When Destiny Brings the Demon

If Liao Tingyan were a career-driven female protagonist, she might leverage Sima Jiao's help to enhance her cultivation, diligently train every day, actively seek out rare treasures and secret realms to temper herself, and incidentally learn alchemy, artifact forging, or formations to spark a major revolution in the cultivation world. Together with Sima Jiao, she would settle grudges, seek vengeance, face-slapping her way to the top, and ultimately redeem Sima Jiao. The two would then rebuild the post-crisis Gengchen Immortal Mansion and ascend to the pinnacle of life.

If Liao Tingyan were a delicate, romance-focused female lead, she and Sima Jiao might engage in a classic chase-and-capture dynamic—fearing him yet irresistibly drawn to him, trying to escape only to be dragged back, meeting others and sparking misunderstandings, identity reveals leading to more misunderstandings, and meddlers driving yet more misunderstandings. They’d spend fifty episodes torturing each other with "Do you trust me or not?" melodrama.

But the real Liao Tingyan is just a work-weary drone with no interest in career or romance. The charm of life might lie in climbing to the top through hard work, or in passionate emotional clashes—but it can also lie in living ordinary, contented days.

Rising to greatness? Sure, but unnecessary. If it made life more convenient, she’d be willing to learn a few useful little Spells—cleaning and dust-proofing, maybe a couple of self-defense tricks—but no more than three a day. Asking her to train in seclusion every day or explore the Great Dao? Hard pass.

Emotional drama? Yeah, not her thing either. In modern society, her peers and friends all settled for "good enough" relationships, divorcing if things didn’t work out—after all, love took up at most one-fifth of life. So Liao Tingyan had little reaction to the whole "Sima Jiao situation." Just thinking about it exhausted her, so she left it on the back burner.

Luckily, Sima Jiao wasn’t a romance-obsessed type either. He wouldn’t corner her demanding, "Do you even like me?" He was too busy with his own affairs, only collapsing beside her after work.

Yes, without realizing it, he’d even picked up her lifeless, sprawled-out posture. Liao Tingyan suspected he’d spent too much time in her Soul Abode and caught her laziness.

The patient’s current mood was stable, with depression and reclusiveness gradually fading—even his dark circles had improved.

When Sima Jiao was off handling his business, Liao Tingyan spent her time attending classes for basic knowledge, learning a couple of minor Spells, and going out to forage for food. Just like her weekends in her original world, she’d restock on daily necessities and treat herself to something tasty.

She wandered the nearby markets alone, hoarding things she liked in her storage space in case she ever had to flee to some remote corner of the world with no food or water. Given Sima Jiao’s unpredictability, this was a very real possibility. If he woke her up at midnight saying he wanted to dig for coal in the desert, she wouldn’t even blink.

Aside from daily necessities and personal favorites, she also stockpiled snacks. The joy of shopping without worrying about money was something she’d never imagined before—but now she reveled in it, leaving every shopping trip utterly satisfied.

Occasionally, Liao Tingyan would bring Yong Lingchun’s maids along. That way, when she tried on clothes, she’d have someone to shower her with compliments. The sweet fragrance of flattery filled the air, skyrocketing her urge to splurge—and her happiness along with it.If she brought the full set of guards, she could also enjoy the thrill of showing off. However, Liao Tingyan mostly preferred to go out alone. On such occasions, she would find a place to eat, treating it as a special meal every few days.

Dressing up beautifully and trying new delicious foods was one of her ways to pamper herself.

Sometimes, if she found a dish she particularly liked, she would return several times. If she craved it while at Chen Academy, she would have attendants specially pack it and deliver it to her.

Although her classmates at Chen Academy still looked at her strangely and deliberately or inadvertently isolated her, Liao Tingyan’s life was actually quite comfortable. It felt like she had returned to her university days—probably the most carefree and happiest time of her first twenty-some years.

She was increasingly convinced that Sima Jiao was staying at Chen Academy under someone else’s identity largely because of her.

In the past, Liao Tingyan wouldn’t have been so narcissistic, but now she was slowly realizing this was the most plausible explanation. Sima Jiao seemed fearless, doing everything on a whim, acting impulsively without regard for others. Yet in reality, he thought everything through clearly and always made the best arrangements.

