When Destiny Brings the Demon

Liao Tingyan looked at the ancestor with an indescribable expression as blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth. Was he injured?

Sima Jiao raised his hand, wiping the bloodstain from his lips with his thumb, then flashed a careless smile at the white-robed woman nearby. "Back then, I nearly slaughtered all the elders and Palace Masters of Gengchen Immortal Mansion. Now, you think you alone can kill me? That’s overestimating yourself." His words made it clear he hadn’t even counted the first few weak women as opponents.

Seems like these were two groups of women from different backgrounds.

The white-robed woman struggled to sit up. She took out a jade vial from her sleeve, swallowed a Pill from it, and visibly recovered—even appearing more dangerous than before. Then she drew a gleaming white sword.

"This is my master’s sword, Moonlight, the heirloom of our Moon Palace. Today, it’s either you or me." Her words were deliberate, her eyes filled with hatred and determination, moving anyone who saw her. She looked like a heroine about to stage a desperate counterattack against the final boss. Solemnly, she declared, "The corrupt Fengshan Clan of the Sima family should have been eradicated long ago."

Liao Tingyan heard the loud clanking of massive chains outside, and the sealed jade tablets emitted faint hums. The entire Central Tower trembled slightly. The woman’s attacks were sharper than before, a completely reckless fighting style—her frenzied demeanor could only be described as a suicidal charge.

Sima Jiao, as if finally unable to hold on, coughed up another mouthful of blood under such an assault. He even stood up, his expression turning grave for the first time.

The entire Central Tower was filled with the explosive surge of their spiritual power. At Liao Tingyan’s cultivation level, any misstep would mean instant death. Fortunately, the area behind Sima Jiao was relatively safe, so she could only hunker down in the safe zone and wait for the battle to end.

The fight didn’t last long. Soon, with a deafening crash, the white-robed woman, now drenched in blood, was flung far away, barely clinging to life. Sima Jiao wasn’t faring much better either—he staggered back two steps before collapsing onto Liao Tingyan’s bed, his eyelids drooping weakly. He, too, seemed to be on his last breaths, blood flowing even more freely from his lips.

Liao Tingyan grabbed a handful of her hair, realizing she might be the only one left who could still move. She stood up from the gap on the other side of the bed and tentatively asked her boss, "Ancestor? Are you... okay?"

"Liao Tingyan."

It wasn’t the ancestor who called her—it was the white-robed woman, now barely alive. She said, "I know you’re a disciple of Clear Valley Heaven. Your master would address me as Grandmaster Aunt."

Liao Tingyan: "..." What? Sister, your seniority is that high? Cultivators lived so long that generations overlapped endlessly—keeping track of seniority was a nightmare.

The woman’s blazing eyes held the madness of one at death’s door. "Sima Jiao can’t fight back anymore. Kill him now!"

Liao Tingyan: Huh?

"If you kill him, our Moon Palace will be your backing from now on. Resources, status—you’ll have it all." The woman struggled to speak. "Don’t be afraid. Take the Blood Clot Flower of Fengshan, dip it in Sima Jiao’s blood, and consume it. Your cultivation will skyrocket instantly. Then take my Moonlight sword, cut open his chest, remove his heart, and place it in the green pond over there. That will ensure his permanent death."The steps were explained in great detail, and the operation seemed entirely feasible. Anyone with ambition would probably be tempted to follow her instructions.

Liao Tingyan glanced at the unresponsive Sima Jiao. To be honest, she felt a little ashamed—when she saw him bleeding earlier, she had a fleeting thought of trying to dip the red lotus petals in his blood to see if her experience would skyrocket.

Sima Jiao opened his eyes, a smile on his face as he gazed at her, silently mouthing a few words—"Come kill me."

Liao Tingyan: "……?" What was this ancestor saying? Uncomfortable? He was lying there with his back probably hurting; he did look uncomfortable.

Hesitantly, she reached out, lifted him with some effort, properly placed him on the couch, and even tucked a blanket over him.

Liao Tingyan: "Better?"

Sima Jiao: "..."

The woman in white: "..."

The woman in white coughed as if she were about to die, hoarsely shouting, "What are you doing? Hurry! Kill him now! He's a demon—if he doesn't die today, countless more will die someday!"

