When Destiny Brings The Demon Episode 18 Recap
> When Destiny Brings The Demon Recap
Having suspected Night Ruling as a mole earlier, Shi Qianlv, after accidentally discovering Yuan Shang was still alive, began to suspect Yuan Che's loyalty. To test his suspicions and further his plans, Shi Qianlv had been manipulating Yuan Che with false information. Yuan Che then reported to Shi Qianlv that all damaged spiritual sites showed traces of Sima Jiao’s spiritual power and the Spirit Fire, suggesting Sima Jiao was still targeting him.
Shi Qianlv expressed surprise at Sima Jiao's arrogance despite his severe injuries, fearing other spiritual peaks would meet the same fate as Baifeng Mountain. He ordered a dozen elite disciples to reinforce Wufeng Mountain, where a critical Shi family item was located, and instructed Yuan Che to accompany them and report any unusual activity. Later, Shi Zhenxu, Shi Qianlv’s son, told his father that the Spirit Fire was not on Wufeng Mountain, deducing that it was a trap.
Shi Qianlv confirmed this, revealing his plan to use Yuan Che as bait to lure Sima Jiao to Wufeng Mountain, where he and his disciples would ambush him. He then tasked Shi Zhenxu with secretly guarding Taiwei Mountain, where the Spirit Fire was truly hidden, emphasizing the need to maintain the defenses there so they could acquire Sima Jiao’s blood and merge with the new Spirit Fire after his capture.
Unbeknownst to Shi Qianlv, Sima Jiao had already laid his own counter-trap, secretly placing puppets in Shi Qianlv's restricted areas and a spirit butterfly on Shi Zhenxu, ensuring that when Shi Zhenxu went to the Spirit Fire's hiding place, Sima Jiao would be alerted and could follow him.
Night Ruling then arrived, and Shi Qianlv instructed her to accompany him to Wufeng Mountain, telling her it was her chance to prove her sincerity and lead her clan back to the Demon Realm. Night Ruling asked if Sima Jiao would truly be there, and Shi Qianlv assured her that Sima Jiao would fall for his own trap. Meanwhile, Sima Jiao received a message from Yuan Che, indicating the trap was set. Liao Tingyan, concerned, asked Nianjiu for details.
Nianjiu explained Sima Jiao's strategy: he had used Yuan Che to damage the spiritual peaks with Sima Jiao’s own spiritual power, making Shi Qianlv believe Sima Jiao was still targeting Wufeng Mountain. This would prompt Shi Qianlv to send men to guard the Spirit Fire's actual location. By following these guards, Sima Jiao would find the new Spirit Fire.
Liao Tingyan astutely deduced that Sima Jiao had planted puppets on Wufeng Mountain and used a tracking spell on Shi Zhenxu, allowing them to follow Shi Zhenxu directly to the Spirit Fire without searching blindly. Sima Jiao complimented her intelligence. Sima Jiao initially told Liao Tingyan to stay behind, but she insisted on accompanying him, reasoning that even if she couldn't help much, being with him was better than worrying alone, especially given his unhealed wounds.
Sima Jiao relented, allowing her to join him. Shi Zhenxu and his confidants proceeded to Taiwei Mountain to guard the Spirit Fire, eagerly anticipating a new master for the Gengchen Celestial Palace. At Wufeng Mountain, Night Ruling reminded Shi Qianlv about their promise to spare Liao Tingyan and Hei Nianjiu. Shi Qianlv affirmed his word, contingent on Night Ruling's sincerity, and ordered an immediate encirclement once Sima Jiao appeared.
Shi Qianlv, waiting at Wufeng Mountain, became anxious when Sima Jiao didn’t appear, fearing a change in plans. He attempted to send a messenger crane to Shi Zhenxu, but Yuan Shang, hidden nearby, intercepted and garbled the message to prevent Sima Jiao’s plan from failing. Though he couldn’t make out the words, Shi Zhenxu sensed something was wrong with his father and decided to lead his men to Wufeng Mountain.
Meanwhile, Yuan Shang, hidden nearby, tried to intervene to prevent Sima Jiao’s plan from failing but was discovered by Shi Qianlv. Shi Qianlv attacked Yuan Shang, accusing him of colluding with the Demon Race. Yuan Shang retaliated, calling Shi Qianlv an "insane sinner" for harming the innocent and killing indiscriminately to achieve his goals. As they fought, Yuan Che arrived, declaring Shi Qianlv unworthy of being human and joining the battle to protect his son.
