The Murim world, vast and enigmatic, was traditionally divided into five distinct domains: the Central Plain, the Middle Continent, the territory of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the ominous Dark Land, and the mysterious Forbidden Ground.
The Central Plain, a sprawling expanse, was governed by a myriad of powerful families and martial sects. Even amongst this multitude of influential organizations, a select few powers stood supreme, and chief among them was the revered Murim Alliance.
Southern Iron City, nestled within the Murim Alliance's dominion, was widely regarded as one of its crucial strongholds, a vital bastion protecting the southern outskirt of the Central Plain.
"I will have some warm rice and beef, with a glass of cold water."
Trainee Wudi, seated at a polished wooden table inside the opulent Luxurious Heaven Hotel, addressed the young waiter, his voice calm and clear.
"I will be right there with your order, young sir!"
The young waiter, his face bright with a ready smile, bowed slightly before turning to fetch the meal.
"I will have a bowl of warm rice, beef, and pork for myself, along with a hot herbal tea."
On the other hand, Trainee Yan's order was more expansive, his voice equally cheerful.
"I heard you, young sir!"
The same waiter enthusiastically replied, his tone mirroring the enthusiastic young boy's.
"Brother Wudi, why don't you drink pork soup as well tonight?"
Trainee Yan asked, a genuine smile gracing his lips, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
"I don't want to, because unlike you, I don't have the money to pay."
Trainee Wudi frowned, a low groan escaping him as he uttered the words. A weary sigh followed. It seemed he needed to find a way to earn money soon, otherwise, he would be left with nothing.
Instead of potentially joining the esteemed Murim Alliance in the future, he might be forced to align himself with a lesser organization, perhaps even the Martial Hao Sect.
He could already envision a rather grim future stretching before him.
"I see."
Trainee Yan couldn't help but sigh deeply, a wave of sympathy washing over him as he absorbed Trainee Wudi's reply. Unlike Trainee Yan, Trainee Wudi was an orphan who had lost his parents to a band of ruthless bandits.
All his living expenses were funded by the Murim Alliance, but only for those orphans who were training to become a part of the Alliance in the future.
"Brother Wudi, Brother Yan, you two are here!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice, one they hadn't heard for two days, cut through the ambient sounds of the hotel. It was the Guo Twins.
When they turned to look, they saw a pair of young boys, approximately the same age as themselves, sharing strikingly similar looks and physical details.
They were both handsome, tall, and possessed a charming demeanor, with slender yet well-built physiques.
They wore long, luxurious outfits, identical to each other, just as one would expect from twins of a prestigious background.
"Huh? Where did you two get these luxurious outfits that seem to be screaming money?"
Trainee Wudi asked, feeling genuinely confused. If his memory served him correctly, weren't these twins as broke as he was? So where on earth did they acquire such lavish attire?
Just as the twins were about to answer him, the waiter arrived, bearing their orders.
"Here is your order, young sirs."
The waiter meticulously placed their dishes on the table, the aroma of beef and rice wafting enticingly, before bowing and quietly departing.
Before Trainee Wudi and Trainee Yan could even begin to contemplate their meals, the twins suddenly lunged, grabbing handfuls of rice and meat, devouring the food with an astonishing speed, almost like famished animals.
In what felt like no more than three breaths of time, they had completely finished all the food.
"Thanks for the food, Brothers!"
They beamed, their faces now full of renewed energy, as if consuming another's meal was as natural and acceptable a practice as breathing.
"The heck..."
Even Trainee Yan was taken aback, genuinely surprised by their audacious behavior.
"Anyway, Brother Wudi, Brother Yan, you two must come with us! We have something incredible to show you two!"
Trainee Guo Yang declared, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Trainee Wudi frowned, a look of exasperation crossing his face, but he still reached into his pocket, took out two bronze coins, and placed them neatly on the table. Trainee Yan, following suit, placed three.
With that, they rose and began to follow the twins, not asking any further questions, a silent understanding passing between the four of them.
The four boys were actually from the same dormitory, but from time to time, these two twins had an inexplicable habit of disappearing without any warning.
