"Hmm, it smells wonderful! What are you all eating? Finding such delicious food in this desolate wilderness is quite remarkable. Do you have any left? I would gladly purchase some..." Shi Jieren said while sniffing the enticing aroma of instant noodles.
As the Moon Worshiper emerged from the darkness, Alex and the others could clearly see his extraordinary bearing and refined demeanor.
"Meeting by chance is fate itself and a bowl of noodles is nothing worth mentioning. If you are willing to join us then please sit down and share our meal" Alex said warmly. As he spoke he reached behind his back and produced another bucket of instant noodles. He tore open the packaging and noticing some hot water still remained in the kettle, Alex prepared the noodles for their unexpected guest.
"It will only take a few moments and the meal will be ready" he said while placing the steaming bucket in front of Shi Jieren.
"Thank you very much" Shi Jieren responded graciously as he accepted the noodles with both hands.
He glanced at the unusual container in his hands and exclaimed with genuine amazement "The Central Plains is truly a land of wonders. Such delicious food can be prepared with such remarkable ease. I have never encountered anything like this before. It is genuinely eye-opening."
"This is not actually from the Central Plains" Alex muttered quietly to himself before addressing Shi Jieren directly. "From your words it seems you are not originally from the Central Plains yourself?"
"Indeed I come from a small country far from here and have long admired the Central Plains for its outstanding people and beautiful landscapes. So when the opportunity finally arose I seized the chance to come and witness it with my own eyes" Shi Jieren nodded thoughtfully but deliberately avoided mentioning that he was from Nanzhao.
While speaking of outstanding people and beautiful scenery, Shi Jieren studied Alex and his companions carefully. They were clearly among the finest representatives of the Central Plains' younger generation.
"Life is not just about dealing with everyday struggles but also about seeking beauty and exploring far-off places. You are truly a free spirit who can travel wherever you wish at any time" Alex remarked with genuine admiration. The fact that even in middle age this man could still pursue his wanderlust and explore the world was quite impressive.
Of course compared to Shi Jieren's earthly travels, being able to freely explore the entire universe was infinitely more thrilling.
"Life is not just about dealing with everyday struggles but also about seeking beauty and exploring far-off places. Hmm, that is quite a profound sentiment and beautifully expressed" the Moon Worshiper murmured thoughtfully before picking up the plastic fork. He took his first bite of instant noodles and nodded with evident satisfaction.
"Hey old fellow, you seem like someone who has traveled extensively. I am curious about where the farthest place you have ever visited might be?" Li Xiaoyao who had been listening nearby appeared quite interested in this line of conversation. With an easy smile on his face he leaned forward eagerly and asked.
"The farthest place?" Shi Jieren paused momentarily and after a brief silence he replied with a distant look in his eyes "The Ends of the Earth."
"The Ends of the Earth? That is merely a legendary location is it not? Have you truly been there? Does such a place actually exist?" Li Xiaoyao asked with obvious surprise at Shi Jieren's unexpected response.
Even Liu Jinyuan and Lin Yueru who had been quietly eating nearby now leaned forward with growing interest.
Throughout history there have been countless legends and poetic descriptions of the Ends of the Earth but no one has ever actually traveled there and returned. Yet this elderly stranger was claiming he had personally visited this mythical place?
"Yes the Ends of the Earth exist everywhere you look. Every other place is the Ends of the Earth and even where we currently sit can be considered the Ends of the Earth" Shi Jieren said while nodding with profound emotion and a touch of melancholy.
Indeed if he had not personally verified this truth through his own journey then Shi Jieren himself would never have believed that humanity lived upon the surface of a giant sphere floating in space.
"Tsk, I thought you had actually been to some legendary place but it turns out you were merely speaking in riddles and philosophical nonsense..."
Upon hearing Shi Jieren's cryptic claim that the Ends of the Earth existed everywhere, Li Xiaoyao curled his lips dismissively. Liu Jinyuan and Lin Yueru who sat beside him also shook their heads with disappointed expressions clearly visible on their faces.
Shi Jieren did not bother elaborating further on his meaning but instead felt a wave of loneliness wash over him. It was the profound isolation that comes from being the only sober person in a room full of drunkards.
He understood perfectly well that the fundamental truth about the nature of their world would be far too shocking and incomprehensible for ordinary people to accept.
"By the way Alex, your teleportation magic can instantly transport you to any location in the world correct? I wonder if it would be powerful enough to reach the legendary Ends of the Earth?" Lin Yueru who sat beside him suddenly asked with genuine curiosity shining in her eyes.
"Did I not already explain this to you? That particular technique requires me to have physically visited the destination beforehand" Alex reminded her with mild exasperation in his voice.
He paused briefly before adding with a slightly teasing tone "Also what if I told you there is no such thing as the Ends of the Earth in this world? Would you believe me?"
"That is impossible! The legend of the Ends of the Earth has existed since ancient times. The heavens are round and the earth is square beneath them. Even if the world stretches vast and wide it must surely have boundaries somewhere" Liu Jinyuan responded immediately. With his extensive education and natural scholarly inclination he shook his head firmly in disagreement.
As far as his understanding went the concept of a round heaven dome covering a flat square earth was fundamental truth. Therefore it logically followed that such a world must possess definite edges and boundaries, which meant the Ends of the Earth must necessarily exist.
"But what if I were to tell you that this world is not flat at all and that the very Earth we walk upon is actually just one massive sphere suspended in an endless void?" Alex casually challenged Liu Jinyuan's deeply held beliefs.
Plop...
Alex's shocking words caused Shi Jieren who had been peacefully eating nearby to suddenly drop his bucket of instant noodles. The container hit the ground and hot soup splattered across the grass. He stared at Alex with absolute shock written across his features and his heart pounded violently in his chest.
The revelation that the world he inhabited was actually a giant sphere had only come to him after an exhausting journey during which he had circumnavigated the entire globe before finally returning to Nanzhao. This earth-shattering truth was something he had never dared to share with another living soul for fear of being branded a madman.
Yet unexpectedly he was now hearing these exact same revolutionary words spoken casually by a young man from the Central Plains. One could easily imagine the tremendous shock and disbelief that flooded through him.
"How could that possibly be true? If the world we inhabit were actually a sphere then would not all the people living on the sides and bottom simply slide off and fall into the void?" As expected the moment Alex finished speaking not only Liu Jinyuan but even Lin Yueru and Li Xiaoyao all shook their heads vigorously in complete disbelief.
They had been raised from childhood with the traditional concept of round heavens above and a flat square earth below, so when they first encountered this radical notion of a spherical Earth they naturally rejected it outright as absurd.
Alex was not remotely surprised by Liu Jinyuan and the others' predictable reactions. He smiled faintly but did not waste his energy attempting to explain further.
There was simply no practical point in trying to discuss such advanced concepts with people whose entire worldview was rooted in ancient cosmology.
"Mister Alex, you stated that the world we inhabit is actually a sphere. Does this mean we are all standing on the top surface of this sphere with absolutely no one living on the sides or bottom portions?"
While Alex had not originally intended to elaborate on the subject, Shi Jieren who remained seated nearby suddenly spoke up with an urgent question. He was clearly intensely interested in pursuing this fascinating topic further.
"No, that is not accurate at all. Our world is indeed a sphere but there are people living in every corner and on every surface of it."
Although the fact that Shi Jieren seemed partially convinced by his explanation struck Alex as rather strange and unexpected, since the question had been directly asked he decided to answer with complete honesty.
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