When Destiny Brings The Demon Episode 32 Recap
> When Destiny Brings The Demon Recap
Liao Tingyan, wondering if her demon core had driven her to kill, especially after her maid, Liangchen, informed her that all the birds in the palace had died overnight, sought out her Master. Her Master confirmed that the demonic energy in her demon core was indeed stirring.
To thwart the Centipede's scheme, her Master presented two options: either dissipate all her cultivation, rendering the demon core inert but leaving her powerless to protect Sima Jiao, or strengthen her Spirit Fire using her own blood. The latter, however, was a perilous path, akin to "drinking poison to quench thirst," with complete suppression ultimately demanding the sacrifice of her life.
Liao Tingyan realized the Centipede's cruel dilemma: either she becomes useless to Sima Jiao or an unwitting weapon against him. Desperate to gain time and protect Sima Jiao, Liao Tingyan accompanied the Empress Dowager in the garden. She assured the Empress Dowager that she and Sima Jiao were mother and son in a previous life and that his current rebirth was a quest to reunite with her.
The Empress Dowager, pleased, spoke of Sima Jiao's intention to make Liao Tingyan Empress after his coming-of-age ceremony, which would grant her access to Hushan Hall for the traditional worship ritual, a privilege shared by the Emperor and Empress. This revelation sparked a new urgency in Liao Tingyan, as she knew Sima Jiao had placed a barrier around Hushan Hall nineteen years ago. Becoming Empress would allow her to bypass it and safeguard him.
She promptly asked Sima Jiao if she could be crowned Empress immediately after his upcoming ceremony, citing her contributions to the canal project. While Sima Jiao agreed it was "hers sooner or later," he was intrigued by her unusual haste. Later, Sima Jiao noticed Liao Tingyan's feverish state and confided in her about a recurring dream of an internal fire, similar to her current condition.
He asked how he had once found solace from such pain, to which Liao Tingyan responded with a kiss. She then reminisced about bringing snow for him in the past, and they promised to watch the next snowfall together. Liao Tingyan suggested they abandon formal titles and use "you" and "I" when alone, a proposal Sima Jiao readily accepted. As they lay together, Sima Jiao initiated intimacy, but Liao Tingyan playfully accused him of cheating.
When he pressed for her reluctance, she stated it was "not yet time." Unable to provide a definitive answer to "when," she cryptically asked if he knew what a Soul Manor was, and upon his negative reply, advised him to sleep, assuring him he would understand everything after the worship ritual. Meanwhile, Noble Consort Si Xian, having been warned by her father, the Marquis of Nanyan, to stay away from Liao Tingyan, was determined to undermine her influence.
Equipped with a demon-revealing mirror from her father, she sent a note to Liao Tingyan, inviting her to a late-night meeting in a pavilion to expose her. Separately, Noble Consort Si Xian herself received a threatening note, instructing her to meet alone at the Ziquan Palace lakeside at the Chou hour or face severe consequences for her clan. Armed with the demon-revealing mirror, she ventured out, instructing her maid to raise an alarm if she didn't return within two hours.
Liao Tingyan, upon receiving the note (which was deceptively signed by Nianjiu), initially dismissed it as a clumsy fake, but then wondered if Nianjiu had indeed found traces of the Centipede. She was ambushed by the Demon Lord and fell unconscious. She awoke to a horrifying scene: her maid, Liangchen, was terrified, Noble Consort Si Xian lay dead in a pool of blood, and Liao Tingyan herself was covered in it, making her appear to be the culprit.
Officials reported Noble Consort Si Xian's body found in Liao Tingyan's palace, drained of blood and partially consumed, with the death time matching the Chou hour. Minister Chen Tang presented this as irrefutable evidence against Liao Tingyan. Sima Jiao, however, suspected a frame-up, pointing out the suspicious handwriting on the notes. Chen Tang countered by questioning the blood on Liao Tingyan's clothing. Despite Sima Jiao's anger and threats, Liao Tingyan voluntarily requested imprisonment.
She explained to Hongluo and Nianjiu in her cell that this would protect Sima Jiao from political backlash and keep her away from him, safeguarding him should her demon core truly lose control. Sima Jiao later visited her alone in prison, expressing his unwavering belief in her innocence and attempting to secure her release.