Severely wounded, Yuan Shang, feeling like a burden to his father despite his desire to make him proud, chose to self-destruct to weaken Shi Qianlv and his forces. Yuan Che watched in agony as his son vanished, then retreated under immense pain. Shi Qianlv, unfazed, immediately ordered his forces to Taiwei Mountain. Sima Jiao and Liao Tingyan had already caught up to Shi Zhenxu.
Sima Jiao demanded to know the Spirit Fire’s location, but Shi Zhenxu refused, defiantly cursing Sima Jiao and Liao Tingyan’s relationship and claiming the Celestial Palace for the Shi family. Nianjiu interjected, revealing that Anxue's death was Shi Qianlv's doing, not Sima Jiao's, which Shi Zhenxu vehemently denied. Sima Jiao then ordered Liao Tingyan to kill Shi Zhenxu. Liao Tingyan hesitated, unwilling to take a life.
Enraged by Shi Zhenxu’s continued insults towards Liao Tingyan and their bond, Sima Jiao forced her hand to deliver the fatal blow. Traumatized by her first kill, even though Sima Jiao had forced her hand, Liao Tingyan was horrified by Shi Zhenxu's blood on her hands. She broke down, vomited, and recoiled from Sima Jiao.
Sima Jiao, unable to comprehend her reaction, asked why she was so upset, explaining that Shi Zhenxu had intended to kill them and had insulted her. Liao Tingyan admitted she understood Sima Jiao’s world, where it was "kill or be killed," but she wanted to adhere to her principle of "never killing unless there’s no other way."
Sima Jiao argued that for him, there was only "want" or "don't want," never "can't," and insisted that one must know how to kill to survive. Liao Tingyan, overwhelmed, told Sima Jiao she didn't want to see him, and he, hurt, left the room. Liao Tingyan continued to be plagued by nightmares of Shi Zhenxu and her blood-soaked hands.
One day, Sima Jiao, worried after not finding Liao Tingyan in her room and Nianjiu reporting she had gone to use "silence bugs," found her by a pond, attempting to catch fish. She expressed her inability to eat due to her distress, explaining she had collected silence bugs to catch Soul Flying Fish for him. They reconciled, with Liao Tingyan telling him that he was the dearest person in her life and that their peaceful days together were precious.
She soon fell asleep in his arms. Sima Jiao, seeing her tears, felt regret for the first time and vowed never to force her to do anything against her will again. Carrying Liao Tingyan back to bed, Sima Jiao entered her Soul Manor through his spiritual connection and found the root of her nightmares. He retrieved a special jade pillow, explaining that it would bring her sweet dreams.
He also shared that he had witnessed "seas of corpses and blood" and the "horrors of hell" in his own Soul Manor, conveying his understanding of the deep trauma killing could cause. That night, Sima Jiao accompanied her in her Soul Manor. Liao Tingyan dreamed of a joyful birthday celebration with her master, fellow disciples, and Sima Jiao, sharing cake and happy memories of her family. Waking up the next morning, Liao Tingyan was visibly happier.
She greeted Sima Jiao and asked why he didn't use the magical jade pillow himself. He explained that due to his unique powers, many artifacts and elixirs were ineffective on him. She noticed a carving on the pillow, mistaking it for a wild boar. Sima Jiao corrected her, identifying it as a dream tapir, a legendary creature that consumes nightmares, and promised to take her to see real dream tapirs upon his return.
Shi Qianlv, mourning his son Zhenxu, vowed revenge against Sima Jiao. Although Sima Jiao hadn't found the Spirit Fire at Taiwei Mountain, Shi Qianlv had run out of patience. He ordered Night Ruling to meet him in a secret chamber, intending to leverage her prior success in finding Liao Tingyan. In the chamber, Night Ruling discovered her sister, Canglan, severely injured.
Shi Qianlv revealed that he knew Night Ruling had spared Hei Nianjiu previously and threatened to kill a hundred of Night Ruling’s clan members for each day she failed to capture Liao Tingyan within three days. Canglan, with her dying breath, urged Night Ruling not to let personal revenge blind her and to fulfill their mother’s last wish to lead their people home. Night Ruling, heartbroken, blamed herself for Canglan’s death.
Sima Jiao prepared to leave to find the Spirit Fire. He instructed Nianjiu to stay and protect Liao Tingyan, telling Liao Tingyan not to venture into the "Inner Court." He then presented her with a reforged Yingluo necklace, now empowered with a Thunderstone Core, making it incredibly resilient, capable of withstanding even attacks from powerful experts like Shi Qianlv for a long period.
He promised to find her before the artifact could be damaged and urged her to protect herself, as he would be worried. After a tender kiss, Sima Jiao departed. Following a puppet, he tracked another trace of Sima blood, likely from the Spirit Fire's feeder, to a location protected by a powerful barrier, confirming the Spirit Fire was within.
