Li Wei awoke with a sense of nervous excitement. Today was the day Elder Bai had promised would truly test his Qi control. He rubbed his eyes, stretched his stiff muscles, and muttered, "Alright, Wei… focus, survive, don't explode anything… too much."
The training courtyard was unusually quiet. Sunlight streamed through the tall pines, illuminating the practice dummies arranged in neat rows. Elder Bai stood in the center, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.
"Today," Bai announced, twirling his thin staff, "you will attempt your first Qi test. Your goal: control your Qi to move a training dummy without physically touching it."
Li Wei blinked. "Move a dummy… with Qi? Like… telekinesis?"
Bai nodded. "Exactly. But do not underestimate it. A lack of control could be… inconvenient."
Li Wei swallowed. "Inconvenient… like accidentally sending it flying into someone's head?"
Bai's grin widened. "Precisely."
Zhang Lei appeared from the side of the courtyard, arms crossed. "So, the chaotic genius gets his first real test," he said, smirking. "Good luck… you'll need it."
Li Wei glanced at the dummy, which looked harmless enough. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Alright… modern logic. Think like… a video game… focus on energy… imagine pulling it… wait, don't sneeze, don't sneeze…
Seconds ticked by. Nothing happened. Li Wei pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay… maybe it's… like Wi-Fi. Strong signal, weak signal…"
Suddenly, the dummy twitched slightly. Li Wei's eyes shot open. "Oh! Did I do that? Or was that a leaf?"
Before he could figure it out, the dummy wobbled violently and flew about three feet forward, landing on its side with a loud thunk. Zhang Lei coughed and stepped back. "Well… that was… impressive… in a terrifying way."
Li Wei grinned nervously. "See? Totally under control! No casualties, no injuries… I think."
Elder Bai clapped. "Good! You moved the dummy! But now… can you control it? Precision is key. Do not let it topple over again."
Li Wei's heart pounded. Precision. That sounded… hard. Very hard. Modern Wei was used to improvising. Precision meant careful control, calculation… and a little bit of luck.
He approached the dummy again, concentrating, trying to visualize Qi flowing smoothly through his body and into the wooden training figure. He moved his hands slowly, willing it forward… and it jerked unpredictably, spinning in place.
"Oh no… oh no… oh no… not like this!" Li Wei muttered, stepping back. The dummy wobbled dangerously, then flew straight toward Zhang Lei.
"Hey! Watch it!" Zhang Lei jumped aside, dodging the flying dummy. Li Wei panicked, flailing his arms in a desperate attempt to stop it. By some miracle, the dummy landed upright a few feet away—but not before spinning like a top, looking more ridiculous than effective.
Elder Bai laughed. "Chaotic, yes. Unpredictable, yes. Effective? Marginally. But progress!"
Li Wei wiped sweat from his brow. "Progress… barely counts, but I'll take it!"
Zhang Lei shook his head, hiding a smile. "I have to admit… you're entertaining. And somehow… not terrible."
The next hour was a blur of trial and error. Li Wei experimented with Qi flow, visualizing energy in increasingly ridiculous ways—imagining the dummy as a remote-controlled car, picturing it as a shopping cart he had to nudge without touching, even pretending it was a Wi-Fi signal to connect to.
By the end, he could move the dummy forward and backward, and occasionally spin it on command. Not perfect, not graceful—but enough to impress Elder Bai.
"Excellent," Bai said, clapping his hands. "You have begun to understand the flow of Qi. Chaos can be your ally if you learn to control it. You, Li Wei, have potential—unusual, unconventional potential, but potential nonetheless."
Li Wei grinned, chest puffed with pride. "Potential… yes! Step one: survive sparring. Step two: survive Qi test. Step three: make Zhang Lei jealous… eventually. Step four: profit, somehow."
Zhang Lei shook his head, smiling despite himself. "You are ridiculous, but… I can't deny your progress. Just don't get cocky."
Li Wei saluted. "Cocky? Me? Never! I'm… modestly chaotic, thank you very much."
As the sun began to set, the sect disciples gathered to watch the display of skills. Some admired Li Wei's determination, others whispered about his unconventional methods. But no one could deny one thing: he had survived the first true challenge of cultivation, and he had done it with his own brand of chaotic brilliance.
That night, Li Wei sat by the small pond near his dormitory, letting the cool breeze wash over him. He flexed his fingers, feeling the faint hum of Qi within him. "Alright, Wei," he muttered, "first Qi test… survived. Elder Bai's weird teaching methods… survived. Zhang Lei… still alive. Step three: figure out how to actually use this Qi without destroying everything… preferably before breakfast tomorrow."
He chuckled softly. Murim was absurd, unpredictable, and hilarious—and he was starting to love every chaotic, exhausting second of it.
One thing was certain: with his hot-headed nature, modern-life creativity, and the guidance of a completely unconventional mentor, Li Wei's Murim adventure was only just beginning.