When Destiny Brings the Demon

The black snake's scales were smooth and cool to the touch. Lying on its back felt like resting on a bamboo mat, and Liao Tingyan sprawled comfortably atop it, enjoying the breeze.

But this Black Snake buddy had a peculiar fondness for tight, obscure corners—narrow crevices beneath cliffs, burrows dug by unknown creatures, or thickets of rotting leaves. It just loved squeezing into those places.

Liao Tingyan, originally a sleek and glossy otter, ended up with her fur completely disheveled after a single ride.

This "black cab" was too much for her. She clawed the leaves and grass scraps off her head, then tried smoothing down her ruffled fur—it no longer felt silky. Seeing the Black Snake about to dive under a waterfall, Liao Tingyan immediately prepared to bail.

"Stupid kid, I get motion sickness. I’m done playing with you—go have fun by yourself, okay?" She patted the snake, waved a paw, and just before the serpent plunged into the waterfall, the entire otter took flight, soaring straight toward the main hall.

She flew lying down. She had already gained some proficiency in flight and control and was currently researching dream-based learning. In a world of fantasy, anything was possible—every wild idea deserved bold experimentation.

As she reached the main hall, Liao Tingyan heard a stream of curses: "You haven’t let me out for days! If you’ve got the guts, keep me trapped inside you forever! You’ve got a death wish—just wait till I burn you to ashes!"

That familiar, childish voice—wasn’t that the foul-mouthed, fiery little flame? She hadn’t seen it since leaving Three Sage Mountain.

Floating outside the window, she spotted a newly formed emerald-green pool inside the hall, with a red lotus flame flickering above it. Sima Jiao stood nearby. But something was off—this flame had grown shockingly bold, daring to curse at Sima Jiao. Where was its usual cowardice?

No sooner had she thought this than the inflated flame suddenly shrank. Sima Jiao had encased it in a sphere of water from the green pool. The flame shrieked in pain every time it touched the liquid, now wailing loudly, "Fine, fine! I won’t curse anymore! You used to just douse me—now you’ve gone completely insane! Ah! It hurts so much!"

Liao Tingyan: "..." This new technique... wasn’t it the one she used for face masks? The ancestor really was a quick learner.

Despite the flame’s desperate pleas and howls, Sima Jiao ignored it. Enraged, it resumed its vicious tirade: "You damn lunatic! If I die, you die too! If I hurt, you hurt! Don’t you feel anything dousing me like this?! Why aren’t you dead yet?! I’ll kill you! The moment I break free, I’ll burn you to cinders first!"

Sima Jiao trapped it in the water sphere and sneered, "Seeing you suffer makes me feel better."

The flame oscillated between tearful begging and furious cursing, like a mercurial brat, while Sima Jiao maintained his usual mocking, irritable expression. Both looked ready to annihilate the other on the spot.

For some reason, Liao Tingyan felt like she was watching a father and son who couldn’t stand each other.

"You finally decided to come back," Sima Jiao suddenly turned toward the window.

Liao Tingyan, perched on the windowsill, thought, What’s with this dad-like tone???

"Come here. Water it," Sima Jiao ordered, then flicked his sleeve and walked away.Liao Tingyan drifted leisurely to a safe distance around the flame. Recognizing her aura, the little fire immediately started cursing: "It's you again! Why do you look so stupid now? I'm warning you, Sima Jiao's lackey! If you dare water me, I'll burn you to death!"

After hurling insults for a while without seeing any reaction from Liao Tingyan, it grew puzzled: "Why aren't you watering me?"

Liao Tingyan: "...Because I'm lazy and don't feel like working?"

The flame flickered. "You dare disobey Sima Jiao? Aren't you afraid he'll kill you?"

Liao Tingyan pulled out a cushion and lay down, thinking to herself that the threat of death wasn't particularly frightening. Threats involving broken limbs, flaying, or other painful punishments would be more effective on her.

Seeing she truly had no intention of watering it, the flame puffed up slightly and put its hands on its hips. "You've got good sense! Must be scared of my threats!"

Liao Tingyan: "Yes yes, I'm so scared you'll burn my fur. Can you be quiet and let me cultivate?"

Flame: "You're clearly sleeping! Do you think I can't tell? You lazy bum!"

Liao Tingyan: "I'm researching dream cultivation."

Flame: "I've never heard of such a thing. How do you cultivate in dreams?"

Liao Tingyan: "I'll tell you when I figure it out."

The flame snorted: "It's useless for me to know anyway. I don't dream... wait, that's not right. I've had one dream, but only when Sima Jiao dreams do I dream. But he hasn't slept in so long. If he doesn't dream, neither do I."

Liao Tingyan: "...Actually, dreaming really affects sleep quality."

The flame looked fierce and disdainful. "Your aura's already at the Transformation Stage, why do you still need sleep?"

Liao Tingyan: "My lifelong dream was to sleep as much as I want when not working. Now I'm fulfilling that dream. You wouldn't understand my feelings."

Liao Tingyan: "Alright, stop talking. I'm going to sleep."

The flame made noisy protests: "I won't! I won't! Why should Sima Jiao's woman get to sleep peacefully in front of me when he's bullied me like this? I want revenge!"

Liao Tingyan: ...This brat really needs discipline. Sima Jiao's corporal punishment parenting style is clearly problematic.

Thanks to the flame, Liao Tingyan learned a new skill—soundproofing.

