As His Majesty grew older, he increasingly disliked staying in the palace and often followed his whims, bringing officials and guards to visit various prefectures. While claiming to inspect local conditions, everyone knew that His Majesty was merely bored, causing a commotion and disregarding court opposition by leaving the palace for entertainment. This time, he had simply abandoned the Spring Sacrifice to come to Liyang.

Wei Xianyu had been the governor of Liyang Prefecture for many years. Though he kept his thoughts hidden, he had been diligently attending to His Majesty’s entertainment these days. Today, with the festivities outside the city, His Majesty wanted to watch the dragon boat races, so he had made proper arrangements and even specially prepared some beauties to sing and dance by the lakeside.

However, upon arrival, His Majesty didn’t seem particularly interested in the dragon boats. He sat by the boat, listlessly fiddling with a jade pendant at his waist.

Having sat there for nearly half a day, Wei Xianyu, standing in attendance, could barely endure it anymore. His back was soaked with sweat, and his legs ached. Accustomed to comfort and luxury, he couldn’t bear this discomfort, so he cautiously tried to persuade His Majesty to return and rest, hoping to ease his suffering as well.

The sixteen-year-old emperor had a face as beautiful as a fine woman, skin like powdered jade, black hair, and dark eyes—truly a handsome appearance. Yet, his face carried an inexplicable aura of malevolence, and when he looked at people, there was always a sense that he could see through one’s heart, filled with gloomy severity.

He seemed not to have heard Wei Xianyu’s words, his expression unruffled, lost in thought.

“Your Majesty…” Wei Xianyu, who had long resided in Liyang, had limited interaction with this rumored tyrant. Seeing that he was being ignored, he couldn’t help but try to persuade him again.

Sima Jiao, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly and unpredictably swept his sleeve, without even looking, flinging a cup of tea from the table onto Wei Xianyu. The teacup hit his forehead and drenched him with tea leaves.

Wei Xianyu’s eye twitched, but he dared not say anything, lowering his head to conceal his expression.

Just then, he saw Sima Jiao stand up and abruptly tear open the semi-transparent embroidered curtain hanging on the window, looking outside as if searching for something.

The jade hooks and tassels supporting the curtain were pulled down, with jade beads bouncing on the floor and rolling under a nearby tea table.

Not just Wei Xianyu, but even the eunuchs serving His Majesty showed expressions of surprise.

One of them nervously swallowed and stepped forward, softly asking, “Your Majesty, what’s wrong? Are you looking for something?”

Sima Jiao suddenly pressed his brow and said, “Just now, there was a woman in an ornate carriage by the roadside. Go find her for me.”

…

“What? He’s now the emperor of Hu Kingdom?”

Liao Tingyan was surprised at first but then found it fitting. She had always thought this ancestor resembled a tyrant, and now he truly lived up to the name.

But what should she do now? Should she directly take Sima Jiao back to the Demon Realm, or should she first approach him to test if his memory had recovered, then gradually tell him about his past?

The black snake had remained in the Demon Realm to intimidate subordinates and hadn’t come along. Liao Tingyan had only brought Hong Luo and a group of demon generals and cultivators.

Hong Luo said, “Of course, take him back first. He’s just a mortal now and can’t resist. You can bring him back and do whatever you want. Besides, you need to make him cultivate again. Even if his physical aptitude isn’t good, with that ancestor’s comprehension, he’ll surely achieve something.”

Liao Tingyan listened but remained silent for a long time.

She seemed lost in thought.

In the courtyard where they were temporarily staying, large clusters of gardenias grew, with dense green leaves and white flowers just outside the window. She stared at the flowers for a while, then suddenly said, “No, let’s stay here. I won’t take him back to the Demon Realm, nor will I make him cultivate.”

I want to let him live one lifetime as an ordinary mortal.

Hong Luo couldn’t understand at all. She widened her eyes and exclaimed, “Not let him cultivate? A mortal’s life is just a few decades. Do you want to watch him live through these few decades and then just die? What will you do then?!”

Liao Tingyan wanted to say, that I was once a mortal too. I never imagined that one day I would possess a longer life. I don’t want to live that long—frighteningly long. Even in just these ten-plus years, she had already felt extremely weary.

Being a mortal is good. A few decades of life is enough.

Perhaps for Sima Jiao, being an ordinary person was his most fortunate circumstance. He was originally supposed to perish completely, soul and all, but she had forcibly kept him. If they were to pursue longevity, it would seem too greedy.

She didn’t speak but looked at Hong Luo. Hong Luo understood that she wouldn’t change her mind. In terms of stubbornness, she might be very similar to Sima Jiao as a couple.

Although Hong Luo still couldn’t understand what Liao Tingyan was thinking, she couldn’t persuade her. She could only point out the current issue: “Since you don’t want to take him away, you’ll have to stay here with him. But what identity will you use to approach him? What will you do afterward? Have you thought about it? You’ve been searching for him for so many years—surely just secretly watching him from the sidelines isn’t enough.”

That definitely wouldn’t work.

This was indeed a problem.

Liao Tingyan thought for a moment. “How about this: I’ll use magic to create a dream for him, and then enter the dream.” Wasn’t it common to dream of a beautiful woman and fall in love at first sight?

She recalled the “Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River” and decided to improvise using a timeless template: “In the dream, he’ll be playing by the water when suddenly he sees a water goddess standing by the river and is struck by her divine beauty.”

