When Destiny Brings the Demon

Liao Tingyan had a strong will to survive and was highly sensitive to danger. Every time she saw her grandmaster Sima Jiao, she would act timidly, speaking as little as possible, treating him like an ancestor, and making sure to use polite language. But now, as this ancestor weighed her chest in his hands like a piece of pork, her rationality instantly vanished. A surge of audacity overtook her, and she reached down to give Sima Jiao’s butt a firm squeeze.

Sima Jiao: “…”

You don’t touch a tiger’s ass. The saying suddenly came to Liao Tingyan’s mind as she took in his expression. Slowly, she released her grip, feeling her depleted survival instincts gradually refill. Her expression shifted from anger to calm, then to confusion tinged with a hint of timidity. Nestled in Sima Jiao’s arms, she obediently hugged her misbehaving left hand and turned her gaze toward the churning clouds in the distance.

I look at the heavens, I look at the earth—just not at you.

Liao Tingyan braced herself, waiting for this ill-tempered ancestor to toss her off the moving serpent carriage. She even mentally reviewed the proper technique for jumping off a moving vehicle. But after a long while, nothing happened. She peeked sideways and accidentally met Sima Jiao’s eyes. His gaze was cold, chilling, piercing enough to make one’s head ache. He was terrifying when brooding and scowling, terrifying when grinning like a maniac, and just as terrifying when expressionless.

Liao Tingyan: Damn it, why can’t I control this hand of mine.jpg

Sima Jiao took hold of the hand that had dared to squeeze his butt. Her wrist was slender and fair, looking as if it would snap with the slightest pressure in his excessively pale grip. His movements were oddly intimate—his large hand enveloping hers, his long fingers slowly tracing her wrist before tightening slightly—

Liao Tingyan swore on her suddenly elongated legs that this ancestor was about to break her wrist to teach her a lesson. In a split-second decision, her body moved faster than her brain. Following his motion, she grabbed his hand and resolutely pressed it against her own chest. “Calm down. Feel free to touch. Go ahead.”

She guessed right. Sima Jiao’s moods were as unpredictable as a psychopath’s. Normally, if someone so much as brushed his finger, he’d want to kill them—let alone someone who dared to grab his ass. At first, he had been utterly stunned. After all, while there were people in this world bold enough to try killing him, no one had ever been reckless enough to grope him. Once the shock wore off, his only thought was to teach her a lesson—and that was only because he didn’t despise her and even found her somewhat interesting. Death could be spared, but punishment was inevitable.

But he hadn’t expected this . The hand he had intended to use to crush her wrist was suddenly pressed against something soft. The force he had been about to exert now dissipated like squeezing a ball of cotton, completely diffused.

Liao Tingyan held his hand in place, her expression earnest, like a salesperson making a pitch. “Try it. The texture is amazing.” What man or woman wouldn’t love the soft, fragrant bosom of a lovely lady? Even arrogant creatures like cats adored kneading them with pure delight. Surely a mere murderer wouldn’t be an exception.

Sima Jiao did things purely on impulse—likely because his blood relatives were all lunatics, and he himself was a deranged, volatile killer. Whenever he felt displeasure, he sought an outlet, and that outlet was naturally murder. Whoever displeased him, he wanted dead.The person before him was special. She had survived under his hands many times, and she was the only one who could make him repeatedly suppress his killing intent. Others usually met their end the first time he felt the urge to kill, yet she inexplicably calmed his rage and murderous impulses time and again—just like now, when the impulse to crush her wrist had vanished.

Since it was gone, he regained his composure.

"Phew—" Liao Tingyan was drenched in cold sweat. Realizing she was still tightly gripping the ancestor's icy hand, she slowly tried to retreat. Halfway through, Sima Jiao turned his hand and grasped hers instead.

She was currently nestled in Sima Jiao's embrace, encircled by one of his arms. Now that he had seized her other hand as well, the pose became highly improper—a shameless display of affection between a scoundrel and his mistress in broad daylight.

Though Liao Tingyan considered herself merely an accessory, others certainly didn’t see it that way.

