When Destiny Brings The Demon Episode 8 Recap
> When Destiny Brings The Demon Recap
Liao Tingyan, now with enhanced spiritual power, applied a water mask to her face for hydration and comfort. She then offered one to Sima Jiao, who, experiencing a facial mask for the first time, found its coolness soothing. Having finally avenged himself, Sima Jiao felt a sense of drowsiness for the first time in 500 years, a sign of true relaxation.
He observed Liao Tingyan enjoying her mask, peaceful and content, and wondered if her presence was the cause of his newfound tranquility. Soon after, the Black Snake delivered a letter to Liao Tingyan from Ye Ruling, inviting her to witness the spectacle of the Scarlet Sky. Liao Tingyan, who considered Ye Ruling a good friend, was thrilled and immediately prepared to depart, asking the Black Snake to inform Grandmaster of her whereabouts.
Before she left, the Black Snake confided in Liao Tingyan about his recent human transformation. He explained that since Ye Ruling returned his snake heart, he frequently felt a longing for her aura, which he now believed caused his transformation. Liao Tingyan advised him that human relationships take time to nurture and suggested he take Ye Ruling as his master, assuring him that Grandmaster would approve.
The Black Snake then went to Sima Jiao, reporting Liao Tingyan's departure and requesting permission to take Ye Ruling as his master. Sima Jiao, seemingly unconcerned, granted permission, instructing the Black Snake to make such minor decisions independently now that he had taken human form. Meanwhile, Ye Ruling, harboring a secret agenda, awaited Liao Tingyan. The "Scarlet Sky" she invited Liao Tingyan to see was, in fact, the Immortal-Demon Barrier, a formidable obstacle she desperately wished to escape.
Her own cultivation was insufficient to break it, so she hoped Liao Tingyan's unique properties would help. Ye Ruling recounted how her family was enslaved by the Yin Palace in the Celestial Realm after the Immortal-Demon War, enduring humiliation despite her mother's trust in the new palace leader, Yin Liunian. She expressed the long-held hope that Sima Jiao's death would cause the barrier to vanish, allowing them to return to the Demon Realm.
She also mentioned an ancient legend of the Frost Fish from the Demon Realm, whose "extreme-cold nature" could also pierce the barrier. Unaware of Ye Ruling's true intentions, Liao Tingyan approached the barrier and was immediately struck by a painful backlash, similar to an electric shock. Ye Ruling was surprised, questioning why Liao Tingyan's extreme-cold nature didn't prevent the backlash, revealing she already suspected Liao Tingyan possessed this rare trait.
Ye Ruling explained the barrier was set by the Sima Clan with Spirit Fire to block traffic between the realms, affecting both immortal and demon inhabitants. Later, as Liao Tingyan was eating dinner, she received another peach blossom letter. It demanded she meet at a specific location, threatening to expose her true identity if she failed to comply within three days. Liao Tingyan, puzzled by this mysterious "identity," felt a vague sense of unease and decided to go, albeit reluctantly.
The sender of these messages was Yuan Shang, the sole son of Yuan Che, the Heaven Palace master. Yuan Shang, instigated by Shi Qianlv, had given Liao Tingyan the task of assassinating Sima Jiao. However, Sima Jiao had long since discerned that Liao Tingyan was not inherently malicious and did not hold her origins against her. At the rendezvous point, Yuan Shang confronted Liao Tingyan, accusing her of betrayal for ignoring his previous messages.
Liao Tingyan recognized his dramatic behavior as akin to a spurned lover. She broke off ties with him, which Yuan Shang met with a threat, reminding her that her life was in his hands due to the "Bone-Eroding Venom" he had administered, confirming he was the cause of her previous abdominal pains. Liao Tingyan condemned his manipulative tactics, even remarking that Sima Jiao, a "murderer," was more straightforward than him.
Yuan Shang then attempted to attack her, but Liao Tingyan, whose cultivation had surged to the Soulshift stage, easily repelled him. Yuan Shang was shocked by her sudden power, realizing Sima Jiao must have neutralized the poison, and therefore, must know her true identity as an assassin. Liao Tingyan countered, saying that Grandmaster was "valiant and magnanimous" and would not hold such a minor matter against her. She firmly refused to kill Sima Jiao.
