When Destiny Brings the Demon

Liao Tingyan had originally just wanted to tease Sima Jiao, but she ended up digging her own grave. Ever since he heard her joke, he became convinced she was an otter demon.

Honestly, what even was an otter demon? It was a type of monster she had never even heard of before—how could he just accept it so naturally?

Not only did he accept it, but he also seemed to really like the idea. He often asked her to transform into her "true form." Liao Tingyan ignored him—she couldn’t indulge him like this anymore. She was a big shot now, and no big shot would be this easygoing.

Liao Tingyan: "Listen, if you keep rubbing my belly, I’ll turn you into a little chick."

After a moment, she couldn’t resist adding, "Or maybe into a snake. Your true form is a snake, you know?"

Sima Jiao had already "reasonably" deduced that in his past life, he might have been a powerful snake demon. Pinching her cheeks to keep her from falling asleep, he said, "You can turn me into a snake, but you have to turn into an otter too."

This man was willing to become a snake just to pet an otter—what kind of obsession was this? This emperor couldn’t hide his preferences as perfectly as his master had. So, did that mean the old Sima Jiao had actually really liked it when she turned into an otter?

He must have, right? Liao Tingyan suddenly remembered how he used to carry her around everywhere back then.

Who would’ve thought? With that domineering, cool, and aloof face, the master actually loved petting otters?

The way he treated snakes back then was probably because snakes didn’t have fur, right? Right?

These past few days, a snake as thick as a thigh and a glossy-furred otter had frequently appeared in the mountain stream behind the summer palace. The otter sprawled on the snake’s body, looking utterly spirited.

……

Marquis Nanyan had gone to great lengths to gather a few extraordinary individuals, spending a fortune to win them over, intending for them to assassinate Consort Liao and the suddenly appeared young prince—though ideally, they would just kill Sima Jiao outright.

To cover for these men, Marquis Nanyan had sacrificed many of his subordinates. The first two waves of assassins were merely meant to lull Sima Jiao into lowering his guard and divert his attention. This final group was his real trump card. With the help of the previous two waves, they had infiltrated the summer palace’s guards. Among these extraordinary individuals was one skilled in "disguise," who had quietly replaced a few inconspicuous palace attendants.

After scouting the area, they learned that the emperor and his consort would often rest by the mountain stream in the afternoon, with no attendants around—making it the perfect opportunity to strike. The mountain’s defenses were tight on the outside but lax within. As long as they breached the outer perimeter, killing that damned emperor and his consort would be effortless once inside.

True to their reputation—and the half of Marquis Nanyan’s fortune spent to recruit them—they successfully broke through the defenses and reached the stream.

"What’s going on? They’re not here?" A man with a sharp voice scanned the stream, puzzled.

"There’s a wine jug soaking in the water—this has to be the right place," said the most composed and vigilant among them, pointing at the floating bottle. "Maybe they went upstream or downstream. We don’t have much time—split up and search!"A man with narrow eyes, long brows, and a taciturn demeanor had already swiftly moved upstream along the mountain creek without a word, while another slightly plump figure, his eyes darting around, suddenly pointed beneath a cluster of hanging orchid flowers by the pond. "Look, there's a black snake! Who would’ve thought such a thick black snake could be found in these mountains!"

"Enough! What does it matter if it's a black snake or white snake? The priority is to find and kill that damned emperor and his concubine!" The composed man glanced at the large snake in the creek, which showed no intention of acknowledging them, then quickly averted his gaze.

After the four men split up to search, the black snake beneath the orchids raised its head, flicking its tongue in the direction they had left before lowering it again, continuing to coil in the water.

An otter sprawled on the snake's back, pushing aside the orchids used for shade and peering in the direction where the men had disappeared. Scratching the whiskers on its face with a paw, it suddenly spoke in human language: "Assassins again? These four seem a bit different."

They seemed to have brushed against the fringes of cultivation, though not through proper means—no formal training, just some abilities slightly beyond ordinary humans, likely due to some strange encounters.

