Li Wei woke with a stiff neck and a mild sense of panic. Last night's fire had burned low, and he was still unsure if he'd just dreamed the whole forest ordeal. Stretching, he noticed the wooden sword leaning against a rock. It had survived the night. That alone was a small victory.
As he walked through the forest, trying to make sense of this Murim world, he spotted smoke rising in the distance. "Great," he muttered, "civilization… or more bandits. Either way, I hope someone has coffee."
The smoke led him to a small compound, partially hidden by tall pines. Wooden structures with curved roofs and small banners swaying in the breeze marked it as a martial arts sect. Li Wei squinted at a sign carved in unfamiliar characters: "Azure Dragon Sect."
"Azure Dragon… sounds fancy," he muttered. "Hopefully, no actual dragons."
As he approached the main gate, a young disciple blocked his path. She was no taller than him, dressed in simple robes, with a bamboo sword slung over her back. Her eyes narrowed. "Stranger, state your purpose!"
Li Wei raised his hands, trying not to seem threatening. "Uh… hello! I'm just a lost… um, traveler? Yeah, that's it. Totally peaceful, promise. No banditry, no kidnapping… just wandering."
The disciple's eyes flicked to the sword at his side. "And that?"
Li Wei glanced down. "Oh, this? Just a… uh… walking stick. For self-defense! Very modern, very safe."
The girl's lips twitched. "Follow me. Master Shen will decide your fate."
Li Wei trailed her nervously into the compound. Every step he took, he silently cursed his clumsy feet. "Why do all these sects have slippery stone paths?" he muttered under his breath.
Master Shen, a stern-looking man with a long white beard and a robe decorated with a dragon insignia, was seated in a courtyard. He looked up as Li Wei was brought before him. "You claim to be a wanderer, yet you carry a weapon and possess the bearing of someone who has never been trained?"
Li Wei bowed awkwardly. "Yes! Exactly! I'm totally inexperienced, but also… maybe a bit capable? Okay, I have no idea what I'm doing, actually."
Master Shen raised an eyebrow. "Your tongue is as sharp as your ignorance."
"Uh… thanks?" Li Wei muttered. He cursed himself for the sarcasm; apparently, humor didn't translate well in Murim.
Shen sighed. "We shall see if you are worth training. You will begin with the basics: stance, balance, and control."
"Basics?" Li Wei groaned. "I was hoping for some flashy sword moves and secret techniques right off the bat. You know… dramatic entrances, acrobatic flips, that sort of thing."
Shen's eyebrows shot up. "Flamboyance without foundation leads to death. If you survive my training, perhaps one day you may perform such tricks."
Li Wei groaned again, but deep down, he was secretly thrilled. A sect willing to teach him? Even if they called him a walking disaster, this was an opportunity. "Okay… I'll survive. Totally. Probably. Hopefully."
The next few days were grueling. Shen's training was relentless. Li Wei had to practice stances, control his breathing, and even meditate. But his hot-headed nature made meditation… challenging.
"Sit still and focus!" Shen commanded.
Li Wei wiggled, muttering, "Focus… sure… focus on not falling asleep… focus on not fainting… focus on… hey, my leg's asleep!"
Despite his clumsiness, his past life knowledge occasionally gave him an edge. He remembered balance tricks from parkour videos, energy efficiency techniques, and even practical approaches to repetitive drills.
One afternoon, Li Wei attempted to combine his modern logic with Murim basics. He noticed the weight distribution in a stance felt off. Adjusting his foot slightly, he accidentally executed a perfect spinning kick—landing squarely on a training dummy's chest.
Shen, who had been observing from afar, blinked. "Well… it appears you are not entirely useless."
Li Wei puffed his chest, grinning. "See? Modern wisdom meets martial arts genius!"
Shen hid a smile, though his expression remained stern. "Do not let luck fool you. Training is patience and repetition, not chance."
Li Wei nodded… well, sort of. "Absolutely. Patience. Repetition. Chance. Got it."
By the end of the week, Li Wei had survived his first full week at the sect. His body ached, his pride was slightly bruised, but he had a sense of accomplishment. He could now stand for longer than ten seconds without collapsing and could even execute a simple forward strike without tripping over his own feet.
That night, sitting by the fire and sharpening his wooden sword, Li Wei muttered to himself, "Step one: survive the first week. Step two: master basic martial arts. Step three: become famous. Step four: figure out a way to save money in a world without banks. Easy peasy."
He laughed softly, the sound echoing in the quiet courtyard. Despite the challenges, the strange world, and the endless drills, he felt alive. Hot-headed, reckless, clumsy, and entirely out of place—Li Wei had entered Murim. And he was determined to leave a mark, one chaotic, hilarious, and unforgettable step at a time.
Little did he know, the Azure Dragon Sect was just the beginning. Rival disciples, secret techniques, and wild misadventures awaited—and Li Wei would face them all… in his own chaotic, hot-headed style.