When Destiny Brings the Demon

Liao Tingyan felt like she and her cultivation partner were experiencing the seven-year itch.

Sima Jiao had been somewhat distant with her recently—no longer dragging her into the water to soak together, nor engaging in Dual Cultivation with her. Even when he couldn’t sleep at night, his eyes bloodshot, he refused to ease his restlessness through Dual Cultivation with her.

What’s more, half a month ago, he had begun shutting himself inside his palace, refusing to see anyone. And this "anyone" included Liao Tingyan. Over the years, she had always been able to see Sima Jiao whenever she wished, no matter what he was doing. But this time, it was different—Sima Jiao had even turned her away.

"You think this is an emotional issue?" Hongluo, who had grown considerably over the years due to her unique cultivation method, now looked like a middle school girl of twelve or thirteen—though her tone and mannerisms remained those of a seasoned old fox. "Men are all like this. Don’t bother figuring out what he’s thinking—just sleep him into submission. Between cultivation partners, is there anything Dual Cultivation can’t solve?"

Liao Tingyan: "I dare you to say that in front of Sima Jiao."

Hongluo immediately shrank back. "No, no, you go ahead. Who dares to see him these days? You’d get killed! The old man’s been burning people more and more!"

A few days ago, a demon general had arrived from the Demon Realm, escorting several spies who had attempted to infiltrate the Forbidden Palace to present them to the Demon Lord. But as soon as they reached the palace where Sima Jiao was in seclusion, they burst into flames. The fire was colorless, and the victims didn’t even realize what was happening. They took a few steps forward, their flesh turning to ash and crumbling away, until by the time they reached the steps, only scraps of their bodies remained. Then, with a thud, they collapsed into piles of white ash—a scene both eerie and brutal.

The only ones who could approach those steps were Black Snake and Liao Tingyan. But even Black Snake couldn’t advance beyond the steps, while Liao Tingyan was the sole person who could still reach the door.

Liao Tingyan sat on a massive tree branch, gazing at the palace where Sima Jiao was secluded. She frowned slightly, not even cracking a smile at Hongluo’s deliberate attempts to lighten the mood.

Hongluo studied her for a moment, then clapped her hands. "Keep that expression—better yet, make it a little more melancholic. Yes, a sorrowful, pensive beauty. Then go stand in front of the palace door and strike a pose. I guarantee the Demon Lord will come out to comfort you in no time."

Liao Tingyan: "???" What nonsense is this?

Hongluo: "No, that expression won’t do. Go back to the previous one."

Liao Tingyan rolled her eyes and lay back. "Forget it. Let him do what he wants. With his personality, no one can stop him once he’s set his mind to something. This stubborn tyrant—I’ll just have to wait until he’s done and tells me himself."

Today, Yancheng was bathed in gentle winds and warm sunshine, the sky a pristine blue. Puffy clouds clustered over the distant mountain peaks, and the green forests, having recently shed their pink sakura blossoms, now shimmered with fresh, tender foliage.

The crimson cherry fruit, originally native to the Demon Realm, had been transplanted to Yancheng years ago because Liao Tingyan loved eating them. Since the trees hadn’t thrived, Sima Jiao had even summoned experts from Guyu Dock to help cultivate them. Now, every spring, the mountains were blanketed in pink blossoms, and by the height of summer in July, the slopes would be heavy with ripe crimson cherries.Yan City was home to many demon cultivators, as well as quite a few immortal cultivators—all having moved here over the years. Because Liao Tingyan loved all kinds of food, the city's biggest specialty was its cuisine. Dozens of streets in every direction were lined with specialty restaurants from all over, especially outside the palace where Liao Tingyan lived, where the most famous food street was located.

In earlier years, Sima Jiao would often accompany Liao Tingyan to that street to eat. While she indulged, he would sit beside her and watch. Occasionally, they would bring Hongluo or the Black Snake Sisi along—more often the latter, because when it came to eating, he and Liao Tingyan were like two peas in a pod.

One would gulp noisily, the other would chug heartily.