After delivering this solemn analysis, the otter felt it was about time for her grand entrance. She stood up, smoothing the damp fur on her belly. "Today, I’ll let you witness my power."

A snake's tail yanked her back, coiling around her.

Sima Jiao, now in the form of the black snake, said, "No need. The guards outside will soon notice something’s wrong and come to capture them. Why run around in this scorching sun?"

Liao Tingyan, wrapped in the tail, thought, Why are you so skilled with that tail? You weren’t actually a snake before, were you?! How did you adapt to the role so fast?

When she had first transformed His Majesty into a snake, she had added red patterns out of personal preference. But the emperor had refused, insisting, "The original was a black snake—why would I have patterns?" He made her remove them, leaving Liao Tingyan laughing so hard she nearly choked.

She scratched the snake’s scales with her claws. "I just wanted to show you how powerful I’ve become."

It was pitiful—without any worthy opponents, she, a mighty figure of the Demon Realm, had to resort to dealing with petty thieves to flaunt her skills. It felt like using a dragon-slaying sword to chop ants or launching an intercontinental missile at a fly.

Sima Jiao: "Stop fussing. I already know you’re powerful."

Liao Tingyan flopped back down. "I feel a bit stifled."

Sima Jiao: "Hmm?" He responded absentmindedly.

Liao Tingyan placed her hands on her belly. "Before, you always protected me. Whenever there was danger or enemies, you’d just—" She extended a paw and flicked it. "—swish, and it’d be over."

In short, she really wanted to show off in front of His Majesty too. She was this strong—why didn’t she get any chances to flaunt it? Was this power just for decoration?

Sensing her gloom, Sima Jiao raised his head. "Turn me back."

Once they reverted to human form, Sima Jiao casually smoothed her hair before pulling her down to sit. He retrieved a bottle of wine from the water and took a sip. "Alright, just wait. They’ll come back when they can’t find anyone, and then you can do whatever you want."

He was offering himself as bait—all to coax a smile from his beauty.Liao Tingyan: "...I feel like you're calling me childish in your heart."

Sima Jiao took a sip of wine, glancing at her with an enigmatic smile before drawling, "No—"

"They're here!"

Four men approached, but before they could utter the standard villainous lines like "Today shall be your last" or similar, they simultaneously felt a sharp pain in their heads and collapsed unconscious.

Liao Tingyan withdrew her snapping fingers, clasping her hands behind her back as she turned slightly to look at Sima Jiao. With restrained pride, she asked, "How was that?"

Sima Jiao set down the wine jug and gave two perfunctory claps. "Not bad."

Liao Tingyan sat back down beside him. "I don't feel very accomplished or satisfied, though."

Sima Jiao: "Probably because you didn't kill them."

Liao Tingyan: "I captured them all—aren't you going to ask who sent them?" This was how political dramas usually went. She could even demonstrate some mystical interrogation techniques later. Though not as powerful as Sima Jiao's old Truth Buff, they'd work perfectly on ordinary people.

Sima Jiao: "Is something this simple worth asking?"

Liao Tingyan: "You already know who it is?"

Sima Jiao: "Marquis Nanyan."

Marquis Nanyan? So this was the man who bullied my emperor? Very well, you've just made an enemy of the Demon Lord of the Demon Realm.

Liao Tingyan waved her hand, and the four men opened their eyes and stood up. She gazed at them coldly, her pupils shifting slightly as her voice suddenly turned ethereal and icy: "Return and deal with Marquis Nanyan."

The four men abruptly regained consciousness, appearing no different from before—except now when they looked at Liao Tingyan, their eyes held reverence and devotion. Without hesitation, they knelt: "Yes, Demon Lord!"

Then they turned and left without another word.

When Liao Tingyan turned back, she found Sima Jiao watching her.

"What?"

Sima Jiao suddenly smiled, tilting his head back for another swig of wine before saying, "The way you spoke and acted before always felt familiar to me. But just now... I don't think I've ever seen that side of you."

