"This is the Sanqing Hall. It's quite old now, so it might seem a bit run-down," Ning Fei said, pointing to the hall in front of him as they walked through the entrance.
The hall was indeed a bit dilapidated. The red paint on the wooden doors and windows had faded, exposing the yellowing, decayed wood beneath.
However, some keen-eyed viewers noticed that despite its age, the Sanqing Hall was surprisingly clean. The floor was spotless, the incense burners on the altar were neatly arranged, and the incense ashes had been freshly replaced.
Ning Fei then continued to introduce the different areas of the temple: the dormitory, the vegetable garden, the bamboo forest, the well, the fruit trees. Baiyun Temple, despite being called a Taoist temple, resembled a simple farmhouse, aside from the Sanqing Hall in the center.
"This is my temple," Ning Fei said, finally. "Including the house, it's roughly 2,000 square meters in total."
As soon as he said this, the viewers erupted in the chat.
"Only 2,000 square meters? Does the host have a misunderstanding about how big that is?"
"2,000 square meters, wow!"
"I'm so jealous. I live in a 40-square-meter rental and I still have to share a bathroom!"
"Did I see that right? His backyard is enormous!"
"What kind of bamboo does he have growing in that forest? Those are so tall!"
The audience was buzzing with questions, everyone talking at once.
Ning Fei glanced at the time; it was already around 8:30 p.m.
The sky had turned dark.
The temple didn't have any lights on—not because they couldn't afford electricity, but because, as anyone who has lived in the mountains would know, the bugs are relentless.
Mosquitoes weren't the only problem; moths could swarm in droves.
Without any lights, it wasn't so bad, but if he turned the lights on, by the next morning, there would be a layer of moth corpses covering the ground.
"It's getting late. I'll end today's live stream here. I'll be streaming every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thanks, everyone, for watching," Ning Fei said, waving at the camera.
"No, don't go! Let me watch a bit longer!" one viewer cried out.
"This streamer is pretty interesting. Only two hours and he's already signing off?"
"I'm subscribing. I want to see what he'll broadcast tomorrow."
"Is this Taoism for real? I'm going to look it up on Baidu."
Many viewers reluctantly voiced their goodbyes as Ning Fei ended the live stream.
Afterward, he checked the background data.
The total number of viewers who had tuned in was 2,623. He had gained 184 subscribers, and 13 people had sent rewards.
For a new streamer with just two hours of airtime, these stats were pretty good.
Of course, his looks combined with the novelty of being a Taoist priest probably helped draw in a crowd.
Ning Fei then checked the system for his popularity value, which displayed 942 points.
"System, how is the popularity value calculated?" Ning Fei asked curiously.
"For the host, popularity is determined by how much the audience likes you. Each viewer's contribution ranges from 1, the lowest value, indicating a good impression, to 10, indicating they like you a lot. A value of 50 means the viewer is a die-hard fan," the system explained.
"I see," Ning Fei nodded.
So, a single viewer could contribute anywhere from 1 to 50 or more popularity points, depending on how much they liked him.
He hadn't expected to accumulate over 900 popularity points so quickly.
At that moment, the system notification rang again.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the premiere live stream. You have been awarded: Insect-Repellent Incense."
"Insect-Repellent Incense: Keeps the Taoist temple free of insects."
"Insect-repellent incense?" Ning Fei's eyes lit up.
What was the most annoying thing about living in the mountains? Insects definitely topped the list!
The mosquitoes in the summer were enough to drive anyone crazy.
There was a kind of city mosquito known as the "black-and-white mosquito," and while it was annoying, it paled in comparison to the mountain mosquitoes.
The mosquitoes in the mountains were brutal.
There was also a small, black mosquito called the gnats. They were tiny, small enough to slip through mosquito nets, but their bites were vicious. Fortunately, long-term mountain dwellers built up immunity, but new visitors would definitely be left in tears after a few bites.
So, this insect-repellent incense was a treasure for Ning Fei!
The incense was a small round bead, about the size of a night pearl. Ning Fei placed it behind the statue in the Sanqing Hall.
Instantly, the entire temple grew quiet. Even the sound of crickets faded away.
It was as if the temple had been enveloped in an invisible, translucent barrier, keeping all the insects out.
"Finally, I can get a good night's sleep," Ning Fei stretched, cleaned the Sanqing Hall as part of his routine, and then returned to his room to rest.
The next morning, Ning Fei woke up early, prepared breakfast, completed his morning exercises, and read a bit, as usual.
At 9 a.m., he resumed his live stream.
Mornings were generally a busy time for most people, so the viewer count hovered just above 100.
Ning Fei, however, remained calm. He went about his day, cleaning the vegetable garden while the drone handled the live stream footage.
The vegetable garden, located in the back of the temple, was divided into several sections where Ning Fei grew cucumbers, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and other crops.
He worked diligently, pulling weeds and applying fertilizer.
The scene was quite peaceful—the mountains were lush, and the sky clear.
A Taoist priest tending to a vegetable garden beneath the blue sky and white clouds—this was a sight you wouldn't find in the city.
Wang Qi, an ordinary office worker, was having a slow day at work. Feeling bored, he discreetly pulled out his phone and started watching live streams under his desk.
Of course, he still pretended to be focused on his work.
This was typical office behavior—acting busy even when there wasn't much to do.
Watching live streams was a good way to pass the time since you could stop and start anytime without commitment.
Today, Wang Qi came across an outdoor stream.
"A Taoist priest live streaming? Are there still Taoist priests these days?" Wang Qi muttered, intrigued, and clicked in.
On the screen, a Taoist priest was weeding a vegetable garden under a clear sky. The scene had a natural, calming vibe.
Most outdoor streamers were either fishing or going on adventures, so this was a first—watching someone weed their garden.
Wang Qi glanced at the viewer count. Over 1,000 people were watching.
What? Are these people crazy? Is it that boring?
Yet, after watching for a while, Wang Qi found himself enjoying it.
There was something refreshing about watching real, unpretentious daily life, as opposed to the often-scripted scenes of other streamers.
The drone occasionally zoomed in for a close-up of Ning Fei's face. The young Taoist priest was indeed quite handsome.
Wang Qi felt unusually relaxed watching the stream.
At that moment, he noticed something moving in the bamboo forest near the vegetable garden.
It looked like… a figure?
As the camera zoomed out to reveal a wider view, Wang Qi's eyes widened in shock.
He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
Then, unable to contain himself, he yelled out loud in the office:
"Holy crap! Is that a panda?!"