The shop owners on the street were both terrified and thrilled. Eventually, they grew accustomed to their presence and even dared to strike up conversations with Liao Tingyan. They discovered that the legendary Demon Lord, reputed to kill without hesitation, wouldn’t harm them indiscriminately—in fact, if they could prepare dishes Liao Tingyan enjoyed, they might even receive generous rewards. If she was particularly pleased, rare items like high-grade pills, spells, or spiritual artifacts might even "drop."

This attracted not only demon cultivators but also many righteous immortal cultivators who came to open shops here. As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold. They set up shop in the city, bringing along the finest chefs they could find. Liao Tingyan sometimes felt like a boss monster that dropped rare loot, luring all sorts of people to "grind" her.

Lately, with Sima Jiao in seclusion, Liao Tingyan had been visiting the food street far less often.

Most of her time was spent lounging on a massive tree behind the palace. This towering giant offered an excellent vantage point, allowing her to take in the entire palace grounds, the grid-like streets of the market below, and the mountains covered in red cherry blossom trees.

This enormous tree was called the Fragrant Sinking Greenwood—no ordinary plant. Under sunlight, it emitted a faint, soothing fragrance that could dispel melancholy, clear the mind, and ease one’s mood.

Not long after they had moved into Yan City’s palace, there had been a period when Dual Cultivation had been too frequent. The scorching flames from Sima Jiao’s Soul Abode had left Liao Tingyan feeling constantly stifled in her chest. So, Sima Jiao had someone plant this tree. Since then, whenever the weather was clear and sunny, Liao Tingyan loved to nestle on one of its sturdy branches, curling up to nap in a spot with the best view.

The Black Snake Sisi also loved coiling around the branches. Though he could take human form, he hadn’t grown at all over the years, remaining a small child in appearance. When Sima Jiao wasn’t around, he preferred his serpent form, and Liao Tingyan didn’t mind.

In the distance, a flock of giant-winged birds flew in a V-formation across the sky. Their wings were as white as clouds as they gracefully descended into Yan City. These were spirit beasts commonly tamed by many Cultivation Sects, usually used for deliveries. Liao Tingyan could tell at a glance that these birds were raised by Guyu Dock—their cargo consisted of fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats, sent by her fellow disciples.

Only shipments from Guyu Dock were permitted to fly directly into the city without having to land outside the gates first.

Over the years, many people from Guyu Dock had finally learned her true identity—the Demon Lord’s Dao Companion. Surprisingly, everyone had taken it in stride. No one dared to cause trouble, at least not openly. Instead, a unique trading market had even developed around it.

...Sima Jiao had created a comfortable, worry-free environment for her. With no external concerns to trouble her, the only thing left for her to fret over was Sima Jiao himself.

Sometimes she even suspected he did it on purpose—what a scheming bastard.

Liao Tingyan had slept on a tree branch all day and didn’t come down at night either. In the middle of the night, she faintly sensed something—like a thin thread gently tugging at her heart—and naturally woke from her slumber.

The familiar figure stood not far away, gazing at the distant mountains and a shimmering lake. His hands were clasped behind his back, his long hair and robes occasionally brushing against the oval leaves of the fragrant, deep-green tree.

Is he a vampire or something, always popping up in the middle of the night? The thought suddenly crossed Liao Tingyan’s mind. She shifted slightly and abruptly recalled a scene—also in the dead of night—where she had been roused from sleep to see a carved lantern swaying gently by the bedside. Sima Jiao stood there, half submerged in darkness, half bathed in the ambiguous, dim glow of the lamplight.

"Have mercy, Ancestor. Could you not wake me up in the middle of the night? If you’re back, just go to sleep, okay? I left space for you." She had groaned, flopping miserably onto the bed.

"No."

And so, with a sleep-deprived face, she had rolled to the inner side of the bed, dragging the blankets with her.

……

Liao Tingyan froze for a moment. She didn’t remember where this had happened… Was it from the memories she had lost?

At that moment, Sima Jiao, who had been standing there, turned to glance at her. "It’s only been half a month since you last saw me. Do you not recognize me anymore?"

