When Destiny Brings the Demon

Stealing my food and then mocking me, are you a grade-school boy or what? Liao Tingyan thought to herself. You're a big shot, someone I should be calling Ancestor Master, yet here you are bullying a newbie driver, and you still have the face to say it.

She once again mobilized her abilities, groping to control those small fruits floating in the air. Today, she was determined to eat at least one!

Unfortunately, the ancestor beside her was bored out of his mind and decided to oppose her. Every time a fruit was about to reach her lips, just as she opened her mouth, it would suddenly be snatched away. Sima Jiao ate her fruits while mocking her with his eyes.

After six attempts, each time having the fruit stolen midway, Liao Tingyan gave up. A clever idea struck her—she sent the fruit to Sima Jiao's lips instead. Based on her understanding of this ancestor, he wouldn't take it if it was handed to him.

The fruit dropped to Sima Jiao's lips, and he ate it.

Liao Tingyan: "..." Wrong guess, goodbye.

"Ancestor Master, do you like eating this?" Liao Tingyan forced a smile.

Sima Jiao: "No, it's too sweet and cloying."

If you don't like it, then why the hell are you eating it?!

Liao Tingyan's mind stirred, and dozens of fruits rushed toward Sima Jiao's lips. Eat, damn it! Eat to your heart's content! But before they could touch his lips, the fruits rebounded and smeared all over her face.

Damn it, so infuriating. She heard Sima Jiao suddenly burst into laughter beside her and thought coldly, You think I'm playing around with you? What's so funny?

She didn't feel like dealing with this grade-school boy anymore and continued exploring her abilities, gathering a ball of water to try and press it against her face like a mask, washing away the fruit juice. She wasn't very skilled yet, carefully controlling the water ball as it moved back and forth across her face. The sensation was incredibly refreshing—cool and clean, leaving her skin feeling like she'd just applied a hydrating mask.

Huh, if that's the case, next time she could mix something skincare-related into the spiritual water and spread it over her face—wouldn't that be like applying a mask? Although at her current cultivation level, she probably didn't need something like a mask anymore, she still really wanted to try it.

She experimented by pressing a flowing water mask to her face, but Sima Jiao next to her reached over and peeled it off. "What are you doing?" Why press water into a layer like this and stick it to your face?

Liao Tingyan made another one for herself. "Applying a mask." Suddenly feeling mischievous, she made one for Sima Jiao's face too.

Sima Jiao: "Hmm?"

"What's the point of this?"

"Keeping the skin hydrated?" Liao Tingyan replied.

Sima Jiao once again found himself unable to comprehend what went on in this person's head. If he used the Oath of Truth on her now, he'd probably get another bizarre answer.

Liao Tingyan noticed the wound on Sima Jiao's hand, still exposed where he held the water mask. Seeing it made her feel uneasy. After a moment of silence, once Sima Jiao closed his eyes again, she stealthily hovered her hand over it, trying to heal it. She channeled a stream of spiritual power into it, but it vanished without a trace.

Alright, giving up.

But it was just too distracting. Even if she couldn't heal it, couldn't she at least bandage it? She thought of band-aids and decided to make a big one. In her brocade pouch was a type of plant leaf she'd brought from Clear Valley Heaven—some senior whose name she couldn't remember had said it was good for bruises and sprains, so it should work for wounds too.She took out a large leaf, trimmed it slightly, and stuck it onto Sima Jiao's wound. Finally, she covered it with a thin layer of spiritual power, wrapping both the leaf and the wound to create a fantasy-world version of a large band-aid.

Suddenly, she felt quite accomplished, realizing she could explore countless applications of her abilities on her own.

Closing her eyes, she extended her spiritual sense outside the palace, attempting long-distance control. In no time, vibrant red flowers from White Deer Cliff floated in through the window, caught by Liao Tingyan's outstretched hand. Using her consciousness, she squeezed the petals to extract their juice and casually painted her nails red with it.

While Liao Tingyan amused herself with her newfound skills, the outside world was on edge because the ancestor of White Deer Cliff had been unusually quiet that day.

"Master, Taoist Lord Cizang did not go to Cloud Rock Mountain Terrace today. Could it be because yesterday's events displeased him?"

Shi Qianlv sat on his jade throne, eyes closed in meditation. Hearing his disciple's question, he waved a hand dismissively. "If he were displeased, he would have lashed out immediately yesterday. Knowing him as I do, he likely has some matter keeping him secluded in White Deer Cliff today."

Shi Zhenxu asked, "Master, is there truly no way to observe what happens within White Deer Cliff? We are at a great disadvantage this way."

"Sima Jiao is highly aggressive. His territory absolutely forbids any prying eyes. Do you think we haven't tried placing spies in White Deer Cliff? Other factions have tried as well. But look—who has succeeded? It only results in more needless deaths."

Shi Qianlv's surroundings were thick with spiritual energy, rising and falling with his breath. His words were unhurried, tinged with a hint of lament. "Who could have imagined that the small child our predecessors thought they could control would grow into such a figure? Not only did he break free from their grasp, but he also turned against so many. His terrifying talent and ferocity are truly fearsome. A cornered beast is not to be trifled with."

Shi Zhenxu remained silent. As a junior of the Shi lineage, he knew many things, including some details about the upheaval five hundred years ago. Had it not been for that miscalculation, they wouldn't be so restrained when dealing with Taoist Lord Cizang now.

"Have there been any updates on that Liao Tingyan you were tasked to investigate?" Shi Qianlv asked.