The academy was, after all, less utilitarian and chaotic than other places in Gengchen Immortal Mansion. Life here could be described as leisurely—a leisure that held no meaning for Sima Jiao but mattered greatly to Liao Tingyan.

Lately, she often felt Sima Jiao’s "indulgence" toward her—not just emotionally, but also in his actions.

Back at Three Sage Mountain, when they weren’t as close, he would still make sure to carry her with him before fighting others, ensuring she wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire. This habit of shielding his own had only intensified. Now, she was kept far from his battles, living peacefully against a backdrop that should have been stormy and bloody.

Sima Jiao was the kind of man one shouldn’t dwell on too much—the more you thought about him, the deeper you’d sink.

During the summer solstice, the heat was relentless. Though as a cultivator she wasn’t overly bothered by the temperature, her daily afternoon nap was indispensable. A summer without naps was like a person without a soul.

Thanks to Liao Tingyan’s sleeping habits, Sima Jiao had also grown accustomed to taking daily rests. However, he preferred to lounge in a pool. Given the summer heat, Liao Tingyan reluctantly joined him in the water.

If left to Sima Jiao’s unrefined tastes, he would have simply dug a rectangular pit, filled it with water, and called it a day. But Liao Tingyan refused to settle for that.

She found a secluded rocky stream to solve the location issue. The stones on the bank, smoothed by the current, felt warm and polished like jade. The clear, cool water shimmered with pebbles and fine sand. Thick green canopies stretched over the stream, dappling the surface with scattered beams of light. The lush greenery and the summer’s signature blue skies and white clouds made drowsiness inevitable.

Soon, Liao Tingyan went from reluctantly accompanying her ancestor to nap in the water to actively seeking out the spot every afternoon. She even fashioned a floating bamboo tray, stocking it with fruit juices, spiritual elixirs, sliced watermelon, and ice she conjured to keep everything chilled. Waking up to icy drinks and fresh melon was practically heavenly.

After her nap, Liao Tingyan still felt too lazy to move. She half-closed her eyes, staring blankly at the branches overhead. A green leaf drifted down and landed on Sima Jiao’s hair.Liao Tingyan reached out to pick it up, examined the leaf's veins for a while, then set it aside to let it drift downstream with the current. Beyond their calm stretch of the stream, the waters grew much swifter. The shrunken Black Snake, coiled at the bottom sleeping, swam up and nudged the green leaf with its head, pushing it back toward Liao Tingyan's hand.

This Little Black Snake was becoming more dog-like by the day, exuding a particularly Husky-like temperament. It especially loved retrieving things they threw away, to the point where Liao Tingyan couldn't even discard trash in its presence.

Some red petals floated down from upstream, coming to rest near Sima Jiao, adorning his black sleeves like delicate ornaments—quite a lovely sight.

Liao Tingyan stared for a long time until Sima Jiao opened his eyes and glanced at her.

He would pull her close, wrap an arm around her waist, and close his eyes again.

Liao Tingyan: "...That's really not what I meant."

Sima Jiao: "I heard you."

Liao Tingyan: "...What exactly did you hear? I don't even know myself, yet you already do."

...

Sima Jiao didn't return for three days. It was an unusually restless night. Liao Tingyan, clad in a nightgown, leaned against the windowsill watching a livestream—a beautiful girl dancing on screen, her smile radiant as she twirled, her skirt blooming like a flower.

Outside the courtyard, laughter and chatter drifted from neighboring residences, likely from some gathering, the noise a bit too loud.

After watching the dance for a while, Liao Tingyan shifted her gaze to the night sky beyond the courtyard. As the night deepened, the clamor from next door quieted—perhaps the party had ended. The girls in the livestream had long stopped dancing, now laughing and drinking with their guests, flirtatious couples bantering back and forth.

She switched channels, but none of the scenes appealed to her. The cooking show's kitchen was empty and dark; the bustling streets were now deserted. The bird's perspective hadn't moved in a while—it sat quietly in its nest, no mate or offspring in sight, likely a lone bachelor.

