Early morning sunlight warmed the misty peaks of Twilight Shadow Mountain.
Birds chirped.
Qi flowed.
Xue Rong was lifting a boulder twice his size and shouting, "IF I DON'T SWEAT, IT DOESN'T COUNT!"
Nearby, Yun Xi covered her ears. "Does he always scream while training?"
Han Li peeked out of a bush. "Yes. He even growls in his sleep."
At the top of the mountain, Shen Mo sat on a stone bench, calmly flipping through a scroll titled: "Top Ten People Banned from Sect Competitions (and Why)."
"Found him," he muttered.
[System Notification:]Next Disciple Path: AlchemyTarget: Lin Fan – Banned from 37 sects for explosive accidentsCondition: Must be saved from unjust punishment for 'accidental' arsonLocation: Molten Ember Town, 200 miles southeast
Estimated Chance of Acceptance: 4%Personality: Genius. Loud. Slightly unhinged. Likes fire.
Shen Mo nodded. "Perfect."
Yun Xi approached, brushing dust off her sleeves. "Going somewhere again?"
"To pick up a walking catastrophe."
"We already have one." She pointed at Xue Rong, who had started punching a tree… through another tree.
"Now we'll have two."
Molten Ember Town – Late Afternoon
The town was famous for two things: cheap spirit wine and frequent minor explosions.
Today, there were five explosions before noon.
By the time Shen Mo arrived, the sky was gray with smoke, and a small crowd had gathered near the town square.
In the center stood a young man in singed robes, hands chained behind his back, hair half-burned but eyes full of spark (literally, a spark was crackling in his eyebrow).
"I told you it was an accident!" he shouted. "I was trying to invent silent fireworks!"
"You blew up the mayor's bathhouse!" an elder shouted back.
"It was still standing when I left!"
"Because you left mid-explosion!"
Shen Mo folded his arms and watched the scene with interest.
"So that's Lin Fan."
He stepped forward just as someone pulled out a punishment whip.
"Now hold on," Shen Mo said cheerfully. "Is there a law against creative problem solving?"
The crowd turned.
"Who are you?" the town guard asked.
"Traveling sect master. Looking for idiots with potential."
"Well, he fits the idiot part!"
Lin Fan beamed. "Hey! That's… fair, actually."
Shen Mo looked him over. "You're a disaster in robes, aren't you?"
"You should see my basement."
"I'd rather not. Do you want to join a sect that won't chain you up for minor explosions?"
"...What's the catch?"
"We don't have a kitchen. Or beds. And one of our disciples punches trees for fun."
Lin Fan grinned. "You had me at 'no kitchen.'"
Twilight Shadow Sect – That Night
Lin Fan stepped into the main hall, dragging a cart filled with bottles, herbs, and one suspiciously ticking box.
"Is this your room?" he asked.
"That's the cultivation chamber," Han Li replied nervously. "Your room is over there."
"Perfect. I call dibs on the rock shelf for my potion shelves."
"You don't get potion shelves—WAIT DON'T OPEN THAT—!"
Boom.
Smoke filled the room. A chicken ran out screaming.
Xue Rong clapped from across the courtyard. "I like him."
Later that evening, the sect sat down for a meal of roasted roots and foraged mushrooms. Lin Fan was experimenting with flame powder as seasoning.
"If I add just a pinch of sulfur—"
"No," said everyone in unison.
Shen Mo leaned back, watching his odd little family of weirdos and warriors.
[System Notification:]Lin Fan: Alchemy Path ActivatedRecruitment CompleteLoyalty: 48% (High Curiosity, Cautious Optimism)
Sect Reputation: +4 (Molten Ember Town now thinks Shen Mo is a traveling genius recruiter)
New Hall Unlocked: Alchemy Hall (Tier I)Member Count: 4
Shen Mo sipped his tea and smiled.
"Four halls. Four lunatics."
Yun Xi sighed. "What are we building here?"
"A legend."
"With exploding soup?"
"Even legends need spice."