She mastered two types: the first was earplug-style, cutting off her own hearing like wearing noise-canceling sleep earplugs, leaving the world in perfect silence. It was too quiet though, making it hard to sleep, so she adopted the second method—creating a soundproof barrier around the noise pollution source. That worked much better.

In her drowsy state, Liao Tingyan sensed someone crouching before her, accompanied by a peculiar discomfort—like someone constantly flicking her eyelashes. Annoyed, she opened her eyes to find Sima Jiao tugging at her whiskers. Otters have whiskers—a few white strands—and Sima Jiao was playing with hers.

Honestly, this ancestor and that noisy flame were cut from the same cloth when it came to being annoying, equally matched in irritation levels.

"I told you to water it. Why didn't you?" he asked.

Liao Tingyan: "...I watered it a little."

Sima Jiao: "You're lying to me."

Liao Tingyan: ...Yes, indeed.

Sima Jiao let out an ambiguous hum but surprisingly didn't press further. Instead, he scooped her up and carried her out.It was already dark outside. He strode out with lightning speed, carrying the otter in one hand while crushing all the puppet constructs along the way with the other.

Liao Tingyan: "???" What are you doing? These puppets aren’t alive—they’re basically just smart robots. Do you really get joy from destroying them?

Sima Jiao didn’t spare a single puppet, rendering every construct on White Deer Cliff inoperable. Then he caught the Black Snake, which was still chasing the white deer through the mountains, and stuffed it into the White Goose Flying Pavilion in the sky.

The suddenly airborne Black Snake: "?"

Sima Jiao: "Stay here."

What, is he putting all the employees in solitary confinement one by one? Liao Tingyan noticed that the ancestor seemed a bit restless today.

After returning to White Deer Cliff, Liao Tingyan glanced up at the sky and saw the Black Snake’s silhouette standing out conspicuously in the White Goose Flying Pavilion. Sima Jiao then took her beyond White Deer Cliff, using a spell akin to shrinking the earth to traverse distances. Liao Tingyan felt the immense pressure from the acceleration, as if her fur was about to be blown off. The scenery before her turned into a blur of surreal colors.

His speed was astonishing. Liao Tingyan had flown with her master, Dongyang Zhenren, before, but Sima Jiao was at least a thousand times faster.

For a brief moment, she saw brightly lit towers, countless disciples in similar robes gathered together, and people sparring on the cliffs. The passing scenery flickered like frames of a slideshow.

Liao Tingyan began to understand why he had dealt with those puppets earlier. He must have been preparing for something.

Sima Jiao finally stopped. Before them stood a bustling city. Liao Tingyan spotted the emblem of Gengchen Immortal Mansion on the city gate—this was still within the territory of Gengchen Immortal Mansion, but no longer in the inner regions. It was part of the outer periphery.

Gengchen Immortal Mansion was vast beyond measure. The inner regions housed the ancestral homes of the great families, lands rich in spiritual energy for cultivation, and the disciples' domains. The outer periphery consisted of settlements resembling small nations, formed by affiliated minor families—many descended from former disciples of Gengchen Immortal Mansion, with generations of descendants. There were even ordinary people who had migrated here seeking refuge.

The entire Gengchen Immortal Mansion was like a colossal tree, and these outer cities were its leaves.

Liao Tingyan had heard some things about this world from the children of Clear Valley Heaven, but their knowledge was limited, so her understanding remained patchy.

A city of this size would have a Nascent Soul cultivator overseeing it, though they rarely appeared unless the city faced grave danger. Usually, only Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators maintained order.

The outer periphery couldn’t compare to the inner regions, where Nascent Soul cultivators were as common as weeds. Here, everyone’s cultivation level was much lower, so Sima Jiao entered the city without hesitation—stepping directly over the city walls. None of the cultivators inside noticed him.

Though the cultivators here were weaker, the liveliness surpassed anywhere else Liao Tingyan had seen since arriving in this world. It was the kind of bustling, mundane human activity she was familiar with, reminding her of evenings after work when she’d eat dinner on the streets with colleagues. A wave of nostalgia washed over her.After entering the city, Sima Jiao seemed to wander aimlessly instead. As he walked down the street, people who couldn't see them would unconsciously avoid him.

Liao Tingyan used to think modern nights were livelier when watching period dramas, but now she'd gained a new perspective. The nights in this fantasy cultivation world were even more bustling than modern society because it wasn't just humans creating the excitement.

The streets weren't illuminated by ordinary lamps alone—there were all sorts of strange things Liao Tingyan had never seen before. Like the colorful lanterns hanging from a shop's banner, made from shell-like thin slices that reflected brilliant, dazzling light; or the glowing orbs resembling street lamps that Liao Tingyan noticed would open their mouths to eat insects attracted by the light—they were actually alive.

There was also a chubby child playing in front of a butcher shop, holding something that looked like an eye. The "eye" emitted light, which Liao Tingyan thought resembled a flashlight.

Sima Jiao walked up to the little boy and took the "flashlight" from his hand to examine it. After looking at it briefly, seemingly somewhat interested, he calmly walked off with it.

The boy, who had been playing happily, suddenly saw his toy inexplicably floating midair, drifting farther and farther away. His eyes widened in shock before he turned toward the shop and wailed, "Dad! My Light-Eye flew away! It's gone!"

Behind them, the little boy burst into loud sobs as his father roared from inside, "Quit your bawling! I'll buy you another one next time!"

Liao Tingyan leaned on Sima Jiao's shoulder, studying his fair face, and thought to herself, This ancestor really looks like a ridiculous villain when he bullies kids for their toys.