Episode Summary
Sima Jiao takes control of Crane Immortal City, where Liao Tingyan and Hong Luo are hiding. After Hong Luo is brutally murdered by members of the Zhihun clan, a grieving Liao Tingyan avenges her death. This act leads to her capture by Nian Jiu, who brings her directly to an emotional Sima Jiao. Due to her father's manipulation, Liao Tingyan's memories are gone, and she sees Sima Jiao as an enemy. He uses a truth spell to uncover the deception and protects her from the vengeful clan, revealing that he is her partner.
Spoiler Alert
When Destiny Brings the Demon: Episode 21 Recap
This episode was a lot. Just when you think things might calm down, they absolutely do not. Let's get into it.
A New Boss in Town
Sima Jiao and Nian Jiu roll into Crane Immortal City, and the takeover is almost comically easy. The old city lord basically hears the grandmaster is here and just gives up. He throws the gates open. You can't blame him. Word is out that Sima Jiao has merged with two Spirit Fires, making him unstoppable. The townspeople are thrilled. They line the streets to welcome their new, ridiculously powerful leader.
A Chance Encounter
First Impressions
Liao Tingyan and her friend Hong Luo are watching from the crowd. Hong Luo is instantly into the giant Black Snake, which is Nian Jiu's true form.It's a bit of a meet-cute, even if he's in full monster mode. Liao Tingyan, on the other hand, is looking at the guy riding the snake. She's surprised. Her father, Shi Qianlv, always described Sima Jiao as some kind of tusked, black-faced beast. This guy is just a cool-looking scholar. Sima Jiao actually seems to hear her voice and turns his head, but he doesn't spot her in the crowd.
Desperate Measures
The Escape Plan
Liao Tingyan knows her family, the Shis, have a blood feud with the Sima clan.With Sima Jiao now running the city, she needs to get out of dodge. Her plan is to take her father, whose legs are injured, to a place called Guyu Wu to recover. The only problem is money. She's short on cash for the trip. Hong Luo, being a true friend, offers up all her savings—money she had been saving to buy her own freedom. Hong Luo figures she can make a new life for herself if she can just get the attention of the Black Snake.
A Father's Rage
With the money secured, Liao Tingyan rushes home to tell her father they can finally leave. It does not go well. Shi Qianlv glares at her, his eyes red with fury, and reminds her that she has a job to do: kill their enemy. The intensity is too much, and Liao Tingyan flees. Just then, a friend runs up with terrible news. Hong Luo is dead.
Tragedy and Revenge
Hong Luo's Fate
Liao Tingyan is devastated. She goes to see her friend one last time and discovers the awful truth. Hong Luo was assaulted and murdered. The brothel madam explains that two men had wanted Hong Luo, but she fought them. They killed her for it.
A Score is Settled
This breaks something in Liao Tingyan. She just saw her friend, who had selflessly given her everything, and now she's gone. Liao Tingyan, who has never killed anyone, finds the men responsible and ends them. She gets revenge for Hong Luo.
An Unwilling Reunion
The Kidnapping
Nian Jiu senses that two of his clansmen have been killed. He follows the scent to find the killer and is shocked to find Liao Tingyan. He immediately grabs her and takes her to Sima Jiao.
A Confusing Welcome
Sima Jiao finally sees Liao Tingyan, the person he's been searching for, and he just loses it.His eyes turn red with emotion.Liao Tingyan, however, is terrified. Her memory has been wiped, and all she knows is that this man is her enemy.She prepares to fight for her life but gets confused. He isn't attacking. He's looking at her with pure tenderness, almost crying. He pulls her into a hug. At that moment, a magic spell her father placed on her activates, and she falls asleep right in his arms.
The Truth Comes Out
Waking Up to a Fight
She wakes up later with Sima Jiao watching over her. As her head clears, her first instinct is to attack. She grabs a dagger and tries to stab him. He catches the blade with his bare hand, which starts bleeding.
Spells and Revelations
Sima Jiao uses a truth spell on her. He finally learns what happened. Shi Qianlv erased her memories and twisted the truth, turning her against the man she's supposed to be with.Sima Jiao calmly tells her she's been deceived. He is her partner. He also explains that the men who killed Hong Luo were from the Zhihun clan.
A Grandmaster's Justice
The Zhihun clan is outside, demanding punishment for Liao Tingyan. Sima Jiao will not have it. He promises Liao Tingyan he'll help Hong Luo reincarnate quickly. Then he goes out to face the clan. He asks them a simple question. Their clansmen were in the wrong first. If he punishes the killer, who is going to bring the victim back to life? They have no answer.
