Gu Jianlin noticed the slightly mischievous look in the girl's eyes.

Feeling a little defeated, he took a deep breath and corrected, "First of all, don't call me anything like 'Lord', let's not go down the feudalism route. Secondly, I have a name. Just call me Gu Jianlin."

Moon Princess stifled a laugh, standing in front of him, not letting anyone get close.

The man who had presented the chair earlier quickly gave a signal to the people behind him.

Five more men stepped forward, bowing deeply at a ninety-degree angle, palms outstretched, each holding a vial of Blue Blood: "Please... oh no, please accept this, Chair Assassin!"

Gu Jianlin noticed the girl beside him trembling slightly, seemingly unconsciously.

He said with an air of despair, "What do you mean by this?"

The man who presented the chair replied respectfully, "To be honest, we're all refugees from Black Cloud Outpost. We were previously captured by the Grave Digger Organization and forced to mine. Those days were worse than death. Then you showed up, teamed up with that Miss Tang, and mercilessly killed Compound Eyes, even taking down Hasegawa Shinichi. You saved us."

"Frankly, we feel ashamed. Back when you and your teammates were cornered, all we could do was watch from a distance. Then I saw you wielding a chair, slaughtering everyone in your path, even taking your teammates' secret medicines."

"This is our pledge of loyalty! We repay our debts. Even if you're part of the Ether Association, we won't lift a hand against you. Otherwise, you're welcome to use that chair to smash our heads open! There's even a rumor that as long as there's a chair nearby, you're invincible, and even the Judgment Court wouldn't dare to mess with you."

He hurriedly added, "Oh, and there's another rumor. They say during battles, you like to steal your teammates' secret medicines because you think your teammates are trash and giving them medicines is a waste of resources. But we're not trash. We're smart trash. No need for you to take it by force; we're giving it willingly!"

Gu Jianlin was stunned.

What kind of ridiculous rumors were these? Absolutely irresponsible.

Although, to be fair, he had indeed said similar things and done similar actions in the past.

But to clarify, that was all under the influence of the negative emotions from Ghost Transformation.

"It seems your infamous reputation has become universally recognized," Moon Princess said in a low voice. "Don't mind it too much. Think of it like when you're climbing the ranks in a game, and your teammates recognize you as the carry player, so they give you all the farm and objectives."

Gu Jianlin pessimistically thought it wasn't like that at all.

To be precise, these people were probably terrified that if they didn't give up the resources, the Chair Assassin would come crashing through their ranks with a chair in hand, exploding their heads one by one.

What a slanderous reputation!

"Hahaha! Anyway, I, Mr. Liu, always mean what I say. Once we enter the Immortal Palace for exploration, everyone will rely on their own abilities. But if any of my people encounter the Chair Assassin, we will definitely retreat three steps!"

Mr. Liu patted his chest confidently and said, "Anyone who disrespects my benefactor, I'll chop off their damn head!"

After saying that, he coughed twice and added, "By the way, the outside is crawling with Judgment Court people. We need to use this underground escape route. These tunnels connect to the city's entire sewer network, and many lead directly into urban areas. Oh, Miss Moon Princess, are you coming along?"

Gu Jianlin thought, as expected, this group was indeed being chased down.

But with the Judgment Court's vast influence and even a Saint among their ranks, they were definitely not to be trifled with.

"No," Moon Princess glanced at the boy and paused for a moment. "I'll escort him back."

Mr. Liu immediately flashed an "I understand" kind of look. He then pulled a silver membership card out of his pocket and handed it to her with a sly smile. "I get it, I get it! Young people, huh? You can check into this hotel later. It's under the You Ying Group's portfolio in Peak City, very secure. There's even a safe house and armory in the basement linked to the sewer system. The hotel's luxurious, and it even has some... um, themed roo—cough cough!"

Moon Princess's eyes widened in disbelief.

Gu Jianlin was equally dumbfounded.

"Let's move!"

Mr. Liu waved his hand grandly and squinted as he led his subordinates away.

Among the retreating crowd, a sleepy-looking young man narrowly opened his eyes for a moment, his gaze glimmering with a strange sharpness.

Also, ten stern and imposing bodyguards walked alongside a veiled figure carrying a black curtain. The presence behind the curtain exuded an almost palpable air of amusement.

Only when the group had disappeared did Gu Jianlin mutter, "That Mr. Liu is no ordinary man."

Moon Princess nodded, explaining, "The You Ying Group is arguably the most powerful entity within the Dark World. Though Mr. Liu may not be personally strong, it's said that he possesses as many as four Mythical Weapons. His wealth and resources run deep. And there's a rumor... that he's connected to the Dark World's Throne."

Gu Jianlin asked suspiciously, "The Dark World's Throne?"

Moon Princess's eyes darkened as she whispered, "Dusk."

Gu Jianlin had lost count of how many times he'd heard the name of that organization.

It was said to be a mysterious group even the Ether Association deeply feared.

"In a way, you and Mr. Liu are somewhat alike. He hates the Judgment Court, too. His bodyguard team, his childhood friends, were all wiped out by the Judgment Court." Moon Princess paused briefly. "Since then, he's been at odds with the Judgment Court. Even within the association, many hate him to their core. Mainly because of his foul mouth and the fact that his squinted eyes irritate people to no end. People think he's always pretending to look down on them."

An enmity with the Judgment Court!

Gu Jianlin found himself inexplicably liking this chubby man more.

Although the squinty eyes did seem pretentious at first encounter.

Moon Princess continued, "The woman behind Mr. Liu is no pushover either. She's one of the finest alchemy masters in the world and comes from a prominent family."

