Temple Livestream

Ning Fei looked down at the baby bird in his hand. It was surprisingly large and chirping loudly, its tiny beak wide open in hunger.

"I've seen baby birds before, but this one is unusual," Ning Fei thought, studying the creature.

"The beak is light brown with lead-gray edges, the cere is yellowish-brown, and the toes are dark yellow with black claws," he observed. "It looks like a falcon."

If this were indeed a falcon, Ning Fei had to admire the cuckoo's audacity. Falcons are apex predators among birds, possessing exceptional flight capabilities and some of the sharpest eyesight in the animal kingdom. Many birds of the falcon family are even considered symbols of bravery and resilience, serving as national birds in numerous countries. Yet somehow, a cuckoo had managed to oust the falcon chick from its own nest.

This behavior wasn't unheard of, though. Recently, a popular video on Douyin showed a mother peregrine falcon discovering a cuckoo trying to lay an egg in her nest. The falcon held the cuckoo down with one claw, plucking its feathers one by one while the cuckoo could only wail in protest. The cuckoo's boldness could be its own undoing.

Turning back to his audience, Ning Fei held the baby bird up to the camera and said, "This appears to be a falcon chick, although I'm not certain of the species. I plan to adopt it."

Ning Fei had always been drawn to two types of animals: mammals like cats, dogs, and even tiger or lion cubs, and birds. "Perhaps the appearance of the sacred tree was a sign, and I was meant to save this young falcon," he mused aloud. "Newly hatched birds have a very low survival rate, so my priority now is to care for it."

"Also, for anyone interested, falcons, like eagles, are highly aggressive and will bite. Raising birds of prey is not advisable without experience. If you like birds, I'd recommend starting with mynas, parrots, or smaller species."

Ning Fei then began the journey back to the Taoist temple, ignoring the barrage of messages urging him to abandon the chick or harm the cuckoo's own offspring. He glanced at the live chat where some viewers, playfully or seriously, demanded that he throw the cuckoo chick out of the nest.

Ning Fei shook his head. "Though it may be unfair that the cuckoo uses another's nest, killing its young would be a step too far. After all, the cuckoo is only following its natural instincts, and I believe in respecting nature."

Plus, he knew there was no way to climb the towering sacred tree to reach the nest safely even if he wanted to. "I'll do what I can to save this little falcon instead," he explained, "and once it's strong enough, I'll release it back into the wild."

Although some viewers threatened to unfollow, Ning Fei held firm to his principles. He continued back to the temple with the chick in hand, thinking about how he could help it survive.

"You'll be called Xiao Fei," he said, setting the falcon chick down gently in a small makeshift nest he'd lined with cotton and dry grass in a cardboard box.

Ning Fei checked his system's popularity meter. His popularity had now reached 16,000, with 4,000 points available for use. He immediately spent these points on four silver draws, hoping to receive an item that would help care for the falcon chick.

But luck wasn't on his side. Out of the four draws, he only received vegetable seeds, silver carat fertilizer, and a magical band-aid.

"Well, I'll have to find another way," he muttered. Ning Fei knew how delicate the survival of young birds could be, and he was determined to do everything he could to help Xiao Fei grow stronger.

Addressing the viewers, he explained, "I need to find a way to help this falcon chick thrive. It took a bit of a fall when I rescued it from the sacred tree, and being newly hatched, it's quite weak."

The viewers watched the fragile bird on their screens, observing its stillness. Their messages rolled in, urging him on.

"Please save it, Master Ning!"

"You can do it, anchor!"

The encouragement spurred Ning Fei to action. He quickly reviewed feeding information for young falcons and then went outside to catch some small insects, gently placing them in front of Xiao Fei.

Though Ning Fei had a mild aversion to insects, he pushed through it for the sake of the chick. Xiao Fei opened its beak wide, chirping excitedly as it devoured each insect he offered, one after another. When it finally stopped chirping, it tilted its head and looked up at him curiously.

Seeing Xiao Fei's health improve, Ning Fei breathed a sigh of relief. "Its life is saved for now," he thought, impressed by the chick's resilience. He remembered how quickly little chicks bought as pets in the city often died, but Xiao Fei's determination was something else.

Just as Ning Fei started to relax, a notification sounded in his mind.

"Ding! The system has detected the host's needs. Skill task unlocked: Bird Taming. Would you like to accept?"

Ning Fei's eyes lit up. A skill like this would be invaluable.

He quickly accepted the task, and the system responded:

"Task: Achieve a peak popularity of 200,000 within 24 hours without any artificial methods to boost viewership."

"Reward: Bird Taming skill."

The timing would be challenging; his viewership usually topped out at around 120,000. To reach 200,000 within a day was ambitious, but achievable with something truly special to captivate the audience.

Ning Fei considered his options. Among his skills, his mastery of blade techniques came to mind, and an idea began to form.

"If I perform something extraordinary, perhaps…" he thought, his eyes glinting with resolve as he prepared to try something that would bring viewers flocking back in awe.