Yuan Shang, desperate, suggested she must have fallen for Sima Jiao, a claim Liao Tingyan vehemently denied, wary that Sima Jiao might be eavesdropping. She advised Yuan Shang to seek help for his obsessive thoughts. Unbeknownst to Yuan Shang, Shi Qianlv had orchestrated his death at the hands of his own son, Zhenxu, to frame Sima Jiao and incite Yuan Che's wrath.
Zhenxu reported Yuan Shang's death to Shi Qianlv, confirming Sima Jiao's "Soul Search" traces were on the body, perfect for framing. However, Sima Jiao had anticipated this. He dispatched Black Snake to intervene and rescue/revive Yuan Shang. Black Snake then took Yuan Shang to Yuan Che, revealing that Shi Qianlv had plotted his son's death to manipulate Yuan Che.
Sima Jiao, through the Black Snake, offered Yuan Che a deal: if he cooperated, his son would be spared and hidden from the world; otherwise, both would perish. Seeing the truth and his son alive, Yuan Che immediately pledged his allegiance to Sima Jiao, agreeing to feign ignorance about Yuan Shang's survival and gain Shi Qianlv's trust as a double agent. Meanwhile, Ye Ruling discussed Liao Tingyan's extreme-cold nature with her kinswoman, Canglan.
Canglan, unaware of the moral implications, suggested taking Liao Tingyan's core to break the barrier. Ye Ruling refused, emphasizing that Liao Tingyan would die and they could not demand such a sacrifice. However, the conversation was overheard by Anxue, Shi Qianlv's loyal subordinate. Shi Qianlv, who already planned to use Liao Tingyan's "Frost Fish identity" against Sima Jiao, instructed Anxue to relay this information to Yuan Che.
This would solidify the false narrative that Sima Jiao killed Yuan Shang under the influence of a "Frost Fish," leaving him no room to defend himself. Yuan Che, following Sima Jiao's instructions, then relayed Shi Qianlv's discovery of Liao Tingyan's demon identity to Sima Jiao. Sima Jiao was genuinely surprised at how quickly Shi Qianlv uncovered this secret, suspecting a spy within the Demon Realm and ordering Black Snake to investigate.
Despite Black Snake's distress, Sima Jiao declared that he would "oblige" the Eight Palaces' wish for Liao Tingyan's death. He instructed Black Snake to have Yuan Che approach Shi Qianlv, feigning grief and rage over his son's "death" and proposing to re-seal Sima Jiao to gain Shi Qianlv's full trust.
Shi Qianlv readily agreed, and suggested they first target Liao Tingyan, using her as bait to lure Sima Jiao into the array, or at least using her as leverage if the sealing failed. He also proposed exploiting Liao Tingyan's relationship with her former master, Dongyang Zhenren (from Qinggu Mountain), a suggestion Yuan Che praised. Sometime later, Liao Tingyan immersed herself in reading ancient texts, her enhanced perception allowing her to understand the structure of the cultivation world.
She discovered the existence of outer sects and the Demon Realm, learning about the ancient war led by the Demon Realm leader, Centipede, and how the Sima Clan established the Immortal-Demon Barrier, depriving demon cultivators of Gengchen Celestial Palace's spiritual energy. She also read a biased account of Sima Jiao's upbringing by Lord of Slack of the Shi Clan, which portrayed Sima Jiao as "rash" and in need of an immortal to suppress his "inner demon."
Liao Tingyan dismissed these parts as fabricated nonsense. Shortly after, Liao Tingyan received a letter from her master in Qinggu Mountain, inviting her and Grandmaster to a reunion festival. Filled with joy, she eagerly asked Sima Jiao to accompany her. Sima Jiao declined. When Liao Tingyan asked if she could go alone, he replied "Of course." Unbeknownst to Liao Tingyan, this "celebratory feast" was a carefully laid trap, orchestrated by Shi Qianlv and Yuan Che, with the ultimate goal of killing her.
