When Destiny Brings The Demon Episode 23 Recap
> When Destiny Brings The Demon Recap
Nianjiu, concerned about Sima Jiao's restless Spirit Fire, asked if Shi Qianlv had been found. Sima Jiao was displeased to learn of Shi Qianlv's escape, asking why Nianjiu returned without him. Nianjiu then presented a portrait, revealing it was of Ye Ruling, who was actually Hongluo, the girl killed by the Zhihun clan. He shared that the people at Rouge Terrace found her by Yin-Yang Lake, still carrying the tube whistle he had given her.
Nianjiu expressed his profound sorrow at finally locating her, only to lose her again, fearing he might never see her. Sima Jiao, however, revealed that Hongluo had already been reborn, and Nianjiu himself had guarded the rite of her Soul Transfer.
Hope flickered in Nianjiu's eyes, but Sima Jiao cautioned him not to rejoice too soon, explaining that Hongluo’s soul was severely damaged during the transfer, making it unlikely for her to recover her memories as Ye Ruling or remember Nianjiu. Sima Jiao warned that she might even treat Nianjiu's devotion as nothing, causing him much pain. Though Nianjiu's heart ached at these words, he agreed with Sima Jiao that her being alive was the most important thing.
Meanwhile, Shi Qianlv and his sister, Shi Qiandu, were fleeing from pursuers from the Demon Realm and Sima Jiao's forces. Shi Qiandu worried that if Liao Tingyan didn't act soon, they would be doomed. They encountered Preceptor Mingli and a squad of ghost envoys at a checkpoint. Mingli, recognizing Shi Qianlv, let them pass.
His subordinate questioned why, to which Mingli explained that Shi Qianlv, who had manipulated Liao Tingyan into believing he was her savior for the past eighteen years, possessed valuable knowledge of her history in the Celestial Palace. Mingli intended to keep Shi Qianlv alive, hoping he could be useful in the future, especially when desperate. Shi Qianlv, aware of Mingli's high cultivation, knew he had seen through their disguise and had an ulterior motive for letting them go.
Feng Qi continued to stay at Sima Jiao's residence, diligently preparing meals for Liao Tingyan. Liao Tingyan was also training daily with Feng Qi, though she found it bothersome, as she was doing it for self-preservation and to find an opportunity to escape. Nianjiu confronted Feng Qi, urging him to leave, but Feng Qi defiantly claimed that Sima Jiao had allowed him to stay. Nianjiu warned him to show respect, given Sima Jiao's affection for Liao Tingyan.
Feng Qi retorted that Liao Tingyan loved his cooking and would be unhappy without it, implying she couldn't do without him. He believed Liao Tingyan did not currently favor Sima Jiao and vowed to stay by her side to protect her from Sima Jiao. Sima Jiao, observing this exchange, declared that he and Liao Tingyan were already partners and dismissed Feng Qi as a mere clown. Nianjiu, however, could sense Sima Jiao's underlying anger despite his composed exterior.
Sima Jiao later approached a sleeping Liao Tingyan and gently offered to take her somewhere. She instinctively took his hand, wondering why she could never refuse his requests. He led her to the Central Tower. Liao Tingyan felt a sense of déjà vu, as if she had seen the place in a dream. Sima Jiao clarified that it was not a dream but the very spot where they first met.
He recalled how difficult it was for her to climb the tower's long stairs back then, even remarking that his pet snake was a hundred times stronger than her. Although her cultivation had advanced, Sima Jiao knew she still disliked climbing, so he carried her to the tower's summit. He explained that he had moved the tower from Three Saints Mountain to its current location, even though he hated it for imprisoning him for five hundred years.
He brought it here because it held her aura, and he had adorned it with lanterns, knowing her fondness for delicate things, promising to light them for her every day if she wished. Liao Tingyan found the sight enchanting, like a sky full of stars and a meteor shower, but a pang of sadness struck her as she realized Sima Jiao's actions were likely for the "original" Liao Tingyan, making her feel like a mere substitute.
Sima Jiao then showed her a Bloodseal Bloom, which surprisingly cursed and spoke like Liao Tingyan used to. He reminded her that she had taught the flower to speak that way. He also applied a face mask to her, a practice she had taught him. Liao Tingyan questioned if the original owner had truly done all these things, feeling disconnected.
Despite Shi Qianlv's indoctrination that Sima Jiao was evil, Liao Tingyan consistently found a sense of peace and security with him, observing that he never forced her and always showed her respect and consideration. Sima Jiao insisted they had shared many real and unchanging memories there, asserting that he would never mistake her, as they had gone through life and death together. Liao Tingyan, still grappling with her amnesia, maintained she was not the Liao Tingyan he remembered.
Sima Jiao, undeterred, held her hand and reassured her that the past didn't matter, suggesting they treat today as their first encounter and create new memories. Liao Tingyan found the idea romantic. Noticing an unhealed wound on Sima Jiao's palm, she wondered why it resisted her healing efforts. Sima Jiao cryptically replied that greater gains often came with greater prices.