Liao Tingyan sat up cross-legged, watching as he approached from the treetops like a silent shadow in the night.

"You’ve finished your seclusion?"

Sima Jiao: "No. I came out to see you."

She grabbed his hand. It was warm, radiating the heat of a normal person. The fact that he was normal was what made it abnormal.

"Don’t you need to soak in water?"

"Not anymore." Sima Jiao replied, pinching her wrist while his other hand trailed from her cheek to behind her ear, finally resting at the nape of her neck. He pulled her closer. "You’re unhappy? Why?"

Liao Tingyan: "……" You dare ask why?

Liao Tingyan: "I feel like you’re doing something dangerous."

Sima Jiao: "So you’re worried sick about me? Throwing a tantrum?"

Liao Tingyan: "……" She couldn’t bring herself to say it, nor could she muster the energy to throw a tantrum.

Sima Jiao laughed, took her hand, and leaped down. The two of them strolled across the palace rooftops like a pair of night-prowling cats.

At dawn, Sima Jiao prepared to return to seclusion. Holding her hand, he kissed the finger where her ring rested before letting go. "I had someone find you a beautiful white-furred spirit beast. It’ll be delivered to Yancheng today. Go play with it later—have some fun."

As soon as the words left his mouth, his figure dissipated into nothingness.

Liao Tingyan stood on the rooftop, the first sliver of dawn breaking behind her.

"Who wants to play with white fur? You damn black-furred bastard," she muttered to herself, feeling like life had become unbearable.

Yancheng was bustling again today. A demon general had delivered an exceptionally rare snow spirit fox—a creature on the brink of extinction for certain reasons. No one knew where they had managed to find one, but the Demon Lord had specifically ordered it sent to amuse his dao companion.The palm-sized snow spirit fox had soft, long white fur, dewy black eyes like grapes, large fluffy ears, a tail as puffy as a cloud, and pink paw pads.

This fluffy little creature was practically a cure-all. Petting the fox was soothing to both body and mind—even the Black Snake became addicted to stroking the furball, willing to maintain a human form for half the day just to pet it better.

This once frail snow spirit fox, after following Liao Tingyan and indulging in food and drink for half a month, ballooned from palm-sized to basketball-sized, its once-pointy little face now noticeably rounder. Since its cry sounded like "Ang—," it was named Angang.

With Hongluo and the Black Snake already by her side, Liao Tingyan’s life grew even livelier with the addition of the snow spirit fox Angang. The saying goes, "chickens fly and dogs jump"—the role of the "dog" naturally fell to the Black Snake, leaving the snow spirit fox to play the part of the "flying chicken." These two were evenly matched in intelligence, making them perfect rivals, staging daily chase scenes around Liao Tingyan.

Sima Jiao would emerge from his palace every ten days or so, always seeking out Liao Tingyan—almost invariably in the middle of the night. After forcibly waking her, he would stay with her until morning before vanishing. Liao Tingyan was starting to suspect he might have died and turned into some kind of ghost that couldn’t appear during the day.

"Had some amusing birds trained for you. They’ll arrive soon—go take a look," Sima Jiao said before disappearing like morning dew.

That day, a flock of white birds descended upon Yancheng. These elegant creatures had one remarkable trait: they could briefly take human form, dancing across the sky in feathered robes.

Liao Tingyan: "...Isn’t this just a performance troupe?"

At some point, Sima Jiao had arranged for this troupe to entertain her. With just a shake of a bell, these illusory birds would rise from the nearby forests to sing and dance, all to cheer her up.

During his third visit after seclusion, Sima Jiao suddenly asked, "How about moving Guyu Dock closer to Yancheng?"

Liao Tingyan pinched his mouth shut.

Liao Tingyan: "Do you think my life isn’t chaotic enough?"

Sima Jiao pulled her hand away, holding it in his own. "What’s wrong with a little chaos? You seem to enjoy it."

Liao Tingyan stared at him for a long moment before wrapping her arms around his waist. "Can I take a look inside your Soul Abode?"

Sima Jiao lifted her up, pressing his forehead against hers and giving it two light taps. "No. If you enter now, your Divine Soul will burn."

