When Destiny Brings the Demon

Shi Yan lay on the couch by the window, gazing at the snow-white buildings outside. The overwhelming whiteness—if only a touch of blue could be painted, it might resemble Mediterranean style, perhaps even pass for that famous blue-and-white town. As an unemployed drifter who had lost her job, she could then indulge in a stronger sense of vacation.

Her thoughts wandered aimlessly through trivial nonsense, savoring the luxury of doing nothing but lying around and wasting time.

A speck of black suddenly appeared in the distant sky, growing larger as it flew closer until it finally landed on the carved wooden railing outside the window.

It was a small black bird, no bigger than a palm, with beady eyes fixed on Shi Yan as if scrutinizing her. She stared back at the bird for a while, almost convinced she detected a glimmer of intelligence in its gaze.

She reached for a plate of sunflower seeds from the small table nearby. These weren’t actually called "sunflower seeds" in the Demon Realm, but Shi Yan thought they looked and tasted similar. After the "Demon Lord’s wife" started calling them that, the name caught on in Winter City, and they were officially renamed "sunflower seeds."

Shi Yan cracked two seeds and fed them to the bird. Its beak tapped against the carved railing, making a soft tock-tock sound. After eating the seeds, it allowed her to stroke its head without moving away.

She cracked a small handful of seeds and fed the bird for a while. It might have been her imagination, but the bird seemed plumper after eating them. Suddenly, a pale hand reached from behind her and snatched the round little bird away.

Turning her head, Shi Yan saw Sima Jiao pinching the bird’s beak. Then, in his palm, the black bird dissolved into a wisp of dark smoke, transforming into a sheet of black paper. On it lay a pile of sunflower seed kernels, untouched—exactly as the bird had swallowed them.

Shi Yan vaguely glimpsed two lines of writing beneath the pile of seeds.

Shi Yan: "…" So it was a messenger bird?

Sima Jiao swept the kernels into his palm and held them out to her while reading the paper with his other hand. "A demon-sound bird," he explained. "Used to deliver messages—or small, lightweight items."

It had obeyed her because it sensed his aura on her, and it cracked the seeds thinking they were part of the "message" it was meant to carry.

Shi Yan silently ate the returned kernels, marveling inwardly at the bird’s sophistication. Despite her cultivation level, she hadn’t realized it wasn’t a real bird.

After reading the letter, Sima Jiao folded the black paper twice and, with some unseen method, transformed it back into the black bird, placing it in Shi Yan’s hand.

"You like it? Take it to play with."

She stroked the bird’s smooth feathers and squeezed its round little belly, enjoying the delightful texture—though it was a shame it wasn’t real.

"This afternoon, I’ll take you to see someone," Sima Jiao said after watching her play with the bird for a while.

"Mm," Shi Yan replied obediently, her tone no different from when she spoke to Shi Qianlv.

Sima Jiao stood and left, but Shi Yan knew he hadn’t gone far. He seemed to linger somewhere nearby, watching her. It reminded her of a cat—his habit of covert observation was just like one. Yet Sima Jiao concealed his presence so well that she wasn’t sure how she could always sense him nearby.

Pretending not to notice, she held the docile little black bird until, after some time, it dissolved into wisps of smoke on its own.Then, not long after, a flock of black birds flew past the window. These birds stood out starkly against the white world outside, and they seemed to have a purpose as they circled the floor once before landing on the wide-open window where Shi Yan sat, nearly covering the carved wooden railing outside.

They looked similar to pigeons, cooing the same way, except for their color. This time, Shi Yan observed them carefully and confirmed they were real birds. Honestly, she had been lying here for days and hadn’t seen a single bird dare to approach this Forbidden Palace where Sima Jiao resided. Their sudden appearance probably wasn’t a coincidence.

She guessed that the big shot, seeing her desire to feed birds, had driven a flock over for her amusement. In this regard, this Demon Realm big shot had a thoughtfulness completely at odds with his reputation and status. The mighty Demon Lord, being this considerate?

Shi Yan wasn’t wrong. Down below the Forbidden Palace, a demon general capable of commanding demonic beasts and ferocious creatures was summoning harmless, cute birds with an expressionless face. She—who had always summoned vicious, man-eating beasts, the more brutal the better—was doing this for the first time in her life. It felt utterly unnatural.

But there was no choice. The Demon Lord had given the order, so she had to damn well do it.

Shi Yan spent the morning feeding the birds. By the afternoon, she saw a group of people bringing something into the Forbidden Palace. Soon after, Sima Jiao came to take her to see someone.

