“If you become wealthy and noble, don’t forget me.” These were the words Liao Tingyan had once said to Hong Luo when she was still using the alias Lu Yan and working as a security guard at Rouge Platform. Hong Luo earned more than her and was doing better in life. After they became friends, Hong Luo often treated her to meals, and sometimes when they met, would casually toss her a fruit or something to try.
Working at a place like Rouge Platform inevitably involves some dangers. Liao Tingyan had suffered work injuries, but unfortunately, the demon realm had no employee protection or work injury compensation. Relationships in the demon realm were distant and cold. It was Hong Luo who had dragged her from the battlefield and later helped her obtain a good medicinal pill to treat her wounds.
Liao Tingyan remembered all of this clearly, and seeing Hong Luo now—jumping around with wild joy and dancing with excitement—made her happy too.
The two talked about what had happened to each other after their separation. After hearing Liao Tingyan’s story about herself and Winter City’s big boss Sima Jiao, Hong Luo slapped her thigh and exclaimed, “What divine romance is this! I’m so damn envious!”
When she spoke of her affairs, she angrily pounded the table: “You don’t know how terrible the techniques of those two idiots who killed me were. Having cultivated the arts of pleasure for years and handled countless men, those two skills would rank dead last. Damn it, I even wanted to become a vengeful ghost just to kill those two. I never expected you would help me get revenge.”
Hong Luo pursed her lips, threw herself forward, and hugged her friend.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, no need to thank me.” Liao Tingyan patted her on the back, holding her as she stood up. “Come, I’ll take you out for a walk.”
Hong Luo immediately became excited, sitting in her arms and laughing arrogantly, “Hahaha, actually dying once wasn’t such a bad deal! Do you know how excellent my aptitude is now? Look at this face, I’m a natural beauty, hehe. And now I even have a demon realm queen’s dad!”
Liao Tingyan: “So you are claiming me as your dad? Then wouldn’t that make the great Sima your mother?”
Hong Luo quickly covered her mouth with her hand, looking nervously left and right. “Shh, if the Demon Lord hears that, I’ll die!”
Liao Tingyan laughed heartily: “It’s not that dramatic. Although everyone outside claims he’s cruel, he doesn’t like killing people.” She had been by his side for so long and hadn’t seen him take action even once. Killing people? He didn’t even eat meat. Where would you find such a peace-loving great demon king?
Hong Luo gave her a look that spoke volumes. “Mother, my dear mother, you think the Demon Lord isn’t scary because you’re dao partners. He has no ill intentions toward you, so of course you don’t feel his terrifying aura. We’re different! We’re like children of a stepmother! If he doesn’t like what he sees, he’ll kill without hesitation!”
“And what do you mean he doesn’t kill people? Are you stupid? He just doesn’t let you see it, tsk tsk tsk. I’m not saying this is too particular, but you’ve killed people before. Could it be the old man is afraid of frightening you? You weren’t so ‘delicate’ when you used to hang out with me.”
Liao Tingyan: “To be fair, friend, if someone helps you think through everything, would you still want to think for yourself? If someone does everything for you, would you still want to do it yourself? Not a chance.”
Hong Luo: Damn, I’m so envious of this person who can win by just lying down.
Liao Tingyan took Hong Luo and the black snake, which was circling her feet, for a stroll in the forbidden palace.
Hong Luo: “So this is the legendary Demon Lord’s forbidden palace. Outside, they make it sound so mysterious, but looking at it now, it doesn’t seem that scary.”
Liao Tingyan: “Does it feel good?”
Hong Luo: “Hell yeah! Others can’t come here, but I can. Look at this special treatment—I can walk with my head held high!”
Hong Luo: “But you’re so lazy. Now that you’ve made it big, you don’t do anything. If it were me, I’d lead a large group of demon generals, ferocious beasts, and the Demon Lord, swagger back to Heron Immortal City, and let those bastards see how successful I’ve become. Those dogs who used to look down on me would regret it!”
Liao Tingyan was about to say something, but opened her mouth and then closed it again.
Somehow they ended up at an outer palace guarded by two demon generals. The guards glanced at Liao Tingyan, who was carrying a child and followed by a snake and didn’t dare to stop her. They stepped back and invited her to enter freely. Liao Tingyan hadn’t planned to go in, but seeing their welcoming manner, she simply walked in.
