When Destiny Brings the Demon

The Demon Realm was different from the outside world—devoid of dense spiritual power and distinct seasons. Everywhere was dry, evoking a silent sense of irritation.

Winter City, however, stood apart. The weather here was perpetually cold and harsh, with snow-white hills and forests stretching beyond the city walls. But that white wasn’t snow—it was a special kind of white stone.

Most of the city’s buildings were constructed from this stone, giving Winter City the appearance of a snow-covered town—hence its name.

When Shi Yan stood by a window in the Forbidden Palace and gazed outside, she finally saw Winter City’s true appearance. The pristine white stretched all the way to the horizon, a sight that seemed incongruous with the name "Demon Realm." During her journey here, carried in the jaws of the enormous Black Snake, she had been too disoriented—whether from motion sickness or snake-sickness—to take in the scenery.

In terms of landscape, this place was far more beautiful than Crane Immortal City. But it was also unbearably cold. After standing by the window for a while, she nearly froze into an icicle. The cold here was so intense that even a cultivator at the Transformation Stage like her could feel it—truly remarkable. She couldn’t imagine how the lower-level cultivators here survived.

Back in Crane Immortal City, she had occasionally heard people mention Winter City and Sima Jiao, but she had dismissed it as idle gossip, never bothering to verify its accuracy. Most of those who spoke of it had never actually been to Winter City, spreading rumors that painted it as a city perpetually blanketed in snow.

So much for seeing is believing. Just like how, before meeting Sima Jiao, she never would have imagined that this man, infamous for his cruelty, was actually like a mad cat.

She could never predict when he’d be in a good mood or what would set him off. Nor did she know what words might please him or provoke him further. In short, he was utterly inscrutable.

Shi Yan: Too scared to speak.jpg

Fortunately, even when he was angry, he never took it out on her. Instead, he’d look at her with an expression that said, You’re sick right now, so I won’t bother you. Wait here while I go vent my anger, then I’ll come back to talk.

Honestly, Shi Yan found this side of him rather amusing.

Since entering the Forbidden Palace, she hadn’t been allowed to leave. Sima Jiao’s palace was enormous—vast and hollow, with only a black-clad Sima Jiao, a wandering Black Snake, and her, the newcomer. Not even a single maidservant in sight.

Was this how a Demon Lord was supposed to live? She had assumed it would be more like an emperor’s lifestyle, surrounded by attendants.

Based on her first impression of Sima Jiao, she doubted he was the meticulous type or someone who knew how to care for others. So, in this barren Forbidden Palace where nothing was provided, she expected to suffer a bit—poor meals, restless sleep. But there was nothing she could do. She might as well consider herself imprisoned.

Then reality promptly proved her wrong.

First, a group of trembling demon generals carried in an enormous bed, fully furnished with neatly arranged bedding—mattresses, silk quilts, and even pillows. Shi Yan stared in shock at the bright red "double happiness" character embroidered on the covers. The demon generals’ expressions weren’t much better.

"M-Madam, the Demon Lord ordered us to deliver this. Would this spot be acceptable?" one of them stammered.Shi Yan remembered this demon general—he was the commander who had led troops to attack Crane Immortal City. Earlier, when she saw him standing majestically atop his mount, waving his hand to summon thousands of ferocious demon cultivators, she had thought this big shot looked like the brutal type who would cackle wildly while chopping corpses to pieces. His massive blade was practically dripping with killing intent. But now? He was smiling like an old eunuch serving beside the empress dowager.

The shift in attitude was so drastic it was clear he’d been thoroughly disciplined by Sima Jiao.

And what the hell was this "Madam" business?!

Not only had someone delivered a bed, but soon after, a steady stream of people brought in a whole assortment of items—screens, seating, cabinets, daybeds—and even laid down a lavish embroidered carpet. In no time, the palace chamber she was in had been transformed into a bridal suite.

Shi Yan stared at it all, her head aching. Did this mean Sima Jiao intended to marry her here?

Good heavens, what kind of cliché substitute-bride plot had she stumbled into? Just days ago, she was a mere guard at the Rouge Terrace, and now she was about to become the terrifying Demon Lord’s wife? Her life had taken far too many dramatic twists.

And if this news really got out, she was afraid it might give her "father" from the Shi family a heart attack—she still hadn’t figured out the full story, so for now, she’d stick with the name Shi Yan.

Lost in her thoughts about this ridiculous substitute-bride scenario, Shi Yan spent a long time brainstorming ways to escape the wedding—or at least the wedding night. But when Sima Jiao returned and saw the sea of red in the chamber, his reaction was even more disdainful than hers. Frowning, he asked, "What the hell is all this mess? Who did this?"

Shi Yan thought, Your damn subordinates, obviously?

