Under the blue sky and white clouds, surrounded by green mountains and flowing rivers, a gentle breeze blew as the sun began to set. Ning Fei lay on the grass, gazing at the drifting clouds, feeling utterly relaxed.
His master had been gone for three days. Before leaving, he left behind a note saying he wanted to travel the world. From today onward, Ning Fei was to take over as the caretaker of Qingfeng Temple.
"Travel the world, my foot. Clearly, he's retired," Ning Fei muttered under his breath as he read the letter.
Qingfeng Temple only had two Taoist priests—his master and him. With his master gone, Ning Fei now found himself responsible for the entire temple.
His master always joked that he was the "subordinate" of the temple, but it was more of a casual title than anything serious.
Qingfeng Temple was nestled in the Qinshan Mountains, a vast range that stretched endlessly across the horizon. Scattered across the mountain were small, remote villages.
Ning Fei had grown up in the temple and had always led a structured life. Every day, he would wake up at 6 a.m., recite morning scriptures, complete his chores, practice martial arts, and finish evening prayers. Despite this routine, his master placed a great emphasis on his education.
When he was old enough, Ning Fei attended a local mountain school as part of a government poverty alleviation program. Since childhood, he had always worn his Taoist robes, and the mountain folk affectionately referred to him as the "Little Taoist."
He was bright, with excellent grades. University students who volunteered to teach in the village often praised him. As a child, he was delicate and adorable, and several of the female teachers wanted to take him to live in the city. Naturally, he declined.
His master once told him, "You're the 138th generation disciple of Qingfeng Temple. If you leave, who will continue our tradition?"
Looking at the dilapidated courtyard, the peeling paint, and the cracked walls, Ning Fei felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
He attended junior high, high school, and eventually, with his talent and hard work, was admitted to a prestigious university in Kyoto. He enjoyed life away from the temple for a while, but upon graduating, his master summoned him back to Qingfeng Temple to take over.
"Life is peaceful here, but it feels like something's missing," Ning Fei murmured to himself. He enjoyed the tranquility of mountain life—the beauty of nature, the self-sufficiency, and the escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. There was no pressure, no rat race.
But still, something felt... lacking. Fun, maybe?
"Ding!"
A voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Host's physical condition is normal. Do you wish to activate the Outdoor Live Broadcast System?"
Ning Fei's eyes widened in shock.
A system? Did this really exist?
He'd read enough web novels to know what this was.
"Activate!" Ning Fei immediately responded.
"Ding! The Outdoor Live Broadcast System has been activated. Scanning host information..."
"Generating data..."
"Host: Ning Fei."
"Strength: 13 (Average is 10)."
"Agility: 13 (Average is 10)."
"Endurance: 12 (Average is 10)."
"Current Popularity: 0."
"Skills: None."
His strength, agility, and endurance were slightly above average, thanks to his years of training. As for popularity and skills, well, those were yet to be earned.
Interesting.
"Ding! Host has received a beginner's gift package. Would you like to open it?"
A beginner's gift package? Just like in the novels.
"Open it!" Ning Fei said, trying to remain calm.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for receiving the following items: Live Broadcast Equipment. Equipment includes: a smartphone, a smart drone (solar-powered), a tripod, and a remote control."
As the system finished speaking, the items materialized in front of Ning Fei.
The phone was Huawei's latest model, worth about 13,000 yuan—much better than the 1,000-yuan phone he had been using.
The drone was sleek and black with a noticeable metallic texture. It felt heavy in his hand, a clear indication of its high quality. A camera was embedded in the drone, and although Ning Fei wasn't an expert in videography, he could tell this was no ordinary lens.
"What else can I do with this system? What do I get from live streaming?" Ning Fei asked curiously.
"By gaining popularity through live streaming, the host can participate in a lottery. The lottery has five tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and God-tier. The number of viewers required for each draw is 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, 1 million, and 10 million, respectively."
"Skills and items can be obtained through these lotteries."
A lottery, just as he expected. Classic system stuff.
Ning Fei fiddled with the phone and noticed that an app for a popular live-streaming platform, Bird Fighting, had already been installed. When he opened it, he discovered that his account was already registered.
His room number? 999999.
Six 9s in a row.
Ning Fei was stunned.
9 was considered the ultimate number in Chinese culture—the most powerful. How had the system managed to snag such an impressive account number? Would the platform's admins even allow this?
Well, that wasn't his concern. Since the app and platform were ready, it was time to start streaming.
He experimented with the drone a little, turning it on and controlling it with the remote. The drone wobbled into the air but quickly stabilized. It even had an "auto-follow" feature, which Ning Fei activated to save himself the trouble of manually controlling it.
Next, he set up the tripod and adjusted the live broadcast settings.
He discovered he could switch between the phone's camera and the drone's, allowing for both close-ups and panoramic shots. It was a highly advanced setup.
Ning Fei took a deep breath.
Everything was ready. It was time to begin.
With a steady hand, he pressed the button to start the live broadcast.