At first, the instructors would scold and punish them severely for their irregular behavior, but eventually, they simply gave up on them, resigning themselves to the twins' eccentricities.
After leaving the bustling Luxurious Heaven Hotel, they began to stroll through the lively street. The street was adorned with countless lanterns, beautifully crafted and strung along wires connecting one stall to another, casting a warm, inviting glow upon the cobblestones.
The night was serene and beautiful, and the nearby river, flowing calmly from east to west, provided a peaceful, natural music with its gentle currents.
Finally, the twins came to a halt in front of an old man who sat unmoving upon a four-foot-high rock, his eyes closed in what appeared to be profound meditation.
This old man possessed long, straggly gray hair and a face etched with countless wrinkles, a testament to his many years. He wore ancient, worn clothing, giving him the appearance of someone on the very brink of death.
"Hey, old man, I brought my brothers with me now, so open your fking eyes and ask anything you want to my brothers!"
Trainee Guo Yang's mouth opened, and the moment it did, an unrestrained torrent of informal curses began to escape, shocking both Trainee Wudi and Trainee Yan.
They couldn't fathom why he was being so incredibly rude to this seemingly fragile old man.
"Yeah, you fking piece of sht, open your fking mouth and ask anything to our brother, they will answer all your shts!"
Even Trainee Guo Yin was equally unrestrained, both twins seemingly full of motivation to verbally assault the old man.
The old man slowly opened his eyes. The moment his eyelids parted, he saw the twins and a sly, knowing smile spread across his wrinkled face.
"Fking pair of trashes, you dare bark arrogantly!"
Even the old man seemed to be full of motivation, eager to return the curses to the twins, his voice surprisingly robust for his age.
'What the hell is going on here?'
Trainee Yan and Trainee Wudi exchanged bewildered glances. Both were completely lost, unable to comprehend the bizarre situation unfolding before them. What on earth was happening?
"I don't care what you think, so start asking your fking questions so my brothers can answer them!"
Trainee Guo Yang gritted his teeth, visibly trembling from immense anger and exasperation.
"Yeah, yeah."
The old man scoffed at their outburst, then slowly turned his gaze to Trainee Wudi and Trainee Yan, his eyes piercing.
"So you two brats are replacing these two dogs? Let's see how well you two can bark."
He smiled proudly, as if he had already won whatever game was about to commence.
"So, brat,"
He continued, his gaze settling on Trainee Wudi.
"The rule is, I will ask you three questions. If you can answer them all, you can take any one of these. But remember, only the one who answers all the questions correctly can claim a reward."
The old man reached into the inner pocket of his ancient outfit and, with a flourish, produced three distinct items: an old, leather-bound book, a long sword adorned with intricate yin and yang symbols on its hilt, and a peculiar lamp with a vivid blue flame burning steadily within it, defying any breeze.
"This book is called Eight Fist Martial Art, the sword is called Yin Yang Sword, and the lamp is called Azure Flame Lamp. If you can answer all my questions, you shall get any one of them as a reward."
When he uttered these words, both Trainee Wudi and Trainee Yan involuntarily inhaled a deep breath.
They didn't know what these items truly were, but they had an instinctive feeling that none of them were ordinary. They all exuded an aura that spoke of something very special, ancient, and powerful.
"But if you were to lose, you must take off all your clothes, be naked, and dance publicly with nothing to wear."
"Huh..."
Both Trainee Wudi and Trainee Yan were utterly speechless, caught completely off guard by the absurd and humiliating condition. Their eyes then instinctively shifted to the twins, who were glaring daggers at the old man.
They could finally understand why these twins harbored such intense anger towards this eccentric old man. But they wisely chose not to mention it for now.
"But isn't it just too little in exchange for such greatest humiliation?"
Trainee Wudi tried to reason with the old man, his voice carefully measured.
If he had felt that this book, sword, and lamp were ordinary, he would have walked away the moment he heard the absurd rule. But since he could strongly sense that these items were something special, why not give it a try?
