The streets of Dragon City were a maze of grandeur and poverty, where the wealthiest immortals strolled in robes of silk and gold, and the poorest scraped by in whatever way they could. Zui Tian, in his familiar drunken stupor, wandered through these streets, a bottle of wine in hand, his eyes half-lidded as he meandered with no particular destination in mind.
The city was bustling as usual, with carriages pulled by spirit beasts rolling down the streets, their riders oblivious to those on foot. It was in the midst of this chaotic swirl of activity that a pair of young twins—disheveled and thin—appeared out of the crowd. The older brother, fierce and protective, grabbed Zui Tian by the arm and yanked him to the side just in time to avoid being trampled by a passing carriage. His younger sister, timid and wide-eyed, clutched his other hand, looking up at Zui Tian with a mixture of fear and concern.
“Watch out, old man!” the boy barked, his voice carrying a sharpness that belied his young age. “You’ll get yourself killed wandering around like that!”
Zui Tian stumbled slightly, the sudden movement jostling his already blurred senses. He blinked, focusing on the children who had saved him from what would have been an unpleasant, though ultimately inconsequential, encounter with the carriage. He was about to mumble a half-hearted apology when something caught his attention.
In that brief moment of contact, Zui Tian saw their fates play out before him, as though watching a two-second movie that unfolded with blinding clarity. He saw the twins’ past, their present, and their potential futures, all laid bare in an instant. These were not ordinary children. They were young, natural-born immortals, once nobility in a city that had been ravaged by war. Displaced, orphaned, and cast into the harsh streets of Dragon City, they were now beggars, scraping together what little they could to survive.
But there was something else, something deeper that stirred within them—a sleeping power that Zui Tian hadn’t seen in trillions of years. It was the power of Chaos, an ancient force that he recognized immediately. The potential within these children was immense, far beyond what even they could imagine. It was a power that, if awakened and nurtured, could shake the very foundations of the cosmos.
Zui Tian’s gaze softened, a rare moment of clarity piercing through his drunken haze. These children had saved him, and now he was faced with a choice. He could simply thank them and walk away, leaving them to their fate as beggars in a city where even immortals could be reduced to nothing. Or, he could intervene, guide them, and unlock the power that slumbered within them.
The older brother, still gripping Zui Tian’s arm, scowled as the silence stretched on. “Are you alright, old man? You’re not going to pass out on us, are you?”
Zui Tian chuckled softly, the sound low and rumbling. “No, no, boy. I’m alright. Thank you for saving me.” He patted the boy’s hand gently, his voice kind but distant, as though his mind was already elsewhere.
The boy released him, and the twins exchanged a quick, relieved glance. They had seen enough drunks in the city to know that trouble often followed, and they didn’t want to be caught up in it. The younger sister, still holding her brother’s hand, tugged at his sleeve. “Come on, let’s go,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the noise of the street.
As they turned to leave, Zui Tian took one last look at them, a decision forming in his mind. He let them go, watching as they disappeared into the crowd, their small figures soon lost among the throng of people. But he wasn’t done with them yet.
In a subtle shift, Zui Tian allowed his form to fade, becoming a shadowy presence that no one else could see. He followed the twins as they weaved through the city, moving with a practiced ease that spoke of long experience. They asked passersby for food, for spirit crystals—anything that could help them get through the day. Most ignored them, others spared them a few coins or a morsel of food. It was a pitiful existence for beings with such potential, and Zui Tian’s heart, hardened though it was by eons of existence, ached for them.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the city in twilight, the twins made their way to the edge of Dragon City, to a small, rundown building that had once been a storage shed. It was their home, or at least as close to a home as they had. Inside, there was little more than a pile of rags for bedding, a few stolen trinkets, and the meager food they had managed to collect.
The older brother sat down heavily, pulling his sister close to him. “We made it through another day,” he said, his voice tired but determined. “We’ll keep going, just like always.”
The younger sister nodded, her face pressed against his shoulder. “But… I wish things were different,” she whispered, a longing in her voice that cut through the boy’s heart.
Before he could respond, a soft, almost imperceptible shift in the air caught their attention. They looked up, eyes widening in shock as a figure appeared before them—Zui Tian, but not as they had seen him before. He was a shadowy presence, his form barely visible in the dim light, yet his presence filled the small room with an overwhelming sense of power.
The older brother instinctively moved in front of his sister, shielding her with his body. “Who are you? What do you want?” he demanded, his voice wavering slightly despite his bravado.
Zui Tian’s voice, when it came, was calm and measured, devoid of the drunken slur they had heard earlier. “Don’t be afraid, children. I am not here to harm you. I have seen what lies within you—power unlike anything this world has seen in eons. A power that can change your lives, and the lives of countless others.”
The twins stared at him, confusion and fear mingling in their eyes. The older brother clenched his fists, trying to make sense of what was happening. “What are you talking about? We’re just beggars! We don’t have any power.”
Zui Tian stepped closer, his shadowy form barely making a sound as he moved. “You are more than what you appear to be. You carry within you the seeds of Chaos, an ancient force that has the potential to reshape the cosmos. But it is dormant, and it will remain so unless you choose to awaken it.”
The younger sister peeked out from behind her brother, her curiosity overcoming her fear. “What… what do you mean? What can we do?”
Zui Tian extended his hand, and with a simple gesture, a portal appeared before them, swirling with dark energy. The portal radiated a power so intense that the very air around it seemed to hum with potential. The twins could feel it, a sensation that sent shivers down their spines, a feeling of something vast and unknowable.
“This is a portal to my personal Trial Realm,” Zui Tian explained. “It is a place where you will be tested, where your true potential will be awakened. But the path is not easy. You will face challenges that will push you to your limits, and beyond. But if you succeed, you will emerge with power beyond your wildest dreams.”
The older brother looked at the portal, then back at Zui Tian. “And if we fail?”
Zui Tian’s gaze was steady, unyielding. “Then you will remain as you are, no stronger than you were before. The choice is yours: Power or Mediocrity. Take the chance, and you could become something greater than you ever imagined. Or turn away, and continue to live as you have, scraping by in the shadows of a world that does not see you.”
The twins exchanged a long, silent look. They had been through so much together, endured hardships that had broken stronger souls. But they had survived, and now they were being offered a chance—one that could change everything. The older brother tightened his grip on his sister’s hand, a silent promise passing between them.
“We’ll do it,” he said finally, his voice resolute. “We’ll take the trial.”
Zui Tian nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Very well. Step through the portal, and your journey will begin. Remember, you are stronger than you know, and the power within you is waiting to be unleashed.”
The twins took a deep breath, steeling themselves for what lay ahead. With a final glance at their makeshift home, they stepped forward, hand in hand, and entered the portal.
As they disappeared into the swirling darkness, Zui Tian watched them go, a sense of satisfaction settling over him. These children had the potential to become something extraordinary, and he had set them on the path. The rest was up to them.
With a wave of his hand, the portal closed, leaving the small shed empty once more. Zui Tian lingered for a moment, his thoughts turning to the trials the twins would face, the challenges that would forge them into the beings they were meant to be.
“May the Dao guide you,” he murmured softly, his voice lost in the stillness of the night.
Then, with a final, fleeting smile, Zui Tian’s form dissolved into shadow, leaving the world of Dragon City behind as he returned to the endless journey that was his existence.
For the Beggar Twins, the path to power had begun, and their lives would never be the same again.