Liao Tingyan stretched one arm out the window, resting her head on it while her fingers absently twirled in the air.

Suddenly, an icy finger tapped the back of her hand, like a snowflake landing without warning.

She looked up to see Sima Jiao had returned. He grasped her outstretched hand and asked, "Why aren't you sleeping?"

It should have been a question, but his tone lacked any inflection. His expression held a smugness, as if he'd seen through everything—like an obnoxious grade-schooler.

Wait, what exactly are you so proud of? Liao Tingyan met his gaze through the window for a moment before declaring, "I wasn't waiting for you."

Sima Jiao leaned in through the window and kissed her.

In the dim light, Liao Tingyan noticed his lips had lost their usual vivid red, now pale in color. Yet his demeanor remained unchanged, as if nothing were amiss.

Then, for the next half-month, he didn't leave the house at all, seemingly transformed into an unemployed loafer. Day after day, he idled about, holding Liao Tingyan and stroking her stomach, making her wonder daily if she was about to lose her virtue.

"Aren't you going out anymore? Finished with your work?" Liao Tingyan couldn't help asking.

Sima Jiao: "No. Letting them live a little longer."

For some reason, Liao Tingyan felt a twinge of guilt, as if she were the reason "the emperor no longer held morning court." But she couldn't exactly urge him to go out—doing so would mean people would die. So she stayed silent.

As for why he was letting them live a little longer, Liao Tingyan didn't ask, and Sima Jiao didn't explain. He only asked her if she liked lively places.Liao Tingyan: "I quite like it." She thought to herself, perhaps the ancestor had finally had an epiphany and was planning to take her somewhere lively for a date or something.

The mere thought made her heart flutter with anticipation.

But then Sima Jiao said, "In a while, the Gengchen Immortal Mansion will be extremely lively. I’ll take you to witness the most bustling moment in its tens of thousands of years of history." He said this with a smile—a terrifying one. Clearly, it had something to do with the grand scheme he’d been working on lately.

Liao Tingyan: "..." The little deer in her heart promptly faceplanted to its death.

Sima Jiao suddenly burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking so hard that the Little Black Snake beside him reared its head in alarm, looking around nervously.

Liao Tingyan realized—this ancestor was once again using his outrageous mind-reading. He must have heard about the little deer’s tragic demise, otherwise he wouldn’t be laughing like a maniac.

"You promised you’d only clearly hear my thoughts when I’m particularly excited!" Liao Tingyan protested loudly.

Sima Jiao: "You weren’t excited just now? Your heartbeat was racing."

Liao Tingyan didn’t want to look at him anymore and took out her mirror to watch a live stream. But the moment she opened it, she was greeted with the sight of two reckless individuals in the Three Sage Mountain’s palace engaging in some very lively activities—right in her face.

The mirror she flung away was dutifully retrieved by the little snake, wagging its tail. Sima Jiao glanced at Liao Tingyan, who now lay with her hands folded over her stomach like a peacefully euthanized corpse, and picked up the mirror. "Not watching anymore?"

Liao Tingyan: "Hello, the person you are trying to reach is currently asleep. Please leave a message after the beep."

"Beep—"

Sima Jiao: "HAHAHAHAHA!"

This man’s sense of humor was truly bottom-tier.

Liao Tingyan maintained her aloof beauty act for two whole days, but the clueless straight man Sima Jiao seemed completely oblivious to her strategically concealed, salt-tinged anger.

That was until one day, he suddenly hit her with the Truth Buff and asked, "What’s your favorite thing to do?"

Liao Tingyan was caught off guard. Before she could even process the question, her brain had already reflexively supplied a firm and resounding answer.

—"Loafing."

As an office drone, everyone understood—what working stiff didn’t love loafing on the job? If you didn’t loaf at work, you’d be missing out on the greatest joy of employment.

But Sima Jiao didn’t get it. After receiving this answer, he promptly took her to a heavily guarded, spiritually rich, and uniquely scenic white lake.

Pointing at the ice-blue little fish swimming in the crystal-clear water, Sima Jiao said, "Go on."

Liao Tingyan: "…Go to hell, do you think I’m a Pokémon or something?!"