Sima Jiao was sitting inside the hall. Before him, several demon generals were struggling and twisting in flames, being burned into black ashes. A thick layer of such ashes had already covered the ground in front of him.
Liao Tingyan: “…” Wow.
Sima Jiao looked over a group of demon generals standing beside him and pointed out several more. Those who were singled out all had grim expressions. One person immediately knelt down, crying and begging for mercy, but was still burned along with the others by Sima Jiao.
Soon, the ashes on the ground thickened by another layer.
Hong Luo watched with her hair standing on end, involuntarily clutching Liao Tingyan’s arm tighter. She whispered, “Mother! Those must be Winter City’s demon generals, right? Does the Demon Lord just kill them on a whim? See? You said he doesn’t kill people, but what do you call this?”
Liao Tingyan: “Uh…”
Though her voice was soft, Sima Jiao quickly turned his gaze toward her.
“Why have you come here?”
Liao Tingyan made a motion to turn around. “Then I’ll go back first?”
Sima Jiao reached out to her: “Come over.”
Liao Tingyan had no choice but to bring her whole family—her goddaughter who was trembling at the sight of Sima Jiao and the bootlicking black snake—and walk toward Sima Jiao.
The group of demon generals and prospective demon generals all looked at her, yet dared not stare too long.
Liao Tingyan sat beside Sima Jiao, letting Hong Luo sit on her lap. This friend who had been pontificating just moments ago was now as quiet as a chicken, not making a sound.
Sima Jiao continued to point out demon generals to step forward. Seeing his casual manner, Liao Tingyan suspected he was selecting people randomly, like the “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” method.
Watching the demon generals trying to maintain their composure, she suddenly felt it was like a math teacher calling students to the blackboard to solve problems. Everyone not called maintained a serious expression, not daring to be careless, while those called looked as if they were attending a funeral.
Seeing that none of them attempted to struggle or counterattack, but obediently went forward to their deaths, Liao Tingyan found it strange. When had the demon realm’s fierce demon generals become so docile?
She had arrived too late to know that among that thick layer of ashes were many who, in desperation, had tried to attack Sima Jiao. But what was the result? They still ended up as a pile of ashes.
Sima Jiao seemed to have killed enough and waved his hand, dismissing everyone. The faces of the survivors were filled with the excitement of escaping death.
“Those are?” Liao Tingyan looked at the ashes on the ground.
Sima Jiao: “Things that developed disloyal thoughts while I was away. Just dealing with them.”
Liao Tingyan felt Hong Luo trembling in her arms and could only pat her reassuringly.
Sima Jiao finally noticed Hong Luo and glanced at the little girl. “What is this?”
Liao Tingyan lifted her and introduced her: “Hong Luo, the friend I wanted to resurrect before.” Better to introduce her to the big boss now to avoid her being casually killed by him someday.
Hong Luo moved her short legs uneasily. “…” Friend, please put me down and don’t make me face the Demon Lord directly. I’m really scared right now.
Sima Jiao didn’t say anything and pulled Liao Tingyan to her feet. Hong Luo seized the opportunity to jump down and walk behind the black snake, no longer daring to stay in her friend’s arms.
Liao Tingyan felt his grip on her hand. His palm was somewhat hot, which wasn’t normal, as his body was usually cool. She wiggled her fingers, but Sima Jiao tightened his grip, locking her fingers and not letting her move.
Liao Tingyan looked at him. “You kill people directly with fire?” But she had heard before that Winter City’s great demon king Sima Jiao most enjoyed killing with his hands, reveling in the bloody spectacle.
Sima Jiao didn’t answer this question, but instead laughed and said: “Their fear of this Mountain Spirit Fire has gradually been etched into their bones by me.”
Liao Tingyan: “???”
Sima Jiao stroked her temple with his thumb and changed the subject. “I’ve captured Shi Zhenxu.”
Liao Tingyan instinctively gasped.
Sima Jiao: “Do you want to see him?”
This question… the correct answer was obviously “no,” but thinking of the spirit stones this fake brother had often provided her over the years, she felt she needed to see him once.
She cleared her throat and asked, “Can I answer ‘I want to’?”
Sima Jiao: “If you want to, then go.” He spoke casually, not caring, and brushed Liao Tingyan’s hair aside, letting her go.
Look at that powerful confidence—truly befitting the world’s number-one boss.