Liao Tingyan put in earplugs. She wouldn’t do what that girl said because she was just an innocent bystander who wanted no part in this world's conflicts. Besides, in her over twenty years of life, she had never killed anyone—not even a chicken. A few words weren’t going to make her commit murder. Was her law-abiding citizenship all for nothing?

Even with the earplugs, she could still hear the woman in white’s dying scream: "You’re aiding a tyrant—you’ll regret this sooner or later—!"

Liao Tingyan disagreed. This world had nothing to do with her, and neither did these people. That woman was no kin or friend of hers, so she wouldn’t listen. Sima Jiao had no grudge against her, so she wouldn’t kill him. It was that simple.

The woman seemed to have breathed her last, and the entire floor fell silent. Liao Tingyan sat on the edge of the couch, glancing at the boss she had just settled there. He was looking at her with a strange, half-smiling expression.

Liao Tingyan: "Are you alright, old man?" If the boss was in trouble, she’d have to start thinking about her future prospects.

Sima Jiao spat out a mouthful of blood in response, his voice weak: "What do you think?"

That definitely didn’t look good. He seemed unable to move at all, lying there motionless, even speaking with great difficulty.

"I feel like this is the time for some miraculous healing medicine or something," Liao Tingyan said.

At that very moment, she saw a glimmer of light flash in Sima Jiao’s eyes. Suddenly, she felt a strong hand yank her down, and her entire body crashed into his embrace. Then, her vision blurred—when she opened her eyes again, she was floating outside the window in Sima Jiao’s arms. The place they had just been in, walls and couch included, had been blown to smithereens.

Liao Tingyan: "What the fuck?!"

Sima Jiao, who had seemed on the verge of death just moments ago, now floated steadily outside the Central Tower, his earlier weakness clearly an act—judging by the strength of his arms around her. Liao Tingyan clung stiffly to his waist, praying not to fall. There was nothing beneath her feet now.

A flame appeared in Sima Jiao’s hand, and in an instant, it erupted into a sea of fire, spreading across the entire Central Tower and the sky for hundreds of meters around.Liao Tingyan saw dozens of figures appearing in the sky—men and women, old and young—all exuding a dangerous aura as they encircled Sima Jiao. Although they outnumbered him, with Sima Jiao standing alone, Liao Tingyan noticed that every one of them wore an especially grim and uneasy expression.

Compared to their tense, battle-ready demeanor, the solitary Sima Jiao appeared arrogant and composed. Liao Tingyan consciously treated herself as an accessory, hanging quietly in place. Even a fool would realize that tonight, this place was a dangerous battlefield. If this ancestor hadn’t protected her earlier, she’d already be dead.

The dozen or so people present not only looked uneasy but were also inwardly terrified. To be honest, they weren’t a united front—each had their own motives. The Gengchen Immortal Mansion had endured for so many years, and as such a massive power, even the smallest branch had differing opinions, let alone the entire mansion. Regarding Sima Jiao, they all had different thoughts.

Some, driven by hatred from five hundred years ago, advocated killing him. Others coveted the flesh and blood of the Fengshan clan and wanted a share. There were also those who wished for the Gengchen Immortal Mansion to continue as before but feared Sima Jiao’s unpredictability and cultivation, so they sought to control him.

Tonight was the new moon. Those who knew the secrets of the Sima Shi had quietly infiltrated this place and had been observing for a long time. The woman in white earlier was indeed just a pawn. Until now, many had hesitated, but among them was one who bore a blood feud against Sima Jiao and couldn’t resist striking first. Who would’ve thought Sima Jiao’s frail appearance was just a ruse? Instead, he turned the tables on them, trapping them in a sea of flames. The others couldn’t help but silently curse the impulsive old man who had acted too soon.

These flames were unlike any others—even the most powerful cultivators dared not act recklessly. So while it seemed they had Sima Jiao surrounded, in reality, they were the ones blocked by his inferno.

"Taoist Lord Cizang, this must be a misunderstanding. We mean no harm," a tall, gaunt man spoke first. "At the very least, our Tianzhi Palace holds no disrespect toward you."

Sima Jiao’s gaze shifted to a sinister-looking old man. "Which palace’s trash are you? After being locked up by you all for five hundred years, I’ve forgotten."