The hot-tempered Sima Jiao immediately summoned the demon generals who had been arranging the room. They lined up obediently before him, awaiting his orders.

Without a word, Sima Jiao simply pointed at the decorations, and they scrambled in terror, hastily clearing everything out before rushing back with more conventional furnishings, watching him with a mix of eagerness and trepidation.

Sima Jiao turned to Shi Yan. "What do you think?"

Shi Yan: Why are you talking to me like we’re newlyweds decorating our home together?

"...Mm, it’s fine," she said hesitantly. At least it looked more like a place where actual humans lived now.

Once the palace was properly furnished, food was delivered—again, by the demon generals. Their hands, usually wielded to swing swords and slaughter enemies, now carefully carried trays of dishes.

The sight made Shi Yan’s eyes twitch. It was surreal—like an emperor ordering his most trusted ministers and generals to perform the duties of palace maids and eunuchs. She wasn’t sure whether to call this move absurdly extravagant or just plain high-class.

Clearly, the demon generals weren’t used to this either. Awkward as bridesmaids on their first outing, they fumbled through their new roles.

"Madam, the Demon Lord instructed us to bring you food. If there’s anything else you’d like, just say the word," said the bearded demon general, struggling with his newfound butler persona.

Shi Yan wasn’t used to her "Madam" title either, but when asked about her food preferences, she had plenty to say. Whatever bizarre plot this was, a person’s gotta eat!

"I’d like some Crimson Cherry Fruit," she declared solemnly.The Scarlet Cherry Fruit is a rare spiritual fruit native to the Demon Realm, only cultivable in the southernmost cities of the region. Extremely precious, each fruit is about the size of a thumb and somewhat resembles a cherry. Moreover, this spiritual fruit is delicate—difficult to grow and even harder to transport—making it exorbitantly expensive wherever it goes.

After her single remark, within moments, several demon generals presented a large basket of Scarlet Cherry Fruits.

"This is all we have in the city for now," one of the demon generals said nervously, casting anxious glances at Sima Jiao, who sat expressionless nearby, fearing his lord might be dissatisfied with his efficiency.

Shi Yan: What do you mean, "all we have"...? At places like the Rouge Terrace in Crane Immortal City, where spending is high, it takes a fortune just to buy a small plate of these fruits—a plate that holds only nine tiny pieces. And now you're hauling them in baskets?!

After working at the Rouge Terrace for years, she couldn’t even afford a single plate of Scarlet Cherry Fruits. Yet now, after being abducted, she could eat them to her heart's content. The irony wasn’t lost on her, and she was beginning to waver.

"Capture Chilai, Huiche, and Jiufeng—those three cities," Sima Jiao suddenly commanded.

Chilai, Huiche, and Jiufeng were major southern cities in the Demon Realm, all known for cultivating Scarlet Cherry Fruits.

At his words, the demon generals instantly perked up. The people of the Demon Realm were warlike and bloodthirsty—this was no joke. To them, seizing territory and resources to indulge in life’s pleasures was paramount. Moreover, most of these generals serving under Sima Jiao harbored grand ambitions of achieving merit, unifying the Demon Realm, and realizing their aspirations under his leadership.

If you asked them, those southern cities should have been conquered long ago. But their Demon Lord had been erratic in his campaigns, leaving his subordinates frustrated yet too afraid to question him. Now, they finally had a clear directive.

With just one sentence from Sima Jiao, it was as if an emperor had given a pre-battle rallying cry. The demon generals buzzed with excitement, rubbing their hands eagerly before hurrying off.

Shi Yan: "..." This isn’t because of me, is it?

This was even more excessive than Emperor Xuanzong’s lychees for Consort Yang.

Sima Jiao glanced at her. "What else do you want?"

Shi Yan: Do I even dare say? If I mentioned craving braised duck from the outside world, you’d probably conquer the Demon Realm and then invade the immortal cultivation lands just to get it.

Shi Yan: "Nothing else, really."

Sima Jiao suddenly smirked and scratched her cheek lightly. "Still the same—always lying to me."

Shi Yan: No, no, no! That wasn’t me! I’d never dare deceive you, great lord! I don’t have the guts for that!

The spot where he’d touched her cheek tingled, and she absentmindedly scratched it herself.

...Wait a minute?

She ran her fingers over her face, then pulled out a mirror to check. Her eyes widened in shock—where had that coin-sized scar gone?

"My scar?" Blinking in disbelief, she instinctively turned to Sima Jiao in confusion.

That scar had been her mark ever since she arrived in this world. According to her adoptive father and brother from the Shi family, it was burned into her by Sima Jiao. His spirit fire was unique, and wounds inflicted by it couldn’t be healed by ordinary means, leaving the scar permanently. Otherwise, such a blemish would have been easily treated by any cultivator.

