When Destiny Brings the Demon

"Gentlemen, what do you think? This is a heaven-sent opportunity!" The Wind Emperor, master of White Emperor Mountain, spoke with fervor. "If it's truly as my disciple Xia Yan reported—that Cizang Daojun has come alone to the World of Cultivation—then isn't this the perfect chance for us to join forces and eliminate him?"

Growing more impassioned, the Wind Emperor rose from his gold-inlaid, jade-embedded seat, adopting the posture of a grand orator.

Yet none of the assembled Immortal Sect leaders responded, creating an awkward silence.

Displeased, the Wind Emperor turned to Red Water Abyss, an equal in status to White Emperor Mountain. "What does Yu Yuanzhu think?"

Clad in fiery red robes, Yu Yuanzhu blew on his fingernails as if they'd sprouted some rare flower, not even bothering to look up as he gave a vague, perfunctory reply: "Hmm, yes. This matter seems rather complicated. Let's discuss it later."

Irritated by this flippant response, the Wind Emperor turned to Worship Heaven Palace. "Palace Master, your thoughts?"

The Palace Master appeared dazed. Only after being called twice did he slowly stir, uttering a confused "Huh?" before asking, "What's this about? Is the meeting over?"

The Wind Emperor nearly choked on his anger, but since Worship Heaven Palace and Red Water Abyss held comparable power to White Emperor Mountain, he couldn't afford to alienate them. Swallowing his temper, he addressed the remaining two of the five major leaders: "Old Rui and Shang City Lord, surely you two have some backbone?"

The elder from Ruihè Village had somehow produced a Star Chessboard and become engrossed in the game, completely ignoring him. Only Shang Qinyin, City Lord of Pipa City, spared him a glance as she twirled a hairpin, curling her lip in disdain. "Do you take us for fools? You summon us here, spout a few words, then expect us to risk our lives to make you the supreme leader? What a delightful fantasy."

The Wind Emperor's face flushed crimson then paled at her barbed words. Scanning the room, he found the leaders of smaller sects avoiding his gaze—some studying their sleeves with sudden fascination, others finding the ceiling tiles remarkably interesting—all adopting an attitude of stubborn indifference.

The Wind Emperor inwardly scorned their cowardice, thinking how the Gengchen Immortal Mansion had cowed them for years, leaving them utterly spineless.

With a loud snort, he declared, "Clearly you still doubt me. My disciple Xia Yan was formerly of Gengchen Immortal Mansion—he can confirm it's Cizang Daojun. I've also sent men to Guyu Dock to verify—he's brought no demon generals with him."

"Everyone knows what happened at Gengchen Immortal Mansion. After suffering such devastating injuries, it would take him decades to recover. He's only rested in the Demon Realm for a few years—this bravado is surely a facade. Otherwise, his return to our world wouldn't be so quiet, and we wouldn't need to fear him so."

"Back then, he inexplicably turned demonic and slaughtered countless Gengchen families—such profound blood debt! As righteous cultivators, shouldn't we demand justice for our fallen comrades? Moreover, he now rules half the Demon Realm. Who's to say he won't lead demon cultivators against us someday? Perhaps this very trip is reconnaissance for a future invasion! Therefore, we must eliminate this source of calamity at once!"

The Wind Emperor's righteous tirade stunned the assembly. He noticed their expressions shifting from shock to outright terror—all staring at something behind him.

In the deathly quiet hall, slow, deliberate applause began to echo.The Wind Emperor had just spoken and taken a few steps forward when he saw a young man in black robes sitting in his previous spot.

The man had fair skin and long, flowing black hair. He lowered his hands, which had been clapping, and said, "Well said."

Almost none of those present had ever seen the true face of Cizang Daojun. His appearance in the cultivation world had been fleeting yet so striking that everyone couldn’t help but both fear and yearn for him. Now, seeing this man who had appeared without a sound, a single name surfaced in everyone’s mind at the same time.

It was him.

If it wasn’t Sima Jiao, Cizang Daojun, who else could appear suddenly without drawing any attention amidst a gathering of so many powerful cultivators and calmly take the seat of honor?

"The first Immortal Mansion has loomed over you for too long. Now that this mountain is gone, you’ve scavenged some scraps and can’t wait to replace what was once the greatest." Though Sima Jiao’s voice held no particular emotion, it somehow dripped with mockery and disdain.

The Wind Emperor had spoken eloquently and righteously just moments ago, but now, faced with Sima Jiao, he didn’t dare utter another word. He took several steps back, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Sima Jiao stared at him. "How do you plan to deal with me? By uniting these people to besiege Guyu Dock?"

The Wind Emperor felt a sharp pain in his head, as if a hand were ruthlessly rummaging through his Soul Abode and mind. He didn’t want to speak, yet he couldn’t resist answering truthfully. "First, capture that Liao Tingyan—"

Squelch—

The faces of everyone present turned pale.