While Liao Tingyan and Sima Jiao were resolving a bloody incident caused by a certain chest, the chauffeur Black Snake had already driven them down the mountain, beyond the borders of Three Sage Mountain. What greeted the sect leader and his entourage was the sight of the black-robed ancestor holding a bewitching femme fatale, standing atop a ferocious giant black snake, making a grand entrance fit for a villainous overlord, his favored concubine, and his monstrous lackey.

Generally speaking, it was the classic trio of a ruthless tyrant, a venomous troublemaker, and a wicked henchman. Clearly, many behind the sect leader thought exactly that.

During Liao Tingyan’s absence, Gengchen Immortal Mansion had been abuzz with discussions about this ancestor who had emerged from seclusion. Most younger disciples had never seen him before, and no matter how idealized their fantasies had been, hearing about his repeated, indiscriminate killings had changed their perceptions—from reverence to fear. Many even cursed him in private, convinced he must be a demonic fiend. If not for his exalted status, a mob would have long since risen to purge the sect of him.

Those who knew the truth harbored their own schemes. Initially, most had wanted to kill or control Sima Jiao, but these people misjudged the situation. Two groups had already marched to Three Sage Mountain as sacrificial offerings, never to return. In the end, it was Sect Leader Shi Qianlv who overruled all dissent and respectfully invited the great ancestor Sima Jiao down the mountain. His stance was simple: let him do as he pleased. Even if he killed members of Shi Qianlv’s own family, so be it.

Sect Leader Shi Qianlv understood clearly—Sima Jiao spared him the slightest courtesy only because his master had once been among those responsible for Sima Jiao’s care at Three Sage Mountain and had stopped Sima Jiao’s own mother from killing him. This thin, unreliable thread of gratitude was all Shi Qianlv had. He could only tread carefully, trying to prevent Sima Jiao from going on a rampage. If killing was unavoidable, at least let it be fewer high-ranking elite disciples.

Sima Jiao descended Three Sage Mountain atop his serpent, cradling his beauty, ignoring everyone. The sect leader cautiously escorted him to White Deer Cliff for temporary residence. White Deer Cliff was the most spiritually vibrant place in Gengchen Immortal Mansion outside of Three Sage Mountain. Among its scenic spots was the picturesque White Deer Green Cliff, an excellent location for stargazing. The palaces here were grand and exquisite, especially the towering central pavilion, which was particularly majestic.Liao Tingyan took one look at the place and instantly thought of the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng—phrases like "soaring pavilions with vermilion hues" and "cassia palaces and orchid halls." She had never seen such a breathtaking place before. Though Three Sage Mountain was grand, it had long been abandoned. Here, however, lush flowers and trees thrived, brimming with vitality. Cranes soared amidst the mountain clouds, and snow-white deer roamed the mountain paths. It was nothing short of a fairyland, the ultimate vacation paradise.

"Do you like it here?" Sima Jiao suddenly asked.

Liao Tingyan: "Love it!"

The sect leader and a few carefully selected disciples stood nearby, smiling knowingly. The sect leader thought to himself, As expected, the Ancestor has taken a liking to this female disciple. Listening to their calm voices and harmonious conversation, he felt greatly reassured. Someone who could hold a normal conversation with Sima Jiao was a rare find indeed. His instincts had been right.

"Ancestor and this… madam, you are welcome to stay here as long as you wish. Everything has been prepared. Should you need anything, simply let us know, and we will ensure all your needs are met," the sect leader said with utmost consideration.

Liao Tingyan: "…" Madam?

Sima Jiao, however, paid no attention to the title and waved him off impatiently. "Scram."

Watching the sect leader bow so deferentially before Sima Jiao, Liao Tingyan recalled her first impression of him—lofty and imposing, the very image of a grand authority. Now, he resembled nothing more than a palace steward, while Sima Jiao was the tyrant, perpetually irritable as if barely tolerating the world around him, quick to dismiss anyone who dared speak.

