Chapter 16 : Li Qingzhu

Li Qingzhu was a relatively well-known female game streamer on a certain platform.

She usually went by the in-game ID “Princess Taketori.”

Thanks to her decent gaming skills and quirky, enthusiastic personality, she often bonded easily with her viewers.

Her fans affectionately called her “Brother Zhu.”

Of course, that nickname was sometimes twisted by rude haters into “Pig Zhu.”

As a popular streamer, Li Qingzhu had been eyeing World Tree: Origin long before it launched.

The moment the servers went live, she bought in—and quickly became a die-hard fan.

“Kingdom of Arthurian, Black Dragon Territory, Ark Town. Coordinates: 10072:21450:00042. Need a few strong teammates! @Everyone.”

At 13:25 in real-world time, Li Qingzhu took off her VR headset and plopped down at her desk.

She fired up the fan group chat and rapidly typed out a long message.

The group, which had been posting memes just moments ago, instantly exploded.

“Damn, what did Pig Zhu stumble on now?”

“Me me me! I was born in the Black Dragon Territory!”

“Take me along! I’m already level 2!”

“Is it a good thing or a bad thing, Zhu? Don’t drag us into a death trap.”

“You think I’m that kind of person?”

Li Qingzhu pounded on her keyboard, indignant. “Listen to your Brother Zhu—it’s gonna be worth it!”

“I’m in. What about the rest of you?”

“Zhu, stop talking in riddles! You look more like a clown than a mystery man.”

“Clown +1 [image][image][image].”

“Is it a hidden class? Rare loot? I saw someone on the forums unlock Mage class. This better not be some elaborate troll.”

Traitors, all of them…

Li Qingzhu, annoyed, started typing again.

“No interruptions! I don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s definitely a hidden quest!”

“Just now, I was snooping around the tavern. Guess what happened?”

When no one replied after a beat, she dropped a question mark:

“? Aren’t you gonna ask what happened next?”

“Didn’t you say no interruptions? [image]”

“…Fine. You’re allowed to play along now!”

“Then go on.”

“Like I told you guys before—there’s a permanent squad of fully geared mercenaries in that tavern. I estimate they’re around level 5 on average. The leader’s probably level 7 or 8. That’s basically a miniboss. You all get what that means, right? I bet no one in this whole chat is even level 3.”

“Zhu, don’t tell me you picked a fight with them and now want us to die with you?”

“When I said you could chime in, I didn’t mean slander me!”

[You have muted user Koukoukoukou for 30 days.]

“Anyway—those mercs got into it with this cloaked figure who totally screamed ‘important NPC.’ I knew right away it had to be a story trigger, so I hid in a corner to watch. If a fight broke out, I’d jump in on the strong side and maybe pick up some easy EXP. Worst case, I could snag some loot.”

“And then? Who won?”

“Guess what—just as they were about to start, the mercs got wiped. Instantly. No signs, no spells, no incantations. That mysterious guy didn’t even move. He just whoosh—and one of the fully geared level 5+ mercs dropped dead. You get how crazy that is?”

“Are you sure it wasn’t a Mage?”

“Maybe Zhu didn’t notice the casting?”

“Do you think I’m that dumb?”

Li Qingzhu was fuming.

“I know what a Mage looks like! One of my friends is studying at the Mage Tower right now, practically dying from stress. Low-level Mages take six full seconds to cast a spell—by the time they’re done, they’re already dead!”

“Then maybe it was a high-level Mage.”

“Even worse! That just means they’re OP! So it’s either a hidden class or some crazy high-tier instant-cast Mage. Either way, very powerful.”

“All that and it still wasn’t you.”

“Yeah, so did you get anything from the aftermath?”

“There was no fight. The mercs chickened out and ran.”

Li Qingzhu kept typing.

“But I secretly tailed the mysterious guy. Guess where he went?”

“Guess who doesn’t care.”

“Zhu, just tell the story. My lunch’s almost over.”

“He went to the church! I told you guys before—there’s nothing at my spawn point except for that sketchy-looking church. Doesn’t fit in at all. I knew something was off about it!”

“That’s it? You called us all here for that?”

“Let’s go, folks. Zhu’s intel is trash.”

“Someone already posted pictures this morning [image]. Forum said people are getting the Paladin class from the church.”

“What? Seriously?”

Li Qingzhu paused, stunned, then quickly resumed typing.

“Damn it—I’m not done yet! That church doesn’t let players in, so I waited outside. Not long after, the cloaked guy came out again. So of course, I kept following.”

“Zhu really has no fear.”

“If he came from the church, he’s probably not evil, right? Paladin class requires strict morality.”

“You never know. He could be on a crusade to burn it all down.”

“So, Pig Zhu, did he notice you?”

“Of course he did! Maybe I got too close. One second he was walking, next second he vanished. I ran to catch up—bam! He slammed me to the ground! And I immediately realized it was the perfect moment to showcase my bravery and unshakable resolve!”

Li Qingzhu seemed to have completely forgotten her actual panic and pounded the keyboard harder.

“He was so moved by my heroic spirit that he immediately offered me a hidden quest! I didn’t even have time to say no!”

“I believe her. How about you guys?”

“Zhu probably begged on her knees. Embarrassing for gamers everywhere.”

“Honestly? Sounds like something she’d do. [image][image]”

[You have muted user ProsperousEndless for 30 days.]

[You have muted user FallenSky for 30 days.]

“You’re all just spreading lies. I’m busting my butt to find quests for you, and this is how you repay me?”

“Wait—was it a real quest?”

“Would your Brother Zhu ever lie to you? It’s at the Ark Town church entrance. Group quest. Bring four or five people. Not too many! Just a few is enough. @Everyone.”

“Wait, wait, did the guy say what the reward was? It better not be unpaid labor. The forums are full of people saying they got scammed into free work.”

Li Qingzhu stared at the flurry of replies, suddenly remembering something.

She fell silent for a long time.

“Of course not. He paid a deposit.”

“A deposit? How much?”

“Zhu, share with us! I’m broke!”

“Must’ve been at least five or six copper coins. That’s like a day’s wage in-game.”

“??? You sold out for five copper coins?”

“Forget it. Zhu’s a clown.”

“That’s it?”

Li Qingzhu gritted her teeth and typed:

“Don’t you guys care? A hidden quest! A hidden class! Don’t you want it?”

“Nope.”

“No thanks. A cute girl would be more interesting.”

Li Qingzhu’s eyes lit up, and she quickly typed: “The mysterious person was a girl! Might even be a beautiful little loli. Classic important-NPC vibes!”

“???”

“Are you sure?”

“Guaranteed!”