Exeter was divided into the Inner and Outer cities. The smaller and more diverse of the two was the Outer City. This area was where the general residential and merchant districts were located. The Inner City, on the other hand, was exclusively for the use of the residing Fu Clan. The area housed clansmen lodgings, the clan's main hall, administrative buildings, and the Fu Clan's Academy.
The Academy building was the second-largest property in Exeter City, right behind the Fu Clan's main hall, where the clan leader resided. There, the Fu Clan taught new members the various rules and basic techniques that were available. It became the starting point for many individuals who were interested in a combat-oriented lifestyle.
In the central yard of the Academy stood a large formation of people. They had been corralled into rows by the Academy Instructor for their first introduction into the clan. The instructor was an elder of the Fu Clan, bearing green robes and a constant sour look on his face. The remnants of past battles scarred his body from head to toe.
The Instructor addressed the group on various regulations, responsibilities, and types of jobs available to new clan members. His mannerisms had a seasoned effect of commanding their attention. Yet, under his watchful eye, whispers still emerged within the rank and file of those present.
"Should we be here? There's like, no other real people. If the streamers(*) aren't even bothering with this, wouldn't that mean it's a waste of time?"
"Fufu! Naive girl, you're not grown up enough to appreciate the complexities of this game. Obviously, we're taking an ultra-secret hidden path."
"Eh~? What would you know? Ever since we got our Battle Spirits, all you've done is run away from every other guy asking to party with us. We all know they just want your contact ID. Humph! How annoying."
"Aw, don't be so mean. Everyone deserves love! Sooner or later, we'll run into someone perfect for you. Someone into flat washboards~."
"You! You're courting death!"
"Pfft! Just because this game is eastern themed doesn't make it any less cliché when you say that."
Right as the faces of the two quarreling girls began to turn ugly, they were suddenly interrupted-
"Shhhh! Wolfie! Mellow! The instructor is looking this way! I sweet-talked that old clan auntie into letting us join this lecture ahead of everyone else, so don't get us in trouble!"
"Celene! How come no one else is doing this too? It's just all NPCs." Wolfie asked.
"Just trust me! After this, we'll be able to take hunting requests and level faster than everyone." Celene said, her voice both whimsical and smooth, "There's always going to be a bunch of NPCs everywhere we go, though."
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Wolfie.
"Well, I remember Hansel sent me a link about it. Some streamer's channel covered news about the game and explained how the developers made the player to NPC ratio like, outrageously huge." Celene explained, "Even if every registered player logged in, we'd only make up maybe ten percent of the population in-game."
"Why would they do that? Is SSO just that big? Uh, Hansel? How come you're so stiff?" asked Mellow.
Among the four of them, Hansel had been the only one to stand in place, mimicking the NPCs: "The environment map is outrageously huge. There's only one major landmass, the one we're on called the Divine Continent. Even though an endless ocean surrounds it, the landmass spans over hundreds of millions of kilometers."
"Wow!" exclaimed Wolfie, "I would never have imagined there'd be something bigger than Mellow's stupid cow udders! Technology is amazing!"
Celene rolled her eyes: "So because the population is mostly NPCs, in-game events are going to keep moving forward with or without players participating. Like, we're going to have to compete with NPCs just as much or even more than other play-AH!----Mellow, put her down!"
"YOU FOUR!" A hoarse voice jettisoned through the air, causing all four of them to cringe as they hurried back into place. The Academy Instructor came stomping over to them.
The girls straightened up while Hansel could only sigh miserably, his grimace revealing his woes. This was far from the first time these girls dragged him into trouble.
The instructor halted in front of the squad of misfits, glowering from one to the next: "Such insolence! I can't fathom what persuaded my senior clan elder to enroll you all into our esteemed Fu Clan's Academy. The tradition is that candidates must be at least a Spiritualist of the first rank to be qualified..."
As the instructor droned on with his lecturing, Wolfie leaned slightly over towards Hansel, whispering ever so softly, "What's a Spiritualist?"
Her companions all shook their heads, baffled. The four of them had already come across so many NPCs that explained various game terminology to them. It was impossible to think a person wouldn't know at this point from the sheer amount of occurrences. Even so, after thinking about it, the three of them weren't surprised.
Whether Celene, Hansel, or Mellow, all three should have seen it coming, considering how many games they'd gone through together. How could they forget that Wolfie was the type of gamer who skipped through the tutorials, cutscenes, and dialogue in everything she played.