However, Liao Tingyan refused, fearing that his protection would only escalate the court's accusations and provide the Marquis of Nanyan with further opportunities to destabilize his rule. Unbeknownst to Sima Jiao, the Marquis of Nanyan was meeting with the Centipede, now a female "Madam" figure. The Marquis, enraged by his daughter's death, vowed vengeance against Liao Tingyan.
The Centipede promised him limitless boys and girls, predicting a great chaos in the Hu Kingdom that would pave the way for him to become the new sovereign and destroy Sima Jiao and Liao Tingyan. As the Centipede's power swelled from the continued sacrifice of children, Dushan County plunged into a severe drought and famine, fueling widespread resentment. Liao Tingyan, in her prison cell, felt her demon core violently surge, overriding the medicine she had taken.
She realized the calamity was orchestrated by the Centipede, not only to empower her demon core but also to undermine Sima Jiao's throne. Remembering her Master's dire warning about using her blood to ignite the Spirit Fire as a final resort, even at the cost of her own life, she resolved to act. Enduring immense pain, she used her own blood to fuel her Spirit Fire, successfully suppressing the demon core's malevolent influence.
In court, ministers reported on Dushan's devastation and the discovery of mutilated children's bodies in the fields. A General highlighted that the children had vanished before the drought and their deaths mirrored Noble Consort Si Xian's, pointing to demonic involvement. The astrologer declared a "demonic star" above the palace, warning of national collapse and urging Sima Jiao to burn Liao Tingyan.
Sima Jiao fiercely defended Liao Tingyan, questioning if the "demonic star" couldn't represent himself and sarcastically implying his "foolishness" made the Marquis of Nanyan seem wiser. He reminded the ministers of their past praise for Liao Tingyan and chastised them for blaming a single woman for the kingdom's woes. He ordered the General to distribute grain and reinforce Dushan's borders.
To Chen Tang, he assigned the investigation of the children's deaths, specifically directing him to thoroughly investigate the Marquis of Nanyan. He then dismissed the Marquis of Nanyan from court for a few days, ostensibly for grieving.
Still in prison, Liao Tingyan, appearing pale, tasked Hongluo with a three-pronged mission: ensure Sima Jiao's safety during his upcoming coming-of-age ceremony, find demon sorcerers to bring rain to Dushan County, and investigate the Centipede by tracing the residual aura on the dead children's bodies. Despite Liao Tingyan's decision to remain imprisoned for his coming-of-age ceremony, the event proceeded. As the royal crown was placed on Sima Jiao's head, his past memories, long suppressed, fully returned.
He relived moments of his tormented past, his unwavering commitment to Liao Tingyan, and their first encounter in a previous life where he promised to forge new memories with her and always find his way back. He also recalled Liao Tingyan's query about his immense sacrifice, to which he had replied that what he gave was hers to command, and that her happiness was his only concern. With his memories and full awareness restored, Sima Jiao immediately summoned Nianjiu.
Acknowledging Nianjiu's surprise at his regained knowledge and power, Sima Jiao, though still largely in his mortal form, instructed Nianjiu to conjure a heavy snowfall. Liao Tingyan, having been plagued by strange dreams since igniting her Spirit Fire, was finally released from prison by Minister Chen Tang, who informed her that the true killer of Noble Consort Si Xian had been apprehended by the Emperor himself.
Stepping outside, Liao Tingyan saw the falling snow and instantly understood that Sima Jiao's memories had returned. They reunited, and she tearfully confronted him, expressing the profound pain his secrecy had caused her and questioning why he had given her his Spirit Fire without fear of her leaving him to scatter into nothingness.
Sima Jiao gently explained that it was his choice to give it, and it was hers to do with as she pleased; he would have become a guiding light for her soul if she had chosen to depart. Softened by his words, Liao Tingyan recognized the depth of his sacrifices and his tendency to conceal his suffering.
She then expressed her understanding that if the past brought him pain, she wouldn't force him to remember it, instead suggesting he live this life as an ordinary man, finding peace and joy. Sima Jiao replied that compared to the pain of losing her, all past suffering was insignificant.
