Welcome to Azure Sky Sect, Now Where's the Kitchen?

Azure Sky Sect sprawled over a mountainside like an elegant painting come to life. White marble halls and golden-tiled rooftops gleamed in the midday sun. Disciples in flowing robes hurried about on important tasks like carrying scrolls, sparring in courtyards, or meditating under ancient pines. Amidst all this lofty activity, one new disciple stood out by the way he bee-lined straight toward the dining hall, guided by nothing more than the heavenly aroma of lunch being served.

Li Fan clutched his new outer disciple robe (which was slightly too large and threatened to trip him) and his precious meal card. The sect steward had droned on about rules and duties, something about morning exercises, cultivation lessons, chores for senior disciples but Li Fan had tuned most of it out the moment he heard the lunch bell ring. Now, with stomach leading the way, he found himself at the grand entrance of the dining hall.

The hall was enormous, capable of seating hundreds of disciples. Long wooden tables lined the floor, and at the far end, a serving area with giant woks and cauldrons emitted clouds of savory steam. Dozens of outer disciples were already queued up. Li Fan hastily joined the line, nearly bouncing on his feet with anticipation.

"Name and sect ID?" asked a bored-looking senior disciple manning the meal card station at the front. Li Fan proudly presented his card, which had his name and a small picture of him looking slightly confused (they had taken it during registration). "Li Fan, outer disciple, new." The senior disciple stamped his card and waved him through to the serving counter.

Before him lay a glorious spread: braised pork belly in soy glaze, spicy tofu, stir-fried greens with garlic, and was that fish fragrant eggplant? Li Fan's eyes moistened with joy. Truly, he had arrived in paradise. He grabbed a tray and piled it high, maybe a bit too high. As he turned to find a seat, he nearly ran into someone.

"Watch it!" snapped a voice. Li Fan stopped short, a piece of braised pork dangling precariously from his chopsticks. Before him stood a tall, lean young man with sharp features and an even sharper glare. By his slightly finer robe and the insignia on his belt, Li Fan deduced this was an inner disciple.

The inner disciple looked at Li Fan's overflowing tray and curled his lip. "Greedy much? Save some for the rest of us." A couple of other outer disciples at nearby tables looked over nervously. It seemed no one dared to talk back to this fellow.

Li Fan blinked, then gave an apologetic grin. "Sorry, senior brother. I have a... high capacity for appreciation when it comes to sect meals." He sidestepped carefully to avoid knocking into the man and began moving along.

But the inner disciple wasn't done. He stepped directly into Li Fan's path. "I haven't seen you around. New recruit?" His tone was mocking. "What's your name?"

"Li Fan, outer disciple, as of an hour ago," Li Fan replied, his voice polite but a tad impatient—his food was getting cold!

The tall disciple crossed his arms. "I am Guo Hei, inner sect second-rank. If you're going to be in this sect, learn some respect. First day and you're already gorging yourself like a starving boar. Were you raised in a barn?"

A few gasps came from those listening. Insulting someone as a boar was a sure way to provoke a fight in cultivation circles 'boar' implied stupidity and gluttony. Li Fan, however, wasn't so easily provoked. He chuckled, "Raised in a barn? No, but I did spend a week in a pigsty once, long story, not important." He casually plucked the dangling piece of pork belly from his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth, chewing blissfully. "Mmm. Delicious!"

Guo Hei's eyes widened at Li Fan's flippant response. He clearly expected anger or embarrassment. Instead, Li Fan just continued to savor his food. "You dare laugh?" Guo Hei said, scowling now. "Do you know who I am? I can have a troublemaker like you kicked out on your first day."

Li Fan swallowed his bite and sighed. He remembered something Elder Kang said about chores and offending seniors on day one. Perhaps antagonizing this guy might indeed get him in trouble. With a reluctant bow of his head, Li Fan said, "My apologies, Senior Brother Guo. It's just my excitement for the food got the better of me. I meant no disrespect. Please, carry on and have a nice meal." He motioned like a doorman politely showing someone through.

Guo Hei frowned, somewhat disarmed by the mixture of cheek and politeness. He seemed to decide Li Fan was insignificant. "Hmph. Just don't let me catch you acting so uncouth again," he spat, then brushed past, bumping Li Fan's shoulder intentionally as he went.

Though Li Fan managed not to drop his tray, one solitary dumpling wobbled off and hit the floor. He looked mournfully at the fallen dumpling as Guo Hei took a seat with some other inner disciples. For a split second, Li Fan considered chucking a spoon at the back of Guo Hei's head. But then he shook it off, no need to get thrown out before dinner.

He found an empty spot at a bench next to a chubby youth who was eating with single-minded focus. "Mind if I sit?" Li Fan asked.

The chubby boy looked up, cheeks puffed with rice, and nodded vigorously, scooting aside. Li Fan sat and introduced himself between bites. He learned the boy's name was Pang Wei, another new outer disciple who had joined mostly due to parental pressure. Pang Wei was delighted to find someone who shared his enthusiasm for food over fighting.

"That Guo Hei, he's got a bad temper," Pang Wei whispered, glancing at the inner disciples' table. "He's known to bully newcomers. Be careful around him. He once force-fed a junior a whole pot of congee for accidentally spilling tea on his robes. Called it 'teaching table manners'."

Li Fan winced. "Noted. I'll steer clear of Mr. Inner Disciple of the Year." He chuckled and raised a bowl of soup to his lips.