Shi Yan had grown accustomed to the scar’s presence. Occasionally, when she covered it in the mirror, she’d marvel at this body’s beauty. The scar itself didn’t bother her, but sometimes, looking at it filled her with an inexplicable urgency—like a dream where she was rushing to an exam but kept getting delayed, leaving her with a sinking dread of inevitable failure.As it turned out, she had no idea how, but that tiny scar suddenly disappeared. Did Sima Jiao heal it for her while she was asleep?

Sima Jiao looked at her, his eyes suddenly darkening with gloom, as if recalling something unbearable. He reached out and pulled Liao Tingyan closer, brushing his thumb lightly over the spot on her face where the small scar had been.

Shi Yan shivered at the touch of his cool fingers, her scalp tingling.

She leaned back, but Sima Jiao cupped the back of her head and pulled her forward again, his gaze fixed on her face. The scar was gone, leaving only a faint redness that would soon fade completely—just like her, always able to recover as if nothing had happened.

Sima Jiao didn’t want to remember that day ten years ago.

Born alone, he had long grown accustomed to never considering others. For Liao Tingyan, he had already exhausted all his care and attention.

But he had been too confident, believing Shi Qianlv could never track him down. He had hidden Liao Tingyan well, and with the commotion he stirred in the inner court, he thought all eyes would be drawn there. No one would notice her in Wind Flower City—she would be perfectly safe.

Arrogant as he was, peerless in cultivation as he was, why would he ever consider the possibility of "what if"?

When he crafted that Defensive Magic Treasure for Liao Tingyan, he told her it could withstand attacks for half a day without breaking, enough to protect her life. But he never considered that his own power could shatter it instantly—because he never imagined he would be the one to harm her.

Yet in the end, it was his power, along with Sima Shi’s, that brought disaster upon her.

Later, during his search for Liao Tingyan, he consoled himself with the thought of the Soul Transfer Rebirth Method. Even if she died, he could bring her back. Nothing would change.

Sima Jiao had never held much regard for life to begin with, and with a method of resurrection at his disposal, death held no fear for him.

But over the years, as his search for Liao Tingyan proved futile, he slowly came to understand that the true horror of death wasn’t death itself—it was the separation it brought.

A decade ago, standing on that scorched earth, his heart had been filled with rage and violent emotions, leaving no room for anything else. Only in the years that followed did a feeling he might call "fear" begin to seep in—the fear of loss, something he had never experienced before.

But prideful as he was, he would never admit to being afraid of anything. At most, he became even more unpredictable in his moods.

Shi Yan: The air feels strangely heavy right now! Damn, judging by his expression, he’s lost in some terrible memory. Now that we’re staring at each other like this, the usual script would lead to a kiss next—ugh, but I don’t dare!

Sima Jiao pressed his fingers harder against her face and said, "Don’t make me laugh."

Shi Yan: "Huh?" I’m innocent! What did I even do to make you laugh?

Sima Jiao stroked the spot on her face once more, then suddenly stood and walked out without another word.

Shi Yan sighed: You never know why a cat suddenly rubs against your hand, nor why it might just as suddenly turn and leave.

But with a table full of delicious food in front of her—absolutely amazing—there was no point wasting any more time.She finally got to eat the red cherry fruit she had been craving and sampled the other dishes, only to realize that the tastes of Winter City's residents were truly bold and unrestrained. The Demon Realm's traditional method of haphazard stir-frying and stewing remained unchanged—aside from the ingredients, the cooking techniques were identical, with no innovation whatsoever. In this Demon Realm, only the imported braised duck from the World of Cultivation had any real flavor to it.

Following her usual habit, after eating, she needed to find a place to rest. In the past, it had been atop the tree canopy in the back garden of the Rouge Terrace or under the shade of a tree on the Shi family's rooftop. But here… where could she sleep?

Shi Yan hesitated before entering the hall from earlier and found no one inside. There were two places to sleep—a large bed and a long couch.

Without hesitation, she chose the couch because the bed was too neat, while the couch looked much softer. Its smooth curve was perfect for her head, and the throw pillows matched her aesthetic perfectly. The slightly messy arrangement made her feel even sleepier.

She lay down and felt utterly comfortable, letting out a long sigh. It was just right—like sinking into a groove that fit her perfectly.

Behind the screen, by the window, Sima Jiao sat without surprise as he watched Shi Yan choose the couch. He had deliberately mussed it up earlier, tossing a few pillows onto it. Liao Tingyan had always loved lounging in places like that—one look and she’d want to lie down.

Shi Yan quickly fell asleep. Once she was deep in slumber, Sima Jiao approached her side and sat on the couch. He lifted her ankle and fastened a bracelet around it.

This new Defensive Magic Treasure had been long in the making—now, he could finally give it to her.