Gu Jianlin mused, "Which is why you advised me not to bring the Heavenly Evil Spirit?"

Moon Princess nodded slightly: "Your fake identity still has some utility. If you ever run into trouble within the association, you can rely on Dark World connections to get out. With the Immortal Palace exploration starting, the You Ying Group's cruise ship is already circling the East Sea—they're a formidable force."

"Mr. Liu's sudden departure is probably to avoid you delving deeper underground. But he likely knows you're a Gu Family descendant and that it's only a matter of time before you set your sights on this place. He'll be on guard."

She warned, "Remember, the Dark World is not a place to venture deeply. No one here is worth your trust."

There was a cold glint in her mesmerizing eyes as she spoke.

Gu Jianlin recalled her behavior in the Immortal Palace: she had seemed utterly indifferent to the Ancient God's Blood's allure and instead provided useful intelligence for his disguise as the Qilin Venerable in exchange for information.

He suddenly asked, "I bet you're not one of the Fallen, so why stay in the Dark World?"

After a brief moment of silence, Moon Princess replied, "Because there are people I trust, and there are things I must uncover."

Seeing she had no intention of telling the whole truth, Gu Jianlin didn't press further.

He already had a loose plan for uncovering her real identity.

"Let me ask you one last time," Moon Princess enunciated carefully, "Do you have the Qilin Wedge or not?"

Gu Jianlin spread his hands: "I don't."

Moon Princess visibly relaxed: "Let's go, get out of here."

Gu Jianlin studied her expression and tone, suddenly struck by a realization.

Her reason for entering the Immortal Palace and joining the dangerous five-member group might largely be tied to him and his father. She had no personal incentive to take such risks.

The others were desperate criminals with no other options.

But she obviously wasn't.

From the highway accident involving his father to the overpass where Gu Jianlin was ambushed, to the cafeteria at school...

Even the Black Cloud Outpost and now West Port tonight...

Each time, she had been there, silently standing by his side.

He suddenly realized that, despite her ghostly, almost nonexistent presence, her consistent protection made his world feel warmer.

"Hey," Gu Jianlin suddenly called out.

Moon Princess stopped in her tracks.

"Thank you. I think I can trust you," Gu Jianlin said softly. "I hope you can trust me too."

"Hmph."

Moon Princess snorted lightly, showing no intention of revealing her truths.

Gu Jianlin wasn't worried. He figured he'd uncover her real identity soon enough anyway.

·

·

Half an hour later, Gu Jianlin and Moon Princess emerged from the Southern District's Qinghai Road sewer system.

The storm raged with howling winds, torrential rain, lightning, and thunder.

The city lay veiled in chaos, drowned in endless rain, as though it might be submerged at any moment.

The streets were wrecked with debris, burning fires, and countless dead Gu Worms. Even injured nano warriors were being carried on stretchers to ambulances.

The roads were barricaded as security teams scrambled to restore order.

Moon Princess excelled in the Ghost Slayer Path—elusive and invisible.

Gu Jianlin also had the Lock of Nonexistence, making them virtually undetectable.

It seemed the assassins hunting him had given up for now.

To confirm the assassin's identity, Gu Jianlin backtracked from Qinghai Road to the West Port Forbidden Zone.

Returning to the sniper ambush site.

Unexpectedly, the Ether Association had already secured the site, sealing it off tightly. Nano warriors armed with guns made it impenetrable.

Gu Jianlin and Moon Princess could only perch on a dormitory rooftop, holding an umbrella and watching from afar.

But what they saw left them stunned.

At the crime scene, Gu Jianlin saw... another version of himself!

"That's a puppet, right?" Moon Princess poked his waist. "Move closer; the umbrella doesn't cover me."

Gu Jianlin was dumbfounded, tilting the umbrella slightly to shield her from the rain.

But his gaze remained fixed on the scene below.

The fake Gu Jianlin sat calmly in a chair, holding a cup of hot coffee. Even soaked to the bone by the rain, he exuded the composure and elegance of royalty.

Lu Zijin stood with her hands clasped behind her back, face cold as frost, staring at the assassin's corpse.

Meanwhile, Chen Bojun squatted down, picking up a bisected sniper bullet. His weathered eyes gleamed with an eagle-like sharpness, as if meticulously dissecting its origin.

Present on the scene was also Deacon Nie from the Judgment Court, his face ashen with anger.

"A mere creature crafted by a Gu Master, and it scared all of you like this? Okay, sure, maybe it's a bit much for the Judgment Court's incompetents and the so-called geniuses of the Omega Sequence," mocked the fake Gu Jianlin.

Sprawled languidly in the chair, his tone was casual yet haughty as he crossed his legs: "I can clean up your mess once or twice, but if it happens too often, it gets annoying. You should know your place. As for that Fourth-Rank Overlord, no need to act so alarmed. Plenty of people might have reasons to kill me, but very few actually can."

Such arrogant words threw everyone present into an awkward silence.

Especially Deacon Nie, whose expression turned even darker.

"Even though the Judgment Court has sunk to such depths, identifying a mere killer shouldn't be too hard, right? Yes, I'm talking to you. Don't look around," fake Gu Jianlin said, sipping the coffee with an air of detachment. "Can you manage that?"

Deacon Nie's face twitched slightly, clearly irked by the tone but unable to form a rebuttal.

From their distant rooftop perch, the real Gu Jianlin stared dumbfounded.

"Who's controlling that puppet?" Moon Princess asked suspiciously. "He's so pretentious."

Gu Jianlin's eye twitched.

Who else could it be?

This air of effortless superiority belonged to only one person.

Jing Ci!

[PS: The novel first releases on the Qidian Reading App. See you tomorrow night at 8:30!]