.....
The moon hung pale above the Demon Realm, and the palace was quieter than usual. Rumors had spread that one of the border clans had defied Sima Jiao's order again. When the news reached the main hall, the Demon Lord's temper darkened like a gathering storm.
Servants knelt trembling as black fire circled around him. "Disobedience," he said slowly, his voice cutting through the silence, "will not be tolerated in my realm."
He raised his hand, and the flames surged outward, erasing the defiant messengers in an instant. The hall fell still once more, save for the faint crackle of dying embers.
From behind a column, Tingyan watched, her breath caught in her throat. It was not the first time she had seen him destroy with such ease, but this time, something inside her stirred — a mix of fear and something unexplainable.
Sima Jiao turned, his sharp gaze landing directly on her. "Come here," he commanded.
Tingyan stepped forward, lowering her head. "Demon Lord."
"You watched," he said. "Tell me, are you afraid?"
"I…" She hesitated, then answered honestly. "Yes."
For a heartbeat, something softened in his eyes, then vanished. "Good. Fear keeps you alive."
He turned his back to her, the firelight outlining his tall figure. "The demons from the southern mines have broken their seal. You will go there tomorrow. Take the jade I gave you — it will keep you from dying too quickly."
Tingyan looked up in surprise. "You want me to go alone?"
He smirked faintly. "You've survived worse, haven't you?"
That night, in her chamber, Tingyan sat by the window, tracing the faint red mark on her wrist — the bond that linked her to him. Every time he used his power, she felt a faint echo of it, like a distant pulse in her veins.
Outside, the cold wind carried the whisper of the demon moon. She closed her eyes, but her thoughts refused to rest. "Why does he keep me near?" she wondered. "To control me… or protect me?"
At dawn, she left for the southern mines under the escort of demon soldiers. The air there was heavy with sulfur and decay. Broken seals glowed faintly across the cave walls, leaking dark energy.
A beast burst from the shadows — huge, scaled, its eyes red with rage. Tingyan froze, then remembered his words: "Use the jade."
She clutched it tightly, and the pendant pulsed with black light, shielding her just as the creature struck. With trembling hands, she drew on the faint magic Sima Jiao had taught her, sending out a wave of energy that stunned the beast long enough for the guards to finish it.
When the danger passed, she dropped to her knees, exhausted but alive.
High above, on the cliff overlooking the mine, Sima Jiao appeared, his robes fluttering in the wind. He had been watching all along.
"She adapts faster than I expected," he murmured. "Perhaps… she was meant to survive beside me."
He turned away before she could see him, his expression unreadable beneath the fading moonlight.
End of Episode 17 — "The Oath Beneath the Moon"