Leave This Bizarre Specimen for the Master to Appraise

Cui Hao's question left the two men momentarily stunned.

It seemed an unexpected issue had arisen, causing them to short-circuit briefly.

After a pause, they silently got up, returned to their original positions, and reenacted their earlier argument before smoothly dropping to their knees again.

This time, they shouted in unison, "We beg the wise and just official to decide for us!"

Cui Hao: "..."

Still, this was somewhat within expectations. After all, an illusionary realm designed for so many trial-takers couldn't possibly account for every detail.

Had they actually led him to Little Cui, Cui Hao would have suspected this was a real village.

So, according to the setup, was he supposed to act as the official and pass judgment?

Cui Hao studied the two men.

By the letter of the law, Wang Dago was in the right. Legally speaking, aside from investigating any coercion, he hadn’t committed any major wrongdoing.

At the very least, he had paid for the marriage.

By the heart’s reasoning, Wang Ergo had the stronger case—after all, Cui Hao also favored love stories with happy endings.

But the situation couldn’t be judged so simply.

First, given how the two men reset when he asked additional questions, it was clear this illusionary realm had fixed parameters.

Since the scenario was scripted, his choices were limited: rule in favor of Wang Dago, Wang Ergo, or neither.

If he really wanted to push boundaries, he could even punish all three together.

Out of three thousand participants, there had to be some oddballs, right?

Yet with such limited options, not a single person had passed?

Either the test was flawed, or the test-maker was.

But regardless of which was at fault—

Sticking to conventional thinking wouldn’t work. He had to take an unorthodox approach!

This was just an illusion, after all—why not go wild?

After a moment of contemplation, Cui Hao glanced between the two kneeling men and smirked.

"Matters of the heart are hard to judge! Wang Ergo, how do you know Little Cui wouldn’t grow to love Wang Dago over time?"

Wang Ergo’s face twisted with grief and indignation, but he insisted firmly,

"She wouldn’t! We made promises to each other—"

Cui Hao cut him off. "If you made promises, why did she agree to marry Wang Dago instead of waiting for you?"

Wang Ergo fell silent, his face turning ashen.

Having temporarily silenced one, Cui Hao turned to Wang Dago, who was grinning triumphantly.

With feigned confusion, he asked,

"I don’t know why you’re so happy. The woman you like doesn’t like you back—she loves someone else. And you’re celebrating?"

Wang Dago’s smile froze.

Seeing both men now thoroughly unsettled, Cui Hao’s mood improved. He sighed dramatically.

"Think about it—even if I ruled in your favor, would you really get what you want?"

"Would either of you truly be satisfied? In this matter, both of you have some justification, but neither holds the absolute truth."

"Frankly, neither of you can truly give Little Cui happiness."

Wang Dago and Wang Ergo exchanged glances before turning back to Cui Hao.

He reached out, placing a hand on each of their shoulders, and spoke with grave sincerity:

"Honestly, have you considered… life doesn’t necessarily have to be spent with Little Cui?"

Then, with deliberate slowness, Cui Hao took Wang Ergo’s hand and placed it into Wang Dago’s.

As their hands touched, both men’s expressions twisted in disgust, as if they’d just bitten into something foul.

Despite their visible discomfort, they clasped hands, bowed, and withdrew together—just as Cui Hao’s choice dictated.

Watching them leave hand-in-hand, Cui Hao nodded in satisfaction. Just as he’d thought!

As Wang Dago and Wang Ergo disappeared into the distance, Cui Hao confidently surveyed the village, ready to advance to the next trial—until another argument erupted nearby.

He turned to see two middle-aged women shoving and cursing at each other as they approached.

Ah. So the first scenario had merely been the initial test. Since he’d moved on to the second, his approach must have been correct—otherwise, he’d have been ejected from the illusion immediately. With so many candidates waiting, they wouldn’t waste time on failures.

Thus, his outrageous solution must have been the intended answer.

With this clarity, Cui Hao strode forward confidently, a self-assured smile on his face.

"Ladies, whatever the issue, I’ll settle it for you!"

About half an hour later…

Two burly men walked away arm-in-arm, their faces locked in mutual resentment.

After resolving ten such cases, the scenery around Cui Hao finally began to warp and dissolve.

Was it over at last?

He exhaled in relief. Even for him, this had been exhausting.

Thinking outside the box wasn’t easy.

As the illusion shattered into streams of light, reality gradually returned to his vision.

Cui Hao looked up. The serene pond and towering palace hall reappeared before him.

Glancing around, he saw many candidates still standing motionless, eyes closed, lost in their own trials.

Not only had he performed flawlessly—he’d been efficient too!

"What’s your name?"

A voice spoke behind him. Cui Hao turned to see the young woman who’d guided them into the illusion.

He quickly clasped his hands in respect. "Candidate 374, Cui Hao."

Li Yingling studied him for a moment before offering sincere praise:

"You’re truly one of a kind."

Cui Hao’s heart leapt—had his performance impressed the immortal sect?

But his joy was short-lived.

Li Yingling shook her head in awe. "Ten questions. How did you manage to get every single one wrong?"

"I even double-checked your progress. How does your mind even work? How could you deviate so spectacularly?"

Cui Hao’s face went blank.

Wait—those were all multiple-choice questions?

If they were that straightforward, why had so many people failed?

With a wry smile, he asked, "...So I’m eliminated?"

Li Yingling scrutinized him again. Someone who failed every question was either truly wicked or utterly clueless.

But after observing him, she concluded he was neither.

To borrow her master’s phrasing—this guy was here to troll.

Such talent was rare. After a brief deliberation, she tossed him a peculiar token.

"No. A gem like you deserves my master’s appreciation. Return in ten days for the next round."

With that, she turned and left.

This specimen was too priceless. Since her master wasn’t currently at the sect, she’d save him for the next round.

Cui Hao caught the token and called after her,

"Wait—don’t you test spiritual roots? What if I don’t have any?"

"Those without spiritual roots can’t enter the illusion. They’re sent down the mountain immediately."

Li Yingling didn’t look back. Her junior sister had reported discovering a fascinating "talent."

She needed to see this for herself.

As for this oddball? He could wait for her master’s amusement.