Rebels of Fate

Though the crown princess' courtyard has beautiful scenery, a tensed and chilly atmosphere spreads from an open hallway. Shen Mo sat across the sweet couple with a bitter gaze. His aunt is always inconsiderate and she loves adding salt to the wound. Other than hating being called a missy, Shen Mo's second sore spot is love life. He's been alone for two thousand years. He never had serious relationships and his old crushes are already married to old immortals. This bitterness in his heart motivated him to be lazy and uninspired every day. His only fun is dealing with the Will of Heaven.

"Honey, eat more. This mystic fruit came from the garden I cultivated for you~." Xian Qing affectionately fed her fiance in front of her nephew, as if he doesn't exist. She can't hide her pleasing smile and the pink bubbles around them increased to the point it could suffocate any single person in the area.

"This is killing me..." Shen Mo thought. It was lucky he didn't voice it out loud or Xian Qing might beat him up again.

His ominous stare shifted to his future uncle-in-law. The man is not that simple in terms of looks. He is quite handsome, perhaps comparable to a neat noble's son. Face as defined as a warlord's fierceness, yet with eyes of an earnest humble man. There was nothing malicious about him at all, drawing a comfortable temperament from him.

"Hey-" Shen Mo paused his informal call when his aunt shot him a poisoned look. "Ehem, Great Uncle, are you really sure about my aunt?"

"Of course he is!" Xian Qing interrupted in a fit. "I am willing to sacrifice everything for him, just for my sweet flan pudding Han Sheng."

"Thank you my love.." Han Sheng wiped the nonexistent tear from the corner of his eyes in appreciation.

"She literally means she'll murder everyone for you." The scowling nephew whispered at Han Sheng, causing the man to smile wryly.

"I will go around every realm just to be with him!" Xian Qing announced lovingly, holding her lover's hands.

"She meant to say she is obsessed with you. I mean, think of it man- Great Uncle ehem, she wont handle breakup easily." Shen Mo chided.

"Nonsense! I love him so much, I won't let anyone stand in our way, not even my own blood can separate us!" Finally having enough, Xian Qing darted her sharp gaze at Shen Mo.

"Alright, alright. I understand my love." Han Sheng gently patted her hand. He easily calmed her down and Xian Qing cuddled with him.

"Tut." Shen Mo scoffed. He sipped on his tea and asked, "So how did you two meet?"

"Ah, of course." Han Sheng smiled softly, still soothing Xian Qing in his arms. "I met Qingqing thru a blind date set up by a heavenly entity few years ago."

"It's that girl, that one with no name who keeps visiting your sect. You know, starry eyes, white hair, and white dress. She resembles you though."

Xian Qing's description caused Shen Mo to choke, "Will of Heaven is playing matchmaking now!? How is that part of her job!?"

How come he wasn't even invited to any??

"Right, Will of Heaven!" Xian Qing confirmed, further fueling the bitter rage in Shen Mo. "She told us our fate meant good fortune and children-bearing. Fufu~! We immediately turned head over heels for each other."

"The memories are still fresh, my love. My heart is bursting from happiness just by recalling!" Han Sheng embraced her in attempt of expressing his feelings. The coy demoness could not resist and reciprocated.

"Let me burst it myself!" Shen Mo was so bitter his evil thoughts were painted on his little white face.

"Should we tap Wu Patriarch?" A demon guard asked his fellow because of Shen Mo's scary aura.

"Leave him be, unless you want him to vent on us."

"He's right. I don't want an early burial."

"The Will of Heaven is not doing her job on making Wu Patriarch happy ah..."

"Ah-choo!" Will of Heaven sneezed. She rubbed her itchy nose and unhappily said, "Someone's talking bad behind my back. It must be that manic mortal again."

"Auntie." Shen Mo can't sit still and called out. Xian Qing didn't leave Han Sheng's embrace. She glanced at Shen Mo with curious eyes. "Auntie, are you sure with this?"

"Hum? With what?" She blankly asked.

"With this, this marriage?"

"Of course, I am sure." Xian Qing nodded vigorously. She didn't think twice and agreed with this marriage. It was even her who courted Han Sheng. If it wasn't for her persistence, he wouldn't have fallen for her too.

"Are you really sure?" Shen Mo repeated and received a nod from his aunt. "Really? No doubt? You won't regret it?"

"What do you mean by that, dear nephew?" Xian Qing's stare became dark.

"Nothing particular! I, I just thought you were so bored you made up something to-"

"Come again? Did I hear you questioning my decision?" She interrupted Shen Mo and asked with a threatening tone.

Shen Mo pursed his lips. He rephrased his words and said, "How can that be? Auntie is old enough to make good decisions! Furthermore, my uncle-in-law is so handsome! I know a lot of techniques to aid his cultivation. He'll be an immortal in no time! Oh, how lucky am I to have an admirable aunt and a very, very wise uncle-in-law."

Han Sheng has no idea why Shen Mo suddenly became so nice. But seeing Xian Qing happy with his compliments, Han Sheng can only accept what Shen Mo said. Why does he feel the compliments were backhanded though..

"You exaggerated. I am more honored to be part of your family." Han Sheng replied though Shen Mo have the opposite thoughts in his mind.