Liao Tingyan, feeling a sense of compassion, re-bandaged his hand, tying a familiar bow that brought a smile to Sima Jiao's face. Meanwhile, Nianjiu's men located Shi Qianlv's carriage, but it was empty. They quickly tracked Shi Qianlv, revealing that he was not crippled as he had led Liao Tingyan to believe. Shi Qiandu, Shi Qianlv's sister, helped him evade capture but was ultimately apprehended by Nianjiu.
The next morning, Liao Tingyan woke up with a blush, questioning if she was truly falling for Sima Jiao. Feng Qi entered her room, reinforcing her doubts by asserting that Sima Jiao's romantic gestures were meant for his past lover, not her. Liao Tingyan grew disheartened, feeling like an outsider. Shortly after, Sima Jiao arrived, intending to show Liao Tingyan the truth. He led her to Shi Qiandu, who was now his captive.
Shi Qiandu, upon seeing Liao Tingyan, verbally attacked her, accusing her of being a traitor who killed her own brother and demanding she slay Sima Jiao. Liao Tingyan, torn, pleaded with Sima Jiao not to harm Shi Qiandu. Sima Jiao agreed, promising to show Liao Tingyan how the Shi clan had deceived her. Using his spiritual abilities, Sima Jiao guided Liao Tingyan into Shi Qiandu's spirit sense.
Inside Shi Qiandu's memories, which had been tampered with by Shi Qianlv, Liao Tingyan witnessed scenes of herself bound, crying out Sima Jiao's name as a villain. She then saw Shi Zhenxu, her alleged father, rescuing her, which led to his demise. Following this, she saw Shi Qianlv and Shi Qiandu healing her. Based on these manipulated memories, Liao Tingyan again firmly believed Sima Jiao was the one who harmed them.
Sima Jiao immediately sensed that Shi Qiandu's memories had been tampered with. Confused, Liao Tingyan didn't know who to believe. As they exited Shi Qiandu's spirit sense, they discovered Shi Qiandu was dead. Liao Tingyan, furious, blamed Sima Jiao, accusing him of not understanding her. Sima Jiao countered, proving his knowledge of her by listing her preferences: her love for vacations, "touching fish," and her deep aversion to killing.
A wave of fragmented memories overwhelmed Liao Tingyan, causing her to faint. It was revealed that Shi Qiandu's death was a calculated sacrifice orchestrated by Shi Qianlv. Facing desperate circumstances, Shi Qiandu had volunteered to have false memories implanted in her spirit sense and then commit suicide upon their extraction. This act, she believed, would thoroughly ignite Liao Tingyan's hatred for Sima Jiao, providing a chance for the Shi clan's revenge.
Shi Qianlv, though heartbroken, had reluctantly agreed to his sister's plan. In the moments before her death, Shi Qiandu declared her intention for Sima Jiao to die at the hands of his beloved. Nianjiu confirmed that Liao Tingyan was physically stable, but the repeated forcible marrow cleansing by Shi Qianlv had severely damaged her Soul Manor, causing her to faint during emotional distress. He suggested Sima Jiao, as her cultivation partner, enter her Soul Manor to repair it.
Sima Jiao refused, fearing that a premature intrusion would harm her since she hadn't fully accepted him. Instead, he decided to use his own blood for her healing. Nianjiu warned Sima Jiao that his own wounds were increasingly difficult to heal, and a direct blood transfer could cause a backlash due to Liao Tingyan's blocked spirit veins. He proposed refining Sima Jiao's blood into a pill.
Sima Jiao agreed and ordered Nianjiu to gather all the alchemists in Winter City, emphasizing that the pill must be made and, crucially, it must not be bitter. Sima Jiao then immediately ordered the search for Shi Qianlv to begin.
Nianjiu suggested using the opportunity to conquer the three cities in the southwest of the Demon Realm, but Sima Jiao dismissed the idea, stating those cities had no intention of surrendering and he would not countenance needless sacrifice, a surprising display of concern for other lives. Before Nianjiu departed, Sima Jiao promised to send word when Hongluo was fully reborn. In her unconscious state, Liao Tingyan entered her Soul Manor, where she saw a Bloodseal Bloom similar to Sima Jiao's.
A startling vision unfolded: she saw herself killing Shi Zhenxu, not Sima Jiao. Jolted awake, she was profoundly shaken. At that moment, the reborn Ye Ruling, now appearing as a child due to rapid growth from spirit medicines, came to her. Ye Ruling remembered much of Hongluo's past and had fleeting visions involving Liao Tingyan, herself, Sima Jiao, and Nianjiu, though she couldn't grasp their relationships.
She mentioned hearing that Liao Tingyan was the one who asked Sima Jiao to perform her Soul Transfer. Ye Ruling summarized the conflicting narratives: Sima Jiao accusing Liao Tingyan's father of deception, and the father accusing Sima Jiao, culminating in Sima Jiao seemingly killing Shi Qiandu. Liao Tingyan explained that her Soul Manor vision, showing her as Shi Zhenxu's killer, contradicted Shi Qiandu's implanted memories, making her question the truth.
She further reasoned that if Sima Jiao had something to hide, he wouldn't have insisted on searching Shi Qiandu's soul. Ye Ruling concluded by asking if Liao Tingyan now suspected Shi Qianlv of lying to her all along.