Liao Tingyan did indeed go to see the imprisoned Shi Zhenxu. After she left, Sima Jiao coldly stared at Hong Luo. Hong Luo nervously hugged the black snake beside her, unable to help thinking: “Mother! Could it be this ancestor thinks I’m annoying his dao partner and wants me to disappear!”
Sima Jiao: “Do you know how to kill?”
Hong Luo: “Yes, yes I do.”
Sima Jiao scrutinized her for a moment more: “I can give you everything you want. In the future, I want you to help her do some things.”
Hong Luo nodded repeatedly like a pestle: “I can, I can, I can!”
Liao Tingyan didn’t know what her friend had experienced. She went to see Shi Zhenxu and found that his condition was still okay, just looking a bit haggard.
“…Brother?” Considering that he had lent her money before, Liao Tingyan still called him this.
Shi Zhenxu looked at her with a complex expression mixed with a hint of disgust and vigilance: “Since you’ve already remembered, yet still call me that, are you mocking me?”
Wrong, she hadn’t remembered.
Liao Tingyan scratched her face.
Perhaps seeing something in her expression, Shi Zhenxu widened his eyes in surprise. “Could it be you still haven’t recovered your memory? If so, how could you fall into Sima Jiao’s embrace?”
Liao Tingyan: “Because of love?”
Shi Zhenxu was speechless; there was no way to respond to that. A thought crossed his mind, and he suddenly laughed, “Although restoring your memory isn’t simple, Sima Jiao could certainly do it. He hasn’t restored your memory—can you guess why? Because there are things he doesn’t want you to remember, and even everything he’s told you during this time has been lies! He’s deceiving you!”
Shi Zhenxu had no options left. Having been captured by Sima Jiao, he was certainly facing death. Even in death, he wanted Sima Jiao to suffer. If he could sow discord between these two, that would be best.
Liao Tingyan didn’t say much more. She sighed and left.
She recalled the days of living with Shi Qianlü and Shi Zhenxu. They always tried to convince her that being born into the Shi family meant sacrificing for the family. Personal likes, dislikes, and futures were meaningless; only the perpetuity of the clan and surname had meaning.
It was like cult brainwashing, so she never believed it, often wondering if she had fallen into some kind of pyramid scheme.
But after living together for several years, was there truly not a shred of affection? She did have some, but this familial feeling was inappropriate and couldn’t be expressed—it wouldn’t be good for anyone.
Sima Jiao was waiting for her outside.
Liao Tingyan went over and heard Sima Jiao say: “I won’t kill him, but he will be imprisoned here forever.” For Liao Tingyan’s sake, he could refrain from disposing of this Shi family member’s soul, allowing him to enter the soul pool for reincarnation normally.
After speaking, Sima Jiao wiped the corner of Liao Tingyan’s eye with his thumb.
“Only this one. Shi Qianlü must die, understand?”
Liao Tingyan sniffled and nodded.
She took Sima Jiao’s hand of her own accord. “Can’t I recover my previous memories?”
Sima Jiao: “If you can remember on your own, then do so.”
Liao Tingyan added: “I trust you.”
Sima Jiao: “It doesn’t matter if you don’t.” He didn’t care about these things. For the person he liked, anything was acceptable. Whatever he was willing to do was simply because he was willing. Whether she trusted him or not, loved him or not.
Liao Tingyan was quiet for a moment, organizing her thoughts: “Dao partner, shall we dual cultivate? The kind that opens the spirit mansion?”
She thought Sima Jiao wouldn’t agree, because during this time, he had never mentioned spirit mansion dual cultivation. She always felt he seemed to be avoiding it, perhaps because of her memory loss, thinking it wasn’t safe.
But Sima Jiao agreed: “If you wish, of course we can.”
Liao Tingyan finally understood why Sima Jiao hadn’t engaged in spirit mansion dual cultivation. She saw Sima Jiao’s spirit mansion—the earth had disappeared, replaced by surging red magma. Flames filled the sky, spreading everywhere with scorching fire and flowing lava. This was a spirit mansion that suffocated her; she couldn’t even touch those flames. The only place her spiritual soul could stand was a small patch of flowering ground.
…
Liao Tingyan lay there in a daze, her eyes slowly regaining clarity.
She turned over and choked slightly.
“If it were an ordinary person, would they have died from the pain long ago?”
Sima Jiao turned her back toward him. “Am I an ordinary person?”