Heavenly Opposers

'Is this the so-called butterfly effect?'

Xiao thought as he gazed at the two beautiful women chatting amiably with each other. Deep down, Xiao knew that the entire timeline was now messed up, especially after Yurou's awakening, which was totally out of place.

Xiao deeply cared about making sure things wouldn't derail from what he knew. Not because he cared about the protagonist and the world, but for one simple factor... control. Xiao didn't want things derailing from his hands. Years of living as a mercenary and his master's teachings had taught him how important having information was.

With the right information, Xiao could move the world. But he still planned to take it slow and soft, rather than chasing power crazily. Xiao wanted to relax, cultivate, and see the world for what it was. But he could only do that after making sure his mother and sister were okay. Once he got his hands on that treasure, he would be able to help his mother, thus securing their happiness and safety.

After that, Xiao would calmly move through the world, amassing riches and power. So who cared if the world and the timeline were affected? As long as it happened after Xiao gained everything, he was happy. But he knew that life was never easy. Everything related to him was blurry and hidden. Xiao could only slowly move through the fog of mystery.

'Though, I am happy to see that I am not the only one that's upset.'

Thinking so, he turned his gaze to Valencia, who was currently sitting opposite to him, her calculating eyes now calm. Though Xiao could still notice her brows twitching a little. She still hadn't reached the level where she could completely hide her true emotions. Once she truly activated her heart and body, nothing would be able to conquer her heart.

"Valencia, you must take care of your little brother, okay?"

"Little brother?"

Both Xiao and Valencia asked at the same time, making both of their mothers chuckle. Yun Lan looked at her son as she said with a kind tone,

"Xiao, since both me and Raena have become sworn sisters, that means, from today onwards, Valencia is your sister, and since she's older than you, she will be your big sister."

"What?!"

'What's with that twisted logic?!'

Xiao felt his mind buzz when he heard his mother's words. When he turned to Valencia, he could have sworn that he saw a smile on Valencia's face. It was then he felt a tap on his head, admonishing him. His mother spoke,

"Xiao, greet your aunt."

Hearing this, Xiao could only smile as he stood up and gave Raena a respectful bow, showing true respect in his voice and gaze.

"Xiao pays respect to aunt."

"My, what a kind and handsome boy," Raena said with a smile, ruffling Xiao's head.

"I know, right?" Xiao's mother said with a proud tone. Seeing this, Xiao smiled. This was the first time he ever saw his mother showing her true self to anyone other than him and his sister. He could see that his mother took this oath seriously.

'As long as she's happy.'

With that, he forgot about the issues themselves. It was truly surprising that something like this happened, but seeing his mother happy made him happy. The issues about how this happened and why flew out the window. Since it wasn't causing any problems, why should he rack his brain for nothing? It might be unprepared, but it's not like the world is ending. With this, Xiao regained his calm.

"Hey, Raena, why don't I show you my wine collection?" Yun Lan asked, and Raena nodded her head.

"Sure. Let's go! Oh, and you kids talk."

Saying so, both the mothers disappeared, leaving Valencia and Xiao alone. Soon, the atmosphere became awkward. Thankfully, Xuanyin had to head for her nap since she was still a mortal and needed more rest due to her condition.

"Sigh... why don't we just talk? No matter how much we don't like each other, it seems that we still have to tolerate each other's presence. We can't hurt our mother, can we?" Xiao finally spoke with an amiable smile, trying his best to start a conversation. It seemed to have worked as he got Valencia's attention.

"We can be friends if you call me big sister," Valencia's words were laced with mischief, while her eyes carried a hint of a desire for revenge.

'What the hell is happening?' Xiao thought as he gazed at the girl in front of him. There was no way that Valencia would ever speak to him like this. She had utter disregard for anyone other than her mother and her master. To her, everyone else was just nothing... absolutely nothing...

'The hell?! Am I in some alternate universe?' Xiao was now truly questioning where he was. Valencia, who was opposite him, was frowning, her eyes filled with confusion.

'Why did I say those words?' Valencia thought with a frown. She herself didn't know why she said them. Ever since the friction between them, she felt an innate desire to defeat him... No, that wasn't it. There was something else...

'Master, is something wrong with me?' Valencia asked the next person she considered her family. An authoritative yet sweet voice was heard in her head.

'No, there is nothing wrong with you. I guess you can call it a rivalry.'

'Rivalry?' Confusion filled Valencia.

'Sigh... isn't this the first time you met someone who is completely immune to your charms? The first time that someone made you back up? Someone who seems mysterious?'

Hearing this, Valencia went into deep thought. She had to agree that, for the first time, she was stumped. Ever since her birth, she had been much more calculating than others, and Xiao did intrigue her. But that wasn't enough for her to break out of her hidden shell. No, she felt that something else was at play.

"Fine, we can be on acceptable terms, but first you must sign this," Valencia quickly returned to her cold self, her eyes regaining their calculating light as she looked at Xiao.

'Thank God!' Xiao let out a breath as he saw that Valencia was back to her true self. Without a word, he started to read the contract. It was the death contract of the highest level, something that only the Death Shrine could provide. Once signed, the people would be connected by death. Trying to break it would mean death, simple as that.

Xiao made sure to read the contract three times, looking for any loophole that could be exploited. Finally, after a minute, he placed the contract down. Then, without any hesitation, Xiao dropped a bit of his blood into the contract, which quickly started to shine with a black light. It burst forth between Xiao and Valencia.

Finally, after a few seconds, the light faded away. Both Valencia and Xiao could now feel a small connection between them. If one of them broke the contract, the other would know.

"Now we can talk," Valencia said, straightening her back and looking at Xiao with emotionless eyes that shined with a hint of interest.