Liao Tingyan: "..." Even now, he’s still provoking them. Truly worthy of being called an ancestor—I’m genuinely impressed.

The old man’s nose twisted in anger. Clearly, he was the one who had struck earlier. Still glaring hatefully at Sima Jiao, he made no attempt to speak to him directly. Instead, he turned to the others, inciting them, "Don’t be fooled by him! He’s clearly at his limit. If we join forces tonight, we can surely finish him! If we don’t kill him now, which of us will escape his wrath later?"

Some were swayed, their eyes flickering with intent, while others retreated, lowering their heads to signal their unwillingness to participate. In the end, half of them withdrew—they had witnessed Sima Jiao’s rampage five hundred years ago and were too fearful to act rashly. The rest, driven by greed, hatred, or simply differing allegiances, ultimately chose to attack Sima Jiao.

Liao Tingyan couldn’t help but cling even tighter to Sima Jiao’s waist. Suddenly finding herself at the center of the battlefield, she was truly panicked. This shouldn’t have been her role—being forced into the spotlight by the ancestor was way too much pressure."What are you afraid of?"

Liao Tingyan belatedly looked up and realized these words were spoken to her by her ancestor. The man glanced down at her and said, "If I don't want you to die, you won't. Didn't I tell you? Even weakened to this extent, they're still too insignificant for me."

Damn.

What followed made Liao Tingyan truly understand what "damn" meant. Sima Jiao single-handedly annihilated seven of Gengchen Immortal Mansion's most renowned powerhouses. This made her realize that when facing the white-robed woman in the tower earlier, he had probably been acting. What a drama king! Did he have nothing better to do? Even coughing up blood—he made it look so real. If she had actually listened to that woman back then, she'd probably be a pile of ashes by now.

When those seven were burned into human-shaped mummies, the remaining seven spectators couldn't help but look at Sima Jiao with terror in their eyes. They had thought that after being suppressed here for so many years, Sima Jiao would only grow weaker. Who could have imagined he remained this terrifying? Could it be that the Fengshan Clan was truly so formidable that even layer upon layer of arrays and restrictions couldn't restrain him?

"Taoist Lord Cizang, these people showed disrespect to you and deserved this punishment. After we return, we will deal severely with their affiliated branches," one person spoke cautiously.

But Sima Jiao showed no intention of letting them leave. His gaze swept over the nine still alive, and he suddenly smiled. "I still need one more person to stay."

Everyone froze.

The one who had spoken earlier let out a bloodcurdling scream as his entire body instantly burst into flames, unable to resist at all. The others turned pale. A seemingly honest-looking elder suddenly widened his eyes and gasped, "No! Could it be...?"

Before he could finish, the corpse of the white-robed woman flew out from the tower. Nine corpses in total emerged from various parts of the Central Tower. These nine individuals happened to carry the bloodlines of Gengchen Immortal Mansion's Eight Palaces and the sect leader's lineage from five hundred years ago. Back then, it was the ancestors of these nine bloodlines who had laid down the imprisonment array here.

"I've endured these eyesores long enough." As Sima Jiao spoke, the nine corpses plummeted into specific positions. In an instant, the earth shook and the mountains trembled. The massive chains in the Central Tower clashed violently, their deafening clangs ringing out before they all snapped simultaneously, crashing down onto the palace below and reducing it to ruins in mere moments.

Amidst the screams and thunderous crashes, Liao Tingyan heard Sima Jiao let out a light chuckle—one brimming with genuine delight.

After witnessing this series of events, Liao Tingyan's face went blank, her mind completely empty, leaving only one thought—this ancestor's waist is really slender.

Sima Jiao surveyed the scene with satisfaction and noticed the strange Demon Realm spy he was holding had been scared stiff. In an excellent mood, he lifted her chin and asked, "Look at these people. Every single one of them is a mighty figure who would inspire fear if they stepped outside. But now, how laughable they look. What are your thoughts?"

Liao Tingyan: "Your waist is so slender." The Truth Buff is going to kill me again. Why does this guy keep activating the Truth Buff for no reason?!

Sima Jiao's merciless smile faltered as he wondered if he'd misheard.