The Wind Emperor had been the strongest cultivator in the room—had it not been so, the others wouldn’t have attended this private gathering out of respect for him.

Yet, despite his cultivation, the Wind Emperor hadn’t even managed to resist before Cizang Daojun crushed his skull right before their eyes. His soul let out a piercing shriek as it was incinerated by the flames rising from Sima Jiao’s hand, utterly annihilated—Divine Soul and all.

Just what level of cultivation does he possess?!

Yu Yuanzhu and the others paled further, their eyes filled with wariness and terror as they stared at Cizang Daojun, who had struck without warning.

Would he slaughter them all in a fit of rage? This was the man who had wiped out Gengchen Immortal Mansion on a whim—what hope did they have? Many couldn’t help but resent the Wind Emperor. Ever since his White Emperor Mountain had absorbed much of Gengchen Immortal Mansion’s territory and influence, he had grown increasingly arrogant. Now, not only had he gotten himself killed, but he might drag them down with him.

Sima Jiao returned to his seat at the head of the gathering. No one dared move, let alone whisper among themselves. They all remained seated, many too afraid to even look at him.

"I want a piece of land," Sima Jiao said calmly. "From the exit of the Demon Realm outward, spanning eight thousand eight hundred li, ending at the Solitary Peaks. From now on, that territory belongs to me. All cultivation sects must relocate."

The crowd was stunned. A few quick-witted individuals immediately grasped the implications and inwardly rejoiced. They weren’t afraid of the mighty one making demands—they were afraid of him making none ! After all, if he wished, he could easily slaughter them all and take whatever he wanted. The fact that he was willing to negotiate meant he wasn’t planning to break all ties.

The area he demanded did contain some Blessed Lands, but it was far from most cultivation sects. Due to its proximity to the Demon Realm, the local customs were also rather rough. If they could exchange this territory for their safety, they would gladly agree.Sima Jiao went out, but Liao Tingyan didn’t know—they weren’t together every moment. After he had guided her Spirit Source, she went to find her master early in the morning.

Though she felt she had only given up a necklace—one she didn’t even like much—this was a major event for Guyu Dock. So Master Ji Wuduan took her to meet with the Dock Master and a group of elders for a discussion.

When they heard she was willing to contribute so much Spirit Source to help the dock through difficult times, the elders were moved to tears. For a moment, they even forgot their fear of Cizang Daojun and showered Liao Tingyan with praise. Then, a crowd escorted her to the back mountains for an on-site inspection, eager to show her where the Spirit Source would be used. They even planned to allocate a small plot of land as a reward for her.

"From now on, this entire valley will belong to you!"

The Dock Master marked out a large area.

Liao Tingyan: "No, no, give it to my master. I don’t know how to farm."

Ji Wuduan: "That’s fine too. It’ll be under your name, and your senior brothers can tend to it for you. Just tell me what you’d like to plant."

Because of this joyous occasion, Guyu Dock held another grand banquet. This time, Liao Tingyan suggested hotpot, with everyone bringing their own ingredients. The ingredients at her table piled up so high they nearly overflowed. The uncle who raised ducks was especially generous, contributing a heap of tender duck meat.

Before the banquet began, Sima Jiao made a brief appearance in front of Liao Tingyan before returning to soak in the Secluded Garden. Liao Tingyan ate and ate alone, and without Sima Jiao present, everyone inexplicably relaxed. The feast lasted until midnight, with the senior sisters bringing out their homemade strong liquor, knocking out many of the disciples. Liao Tingyan also drank a bit more than usual and felt slightly dizzy.

She walked to the stone pool behind the Secluded Garden and saw the man soaking in the water.

Sima Jiao opened his eyes and found her sitting by the pool, hugging her knees as she gazed at him with a dazed expression. He reached out, his sleeve splashing water noisily, and his cold, wet fingers brushed against her face.

"Did you have fun?"

Liao Tingyan sobered up a little and nodded, smiling. "The vegetables and meat my senior brothers grew and raised were delicious."

Every time Sima Jiao was soaking in the water and saw Liao Tingyan, he liked to pull her in. But this time, he didn’t. Instead, he traced the shape of her eyes with his fingers.

Liao Tingyan found his touch pleasantly cool and unconsciously pressed her face into his palm, even nuzzling her nose against it.

"Drunk?" Sima Jiao asked.

Liao Tingyan shook her head. "No, I didn’t drink much. The senior sisters didn’t let me have the strong liquor."

After saying that, she dropped his right hand back into the water and reached for his left. "This hand isn’t cold anymore. Give me the other one."

Sima Jiao let her take his hand and said, "Mm, drunk." Otherwise, after forgetting the past, she rarely took the initiative to be this close to him.

