The wind howled like a flute player with no talent.
Mountains rolled across the horizon like sleeping dragons. Trees whispered old secrets. Clouds lazily floated below cliff edges. A silver river sparkled in the distance like the heavens had spilled moonlight across the earth.
Atop one such cliff sat a single bamboo hut. And inside it…
> "Where the hell is the Wi-Fi?!"
Zhao Jin slapped the ancient wooden desk in front of him. Dust flew up like it had just woken from a thousand-year nap.
He stared at the object on the table — an **ancient, ornate keyboard**, its keys glowing faintly with what might've been spirit energy… or just mold.
"I paid fifty yuan for this at an online auction," he muttered. "Said 'Legendary keyboard of the Immortal Sect.' Thought it was just a collector's thing!"
The wind blew again. The keys of the keyboard started lighting up... one by one.
**Q… W… E… R…**
> "Oh no no no. I've seen enough anime to know where this is going—"
**FLASH.**
Zhao Jin was gone.
---
### 🌫️ When he opened his eyes...
Blue skies. Floating peaks. Distant waterfalls that flowed *upward*. Birds that glowed like fireflies. Bamboo that sang when the wind touched them.
And in front of him — a gate with golden characters:
> **"Welcome to Sudden Success Sect."**
"…This is either a prank show or I've been isekai'd."
He turned around — just in time to get a **flying bamboo scroll** to the face.
*BONK.*
**"New disciple!"** a stern voice called out. "You're late!"
Zhao Jin rubbed his forehead. "Wait, what? I just got here—"
A man in elegant robes stood with his arms crossed. Eyes like sharp swords. Hair tied with a golden ribbon. Aura of someone who'd written ten thousand complaint letters and won every argument.
**Senior Brother Liu Qingfan.**
Strategist. Genius. Paranoid.
> "We predicted your arrival. The cloud turtles flew west this morning."
> "Uh… turtles fly here?"
> "You ask too many questions. Follow me."
---
### 🏯 Welcome to the Sect
The Sudden Success Sect was massive.
Palaces floated mid-air, balanced on clouds. Disciples in colorful robes flew by on swords. Elders rode spirit cranes. One guy was literally arguing with a tree.
> "I gave you fertilizer last week, Elder Pine! You ungrateful shrub!"
Zhao Jin followed Liu Qingfan past meditation halls, herb gardens, and training grounds where disciples screamed things like:
> "Lightning Palm of Regret!"
> "Fiery Fist of Filial Piety!"
> "Hey stop that, you almost burned my soup!"
Everything was magical. Everything was majestic. Everything was…
> "Wait… why is the sword pavilion on fire?" Zhao Jin asked.
Liu Qingfan didn't even blink. "That's normal."
---
### 🧹 Choosing a path…
Inside a grand hall, Zhao Jin was handed a wooden tag.
> **'Choose your Dao Path.'**
Options appeared magically in front of him:
- Sword Cultivation
- Pill Mastery
- Beast Taming
- Array Formation
- Herb Whisperer (???)
Zhao Jin stared blankly.
> "Uhhh… do you have something like… tech support?"
> "Not an option," Liu said.
"Alright then, uh... I choose—"
He slipped.
Literally. His foot caught on a scroll.
He flailed. He grabbed a nearby statue for balance. The statue collapsed. Under it? A glowing seal.
The hall trembled.
> "YOU HAVE AWAKENED THE ANCIENT PATH OF... RANDOM FORTUNE."
Everyone went silent.
Zhao Jin blinked. "I did what now?"
Liu Qingfan turned slowly. "…This is not in my calculations."
---
### 🍜 Later that evening...
Zhao Jin sat cross-legged outside his tiny bamboo courtyard.
There was a spirit lamp glowing above, fireflies dancing around him. The lake shimmered under moonlight. A flock of cloud geese honked in the distance like heavenly bagpipes.
> "This place is... beautiful," he whispered. "And I still don't know how to use Qi."
He looked to his side.
A bowl of noodles sat in front of him.
"I made these," he grinned. "Can't cultivate, but I can cook."
**BONK.** A soft rustle behind him.
He turned — and saw a girl standing under a peach tree. Long flowing robes. Eyes like frozen stars. Sword on her back.
**Lan Yue. Sword Fairy of the Ice Moon Peak.**
She stepped closer.
"…Did you… just summon a spirit beast?" she asked coldly.
Zhao Jin looked down at his bowl.
"Uh… noodles?"
She looked at him for a long second. Then nodded.
> "Only a hidden master would dare cook during meditation. I see now. You walk a deeper path."
> "Wait no— I just like carbs!"
Before he could explain, she bowed respectfully.
> "Disciple Lan Yue will now follow you to comprehend the Dao of Flavor."
And just like that… Zhao Jin got his first follower.
Because of noodles.
---
### 🌸 Chapter 1 Ends With:
Zhao Jin sighing under the moonlight.
Lan Yue meditating beside him.
His spirit panda (which randomly appeared and refused to leave) snoring on his lap.
> "I don't know what I'm doing here," Zhao whispered.
> "But if noodles got me a sword fairy… maybe this won't be so bad."
---
**[Chapter 1 — END]**