I Am a Master, How Could I Not Know

Xiao Ranshu, a modern woman with severe social anxiety and a penchant for laziness, awakens in a thatched cottage atop Ling Mountain with no memory of how she arrived. She inhabits the body of a cultivator who appears to have starved to death, leaving her with nothing but empty rooms and a burning incense stick that refuses to extinguish. Her immediate struggle is survival; she lacks food, cooking utensils, and basic comforts. During a heavy rainstorm, she encounters a warrior named Backsword Warrior who attempts to force his way into her home. Displaying terrifying martial prowess, she uses raindrops as hidden weapons to pierce his skin, sending him fleeing in terror. Unaware of her own power, Xiao Ranshu attributes her cold demeanor to hunger and her slow movements to weakness.

The narrative reveals that the body Xiao Ranshu occupies belongs to Ji Juexiu, a being with a Divine Yang Soul who has undergone eight previous lives of reincarnation to balance his yin and yang. In his ninth life, he was meant to complete a tribulation, but his physical body died prematurely, leaving his soul orb missing. Instead of reincarnating, his body was taken over by Xiao Ranshu’s purely yin soul. Ji Juexiu, now restored to his original form in a northern snow cave, discovers this anomaly and descends the mountain with his companion, Chi Xian, to investigate. They observe Xiao Ranshu from afar, noting her complete lack of martial awareness despite wielding god-like power.

Xiao Ranshu’s isolation is broken by the villagers of Lingxia Village below. After a warrior named Qiu Yue visits the village and is terrified by rumors of the "Fairy" on the mountain, the villagers, led by Lao Zhao and Zhang Da Niang, ascend to offer gratitude. They mistakenly believe Xiao Ranshu saved their lives and begin bringing her food, including chicken soup and later a whole duck. Xiao Ranshu, though socially awkward and anxious, accepts their gifts. She names the family’s five-year-old daughter, who has not yet undergone Mind Opening, "Zhao Yujun," which coincidentally triggers the girl’s awakening. The villagers interpret this as a divine miracle and redouble their efforts to serve her, bringing gifts, renovating her home, and even purchasing a carriage for her.

As Xiao Ranshu settles into a comfortable, if confusing, existence, she remains oblivious to the political and martial currents swirling around her. Qiu Yue, seeking to repay her kindness, spends a fortune on luxury goods for her, unaware that she is merely a tenant in his master’s body. Meanwhile, Yan Zhongze, the son of the local City Lord, becomes obsessed with the beauty and mystery of the woman on the mountain. He sends spies to Lingxia Village and eventually discovers that the "Fairy" is protected by powerful warriors, yet he remains determined to capture her for himself. The story sets the stage for a collision between Xiao Ranshu’s desire for a quiet, lazy life and the escalating threats from martial artists and nobles who seek to exploit or possess the power she unknowingly wields.

Ji Juexiu and Chi Xian continue to watch from the shadows, debating whether to reclaim the body or allow Xiao Ranshu to continue her tribulation. Chi Xian suggests dual cultivation to balance their souls, but Ji Juexiu remains indifferent, viewing her as merely a temporary vessel. The central tension arises from the disconnect between Xiao Ranshu’s perception of herself as a vulnerable, modern introvert and the reality of her status as a supreme being in a world that reveres martial strength. Her accidental blessings and defensive instincts continue to elevate her legend among the villagers, while external forces close in, unaware that the "Fairy" they fear or desire is simply a woman trying to find her next meal without having to interact with anyone.