Liao Tingyan wasn’t drunk. It was just that the night was so beautiful, the moon so full, reflecting in the pool, and the man in the water, smiling faintly at her—it made her heart flutter uncontrollably, making her want to be even closer.Sometimes, when people are unwilling to admit that someone is being charming, they blame it on the moonlight. Liao Tingyan swayed slightly and stepped into the pond, wrapping her arms around Sima Jiao's neck and burying her face in his cold, damp embrace. It was a chilly hug, but Sima Jiao held her in return, his hand habitually giving the back of her neck a gentle squeeze before trailing through her hair.

The moon reflected in the pond shimmered at their feet, while the real one hung in the sky above the osmanthus trees by the water's edge.

Fallen osmanthus blossoms floated in the pond. Liao Tingyan picked up a few stray petals that had landed on the back of her hand and popped them into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

"Do you eat osmanthus flowers?"

Sima Jiao answered lazily, "Mm... no."

Liao Tingyan tugged at his collar, pulling herself closer.

After a while, Sima Jiao pinched the nape of her neck to push her away. "Too fragrant, this scent."

Liao Tingyan giggled.

"Why do you always look at me for a while and then smile? Did you do that before too?" she suddenly asked.

Sima Jiao raised a brow. "Do I always smile?"

Liao Tingyan: "You do."

Sima Jiao shook his head, as if skeptical but unwilling to argue, and simply said, "Oh. Then I guess I do."

Truthfully, he really did. Sometimes, when Liao Tingyan was just casually snacking on sunflower seeds and accidentally dropped one, or when a cracked seed fell to the ground and became inedible, she'd make a slightly dejected face. Then, turning her eyes, she'd find Sima Jiao watching her, as if amused by her expression, a fleeting smile crossing his lips.

Other times, when she was lounging while watching a livestream and suddenly got curious about how many trotters the main kitchen had stewed, unconsciously pouting, she'd catch Sima Jiao smiling at her from the side.

Or when she simply changed into a new skirt, twirled around to watch it flutter, and noticed Sima Jiao watching her with a faint smile.

Yet, she had only ever heard people describe Sima Jiao as ruthless and vicious—never as someone who smiled often.

Perhaps this was a secret only she knew.

They stayed at Guyu Dock for some time, where life was extraordinarily peaceful. Unlike other places, the disciples here mostly gathered to eat and chat. Occasionally, Liao Tingyan would overhear them mention the chaos outside—how the White Emperor Mountain disciples' power struggles had created turmoil, allowing other cultivation sects to take advantage. Guyu Dock, however, generally stayed out of such conflicts; they were the largest supplier of spiritual ingredients in the cultivation world.

Surrounded by such abundance every day, Liao Tingyan nearly forgot that her Dao companion was actually the Demon Lord of the Demon Realm.

"It's time to go back," Sima Jiao said.

Liao Tingyan thought for a moment before realizing, "Oh right! Hongluo should be about to hatch!"

That wasn’t what Sima Jiao meant, but he didn’t correct her, simply taking her back to the Demon Realm. Before that, though, he brought her somewhere else.

"Where is this?"

"Autumn Leaf Daishan, Cold Sand Winding Waters—Daiying Mountain. In the future, a palace will be built here. You can live in it."

"But this is outside the Demon Realm?" She blinked. "You’re just claiming territory like this?"

"So?"

"This land...?"

"It's yours." Sima Jiao gestured toward the endless stretch of mountains. "Eight thousand eight hundred li, ending at the Guqun Mountain Range."

Liao Tingyan: "..." Back in her original world, she couldn’t even afford a single apartment. And now? What was she supposed to do with all this land?

She was still pondering this question even after returning to the Demon Realm.Upon returning to the Demon Realm, the Black Snake was the first to greet them. It had followed the other demon generals to conquer the three southern cities, only to return triumphantly and find that their ancestor was gone—vanished without a trace—along with the newly recovered Liao Tingyan. Stuck in the Forbidden Palace, it had practically sunk into depression.

Then Liao Tingyan, dragging the shrunken dog-like Black Snake, encountered Hongluo. Nourished by various Spirit Medicines while still in the Gestation Body, she had grown into the appearance of a three- or four-year-old child within just a few days after birth.

At first, Liao Tingyan didn’t recognize the little girl, until Hongluo suddenly hugged her leg and shouted, "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit—I never thought you’d be this badass, sis! I didn’t even expect to come back to life, let alone in such an epic way! Damn, I’ve hit the jackpot—hahaha, I fucking love you! You’re like my savior; hell, I’ll even call you Dad from now on if you want!"

It was the tone that gave Hongluo away.

Liao Tingyan thought, This "holy shit" spiel sounds a lot like Sima Jiao’s childish flame voice. Maybe she should call him Dad instead—he’d be a better fit.