[Extra] Xiwen and Strange (I)

(This was posted before, but has been moved to this volume of side stories)

The Himalayas, Kamar-Taj.

A long-faced man with a dusty face and a long, unkempt beard had been sitting outside an old-fashioned wooden door for a whole day.

Doctor Strange, a staunch materialist, is experiencing something he never dared to believe in his entire life.

Magic really does exist in this world!

After severely damaging his dexterous hands by looking at his phone while driving, he was no longer able to use them to perform surgery on patients.

As one of the best neurosurgeons, Strange has always had a deep-seated pride. He cannot accept the fact that he can no longer hold a scalpel, and he spends all the wealth he has accumulated in order to heal his hand.

But he failed.

So he could only desperately pin his hopes on various folk remedies and any method that might possibly cure his hand. That's why he followed the clues to Kamar-Taj.

But Strange, a believer in science, never imagined that Kamar-Taj was actually a magical sanctuary!

He initially thought this was just a scam ring using hallucinogenic drugs to deceive people, so he spoke recklessly, angering the powerful old man inside, and was thus kicked out.

But magic was practically the only way to heal his hands, Strange was determined not to give up so easily!

So he stood at the door all day, hungry and cold.

Just as Strange was about to faint from hunger and cold, the rustic wooden door suddenly opened with a creak.

Strange suddenly looked up and saw a handsome young man with black hair, black eyes, and a sickly pale complexion walk out of the door.

"You actually managed to withstand the hunger and cold and stay outside for so long?" the young man asked, looking at him curiously.

"I'm sorry! I believe you now, I shouldn't have doubted you!" Strange, as if grasping at a straw, stood up and rushed to the young man who had just emerged, shouting, "Please, teach me magic! I really have no other choice!"

"If apologies were enough, what would we need the police for?" the young man said with a laugh, uttering a nonsensical remark that left him completely bewildered.

Strange: "???"

"Oh, sorry, I've been spending a lot of time online lately," the young man coughed and said to Strange.

As he spoke, he handed Strange a slip of paper with a string of words written on it in Tibetan.

Strange took the note, somewhat bewildered, and looked at the completely incomprehensible language on it, asking, "What is this? A spell?"

"Actually, this is the Wi-Fi password here, 'Shangri-La.' You can connect at the entrance," the young man said, grinning as if trying to suppress a laugh. "I see you're getting bored waiting outside, why don't you look at your phone for a bit to kill time?"

"Enough!" Strange snapped, exasperated. "I've been waiting outside because I genuinely want to learn magic, not to be mocked by you!"

Faced with the volatile Strange, the young man didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled, shook his head, and asked, "Do you think Kamar-Taj has to accept you just because you've shown a sincere and benevolent attitude?"

"Or do you think you're so great that it's our own loss if we don't accept you?"

"I..." Strange's words trailed off.

"In fact, it is our loss if we don't accept you," the young man continued.

Strange: "..."

He now strongly suspects that this person was just messing with him...

"You don't believe it, right? Actually, I don't believe it either," the young man said. "But the teacher's behavior forces me to believe it."

"Otherwise, how could you possibly have been granted a personal audience with the Sorcerer Supreme and received a demonstration of his magic?"

"So you mean... I have a real talent for being a mage?" Strange asked, regaining some of his confidence.

"That's probably it," the young man nodded in reply. "However, Kamar-Taj places great emphasis on whether a person's character is suitable for learning magic."

"In other words, do you have the awareness to take it upon yourself to protect the world, the perseverance and determination to master magic, and can you ensure that you will not use magic for evil purposes? Can you really do these things?"

Strange was now eager to become a mage and have his hands healed, and he quickly nodded, saying, "I'll agree to anything as long as you teach me how to heal my hands!"

"Since you've put it that way, I'll be straightforward too." The young man gave him a half-smile and said, "As long as you call me 'Senior Brother,' I'll acknowledge you as my junior brother and definitely put in a good word for you with Master Yao."

"But you're clearly much younger than me!" Strange retorted.

The young man replied earnestly, "Have you ever heard the saying, 'There is a sequence to attaining enlightenment, and each profession has its own expertise'? Age is not a basis for determining whether someone is a fellow disciple."

"But..." Strange, being such a proud man, naturally wanted to struggle a bit more, but was interrupted by the young man in front of him.

"Don't hesitate, just tell me whether you'll call it or not," he said, sounding somewhat impatient.

Strange finally succumbed to the temptation of learning magic and awkwardly whispered:

"... Senior brother."

"Very good!" The young man smiled with satisfaction and said happily, "From now on, I'm finally not the lowest-ranking junior brother anymore!"

Strange watched his performance, his lips twitching. He couldn't help but feel that this young man had been too well protected by his teacher, never experiencing the harsh realities of life...

'That old man seems to be a very caring person!' Strange thought to himself.

"Alright, junior brother, what's your name?" the young man asked, patting Strange on the shoulder with a smile.

Upon hearing this address, Strange's lips twitched slightly, and he replied, "Stephen Strange."

"My name is Xiwen, and I'm a native of Kamar-Taj. You can call me Senior Brother Xiwen," the young man said with a smile. "From now on, I'll protect you!"