The Demon Lord is My Dark Moonlight [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 39

Time flies.

After that day, Gu Jinli left the human realm. She returned to the sanctuary of the Tower of Heaven and began her true cultivation.

Day after day, month after month. Time was a shuttle, weaving years into decades.

Gu Jinli was now twenty-four. It had been ten years since she and Shen Chigui parted ways.

In those ten years, Gu Jinli had changed. She was no longer the weak girl she once was. She had carved out a life for herself in the cutthroat Demon Realm. She had faced countless trials and “died” many times over. She had worked harder than she ever thought possible to become strong.

The effort paid off. Even as a human in the Demon Realm, the denizens of the city didn’t dare provoke her. She possessed her own natal sword, “Ash Frost Snow,” and was capable of slaying Tier-1 demonic beasts. She had learned to protect herself so well that she rarely “died” anymore. Her immortality cheat code had become almost redundant.

“Little Li is here!”

Having hunted a massive demonic beast as was her weekly routine, Gu Jinli dragged the carcass to the city’s butcher shop. This was her steady income; life in the Demon Realm required currency just like anywhere else.

“Granny Lin, it’s a Tier-2 today.” She dropped the carcass with a heavy thud, her voice neutral. “I’ll be back in three days.”

“Wonderful!” Granny Lin scanned the Tier-2 Fire Lizard. Its meat was tender and full of spiritual energy—highly sought after. Granny Lin had run this shop for years, and her partnership with Gu Jinli was the most effortless arrangement she’d ever had.

“That’s three hundred and sixty medium-grade demon crystals.” Granny Lin counted out the payment. Once Gu Jinli confirmed the amount, the butcher used a storage bag to whisk the carcass away. “Don’t work too hard, Little Li!” she added with a warm smile.

“Mhm.”

Gu Jinli tucked the crystals away and left without a word. Over the last decade, she had cultivated a habit of transactional living—no small talk, no friends. She purposefully dragged her kills through the streets bloodily rather than using a storage bag; in the Demon Realm, where strength is the only law, a trail of blood was a more effective deterrent than any words.

After leaving Granny Lin’s butcher shop, Gu Jinli crossed a few streets to reach her living quarters. It was a slightly weathered small courtyard; it had a reputation for being haunted as quite a few people had died there in the past, making the rent incredibly cheap.

Gu Jinli had lived here for four years, making her the longest-tenured tenant the yard had ever seen.

“I’m back.”

She skillfully pulled out her key and opened the gate, stepping inside and calling out a greeting to the empty air.

“Ah Li’s back!”

“Ah Li is home so early today~”

“Ah Li, Ah Li~”

“Hugs~”

The chatter came from all directions. Gu Jinli didn’t even need to look up to imagine their excited movements. Ever since she moved in, “treasures” had started growing in her yard for no apparent reason. At first, there were only one or two—timid things that barely dared to reveal themselves. But once they realized Gu Jinli didn’t reject sentient objects, more and more gathered.

Now, almost every household item she used was a high-grade magical artifact that had wandered in from who-knows-where.

“Ah Li, what do you want to eat tonight?” A spatula-like treasure hopped into her arms, its voice buzzing in her mind. “I had a fight with the wok. It insists on making stir-fried meat again, but you just had that yesterday.”

“Mhm…” Gu Jinli looked down at the ‘spatula’ in her arms and closed the courtyard gate. “If it’s already prepared, let’s just have the meat.”

Walking into the courtyard was like entering a fairytale. The whole place was alive. A flying broom, bedsheets wrapped playfully around tree trunks, stools that walked on four legs, and teapots running to and fro. These treasures had their own consciousness; though they served Gu Jinli, they didn’t officially “belong” to her.

It wasn’t that they were unwilling, but that Gu Jinli refused to form a bond. After what happened with Nangong Jinyao and the Jiuyi Sect, she had become much more cautious. No ties, no deep friendships. Only by staying detached could she protect both herself and them. These objects weren’t easily destroyed like humans, but having a soul meant they could still be hurt. Being “roommates” was the safest distance.

“Ah Li~ Hug me.” A mischievous bell dropped from a tree, landing right in her bosom. Enveloped by her divine aura, it rolled around contentedly, snuggling against her chest. It truly loved its Deity.