Hansel pretended not to hear her, believing the youngest member of their group would move on or get bored.
He was mistaken. Wolfie softly jabbed at his ribs. Then again, and finally, after the fifth time, Hansel gave in.
Sovereign Spirit Online's world was inhabited by mysterious creatures called Spirits. Throughout the Divine Continent, Spirits existed alongside the beasts and the NPC inhabitants.
The title of 'Spiritualist' referred to individuals who commanded the world's various Spirits for their own use. The way gamers deconstructed it; an individual used their spirit essence as 'mana.' Combining spirit essence with a Spirit resulted in a spell or technique related to the Spirit's characteristics.
"Besides all that, simply, a Spiritualist what we'd call an adventurer in RPG games." Hansel tried to whisper what he could to Wolfie as the Academy Instructor paced in front of them, lecturing.
"You four don't look capable of handling the Spirits you were given, let alone be considered full-fledged Spiritualists." The instructor continued, "Nevertheless, since you've been accepted, I shall whip you into shape to ensure you don't embarrass yourselves or our great Fu Clan. Do you weaklings understand?" The Academy Instructor shouted.
"Yes, sir!" Hansel instantly shouted. His quick and loud response startled the girls, but they quickly followed suit after a brief look from their sole male companion. His expression practically begged them to play along.
"Yes!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Yeah, sure!"
"..."
The instructor shuddered before spinning on his heel. He marched right up to Mellow, halting just in front of her. The difference in height between them was staggering, forcing Mellow to look up at his ferocious glare.
As if she could feel an intense heat pouring down, Mellow gulped, her legs buckling from beneath her. The pressure the Academy Instructor emitted with his stare was fierce. At that moment, Mellow felt as if a giant was peering down at her.
"...Yes, sir?" The instructor corrected her.
"Y-yes, sir!" she replied.
"Now, did you say yes, sir?" He inquired. His voice was calm, but an intense and ominous aura had manifested around him.
Standing next to Mellow, Wolfie piped up with a twisted, wide-toothed grin: "I think she said yeah, sure~."
Mellow sucked in a breath of cold air as her body froze in place, terrified.
The Academy Instructor wanted nothing more than to throw punish all four of them. 'Hmph! This bunch of students will just drag down the honor of the great Fu Clan. If it weren't for that elder backing them...'
The instructor paused before stepping back and squinting his eyes at the group. All four of them had to admit, the man was intimidating. To their delightful surprise, the instructor instead waltzed off, mumbling to himself, "Damn newcomers....no respect.....In the good old days...."
Once he had gotten out of earshot, Mellow let out the deep breath she had been holding till now. She would have never guessed that NPCs in this game could be so scary! She whipped her head around, staring daggers towards Wolfie: "Brat! Just wait till you fall asleep tonight. I've been wondering what to use that green hair dye on, but now I know for sure!"
Wolfie stuck her tongue out: "Hmph! Then maybe I'll stop making us breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We'll see just how long you can survive without my cooking!."
Celene and Hansel looked at the two bickering girls and then back to each other. Before long, they both let out a sigh of exhaustion. At first, they thought they'd gotten lucky! To stumble across a hidden way to join the local faction earlier than every other player was a big deal!
The Fu Clan's territory encompassed Exeter City and the immediate surrounding areas. These zones were sizable and dripping with a wealth of untapped resources. Such abundance would always be envied, as many territories belonging to other rival clans were not as prosperous.
As a result, Exeter City was often in a state of competition and conflict.
Being the governing faction, the Fu Clan had always been in competition with neighboring clans. As a Spiritualist, enrolling in the Academy was a great way to increase your combat prowess. Also, clan members would be granted a fair amount of authority in the city, even if the Spiritualist was of a low rank. All that was expected from the Spiritualist in exchange was an oath to adhere to the clan's etiquette and rules, follow orders, and revere their elders. The traditions were strict and demanded obedience.
Thinking of the path ahead of them, Celene and Hansel could only sigh and hope for the best. With the other two troublemakers in their group, their hopes for succeeding felt slimmer by the second.
♦♦♦
--Exeter City, Fu Clan's Battle Pavilion
Something unusual had been developing for the past half hour. The place was packed full of people yet, no one spoke. If that wasn't enough, every so often, a distinctive thumping noise reverberated through the air.