Impossible. They had visited each other’s Soul Abodes countless times—there was no way she’d burn unless this bastard had gone mad enough to scorch his own Divine Soul, taking hers down with him.

...No way.

Liao Tingyan lunged at him, knocking her forehead against his, flailing wildly. "Let me in!"

Sima Jiao caught her hands, tangled his legs with hers, and pressed her head against his chest. After struggling fruitlessly for a while, Liao Tingyan slumped against him, feeling the vibrations of his laughter. A wave of sorrow washed over her.

Really, this life was becoming unbearable. For some inexplicable reason, Sima Jiao seemed to be courting death, and she was starting to suspect she’d soon be a widow.

Sima Jiao, on the other hand, was in high spirits, laughing for what felt like ages.

Given his attitude, it hardly seemed like anything catastrophic was happening. Liao Tingyan was baffled, unsure what he was really up to.On the coldest day of winter that year, Sima Jiao finally emerged from seclusion. He stayed by Liao Tingyan's side, seemingly no different from before.

A heavy snowstorm lasted three days and four nights, turning Yan City white, somewhat resembling the white Winter City within the Demon Realm.

In the middle of the night, Sima Jiao shook Liao Tingyan awake.

"What?" Liao Tingyan asked groggily.

Sima Jiao nodded. "Good."

Good what? Liao Tingyan was baffled as her clothes were being undone.

Liao Tingyan: "???" Wait a minute, where did this sudden development come from?

...

Sima Jiao carried her into an emerald-green pool where Blood Clot Flowers once bloomed and a flame was nurtured. But Liao Tingyan hadn't seen that flame for a long time. She didn't understand why they were here now, and before she could think further, she instinctively wrapped her arms around Sima Jiao's neck, attempting to press her forehead against his. Midway, Sima Jiao's hand stopped her.

"Not allowed." His palm was scorching hot, first covering her forehead before moving down to shield her eyes. Liao Tingyan gasped and grabbed his arm as her lips were sealed, a warm liquid passing between them. It tasted like some sweet, rich nectar, and as soon as it entered her body, warmth surged through her limbs.

Amidst the rising and falling sensations, Liao Tingyan felt her cultivation suddenly skyrocketing, breaking through realms at an alarming speed.

Liao Tingyan: "W-wait... what... did you... give me to drink..."

Sima Jiao only laughed by her ear, firmly covering her eyes without a word. Liao Tingyan grew irritated, thinking what nonsense he was up to now, and turned her head to refuse. But Sima Jiao's grip was unyielding, leaving her completely immobilized.

When he wanted to restrain someone, no one could break free. Yet this was the first time Liao Tingyan had received such treatment—usually, if she refused something, Sima Jiao never forced her.

She was compelled to swallow the liquid. If not for the lack of metallic taste, she would have thought it was blood. As the liquid flowed down her throat, her entire body felt as though it had been thrown into a sea of fire, her mind melting into mush.

Despite being submerged in water, it brought no relief. Instead, the water seemed to transform into flames, searing into her body.

Thunder roared outside, deafeningly loud, as if striking right above them. In a daze, Liao Tingyan felt her spiritual consciousness break free from Sima Jiao's control and soar outward. A blizzard raged, thunderclouds churned, and lightning danced wildly. She could hear chaotic shouts in the distance.

The lightning struck swiftly and furiously. Liao Tingyan sensed the terrifying power within it, carrying an indescribable intent. In her current state, she perceived fragments of it and trembled uncontrollably.

Sima Jiao pulled her close, finally releasing her eyes. Liao Tingyan clung to his neck and opened her eyes to see a gaping wound on his chest, golden blood flowing within. There was no scent of blood, only a faint floral fragrance.

It was what she had just drunk.

For a moment, Liao Tingyan wanted to punch him in anger, but the sight of his wound also filled her with dread. She immediately pressed her hand against it.

"Don't." Sima Jiao kissed her hair affectionately. "It's about to begin.""What the hell are you starting right now? Tell me!" Liao Tingyan couldn't help but scream. Whatever heaven-striking, thunder-blasting thing this man was doing, the aura within those thunderclaps was already terrifying beyond measure.