His laughter carried warmth as he pressed his palm against the side of Liao Tingyan's neck. "It felt somewhat unfamiliar."

Liao Tingyan's smile vanished instantly. She turned her face slightly away from his touch, looking instead at the wine jug he'd set down. "You left me for seventeen years. Did you think I'd never change?" Just like him—he never used to drink, but now he often indulged.

Sima Jiao wrapped his arm around the back of her neck and pulled her close, pressing her head against his chest. "Why are you angry? Because I said you seemed unfamiliar?"

"As long as you stay by my side, all that's unfamiliar now will become familiar in time." He lowered his head, lips brushing her ear in an intimate gesture as he continued softly, "Besides, you're always looking for familiarity in me, and want me to find the same in you. Doesn't it get tiring, recreating scenes from the past?"

Liao Tingyan: "..."

Her fingers twitched as if burned by sudden pain. She hadn't expected him to pierce through her secret thoughts so directly.

This was always Sima Jiao's way—seemingly indifferent and oblivious, yet understanding and aware of everything.

It had been true in the past, and remained so now.Seventeen years—it wasn’t a short time, at least not for her. For her, it was a reunion after a long separation; for him, it was like meeting for the first time. She wasn’t skilled at love; she only had the version of herself he was most familiar with. Whether it was the summer mountain stream or the otters, they were all things she had recalled over this long stretch of time. He didn’t remember, so she recreated them for him.

Liao Tingyan silently stood up and stepped into the stream. She transformed herself into an ordinary little fish, blending in among the school of thumb-sized fish. Right now, she didn’t feel much like talking to Sima Jiao.

Sima Jiao ran a hand through his long hair and also stepped into the water. He bent down to examine the small fish, lost in thought, then reached in to catch one. The moment his fingers touched the water, the fish scattered in all directions. Unfazed, Sima Jiao continued his attempts, as if determined to catch the Liao Tingyan who was playing hide-and-seek with him.

He wandered around the stream, then suddenly cupped his hands and scooped up some water. Walking back to the shore with a smile, he said to his palms, “Alright, don’t be mad. Let’s go back first.”

Just as he reached the shore, a splash of water hit his back. Liao Tingyan appeared behind him, expressionlessly splashing water at him. “You caught the wrong fish!” What kind of eyes did this guy have?

But Sima Jiao turned his head as if he had expected it all along and opened his hands—there was only a handful of water, no fish. He sat on a large rock by the shore, legs spread, propping his chin on his hand as he grinned at her, looking utterly mischievous.

He had done it on purpose. He had been bluffing.

Liao Tingyan stared at him for a moment before lying back in the water and turning into a fish again. This time, she really didn’t want to deal with this guy.

Sima Jiao walked back into the water and reached in to catch a fish. The little fish all darted away—except for one, which floated stiffly in the water as if dead, not moving at all. Suppressing a laugh, Sima Jiao cupped the fish in both hands and asked deliberately, “I didn’t get the wrong one this time, did I?”

The rigid fish in his hands flipped over and faced him: “Pfft—”

Sima Jiao burst into laughter and carried her back.

Truthfully, he had remembered quite a few things—just none of them involved her, and none of them were particularly pleasant.

“If you weren’t like this now…”

“If you weren’t ‘Liao Tingyan’…”

“I’d still like you.”

“Do you believe me?”

The fish blew a bubble: “…Why should I?”

Sima Jiao: “For no reason at all.”

Liao Tingyan: “Deliberately mystifying.”

Sima Jiao: “Pretending compliance.”

Liao Tingyan: “…” What idiom starts with ‘snake’? ‘Snake-hearted’? But the ‘she’ in ‘pretending compliance’ is pronounced like ‘yi,’ so that doesn’t count, right?

Sima Jiao: “Hahahaha!”

Liao Tingyan’s face darkened. Damn it, why did I suddenly start playing idiom chains with him?!