Alas, She's Naturally Rebellious and Loves to Annoy the Gods

Shen Fuxing is a sixteen-year-old girl from the mortal realm whose life unravels when her grandfather dies of terminal liver cancer. Devastated and suffering from bipolar disorder, she attempts suicide by slitting her wrists, only to be intercepted by underworld envoys. Yama, the ruler of the underworld, is in the midst of a massive recruitment drive to fill a quota of one hundred thousand new souls for the Heavenly Court, a demand imposed by the Jade Emperor. Upon discovering Shen Fuxing’s unusual nature as a neither-human-nor-ghost entity, Yama initially considers keeping her for study but ultimately yields to pressure from Taibai Jinxing, a celestial diplomat who transports her to the Heavenly Court. Taibai Jinxing manipulates the situation by telling Shen Fuxing that her grandfather may have ascended to the heavens, giving her a reason to survive and proceed with her new afterlife.

Upon arrival at the Southern Heavenly Gate, Shen Fuxing is assigned as a personal attendant to the Third Prince, Nezha, a fearsome deity known for rejecting and expelling all previous subordinates. The divine officials attempt to discard her, but Shen Fuxing desperately claims to be his biggest fan, a statement that surprisingly secures her position. When Nezha tests her by throwing his six-thousand-jin Fire-Tipped Spear at her, she catches it with one hand, revealing supernatural strength that baffles the onlookers. Nezha, intrigued and unable to explain her abilities, decides to keep her despite his initial disdain. Shen Fuxing’s primary motivation in the Heavenly Court is to locate her grandfather, Shen Yuanling, who she believes is also present among the newly ascended souls.

Shen Fuxing’s tenure in the Heavenly Court is marked by chaotic events and entrepreneurial schemes. She encounters Giant Spirit God, a towering deity whose foul breath is a source of ridicule. Recognizing his potential, she partners with him to create the Giant Spirit Anti-Wolf Spray, a weaponized perfume that incapacitates targets with its odor. The product becomes an instant hit, disrupting the Heavenly Court’s peace and drawing the ire of Heavenly King Li, who is knocked unconscious by the spray during a military drill. Shen Fuxing manipulates the situation to frame Giant Spirit God, but when the Jade Emperor investigates, she negotiates a deal: she offers a refined, more powerful version of the weapon, the Dusk of the Dung Beetle, in exchange for information about her grandfather’s whereabouts.

The Jade Emperor accepts the trade, granting Shen Fuxing a reward of merit and pardoning Giant Spirit God, though he remains unaware that Shen Fuxing is the true mastermind. Meanwhile, Nezha grows increasingly suspicious of Shen Fuxing’s absences and her mysterious activities. When she returns to Yunlou Palace, he confronts her with lethal intent, but she deflects his anger by volunteering to care for the recovering Heavenly King Li, who holds a grudge against her. Shen Fuxing proceeds to torment Li Jing by feeding him foul-tasting medicine and administering intravenous treatments laced with hallucinogenic powders, leading to a public scandal when Li Jing accuses her of harassment before the Jade Emperor.

As the story progresses, Shen Fuxing’s actions continue to destabilize the rigid hierarchy of the Heavenly Court. She navigates complex political dynamics, leveraging her unique strengths and cunning to protect herself and achieve her goals. The narrative explores the bureaucratic and commercial aspects of the celestial realm, contrasting the divine authority with the mundane struggles of its inhabitants. Shen Fuxing’s search for her grandfather remains an unresolved thread, driving her decisions and interactions with key figures like Nezha, the Jade Emperor, and Giant Spirit God. Her presence introduces an element of unpredictability and chaos, challenging the established order and forcing the deities to adapt to her unconventional methods.

The central conflict revolves around Shen Fuxing’s struggle to find belonging and purpose in a realm that views her as an anomaly. Her relationship with Nezha evolves from hostility to a tentative alliance, as he begins to rely on her for tasks that require her specific skills. The story highlights themes of power, bureaucracy, and the search for identity, set against a backdrop of mythological figures reimagined in a modern, bureaucratic context. Shen Fuxing’s journey is one of survival and subversion, as she uses her wits and supernatural abilities to carve out a place for herself in the Heavenly Court, all while pursuing the personal goal of reuniting with her grandfather.