He was driving her insane. Sima Jiao looked at her furious expression and laughed heartily instead, tilting her chin up to pass her another mouthful of his altered blood. Liao Tingyan bit his tongue, clamping down on whatever she could reach, wishing she could kick him to the ends of the earth. But Sima Jiao held the back of her neck firmly, refusing to retreat an inch.

"I've endured all kinds of pain since birth. What you're giving me now is nothing, understand?" He released her, wiping her lips with his thumb as he murmured these words, like an intimate whisper between lovers.

Liao Tingyan felt her blood boiling inside her, as if she were about to combust. "What... are you really doing?"

Sima Jiao gazed at her, his eyes tender yet mad.

"I've refined the Fengshan Spirit Fire," he said. "I've fused it into my flesh, blood, and divine soul. Soon, all of it will belong to you."

The Fengshan Spirit Fire was a divine flame. Within the Sima clan, it had been refined six times. The last was Sima E, who had sacrificed her body and divine soul to purify the fire for Sima Jiao's fusion, consumed until nothing remained.

And Sima Jiao—he was the only one in his clan who had refined the spirit fire into his body, and the only madman who had then used his own flesh to refine it anew.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt. I'm leaving this fire for you. From now on, nothing in this world can harm you. I've killed all my enemies. What I leave behind are only the things and people you love."

"Why? You're fine—why do this? I don't even want it..." Liao Tingyan felt tears streaming down her face, but the heat evaporated them before they could fall.

If it was this scorching, why hadn't she cooked yet? Why hadn't this self-righteous bastard in front of her burned to death?

Sima Jiao cupped her face. "I was never meant to last long. Only those who can't last long go as mad as I have. You know this best—my Soul Abode holds a fire that never extinguishes. It gave me power beyond all else, but it also took everything else from me."

Back in Gengchen Immortal Mansion, he had devoured a newly refined flame from the Shi Shi clan, then nearly exhausted all his spirit fire to burn the mansion's core and most of the Shi Shi cultivators. Since then, his body had begun showing signs of collapse.

Power came at a price. The Sima clan was doomed to perish. He would die, and the fire within him would die with him.

But he refused to accept it. And he couldn't rest easy.

So, after years of attempts, he had finally succeeded in refining himself into a "candle." When his body burned out and his divine soul turned to ash, the fire could be reborn—given to Liao Tingyan. From then on, she would become the second him, wielding power surpassing all living beings, yet spared the agony of the flames. This would be a truly newborn fire, no longer the Fengshan Spirit Fire.

"Heaven wants my life, but I won't give it to them. In this world, I love only you—so of course, I'll give it to you."

Liao Tingyan felt nothing but torment, her eyes reddening as she bit down hard on Sima Jiao's hand, wishing she could tear a chunk of his flesh away.The spiritual energy from his body surged wildly into hers. The emerald-green pond shimmered with a crimson glow—an intricate formation that bound the two of them together.

Thunder struck, landing at the edge of the pond, yet it couldn’t touch them no matter how it raged.

Amid the searing pain, Liao Tingyan suddenly recalled an unfamiliar scene—one filled with thunder and lightning stretching across the sky. She had gazed up at Sima Jiao’s back as he stood before her, tearing apart the falling bolts like a towering hero, the kind Immortal Cai Xia had described—a peerless hero who would ride upon a seven-colored cloud.

Bah! What peerless hero! Furious tears welled up as she trembled, gripping Sima Jiao’s hand tightly.

"Just you wait. Once you're dead, I'll be a wealthy widow inheriting countless riches. The moment you die, I'll keep hundreds of wild men!"

Sima Jiao laughed amidst the thunder, gripping the nape of her neck as he whispered in her ear, "There won't be anyone else. You'll never forget me in this lifetime."

Indeed, she would never forget Sima Jiao in her entire life.

But how could there be such a man in this world who made her both love and hate him so intensely.

"Wishful thinking! Do you think you can have everything your way? I won't let you have your satisfaction!"