That someone turned out to be a familiar face—her aunt, Shi Qian Du, whom she had met once before.

This aunt was restrained, unable to move, bearing injuries, and glaring fiercely at them.

Real imprisonment: confined in a small space with no freedom, no food or water, beaten badly—like Shi Qian Du. Fake imprisonment: free to go wherever, eat whatever, with people going out of their way to amuse her—like Shi Yan.

Shi Qian Du couldn’t speak, but her eyes said it all. Shi Yan could clearly read the word "traitor" written large in them. Glancing hesitantly at Sima Jiao beside her, Shi Yan didn’t speak, but Sima Jiao seemed provoked. His anger was directed at Shi Qian Du.

Sima Jiao clawed harshly at Shi Qian Du’s forehead, pulling out a faint, struggling glow. Shi Yan was startled, suspecting it was a human soul. She had been in this world for years but had never seen a soul physically extracted from a living person. It was a shock, long overdue.

Sima Jiao grabbed her hand and pressed it into that distorted glow.

The words "soul search" flashed through Shi Yan’s mind as her perspective instantly shifted. Scenes flickered past like a revolving lantern before rapidly vanishing, as if someone were flipping through them, until they settled on one particular moment. Shi Yan realized she was in this scene.

It seemed to be in some palace, surrounded by vast flower gardens outside and opulent decor inside. A group of people surrounded her as if to capture her—and in the end, they did, with Shi Qian Du making the final move.

They said a mere woman like her was useless, but since Sima Jiao had protected her all the way back, she could surely be used to threaten him. They took her away effortlessly to a place called Tai Xuan Peak. Many people milled around her, and she even saw her brother, Shi Zhen Xu, who often gave her pocket money. He had been ordered to guard her.

They all called her Liao Tingyan—not Shi Yan.The scene shifted, and Shi Yan saw Shi Qian Du arrive at a strange place, where her father Shi Qian Lv was engaged in a fierce battle with Sima Jiao. However, it was clear he was no match, being forced to retreat repeatedly amidst overwhelming flames and erupting lava.

Sima Jiao mocked him without restraint, only to have his expression darken at Shi Qian Du’s words.

"That woman by your side is also on Tai Xuan Peak. If we die, she’ll die with us!"

Shi Qian Du’s laughter was almost blinding amidst the apocalyptic explosions and the scorched earth awash with lava.

Shi Yan felt her vision black out. When she regained consciousness, she found herself cradled in Sima Jiao’s arms, her head resting against his chest.

"Her cultivation is higher than yours. Even with me guiding the Divine Soul search, you could only endure brief glimpses." Sima Jiao’s cold fingers pressed against her temples, steadying her head. Whatever he did, Shi Yan felt immediate relief as her headache gradually faded.

She pulled away from Sima Jiao’s embrace and saw Shi Qian Du, his eyes glazed and drool dripping from his mouth, seemingly devoid of all reason.

The Divine Soul search was a ruthless technique. Unless the caster’s cultivation far surpassed the target’s, it would fail, and the slightest misstep could result in backlash. For the victim, the consequences ranged from madness to complete soul dispersion. Yet, Shi Yan had never heard of someone being able to guide another through a Divine Soul search—such an advanced maneuver was practically unheard of!

"Now do you believe me?" Sima Jiao asked.

Shi Yan nodded. "I believe I’m Liao Tingyan."

She sighed inwardly in relief. Thank goodness that irritable "father" she’d lived with for years, Shi Qian Lv, wasn’t her real father. Thinking about it, the original Liao Tingyan wasn’t so pitiful after all—at least her real father wasn’t someone who wanted to use her as cannon fodder and constantly fed her hatred.

Sima Jiao studied her for a long moment, making Shi Yan feel uneasy. As they left the area and walked down the Forbidden Palace’s corridors, he occasionally glanced at her with a thoughtful expression. "You still don’t seem convinced that you’re Liao Tingyan."

Liao Tingyan straightened up. "No, I truly believe I’m Liao Tingyan now." See? She’d even changed how she referred to herself.

Sima Jiao suddenly laughed. "Of course you’re Liao Tingyan. But now I’m starting to wonder—is Liao Tingyan really you?"

Liao Tingyan felt like she shouldn’t understand what he meant.

Sima Jiao continued, "From the moment I met you, you’ve been like this. No matter what name you go by, I’d never mistake you." He sighed abruptly. "I wouldn’t make such a mistake because I’m clever. But if you got it wrong, I wouldn’t be surprised."