The bewilderment of those gathered was soon accompanied by footsteps echoing along the pavilion's stone floor. A blue-robed youth with blazing red hair had just arrived and was frantically searching through the crowd.
After much effort, he was able to gradually force his way through the swarm of motionless players. He reached his companions, who were struck with the same silence as the crowd.
"Hey! Why did you tell me to come back here? I already got my Battle Spirit." The youth asked, flaunting a brand new staff.
He received no response. His friends didn't even notice his existence. Confused, the youth's brows furrowed, and he was about to say something to get their attention. However, once he turned his head to see what had them so distracted, his eyes widened.
WHAM… "Again."
THUMP… "Again."
BANG… "Again."
Sun Zhou mercilessly pulverized the brawler from the Fu Clan. After the first upset, Bruised Leaf continued attacking Sun Zhou with a series of head-on charges, each more vigorous than the last. His movements were fierce but still ended with the man repeatedly landing flat on his back. Every time Bruised Leaf rose up to try again, the result was the same.
Initially, people were surprised when Sun Zhou dodged the first charge, and some even said it was a fluke. But after witnessing such a one-sided beat down, such claims were no longer heard by anyone. No one could muster a sound as they watched Sun Zhou relentlessly pummel his opponent.
This could no longer be called a duel. Bruised Leaf's face was massively swelling. His injuries became more gruesome with every blow, causing several people to look away helplessly.
The players watching were confused by the scene. Every time Bruised Leaf was struck and knocked to the ground, he wouldn't stay down. Perhaps he felt no pain or shame? Regardless, it was difficult for most people to witness someone being brutally beaten. Even more so when that person willingly went through it again and again.
To Sun Zhou, this was nothing. The combat skills he had painstakingly honed in his past life were now his most valuable assets. Not to mention, Bruised Leaf essentially telegraphed every attack. Any experienced SSO player would find it easy to dodge them.
Bruised Leaf was the one who set the conditions of the duel, and for the duration of it, he could not use even a fraction of his full strength. The only thing Sun Zhou had to do now was chip away Bruised Leaf's HP.
Still, the crowd had grown tired of viewing such an unfair fight for so long. Protests surfaced from the observers:
"Shouldn't somebody stop him?"
"Yeah, this is going too far! Look at that guy's face."
"It's taking forever!!"
"What can we do? They're in an official duel. Hey you! Just hurry up and win. This is pretty gross. What's wrong with you?!"
"Yeah! Haven't you had enough? Beating the poor guy so mercilessly... You're sick!"
Sun Zhou remained calm and composed, but he was inwardly annoyed.
'Hurry up? I don't even have a Spirit. I do almost no damage!' Sun Zhou thought to himself, 'One hit from this guy, and I lose. These people…'
He tried picking up the pace at their behest, and even though Sun Zhou was overwhelming his opponent, a single misstep meant the end. He was Level 1 with a mere 80 HP, after all. All Bruised Leaf needed was for one good hit to land, and the duel would end.
But suddenly!
SMACK *Ding*
------------------------------------------------------------------
You have defeated the Spiritualist, Bruised Leaf.
You have won the duel!
------------------------------------------------------------------
'Finally!' he thought. Sun Zhou couldn't help but exhale deeply through his nostrils. Though the challenge wasn't difficult, the stakes were high enough to make him nervous. He knew the gains from this encounter were astronomical in value.
Hidden questlines, otherwise known as inheritances, were exceedingly rare. In Sun Zhou's past life, this particular inheritance wouldn't be discovered for another year! Back then, when he learned of its existence, no one had successfully gained the reward yet. Everyone who tried would end up failing at one part or another.
At that time, Sun Zhou believed he had already invested too much effort into his current skillset. So he ultimately chose to ignore the colossal potential this inheritance posed. That decision was one of the biggest regrets he ever had.
Sun Zhou couldn't remember the exact day the hidden questline had finally been looted. He was also unsure what the reward had been specifically. Sun Zhou could only recall that the person who received the inheritance shot up to fame in no time at all. They surpassed him in every aspect, growing into an extreme powerhouse throughout the Divine Continent.
Everyone that had been watching the duel sighed in relief when it was over. Several people even planned to teach Sun Zhou a lesson afterward for wasting their time. All they were waiting for was the right moment. At the same time, some others who pitied Bruised Leaf ran over to help him up. To their surprise, the brawler started to laugh joyfully.