After a few such dreams, she would find an opportunity to recreate this scene in reality. This was simple for her. With such a high-profile entrance as a goddess, if she later displayed any special abilities, they would be easily explained.

Perfect.

Liao Tingyan nodded with satisfaction, feeling that this approach had very mythical characteristics.

Hong Luo thought: I don’t think this is very reliable, sister. Are you going to do this?

Liao Tingyan replied: This is a basic operation. What could go wrong?

The two discussed in detail how to pretend to be a fairy descending to the mortal realm and effectively enchanting a tyrant when suddenly they heard a demon general announce from outside: “Demon Master, a squad of mortal soldiers has arrived.”

What soldiers? They had just arrived here and hadn’t had time to cause any trouble. How could soldiers have found them?

Could it be because they hadn’t obtained entry permits for the city, or hadn’t yet created false identities, resulting in an investigation? But were the household registration systems in these mortal kingdoms that strict?

Liao Tingyan became even more confused when she saw the group of guards because the person leading the soldiers was a delicate, effeminate man. He wasn’t there to check for illegal residents but smiled at Liao Tingyan, who was seated in the main position and said: “My lord saw the young lady by the river, and his heart was captivated. He has sent us to find the young lady’s whereabouts and hopes the young lady will come with me to meet my lord.”

“Young lady” was a term in the Hu Kingdom specifically for unmarried young women, while “young lord” referred to men.

Liao Tingyan: “…”

She understood now. While walking on the street, she encountered a lecher who was attracted by her appearance, so he sent people to find her, intending to forcibly take her.

To think she would encounter such a scenario in her lifetime? Honestly, Liao Tingyan had almost forgotten that she was considered a great beauty.

Hong Luo and the other demon generals and cultivators disguised as servants and guards looked at each other in bewilderment. This… Liao Tingyan had previously been the partner of Sima Jiao, the world’s number one demon king, and later became the Demon Realm Master herself. Who would dare to set their sights on her? Even if they did, they wouldn’t dare say it. How could such a thing happen?

Perhaps because it was so absurd, Liao Tingyan didn’t even feel angry. Only the group of tall, fierce-looking demon generals beside her displayed offended and vicious expressions.

What little bastard dared to covet their leader? Tear out his tendons! Flay his skin! Refine his soul!

Perhaps sensing their hostility, the previously arrogant pale-faced man now had trembling legs and stuttered involuntarily: “Our lord is no ordinary person. If the young lady is willing, immense wealth and status can be easily obtained…”

Liao Tingyan wanted to laugh. “Oh? How much wealth and status?”

The pale-faced man straightened his back slightly: “My lord’s surname is Sima, from Yan City.”

Yan City was the royal capital, and Sima was the royal surname. Only one person could claim this—the ruler of Hu Kingdom, Sima Jiao.

Liao Tingyan: “…”

Who? Who did you say?

Liao Tingyan: “…Sima Jiao?”

The pale-faced man’s expression changed: “How dare you directly address the king by name!”

Hong Luo and the demon generals all fell silent. No one was angry anymore; they all felt it was somewhat unreal.

Liao Tingyan thought: I haven’t even had time to create the dream and establish my persona, have I?

In the strange silence, Hong Luo patted Liao Tingyan’s shoulder and whispered: “Well, you know, a thousand miles of fate connected by a thread… cherish this connection?”

Liao Tingyan suddenly realized: “!!!” Sima Jiao! He had become someone who sees a beautiful woman by the road and sends people to forcibly bring her to him! So skillful, this probably wasn’t his first time!

Damn you! Sima Jiao! You’re dead!

I’m telling you, you’re going to die!

Liao Tingyan boarded the carriage that had come to fetch her, silently traveling to Wei Xianyu’s mansion in Liyang Prefecture.

She thought about how to vent her anger when she saw Sima Jiao—slap his pretty face, kick him flying first, or say a few words before taking action…

But when she finally saw his familiar face again, Liao Tingyan found herself unable to move. She just stared at him, a rush of confused emotions welling up inside her.

She recalled a line of poetry:

Long separation in this world does not bring sorrow.

Not sorrowful, until the sudden reunion brings tears.

With thousands of words to say, yet not knowing where to begin, Liao Tingyan looked at the man sitting there, nonchalantly glancing back at her. When she saw his eyes, tears instantly streamed down her face.

She wanted to say, I’ve been looking for you for so long. She also wanted to say, I often dream, but rarely of you. She wanted to scold him, scold him harshly. She wanted even more to go over and hug this person she had found with such difficulty. But whether to embrace or berate him, she couldn’t approach him, only standing fixed in place, looking at him with tears streaming down her face.

Sima Jiao: “…”

He had been sitting there, expressionlessly watching her cry, but later the jade cup he had been playing with fell to the ground and shattered. He stood up, walked to Liao Tingyan, and rather roughly wiped away her tears with his thumb. “Why are you crying?”

He irritably looked at the attendant who had brought her, “I told you to find her, not to force her.”

The servant was terrified by his glance. “Your Majesty, this young lady truly came willingly!”

Came willingly? Would someone who came willingly cry like she had lost her husband?

Sima Jiao was giving him a headache from all the crying. He hesitated, rubbed the tear stains on his fingers, and felt his headache about to flare up, his brow throbbing with pain.

Liao Tingyan, still crying, found a place to sit, supporting herself on a small table by the couch.

Sima Jiao, pressing his brow and ready to explode: “…”

How are you so familiar with doing that?