In fact, all living things in this world loved her. She was their Creator, their “Mother,” and they were naturally drawn to her.

—CLANG!

The longsword hanging at Gu Jinli’s waist had seen enough. This was a daily routine, and it had become quite adept at handling “competition.” It flew from its scabbard, and with a cold flick of its hilt, it tossed the bell out of her arms and onto the dirt.

—SPLAT!

The bell rolled away into the dust. “You stupid sword! You hit me again!” the little bell protested, rolling back toward them. How could a Soul-Suppressing Bell be bullied by a sword every day? It was losing face!

“Hmph.” The silver sword, Ash Frost Snow, stood tall in the air, looking ready for a duel.

“That’s enough.” Gu Jinli sighed and caught her sword, gripping the hilt to calm it down. The once-aggressive blade immediately softened in her hand, rubbing against her palm like a pampered pet. “I… I love Ah Li most,” it whispered.

*******

The chaos subsided as Gu Jinli went into her room. She sat on the only chair—also a magical artifact—and began to eat. The wooden chair, clearly in ecstasy from being sat upon, began to let out shameful, muffled noises.

“Mmm~ Ah Li is on top of me~”

“She’s sitting on me… so soft.”

“Ah~ I’m so happy.”

Gu Jinli: “…” Could you please stop making those weird noises! It’s embarrassing!

“Ah Li is so forceful~” Because her fingers were tightening on her chopsticks (another sentient tool) in embarrassment, the chopsticks began to moan. “So tight~ Ah Li.”

Gu Jinli: “(#^.^#)” Just… destroy yourselves. All of you.

*****

Despite the eccentricities, these “treasures” had kept her from feeling lonely over the last ten years. Even without human friends, their presence filled the void.

“Goodnight.” Exhausted from the hunt, she lay down on her bed after a noisy bath. The longsword leaned against the bedframe, and the other treasures quieted down to let their Deity sleep. Out of respect and love, none of them crossed the line of “sleeping together.”

[Ding—]

Gu Jinli was nearly asleep when the mechanical voice echoed in her head.

[Bzzzt— System scan complete. Current Progress: 25% Current Favorability: 0 Detection: Hostor Gu Jinli has been AWOL for 10 years. Please resume the mission immediately.]

AWOL? Resume mission? The system that had been silent for a decade was back. Gu Jinli sat up, her sleepiness gone. “I’m not doing it. It’s an impossible mission.” She had long decided to live her own life, away from Shen Chigui.

[Reminder: If you refuse the mission, you will face death.]

“Then let me die,” Gu Jinli replied stubbornly. “I’ve lived ten years on borrowed time anyway. I’m satisfied.” She’d rather die than face that monster again.

[You…] The system paused, seemingly stumped by her lack of fear. [Don’t you want to go home? Your parents are waiting for you. Complete the mission, and you can leave.]

Parents… Gu Jinli’s fingers clenched. How could she not miss them? She had been their pampered daughter; the suffering she’d endured here would break their hearts. If there was a way back, she couldn’t help but be tempted.

But… “I can’t conquer Shen Chigui. She’s a lunatic with no heart.”

[No. You have already succeeded once. Shen Chigui’s heart was moved; the fluctuations in favorability are proof.]

“You’re wrong,” Gu Jinli said coldly. “Those fluctuations weren’t love. They were just proof that she has emotions. Being human doesn’t mean she likes me. I remember exactly when those fluctuations happened—it was right after we left the illusion.”

Back then, Shen Chigui had only just regained her memories. It was perfectly natural for her emotions to fluctuate.

If she had truly changed because of that—if she had actually developed genuine feelings—then everything that followed wouldn’t have happened, and Gu Jinli wouldn’t have insisted on leaving her.

Shen Chigui has no heart. That person is hollow.

[How do you know if you don’t try?]

[Instead of dying with regrets, why not fight for yourself? You want to go home, don’t you?]

[Your parents have been waiting for you.]

The cold, mechanical voice was like a devil’s whisper, relentlessly tempting her. Gu Jinli wanted to ignore it, but the longing for home and the desperate need to see her parents were impossible to suppress.

[Besides, don’t you want revenge? She did such terrible things to you.]

[With your current power, you can teach her a lesson.]

[Gu Jinli, she killed you one hundred and thirty-six times. Are you really okay with that?]

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