Shi Zhenxu bowed. "There are some leads, but we haven't yet uncovered who stands behind her. Master, perhaps we should wait until we confirm her identity and secure leverage over her before making a move."

Shi Zhenxu, you're mistaken," Shi Qianlv said. "Given her status, she can be controlled even without leverage. I'm not concerned about whoever backs her—my only concern is Sima Jiao. Contact with her should be swift, not delayed. Tomorrow, if Sima Jiao still hasn't appeared, send Dongyang Zhenren to request an audience. It will serve as both a probe and an opportunity for him to deliver a letter for us."

"Yes, I understand, Master," Shi Zhenxu replied.

Liao Tingyan had been held and slept through the entire day. When night fell, Sima Jiao opened his eyes and sat barefoot by the bed for a while. Watching him rub his temples, Liao Tingyan guessed he might have a headache. Back at Three Sage Mountain, she had already suspected it—he definitely had something wrong with his brain. This wasn't an insult but an objective observation.

She also thought that because the pain in his head was so severe, he simply didn't care about the wounds on his hands. Compared to the agony in his skull, the pain from his injuries probably meant nothing.He didn’t seem to be in a good mood. Without a word, he stood up and walked toward the pool inside the hall. As he moved, his fingers flicked lightly, sending a dense surge of cold energy into the water. Just as he was about to step in, Liao Tingyan glanced at his hand and subtly stirred. A wisp of spiritual energy coiled around the wound on his hand.

Sima Jiao paused mid-step and raised his hand to look. Liao Tingyan had previously wrapped his wound with leaves of a herb called Baiyi Grass, and now this layer of spiritual energy was meant to keep the water out. Still expressionless, he submerged himself completely into the water.

Liao Tingyan waited for a while, but when he showed no further reaction, she immediately jumped up and slipped out of the palace.

Freedom!

Excited, she rushed to the railing and looked down at the height below, itching to try flying. Should she attempt it here? No, no—it was too high. Better find a lower spot. She went to a nearby set of stairs to test it out, and it was far easier than she had imagined.

This body felt unprecedentedly light, and her mind held none of the fear an ordinary person would have when flying—only exhilaration.

With a light leap forward, she floated in the air and turned to look at the palace on White Deer Cliff. The magnificent palace, built into the mountainside, was illuminated by countless glazed lanterns, while ever-blooming flower trees swayed gently. Under the glow of the setting sun, it looked like a beautiful dream.

“I can freaking fly now, ahhh!” Liao Tingyan’s eyes sparkled as she soared toward the highest point of the palace, landing atop the tallest glazed pagoda. From there, she gazed down at the mountains and rivers beyond White Deer Cliff.

In the distance lay the clan settlements within Gengchen Immortal Mansion, their bright lights somewhat reminiscent of nights in her old world. But the various flying mounts and immortal beasts streaking across the sky, along with disciples riding swords like shooting stars, made this world uniquely fantastical.

Sitting alone, she watched the horizon. With her heightened cultivation, she could see incredibly far. The skies elsewhere were bustling—immortal beasts and birds flew past, and she even spotted an ornate airship adorned with countless colorful silks and flowers, as well as flying carriages hung with strangely shaped lanterns.

The most peculiar sight was a three-story pavilion with a garden, carried aloft by a flock of white geese. As it glided through the air, colorful birds circled around it, singing clear and melodious tunes. Inside the pavilion, it seemed people were feasting, with some dancing and singing.

What kind of sky palace was this? They really knew how to live luxuriously. Envious, she kind of wanted to go take a look.

Only now did she realize how lively the skies actually were. She hadn’t noticed before because her cultivation had been too low to see so far—and also because the skies above White Deer Cliff were eerily quiet, with no one daring to fly overhead.

Now, she was the only one bold enough to dart around up here, and the thrill of borrowing authority from a greater power was exhilarating.

Eyeing the drop below, she took two quick steps forward and jumped. The wind howled past her ears, and the disturbed clouds swirled in her wake as she stepped onto the ethereal wisps of mist, gliding down toward the waterfall. Skimming past the cascading water, she stretched out her arm to brush against the flow, even plucking a flower from the cliffside.

She could fly through the sky, tread atop treetops, ride the lightning-fast white deer in the mountains, and even catch the immortal cranes mid-flight, scaring them into frantic squawks.

Being an immortal was so much fun!

After playing to her heart’s content, she decided to come down for a meal. Though her current cultivation meant she no longer felt hunger, craving delicious food was still a thing—so dinner was a must.As usual, the puppet servants brought her an array of delicious dishes and... another floral letter identical to yesterday’s.

Liao Tingyan’s cheerful expression vanished instantly. Damn it, not again!

She suspected the menstrual cramps from last night were somehow connected to the sender of this letter. With a heavy heart, she opened it and read: [Midnight, beneath White Deer Cliff, beside the Blue Glory flowers. If you fail to appear, your true identity will be exposed—and you won’t live past three days.]

What strange identity do I even have? Liao Tingyan felt a chill. This didn’t bode well. Wasn’t she just an ordinary, lucky nobody? Since when did she have some hidden backstory? Generally, situations like this meant some villain was about to stir up trouble. Now she was left wondering—was the sender the villain, or was she the villain?

Lost in thought, a hand suddenly reached from behind and snatched the letter from her grasp.

It was Sima Jiao. He pinched the letter between his fingers, and it crumbled into petals at his touch. After stepping on them, they evaporated into thin air, leaving not even a trace behind.

Liao Tingyan glanced at his unreadable expression and felt inexplicably guilty—though she had no idea why.

"Go to the meeting," Sima Jiao said.