Liao Tingyan: "…" What the hell? Say one more word and I’ll quit being this Liao Tingyan.

Sima Jiao asked, "Do you know why I wouldn’t mistake you?"

Liao Tingyan forced a smile. "Why?"

Ignoring the curses she was mentally hurling at him, Sima Jiao tapped her forehead with a finger, his expression utterly confident and arrogant. "Because we’re cultivation partners. This mark lies within your Divine Soul. Who do you take me for? Do you think I’d mistake something as simple as a Divine Soul? Even if you were in another body, I’d recognize you."

Liao Tingyan froze, panic rising in her chest. Wait, what? Soul? The body wasn’t hers, but the soul was definitely her. What exactly was this big shot implying?Sima Jiao listened to her inner screams of "Stay calm, don't panic," his smile growing increasingly meaningful. "Do you know why you harbor no malice toward me? You should be able to sense it—you instinctively rely on me, feel close to me. Even before you knew the truth, your subconscious trusted me more. Because your Soul Abode still blooms with flowers that belong to me."

Sima Jiao thought her current expression bore a striking resemblance to when she used to turn into an otter and freeze up after someone suddenly grabbed the back of her neck.

Liao Tingyan was familiar with basic concepts like the Soul Abode and Divine Soul. But precisely because she understood them, she began to feel uneasy. Had she been too quick to assume this was some cliché amnesia-and-replacement trope? In this high-magic fantasy world, the soul was more significant than the body. This big shot had nearly yanked someone's soul out of their body barehanded moments ago. After witnessing that, she had no doubt he could do the same to her.

Would someone of his caliber really fail to notice his girlfriend had been body-snatched?

No, she couldn't dwell on this any longer—if she did, she might just find herself single again.

Sima Jiao smiled as he wiped the sweat from her forehead, casually resting his fingers on the nape of her neck. "Feeling weak?" he asked.

Liao Tingyan couldn't even muster a fake smile. She did feel weak—as weak as the confidence with which she'd boldly declared in her mind these past days, "What does Liao Tingyan have to do with me, Zou Yan?"

Suddenly, it dawned on her that the good food, drink, and rest she'd enjoyed these days might have been Sima Jiao's way of letting her recuperate after her ordeal in enemy territory. Now that she was well-rested, he was ready to settle accounts in one go.

Sima Jiao: "Now that you've rested, there's something we really should address."

Liao Tingyan's heart skipped a beat. Just as she thought!

Sima Jiao leaned in, gripping her shoulders, and whispered hoarsely in her ear, "Restoring your cultivation."

Liao Tingyan: "..." With that tone, my mind went to some... less than wholesome places. Like Dual Cultivation, for instance. After all, according to the universal laws of fantasy, healing injuries usually involves Dual Cultivation—it's practically a staple of romantic fantasy plots!

But she wasn't ready yet! She hadn't even figured out the ultimate philosophical question: "Who am I?" As her mind raced through a storm of images—naked bodies amidst flowers, palms pressed together in healing—she snapped back to reality to find Sima Jiao clutching a nearby pillar, laughing uncontrollably.

Liao Tingyan: "..." This is the first time I've realized my type might actually be... this kind of person.

She silently indulged in a stream of R-rated mental imagery as her imaginary leading man beside her burst into giggles every few steps, as if afflicted with epilepsy.

In the end... the healing didn't involve Dual Cultivation at all. It was just pills.

Sima Jiao sat across from her, arranging the medicine bottles into three rows from tallest to shortest. "Take them," he said.

Each bottle contained a single pill. When poured out, they looked like perfumed pearls—so large she feared they might choke her to death.

Staring at the mountain of bottles, Liao Tingyan thought, Swallowing all these pills is worse than Dual Cultivation.

Sima Jiao pushed one bottle toward her, letting it roll to her feet. "They're sweet," he said.

Though she wasn't particularly picky about food and would eat almost anything, she absolutely refused anything bitter. A lazy creature who feared bitterness, pain, and exhaustion alike.

Liao Tingyan: "..." Pfft, trying to trick a child? Pills are always bitter. I've taken my fair share over the years.Sima Jiao knocked over another bottle and leisurely straightened his sleeves. "The highest-grade pills are all sweet."

Really? Liao Tingyan was half-convinced and tried one.

It was actually sweet!

She didn't know that the top alchemists of the Demon Realm had nearly worried themselves bald trying to make these pills sweet within such a short time, all to satisfy the Demon Lord's unreasonable demands.