:*Tingyan is attacked,saved by Sima Jiao's power, owes him*
The mountain was restless. Disciples whispered of strange tremors, of fire runes that pulsed like beating hearts. Elders paced the courtyards with furrowed brows.
And in the middle of it all, Liao Tingyan sat cross-legged on the grass, plucking blades of it one by one.
If I keep my head down, she thought, maybe no one will notice me. Maybe no one will figure out I've been chatting with the world's scariest roommate under the mountain.
But luck had never been her strong suit.
---
The Elders' Test
That morning, the disciples were summoned to the main hall. Candles flickered against jade walls, filling the air with solemnity.
"The seal weakens," Elder Yi announced gravely. "We must test each of you. Should the Demon Lord stir, only the strong may endure his aura."
One by one, disciples stepped forward, placing their palms against a glowing spirit stone. Threads of qi spiraled, displaying their strength.
When Tingyan's turn came, she trudged forward with all the energy of a student heading to an exam she hadn't studied for.
Her palm met the stone.
Nothing.
A few snickers rippled through the hall. "She's empty," someone whispered.
The elder's eyes narrowed—then widened, just slightly. For beneath the stone's dull surface flickered a faint, unfamiliar resonance, one that didn't belong to this realm.
He masked his expression quickly. "Hopeless," he declared, waving her aside.
Relieved, Tingyan scuttled back to her place, completely unaware of the spark she had just revealed.
---
Restlessness in the Seal
Beneath the mountain, Sima Jiao's chains rattled. He sat in darkness, his eyes closed, but his senses stretched outward, brushing against the threads of fate.
That girl. The one who had stumbled in twice, with her ridiculous excuses and her rabbit-heart beating far too loudly.
Her presence had stirred the seal itself.
He smiled faintly. So the heavens think to amuse me before I break free? Very well. Let us see how long you last, little rabbit.
---
A Dangerous Encounter
Later that evening, Tingyan wandered the edge of the training grounds, avoiding the scuffles of ambitious disciples. A stray gust of demonic energy swept across the forest, snapping tree branches like brittle bones.
She froze.
From the shadows stepped a masked intruder—an assassin sent by those who wished the Demon Lord never to rise. His blade gleamed darkly.
"You," he sneered. "The weak one. Perfect."
Tingyan's stomach dropped. Perfect? No, no, no. You've got the wrong person. I'm background character material, not the heroine.
The assassin lunged.
And then the air thickened. Power pressed down on them both, heavier than stone, darker than night. Chains groaned in the distance as if echoing a command.
A voice curled through Tingyan's mind. "Do you want to live?"
Her lips trembled. "Yes."
Scarlet light erupted. The assassin screamed as his blade shattered, flung back by invisible force. The presence receded just as quickly, leaving only Tingyan trembling in the dirt, her heart hammering like a drum.
---
The Aftermath
By the time fellow disciples arrived, she had already composed herself, plastering on her laziest smile.
"Must've been a wild boar," she said, waving at the wreckage of splintered trees.
But deep inside, she knew the truth. He had saved her.
And worse—he knew that now she owed him her life.
---
Ending Scene of Episode 3
In the cavern, Sima Jiao leaned back against his chains, crimson eyes glowing in the dark.
"She said yes," he murmured, amusement curling at the edge of his lips. "Then she is mine."
Above, Tingyan shivered and pulled her blanket over her head, utterly unaware that the first thread of their bond had already been knotted tight.
---
✨ End of Chapter 3.
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