She had only glanced at the sect leader’s retreating figure twice when Sima Jiao noticed. He smirked at her, as if seeing right through her thoughts. "Feeling sorry for that old fool Shi Qianlv? Don’t mistake his politeness for goodness. He… hah, is the most ‘interesting’ person in this Gengchen Immortal Mansion."

Liao Tingyan sensed deeper meaning in Sima Jiao’s words, but he said no more. With a cold laugh, he strode into the palace alone. Inside, attendants awaited—not human, but puppets, emotionless and obedient, existing solely to serve. Following him, Liao Tingyan saw Sima Jiao enter the main hall, take a seat, and stare indifferently out the window, completely ignoring her.

Overjoyed that he showed no intention of treating her like an accessory, she quickly slipped into the side chamber and found the room prepared for her. The first thing she did was pull out a mirror to examine her current appearance. At the sight, her will to survive skyrocketed to an all-time high.

What kind of celestial beauty is this?! She had always been pretty, but now she was utterly transformed. Just looking at herself was enough to make her narcissistic. Running her hands over her ample curves, Liao Tingyan decided she could live another hundred years just for this body. What woman wouldn’t want to be a stunning beauty, to experience the thrill of getting turned on by her own reflection every morning?

At the same time, recalling Sima Jiao’s behavior earlier, she concluded that the guy either had performance issues or was batting for the other team. Faced with such a breathtaking beauty, he showed not the slightest hint of lust. What’s his deal? Even I, a woman, am practically swooning over myself. So beautiful, she should change into a prettier dress and style her hair into an elegant updo. Liao Tingyan noticed the puppet standing in the corner was exceptionally intelligent—she had merely muttered about not having nice clothes, and it silently delivered numerous sets of dresses. These were genuine immortal gowns, made of some unknown material, light as clouds, unrestrictive to wear, and made her look ethereal and fairy-like. There were countless sets of these dresses in various colors and styles, along with matching jewelry, accessories, and shoes, continuously delivered until they filled her room.

What a heavenly life! Liao Tingyan instantly forgot about that troublesome ancestor and happily immersed herself in a dress-up game, playing with real-life outfits so enthusiastically that all worldly concerns vanished.

She was just about to try on a red gauze dress—having already taken off her clothes but not yet slipped into the new one—when the door was kicked open.

Sima Jiao, who had earlier seemed unwilling to interact with anyone and intent on isolating himself, stormed in with a dark expression and asked coldly, "What are you doing? Who told you to wander around?"

Liao Tingyan instinctively covered herself, but seeing Sima Jiao's expression, she thought, Why bother? This bastard doesn’t seem interested in women anyway. He didn’t even glance at her alluring curves, just irritably kicked aside the beautiful clothes and jewelry nearby. "Come with me."

Rolling her eyes, Liao Tingyan silently put on the red gauze dress.

"Where are we going?"

Sima Jiao smirked coldly. "Didn’t I say? Once I come out, everyone dies. Now, we’re going to kill."

Liao Tingyan: My mistake, I’ll see myself out.

Sima Jiao studied her expression. "You don’t want to go?"

Liao Tingyan cursed inwardly— Damn it, the Truth Buff again —but her mouth betrayed her: "I don’t want to go."

Sima Jiao’s face darkened. "Then I’ll kill you first."

Liao Tingyan: "I’m ready. Let’s go now."

Sima Jiao seemed momentarily speechless, then gave her that complicated look again. "Why don’t you want to go?"

Liao Tingyan: "I’m afraid of seeing dead people."

Had the Truth Buff not been active, Sima Jiao wouldn’t have believed it. Someone from the Demon Realm, afraid of corpses? The dead outnumbered the living in the Demon Realm. People from there were only crueler than cultivators—how could someone like her be a spy?

He asked strangely, "You’ve never killed anyone before?"

Liao Tingyan: "Never."

Sima Jiao truly fell silent. Now he really didn’t understand the Demon Realm’s people. Sending someone like this—were they actually serious about targeting the Gengchen Immortal Mansion? The people in the Gengchen Immortal Mansion were doing a better job sabotaging themselves than the Demon Realm.