"Be part of our family, tomorrow, you'll be history. Hehe..." Shen Mo smiled deviously in his heart.

"By the way, Little Devil, have you heard of the news in Eastern Sea?" Xian Qing recalled an important issue. This caught Shen Mo's attention, he lost the thought of creating a master plan to pit on Han Sheng. "Little Devil, one of the great empires in the Eastern Sea suddenly became desolate. All humans and spirit beasts in Qin State vanished without a trace a few days ago. I asked about our demon lords and they said they didn't launch an attack there. In case you are suspicious of our clan, we don't have anything to do with Qin State's misery."

"Auntie doesn't lie to me. Maybe because I left too early, I didn't receive this news."

Shen Mo pondered deeply. He wasn't bothered with Wu's lower realms before and only thought of Will of Heaven's upcoming tricks to corner him.

"It does not have to involve me. Some older men can fix that within the righteous forces. But if I found out the Demon Clan..." He is about to show off his warning stance yet, his aunt wasn't even paying him any heed. She keeps acting mien to Han Sheng. "Auntie!"

"What? You already know who will I marry. Get out of here. It's already tiring to deal with you for some hours. But do attend the wedding. Honey, let's get in~!" Xian Qing simply won't care after finding her true love. This left Shen Mo silent with the buzzing bees outside.

Wu Patriarch returned to Tao Supreme Sect in a complicated mood. No one dares to ask what made him upset. However, some elders already guessed. Wu Patriarch rarely gets angry. There was a time his enemies insulted him for being young, inexperienced, ugly, and more harsh words but it never affected Shen Mo. His well-known weakness though is that he was mistaken as a beautiful lady. That's when his mood becomes sour and terrible. The sect leader once mentioned it bravely and the next day, he was found unconscious on the other side of Wu.

"W-Wu Patriarch!?" The elders were shocked the next day.

Shen Mo sat on the sect leader's position when they arrived early in the morning to talk about an important issue.

"What? Am I ghastly?" He casually asked though he sat improperly on the sacred throne.

The elders quickly shook their heads. It just shocked them that the founder is here for the meeting too. Isn't he enjoying his 'retirement'?

"Come on, don't be so scared of me. Have a seat and tell me the details of Qin State's sudden emptiness." Shen Mo smiled convincingly as he waved his hand. They obediently followed his words and each elder sat respectively on their jade thrones. "Little Cheng, speak."

"Well, Qin State was like abandoned. Everyone with life force there is nowhere to be found. There was no sign of battles, arrays, or Dao remnants. This is all the information I was able to gather from the leaders in the Eastern Sea. Spring Blossom Sect withheld more shreds of evidence. We are planning to send an ambassador to meet with their sect leader, however..."

Gu Cheng took an abrupt pause. All eyes shined and stared at Shen Mo listening like a relaxed sloth. He blinked in confusion as to why they are strangely looking at him.

"Hey, don't give me that look. You guys are creeping me." Shen Mo muttered with anxiety. He has a bad feeling about this.

"Wu Patriarch, if we send an ambassador, it should be someone who can convince Spring Blossom Sect's current leader. No one in the world can be so close with Sect Leader Hu Xuejia than our Wu Patriarch." Gu Cheng voiced out what Shen Mo feared to hear the most.

All the supreme elder nodded in agreement to Gu Cheng's plan.

"That... I can't. What if Will of Heaven attacks again and I'm not here to protect the sect?" Shen Mo quickly made up an excuse. Will of Heaven is a good reason as a bad problem.

"Damned old weasel. I know you were talking behind my back!" Will of Heaven's voice sounded outside the hall. She made up an appearance and pointed at Shen Mo in anger. "I came here with good intentions but you're spreading I'm trying to burn this sect to the ground? Audacious of you!"

"Wasn't it why you are here again?" Shen Mo glanced at the dark clouds forming outside. There is a violent surge of Fire Dao over there.

"N-no!" Will of Heaven is shameless enough to lie. She looked back and signaled the fire dragons to retreat.

"Will of Heaven, come back next time. We're in a crisis you allowed to occur. You love making us suffer." He sarcastically said. Shen Mo waved his sleeve and the door closed before Will of Heaven can explain. "Alright. Back to the topic, who will we send?"

"Shen Mo!"

The Will of Heaven didn't give up. She crashed the door to debris and entered the hall with heavy steps. The elders' eyes were all wide in surprise and their hearts almost jumped out of their chest!

"Shen Mo, I didn't create that catastrophe. It wasn't within my grasp of Fate."

"Come again?" Shen Mo's slender brows were drawn to each other. Every occurrence in this universe is under the Will of Heaven's manipulation. How come this is not in her grasp?

"It was done by a variable of fate, an outsider of your world. Shen Mo, I don't have control over this. I am willing to stop pestering you as long as you find that variable and kill it before more of them arrive!"

Everyone present was shocked. Will of Heaven controls the fate of everyone. Those who can escape its grasp are variables of fate. They have no destiny, they can't be predicted nor do they belong to this world. Rebels like those are a threat to the balance. They can change anyone's destiny and the more it infects, the weaker the Will of Heaven becomes. Until it leads to the Will of Heaven no longer being able to control the world.

It means chaos for eternity.