"Bwuahahaha! Little rascal, I never would have thought you could beat me!" Bruised Leaf pointed at Sun Zhou as he praised him.
"Do not forget your promise." Sun Zhou responded curtly.
"Oh! Erm… Well, listen." Bruised Leaf acted embarrassed—a useless charade of emotion to Sun Zhou, aiming for the real reward.
"How about this? I will introduce you to my teacher! He's a million times stronger than me! If you're lucky, he might take you as his disciple! A much better reward than my old gauntlets, right?" Bruised Leaf energetically spoke.
Those listening couldn't believe what was unfolding before their eyes, and a few of them shouted in disbelief:
"WHAT?! This guy nearly beats him to death, and the NPC liked it so much, he's gonna introduce him to his teacher? Bullshit!"
"Wow, it must be a secret questline. I'd take the gauntlets for sure! They have to be high-tier items, at least."
"I'm gonna beat him up next!"
"How could you!? Don't you think the guy has had enough?"
"Nope. My turn bitches!"
Sun Zhou smiled gleefully while the bystanders observed with jealousy and disgust plastered on their faces. To their continued dismay, Bruised Leaf walked up to Sun Zhou and grabbed the white-haired youth's shoulder with one of his oversized hands.
The sight of him holding someone like Sun Zhou so dearly had a few of the other players gnashing their teeth. There was nothing they could do with the Spiritualist there, virtually protecting Sun Zhou.
A young female player amongst the crowd shook her head: "Look at that creepy smile. That guy is a psycho." She turned to her friends who stood there with her, "Let's go. I don't want this guy in my stream."
Her friends nodded in agreement, and soon the majority of the crowd went back to their business.
♦♦♦
-- Exeter City, The Elder Residential District.
Sun Zhou had been escorted by Bruised Leaf to a courtyard in one of the wealthier housing areas. Exeter provided many of these areas where Spiritualists could acquire a residence of their own. Here they could establish a place unique to them to recoup after a day of adventuring or training.
It was relatively easy to differentiate the abodes of players and NPC Spiritualists. Players in large part would furnish their homes in an over-the-top manner. Compared to the flamboyantly styled pavilions and houses owned by players, NPC residences were simple, sìhéyuàn-styled(*) buildings.
Bruised Leaf urged Sun Zhou to wait while he fetched his teacher. Sun Zhou complied, taking in the mundane surroundings while he waited. It had been so long since he set foot in such a basic residential zone that a feeling of nostalgia started to wash over him. Every player, including himself, would race to decorate their houses as extravagantly and elegantly as possible in his previous life. But before Sun Zhou had the chance to reminisce too much, Bruised Leaf had returned.
'What the-!'
Sun Zhou almost burst out laughing on the spot upon seeing Bruised Leaf's so-called teacher walking behind the Brawler. This old Spiritualist's appearance was quite peculiar, with hair just as strikingly white as Sun Zhou's. He donned a set of flowing robes that portrayed him as a scholar, but what was most notable was definitely his eyebrows. They were a remarkable pair of wispy white eyebrows, complemented by an equally white and wispy goatee.
"Is this supposed to be Pak Mei?(*)," Sun Zhou thought as he scarcely maintained a straight face, exerting all his determination not to laugh.
However! The smile Sun Zhou tried to hide was suddenly wiped away entirely as the air in the courtyard instantly underwent a mysterious change upon the Spiritualist's arrival. The moment this Spiritualist stepped foot in the yard, Sun Zhou experienced a chill running down his spine. He looked directly at the bizarre-looking man casually strolling towards him, and the gaze that was returned to Sun Zhou was intensely penetrating and fierce. Even the Spiritualist's nonchalant body language emitted a savage nature. All these signals put Sun Zhou instinctively on guard, feeling as if he could die at any given moment.
The Spiritualist finally stood before Sun Zhou and surveyed him up and down with a scowl: "So you're the scamp that my student spoke about."
Sun Zhou put his hands together in a salute as he bowed, "Yes, Senior! I am Sun Zhou. I-"
"I did not give you permission to speak!" The Spiritualist spat out with a fearsome glare. "Why should I care about your name? As if I have the time to remember the name of every insect beneath my foot. Hmph!"
Sun Zhou fell silent and did not dare speak out of turn from that point on. It was evident that this senior Spiritualist had a completely overbearing attitude. Many people with this sort of attitude believed themselves to be superior, and in Sun Zhou's experience, they were never deserving. Yet, he knew in the same instant that this old Spiritualist walked in; this man was not to be trifled with, ever.