If he lost, he would suffer public humiliation, but if he could win, wouldn't he gain one of these extraordinary artifacts? The risk, though high, seemed to be outweighed by the potential reward.
"Hm, let's talk about that later after you win. If you can't win, then there's no use talking about what's fair and what's unfair."
The old man chuckled wickedly, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"My first question to you."
He pointed his index finger at Trainee Wudi, ready to pose his query.
"When the God created the world, what was the time? Was it day? Night? Afternoon? Or evening?"
The old man smiled, a smug expression on his face, as if he knew the inevitable outcome from the very beginning.
"Of course, it was day! How silly a question to ask my brother!"
Trainee Guo Yang scoffed loudly at the old man's question, feeling as if he, by proxy, was being humiliated by such a nonsensical query.
"I don't think so, Brother Yang."
Trainee Yan pondered deeply, his brow furrowed in thought, then he continued.
"It must have been night, isn't it?"
"Nah, I think it was afternoon when the day and night were aligned together."
Trainee Guo Yin shook his head, offering his own piece of "wisdom" to the discussion.
"Hehe, brat, so what would you say? Day, night, or afternoon, as your friends have suggested?"
The old man's smile widened, and he laughed loudly, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"It was neither day nor night, nor afternoon nor evening."
Finally, Trainee Wudi opened his mouth, delivering his answer to the old man, his voice calm and firm.
"Brat, are you messing with me?"
The old man's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a deep frown.
"If it was neither of these four, then what is the correct answer?"
He felt that this young brat was deliberately toying with him. The old man knew the "answer" to his own riddle and would eventually give it to this young boy if he were to fail.
But by denying any of these four options, wasn't Trainee Wudi indirectly implying that the old man didn't know the answer either?
"The answer is, the world was created before the creation. So, if one were to say day or night, afternoon or evening, then one must first question how these four timelines existed before the creation of the world?"
Trainee Wudi smiled slyly, playing a clever reverse psychological trick.
"Even if these four did exist, then who named them? Who sensed them? Who understood them? So, my answer is, either you bring the person to prove your answer you are going to tell me, or accept my answer that the world was created before the creation."
Trainee Wudi's logic was impeccable, and his tone was subtly challenging.
"....."
The old man frowned even more deeply, his face a mask of frustration. He felt his wisdom and intelligence profoundly insulted by this audacious young boy.
"Okay, brat, now let's move to the second question. In this world, how many dreams exist?"
The old man's haughty smile returned, a triumphant glint in his eye. He felt certain that this time, this clever brat wouldn't be able to provide an answer.
On the other hand, Trainee Wudi merely sighed deeply, a hint of weariness in the gesture, before answering him without hesitation.
"None would be the answer. And if you don't believe me, you can go around and count for yourself, or show me just one dream that I can say, 'Oh yeah, there exists a dream.'"
His logic, once again, was unassailable and frustratingly simple.
"This brat...."
Seeing Trainee Wudi's calm smile, the old man felt an immense wave of frustration wash over him. He gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing.
"My final question: When the God created the creation, what was the first word he said?"
Suddenly, the old man felt like he had become young again, confident in his victory. After all, who could possibly answer such a ridiculous question?
To truly answer this, one would need to be a God themselves, or at least someone who had personally been with God during creation. And more importantly, this question was simply a piece of nonsense, a trick.
But Trainee Wudi, once again, felt as if this old man had just profoundly insulted his intelligence.
"The God, after finishing his creation, said His first words were, 'Ah, the disappointment I created won't disappoint me in the future.'"
Trainee Wudi delivered the answer with a straight face, his voice devoid of any humor.
"...What?"
The old man's eyes widened, his jaw slackening.
"As you heard, that's what God said after He created the creation."
Trainee Wudi reiterated, his expression unwavering.
"....Are you for real?"
The old man stuttered, clearly flustered.
"Yeah, if you don't believe me, you can find the God and ask Him yourself, and I am sure He would agree with what I said."
Trainee Wudi's response was delivered with a subtle, challenging smirk.
"....Fk."
The old man finally cursed, his face a mixture of utter disbelief and begrudging admiration.