Li Fan exhaled in relief, his stomach already imagining the celebratory meal. The elder motioned him to the next station. "Now for the second test: aptitude." On a table lay a glowing crystal orb. "Place your hand on the orb and inject your qi. It will reveal your spiritual roots."
Li Fan swallowed. This was problematic, he barely had any qi to inject. He stepped to the table, placing his palm on the cool orb. He concentrated, trying to push out a thread of energy as one might squeeze the last bit of toothpaste from a tube. The orb flickered... and then glowed a faint, uneven color.
"Hmm," the elder peered at the orb. "A mix of fire and wood attributes, but extremely weak... Wait..." The orb suddenly flashed bright green then faded. The elder frowned in confusion. "What was that? It looked like... no, it couldn't be." He leaned in. "For a second I thought I saw the wok..."
"The wok?" Li Fan blinked. Did his stomach's desires just influence the orb? Perhaps thinking about that carrot and pork stew last night while channeling qi wasn't wise.
The elder shook his head. "Must have been a trick of the light. Regardless, your spiritual roots are mediocre at best. Fire and wood, faintly present. That typically suits alchemy or cooking fire control, but at such low intensity..." He sighed. "Well, no matter. On to the final test: knowledge."
Li Fan stepped aside as another disciple took away the orb. Knowledge test? He hadn't prepared for a written exam! Unless the questions were about different flavors of dumplings, he was in trouble.
The elder snapped his fingers and a scroll appeared. He cleared his throat and asked, "In the treatise of the Sage of the Eastern Cloud, what are the three fundamental virtues of a cultivator?"
Li Fan's mind went blank. Virtues? He had perhaps heard this in passing. It was something high-sounding like perseverance, integrity... and what was the third? Hard work? Selflessness? His stomach interrupted his thoughts with a growl, reminding him of its own fundamental virtue: gluttony.
"Erm, the three virtues are: diligence, honor, and... um..." Li Fan stalled, a bead of sweat on his forehead. He looked at the elder's disapproving face and knew guessing could backfire. Then inspiration struck. If he didn't know the right answer, give an outrageous one and hope to confuse them with his logic applied to cultivation exams. He straightened up and said confidently, "... and a hearty appetite, Elder. A cultivator must have a hearty appetite."
A few onlookers coughed to cover laughs. The elder's eyes narrowed into slits. "Appetite?" he repeated, voice dripping with incredulity.
Li Fan gave a sage nod, as if imparting wisdom. "Yes, for knowledge of course." He quickly added, "An appetite for knowledge, that's what I meant." He flashed what he hoped was a scholarly smile.
The elder stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then, to Li Fan's surprise, the old man's lips twitched upward ever so slightly. Was that... a ghost of a smile? "Hmph. I see. Diligence, honor, and thirst for knowledge. Not the textbook answer, but arguably true in spirit." He scribbled on his scroll.
Li Fan let out a mental sigh of relief. The elder rolled up the scroll. "Despite your... unorthodox approach, you have passed the entrance examination, Li Fan." He gestured toward the gates. "Welcome to Azure Sky Sect as an outer disciple. See the steward for your robes and... meal card."
At the mention of 'meal card', Li Fan's eyes positively sparkled. He bowed deeply to the elder, suddenly far more respectful. "Thank you, honored Elder!" Without missing a beat, he dashed off in the direction indicated, nearly tripping in his haste.
As Li Fan disappeared around the corner, the elder shook his head and muttered, "A hearty appetite, huh... Perhaps this one will be trouble." Still, there was an amused glint in the old man's eyes as he watched the young man go. The other examiners gathered their things and one leaned over, whispering, "Why'd you let him through, Elder Kang? He seemed barely qualified."
Elder Kang stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Sometimes, the sect needs more than just the obviously talented. There's something about that boy... or perhaps I'm just getting soft in my old age and found him entertaining." He gave a rare chuckle. "Either way, he'll certainly make life at Azure Sky Sect more interesting."
And so, Li Fan gained entry to one of the most prestigious cultivation sects in the land, entirely by accident and appetite. The adventure that awaited him would be nothing like what the other disciples imagined for themselves. But one thing was for sure: Li Fan was already congratulating himself on securing three hot meals a day. What could possibly go wrong?