The questline was too crucial for him to screw up at this point and ruin his chances at the reward. Standing in place, Sun Zhou fixed his sights straight ahead, not making eye contact with the Spiritualist. He assumed this would cause the least amount of dialogue interruptions.
"That loser student of mine tells me that you defeated him without receiving a single blow in return. He seems to think you might become a worthwhile disciple."
The Spiritualist looked Sun Zhou over once more and, after a quick moment, as if brushing off a pest, gestured with his hand for Sun Zhou to leave: "But after looking at you, I am not impressed. Unschooled and no manners. Go home. I have no time for pathetic brats."
Sun Zhou remained planted on the spot without a sound. Right now, all he could do was to withstand the old Spiritualist's provocations and extremely domineering personality. If Sun Zhou was respectful and obedient to any order given, he should be able to gain the Spiritualist's favor, even if Sun Zhou secretly wanted to send him flying.
The white-haired Spiritualist stroked his goatee and smiled menacingly: "Not leaving? Hmph! Then take a single hit from me. If you are still alive, then I, Tang Yuan, will consider accepting you as my disciple."
'Just like that?'
Sun Zhou was slightly worried at the quick change of heart. An inheritance of this magnitude would always have a test of equal measure. Even so, with the [Tempered Body] status, he felt confident in receiving the blow. The stakes were too high to back out now, and this was precisely the opportunity he was hoping to trigger.
The Spiritualist took a step forward, prodding two of his fingertips onto Sun Zhou's chest. The tension in the air tightened even more as if the man was pointing a sword. What happened next was so instantaneous, Sun Zhou couldn't have prepared himself in any way. The two fingers prodding Sun Zhou's chest had vanished! The whole process was so fast, Sun Zhou couldn't see it, but Tang Yuan's hand had already curled into a fist and viciously struck Sun Zhou's torso. The punch was executed effortlessly and created so much force that it resulted in a booming resonance echoing through the residential zone.
The collision was so intense, Sun Zhou thought a truck crashed into his body, and all of his bones shuddered from the shock. In SSO, pain sensation had been altered to be significantly less severe than what an individual experienced in real life. A serious physical injury may look excruciating in-world, but the feeling had been dulled down to a tiny percentage of what would've been felt normally. With this mechanic in place, players could be sliced open with a sword, yet the feeling would seem closer to a paper cut.
Regardless, the significant amount of discomfort from Tang Yuan's fist caught Sun Zhou entirely by surprise. The strike was not only excruciating, but it also sent Sun Zhou flying back into the courtyard wall. Cracks emerged throughout the stone and mortar as he rebounded with a loud thud. Sun Zhou's heart shook when he looked at his remaining health and saw that only a measly 2 hp was left!
So close! Miraculously he wasn't dead yet!
Sun Zhou hid a smirk, recovering from the blow. The pain he experienced earlier was completely gone. With his head held high, he walked back to the center of the courtyard, stopping in front of Tang Yuan.
"Hmph! Even though you are useless, it appears you possess some potential." The white eyebrowed Spiritualist stroked his equally white goatee as he looked upon Sun Zhou with little interest: "Is it your wish to possess this kind of power?"
'This is it!' Sun Zhou thought before dropping to a knee and bowing before the man.
"Yes, Master! Please instruct me!" Sun Zhou shouted, his gaze returned down towards the ground.
"...You're too weak. However, I shall give you a token of my tutelage. If you are destined to uncover its secrets, then show it to me when you return, and only do so when you've become less useless! Come back to me, and I will put you on a path that will trample the world!" Tang Yuan commanded, extending his hand towards Sun Zhou, "Remember! A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step. Do not let my incredible generosity go to waste."
Sun Zhou noticed an intricate ring on Tang Yuan's finger. Inlaid and wrapped around the band were ten dazzling gemstones. Each stone contained what looked like pure starlight within them. The ring started to glow, and soft hues of light poured out from it.
'Such a high-tier spatial ring! I can't even tell what tier it is!' Sun Zhou had lifted his head ever so slightly when he noticed the light shining before him.
He was stunned. For someone to bear such a priceless treasure meant that this Tang Yuan couldn't be some ordinary old man! Sure, he was part of a hidden inheritance, but when compared to the obscenely grand scale of the Divine Continent, Exeter City was a backwater town. Not just anyone would be able to own something so ultra-rare and luxurious, not even someone from the imperial clan that ruled the eastern continent!
