen Chigui’s own power. To become stronger than her will require immense effort. But My Lord, you do not need to work that hard.”

The very consciousness of the world loved Gu Jinli; as long as she wished it, no one could harm her. But her “Deity” didn’t seem to be considering that shortcut.

“No, I want to be strong.”

Watching a friend be killed was an experience she only wanted once. Gu Jinli understood the Tower’s point, but only personal strength could give her true security. She wanted to be strong enough to hold her own even when facing that person head-on.

“What if I cultivate the Demonic Path?”

Recalling the plot, the Demon Realm was the place that held out the longest. Gu Jinli was tempted. She didn’t know how Shen Chigui found her this time, but the girl would never expect her to head to the Demon Realm—a place where the strong prey on the weak.

“Anything is possible,” the shadow stated. “If you wish to enter the Demon Realm, let me assist you.”

Until Gu Jinli could stand on her own, it would protect its Deity.

*****

The move to the Demon Realm required careful planning, but the immediate concern was the Jiuyi Sect. Regardless of whether Su Hua or the other disciple told the sect what they saw, Gu Jinli couldn’t go back. But whether the lead would target the sect was another matter. She was worried Shen Chigui would go on a rampage.

“Leave that to me,” the Tower spirit said, sensing her worry. “Many treasures in this world are connected. I will keep an eye on the Jiuyi Sect; I can do so without drawing attention.”

It added gently, “You only need to move forward according to your own wishes.”

“I understand.” It was the best possible solution. “Thank you for the trouble.”

With the Tower’s help, Gu Jinli only had to focus on her cultivation. She decided to stay within the Tower to learn the basics of the Demonic Path before leaving. The Tower spirit brought her a vast library of demonic manuals and techniques to choose from. In this Secret Realm, which was a world unto itself, she had all the time and resources she could ever need.

“The Demon Realm is a place where the strong prey on the weak. You are making the right choice by staying behind for now.”

The one most pleased by Gu Jinli’s decision to stay was the Tower of Heaven itself. In fact, if it didn’t fear causing offense, it would have told its Deity that as long as she remained within its walls, it could protect her forever. She wouldn’t have to endure such hardship.

Gu Jinli had vanished.

This was the conclusion Shen Chigui reached after three days of fruitlessly searching for her. Someone must have helped her. Recalling the events of that day, Shen Chigui’s mood soured. She could not accept Gu Jinli’s escape, nor could she accept such a blatant act of deception happening right under her nose. In a way, it felt no different from a slap to the face.

“First she tried to run, then she encountered the Tier-1 beast and changed course…”

Shen Chigui returned to the Phantom Forest, retracing the path they took that day, murmuring as she reconstructed the scene in her mind. Gu Jinli had disappeared too suddenly, leaving no trace of her aura behind. Shen Chigui had suspected a teleportation spell and spent three days scouring the surrounding area, but she found nothing.

If it wasn’t teleportation, was it a magical treasure? A person doesn’t just vanish into thin air.

Shen Chigui even returned to the Secret Realm, using her consciousness to scan its entirety. There were many entrances, and she had closed them all upon taking control. But Gu Jinli’s previous disappearance within the realm still bothered her. Though she hadn’t found the cause, she suspected there might be tiny, nearly imperceptible entrances she had missed.

But for now… the passages were sealed. No one could enter but her. The possibility of Gu Jinli using a hidden channel was nearly non-existent. Thus, the thought flickered briefly in her mind before being discarded—leading her to overlook the interior of the Tower and narrowly miss the Gu Jinli hiding within.

But who could have guessed? That a Secret Realm would possess its own consciousness? Even after countless “restarts,” Shen Chigui had never encountered such a possibility. To her, the realm was a tool, and one does not suspect their tools of having a mind.

******

The Tower of Heaven did not tell Gu Jinli about Shen Chigui’s investigation.

Gu Jinli was currently deep in her cultivation. As a loyal and discerning guardian (self-appointed), the Tower automatically filtered out unimportant details. However, this state didn’t last long. Once Shen Chigui left the Secret Realm, things spiraled out of control.

Unable to locate Gu Jinli, Shen Chigui’s fury turned toward the sects known for possessing teleportation treasures. The Jiuyi Sect happened to be one of them. Recalling the sect’s connection to Gu Jinli and that irritating name she had taken—”Nangong Li”—Shen Chigui’s gaze shifted toward them instantly.

What followed was beyond control. The Jiuyi Sect became the target of her unbridled rage, caught in a storm they didn’t understand. But a sect has its pride; Shen Chigui’s solitary provocation sparked a swift and brutal conflict.

The Tower, tasked by its Deity to watch the Jiuyi Sect, could only watch as the sect was systematically dismantled by a nine-year-old monster. But that wasn’t the worst part. Shen Chigui began a massacre.

She killed every person in the sect who knew of “Nangong Li.” She tore through the Jiuyi Sect like a whirlwind and refused to leave until she was certain Gu Jinli wasn’t hidden there.

“How am I going to tell the Deity…”

The Tower knew how much Gu Jinli cared for this sect; it knew she had put on an act just to lead the girl away from them. And now, in such a short time… it was all gone. Everyone Gu Jinli had interacted with was dead.

Shen Chigui’s rampage had successfully landed Gu Jinli on the Cultivation World’s “Most Wanted” list. Should she ever try to return to the human realm, she would face nothing but endless pursuit. The human world would never accept her again.

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