Journey of the Fate Destroying Emperor

1152 Last Lesson

"Sect master, I have returned."

"So soon?" Wang Wei thought he would take a little longer, given the task he gave him.

"Things went smoother than expected," Wang Qi explained as he handed over the space ring with the resources. It was slightly better than expected.

"Any new information?" Wang Wei asked.

"Nothing significant except there is a new talent that seems to be performing better than Lin Fan and Yin Gen."

"Oh?"

"Yes, he appeared out of nowhere, and his mission success soon surpassed Lin Fan and many of the others."

"Do you know any more information?"

"Besides being called the Remorseful Emperor, I know very little since the Revolution kept tight-lipped about him."

"Is that so?" Wang Wei muttered, thinking who this person could be. Then, his attention was soon shifted to something else. "Why is the Yin-Yang Love Flower different? It's so potent."

"Oh, this is what happened..."

"A mutated one? That's excellent news." His mother's chances of success had dramatically increased with this mutated spiritual herb. A small smile crept on the corner of his mouth as he placed away.

"By the way, the sect said you can contact them after you ascend since they have more freedom."

Wang Wei nodded; however, his plan involved minimizing the upper dimension sect's involvement in this upcoming battle. He knew that one wrong move and Supreme Unity might retaliate against the sect for his actions. Although they had Maitreya's protection, it was not guaranteed she could always protect them - especially if Supreme Unity were adamant about making Wang Wei hurt, no matter the price.

"Did she like the gift?" Wang Wei.

"Oh, I couldn't tell from her reaction," Wang Qi replied. "However, I asked her to write to you because you were in a foul mood. I hope I did not overstep."

"Did she?"

Wang Qi immediately handed the letter, and Wang Wei read it with reverence and excitement. A brilliant smile appeared on his face, which further accentuated his newly perfected face and aura.

"Oh, you clever Wang Qi, you have no idea how much such an act will benefit your future."

Wang Wei has prepared two types of Eternal Insurgent for the sect. The first kind is strength on par with the weakest Eternal Emperors (Only 20% Grand Dao Source, and maybe 1-fold battle realm). He will grant this strength to people like Yan Chen, who was once his Dao Protector but has limited talent. This was the spot he was going to give Wang Qi.

But now, after this small action, he decided to give him a spot on the second tier - the Eternal Insurgent that can compete with some of the best Eternals. These spots were reserved for people like Sword One, Origin One, Desolate One, and his favorite ancestor, Wang Wucheng. Although Wang Qi's talent is not on that level and requires more resources and training, Wang Wei will make the effort to raise him.

"Thank you very much, patriarch," Wang Qi swiftly declared. "Oh, and the Queen Mother said you don't have to worry - she will protect your grandfather."

"You mentioned it to her?"

"Yes. She asked me if you needed something, and I mentioned it."

"I've never felt I've picked the perfect person for a job besides today," Wang Wei chuckled. "Tell me in detail your interaction." Wang QI recounted the meeting, and from small context clues, Wang Wei could tell she appreciated the rune since she promised to give him a present after he ascended. He dismissed Wang Qi with a bright smile on his face.

'Everything went smoothly with Wang Qi's trip, meaning that nothing has changed with my relationship with True Heavenly Dao. However, I should observe more so as not to be blindsided,' Wang Wei thought.

Now that he no longer needed to worry about his grandfather's affairs, he could see his family again. So, he updated Xu Shi about her husband's new fame before teleporting home. As fate would have it, everyone was gathered since his mother came to visit the family, primarily because the old man was still grumpy because Wang Wei refused to see him before he left.

"He's an ungrateful grandson; that's what he is," Wang Chang roared. "I named, raised, and taught him how to navigate the dangerous cultivation world, and that's how he repaid me. He's unfilial - that's what he is: unfilial."

"Father, you have to understand Wei'er point. He must have his reasons for worrying," Wang Tian tried to persuade him.

"Of course, he has every reason to worry, but he has no right to stop me - to keep me hostage.' Wang Chang's voice was booming, and if not for the others' blocking sounds from leaving the room, everyone would have heard him by now.

"The cultivation world is full of uncertainty and unpredictableness. He should have understood that by now." Wang Wei coughed to reveal his presence, and Wang Chong turned around with such haste that it appeared as if his neck had broken in the process.

"It's you - the unfilial thing. On your knees," he yelled, pointing at a corner.

"Grandpa ⌜€“"

"Didn't you hear me - on your knees?"

"Can you just listen to me?"

"So, that's how it is now? You've grown, you got all the power and prestige, so no one can do anything to you? Is that how it is now?"

Wang Wei sighed deeply before walking to the corner and knelt. He looked at his mother and father for help, but they said nothing. Meanwhile, Wang Chang walked around him in a circle. His chest kept puffing before returning to normal; it seemed he was controlling himself not to say something he would regret. He did this for over a minute before the first word came out of his mouth.

"I don't know how long I've been waiting for this day ⌜€“ to no longer feel useless, incompetent, and like a failure. How long have I wanted to eliminate this constant feeling and reminder that I'm broken and incomplete? Now, imagine how I felt about preparing for the last hurdle to heal -- even if that means death in the process - for you to suddenly stop me by taking my feelings hostage?"

Wang Wei did not say anything.

"I understand you were worried about me, but instead of talking to me and explaining your concern, you decided to use emotional manipulation to force me from leaving. Haven't you learned this lesson already? You cannot control everything, and even if you can - sometimes, you shouldn't.

"Wasn't this the crux of your pursuit of freedom? To have the choice and ability to do everything but have the mind to know when not to do so?"

Wang Chang looked intently at him, but Wang Wei had no words. The way he reacted was indeed wrong, but he did not think too much of it. However, it seems that control and manipulation had become his instinct and the default way he dealt with people. That in itself is not a problem, but now, it seems this behavior has seeped into his core, and he even dealt with his family in this way.

"I haven't been able to teach you anything for a long time, but I hope you remember today's events as my last lesson. Now, stay here for a few hours while I cool down."

Wang Chang summoned a jar of wine before flying out of the mansion, leaving everyone else. Wang Tian walked to his son and patted him on the shoulder before walking to the table to clean and sharpen his sword.

"Don't worry. He should calm down in a few hours," Yu Yan reassured him before leaving to cook something for everyone. Meanwhile, Wang Wei was left alone in his shame. He had only seen his grandfather this angry once, and it was when he was six or seven years old.

His grandmother had just left for a visit, and Wang Wei was not happy she could not stay. So, he muttered something under his breath about how his other grandfather - Yu Yong - was a weak man to have such a terrible injury. Of course, he did not mean it and did not expect anyone to hear him, but his grandfather heard him and punished him severely.

Wang Wei always thought he had overreacted that night, but it was only later that he understood that he had hit a nerve when he called the latter weak. After all, there is nothing weak about having the Dao Heart being broken.

'Complacency,' Wang Wei thought. 'I've become too comfortable with the essence of my Fate Dao - Manipulation. Although this problem looks small, if left unchecked, it's not impossible for me to be assimilated by my Dao, becoming a puppet to its fundamental nature of manipulating things.

'And if I dig deeper, the problem might even be more severe. Maybe this is not just because my personality and goals are perfectly aligned with Fate Dao but also because of my status as a Fate Seed.

'I may be predisposed, nay, conditioned, to become a mindless Puppeteer for the ultimate Puppet Master - Fate.'