Sun Zhou continued to bow with his hands cupped in front of him, lowering his head back down. Who knew it would be this easy?! From what Sun Zhou could remember in his past life, many people had come across this hidden inheritance, only to fail. It was only years after the discovery of this secret questline that people came to realize a pattern. In every major region of the Divine Continent, supreme Spiritualists similar to Tang Yuan existed, looking to pass on inheritances. Even after identifying the method to expose the hidden quests, most players who tried would fail at least one of the prerequisites to accepting the legacy.
Only a handful of characters actually succeeded in the world, receiving all sorts of extraordinary resources and rare Spirits. Afterward, all of those lucky people became very well-known for all their accomplishments. They all ended up as legends, and everyone who played SSO wanted to follow in their footsteps.
Sun Zhou had always regretted not partaking in this hidden quest after seeing other players who gained so much success and stardom. The celebrity status they garnered had some of these people in the spotlight so often, they quit playing SSO! Apparently, their huge notoriety had turned into a hindrance, as people started recognizing them in real life.
That was one of the many consequences of a game so popular, everyone in the world wanted to play it. Being famous in a world that countless people participated in meant being famous in real life. This type of situation was more so the case in this day and age, where all content is live-streamed, recorded, and instantly shared by the masses.
As the glow from Tang Yuan's spectacular ring diminished, an object appeared in place of the light. The practical convenience of a spatial ring was second to none. It was one of the most common ways to store essential items.
Albeit, the quality of rings typically seen would generally range from Tier 1 to 5. Still, they were upgradeable and would act as the foolproof safe for a person's storage needs. Starting from Tier 1, storage rings had a 10-kilogram weight limit that increased with every tier.
This was Sovereign Spirit Online's answer to a traditional inventory system.
Tang Yuan wasted no time and allowed the summoned object to fall gently into Sun Zhou's hands. As Sun Zhou felt the heft of it, he tried to suppress the grin on his face. Finally! He was on track to fame and fortune.
"Thank you, Master!" Sun Zhou shouted respectfully.
Tang Yuan once again stroked his snowy-white goatee. Sun Zhou now recognized it as habitual body language signifying when Tang Yuan was pleased.
"If I see your face before you've increased your strength, you will experience death one thousand times over." Tang Yuan hissed before spinning on his heel to depart.
With a curious leer, he passed Bruised Leaf on his way out of the courtyard. The brawler bowed with great respect until Tang Yuan had turned the corner.
Sun Zhou had remained in a respectful bow with his head facing pointedly towards the ground. The heft of the item caused the muscles in his arms to slightly ache as they remained outstretched. As soon as the steps of his new master could no longer be heard, Sun Zhou's head jerked up with great anticipation to gaze at the fruits of his labor.
"...What…"
A notification had been floating in front of Sun Zhou all this time. He just didn't notice earlier due to the display of manners he was obliged to perform.
------------------------------------------------------------------
A Hidden Path Emerges: Martial Venerable Tang Yuan has bestowed you a final test! He has instructed you to make yourself stronger before returning to him. There will be more rewards if you can decipher the mystery behind his Token.
You've received: 1x Tang Yuan's 'Token.'
Goals:
Achieve Level 100 in Cultivation!
Uncover the secrets of the Token!
------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun Zhou stared at Tang Yuan's 'Token,' completely slack-jawed. Floating in his hands was a dimly lit speck of light. The transparent glow emitting from it pulsed as if it were a weak heartbeat, prone to be extinguished at the slightest disturbance.
Sun Zhou looked down at the token and instantly knew what it was but couldn't fathom why he received something so utterly useless. It was an unnamed Spirit, driven to near death due to extreme starvation.
".....The fuck…?"
************************************************************************************************************
Author's Notes:
(*) "Streamer" is a person who captures digital media on various platforms and hot tubs, providing commentary/entertainment to a target audience, who may or may not give them money for wholesome reasons.
(*) "Sìhéyuàn" - A courtyard surrounded by buildings on all four sides, with a main hall (Big building) as the centerpiece with smaller supporting structures for sleeping, etc.…
(*) "Pak Mei" - A Buddhist monk that, according to various accounts (mostly fictional), betrayed the Shaolin. The character Pai Mei was derived from.