“Does Shuangxue want him to stay here?”

“Of course,” Xie Shuangxue nodded obediently. “Having someone here to keep me company is nice. By the way, what’s his name?”

There was a growing sense of familiarity as Xie Shuangxue studied the child’s face. This was surely someone significant in the “Gods and Demons” game, though he couldn’t quite recall the name just yet. When he had casually saved the kid, he hadn’t thought much of it, but the fact that the child had shown up again was intriguing. The boy had stood out among the other Demon Clan kids back then, and it was clear now that someone with such a unique personality wouldn’t be an ordinary character in the game.

“Many from the Demon Clan here don’t have names; they’re orphans,” Yun Qiang sighed. “Just call him Yun Ren.”

Yun Ren?

At the sound of that name, Xie Shuangxue immediately remembered why this boy seemed so familiar. In the three years since “Gods and Demons” launched, many popular characters had emerged, one of the most famous being Luo Yin, who already had a horde of fans. But Luo Yin wasn’t actually the most beloved Demon Clan NPC—Yun Ren held that title, his appearance in storylines over the past three years being incredibly frequent.

In Demon Clan lore, Luo Yin was a legendary emperor, but after his accomplishments, he retired, cutting off contact with the world. Luo Yin had no children, and it was Yun Ren who ascended as the next Demon Emperor. All the way through the main player storyline, Yun Ren was the reigning Demon Emperor. Unlike Xie Shuangxue, who suddenly became popular, Yun Ren was the type of character whose popularity remained constant over time.

Xie Shuangxue had seen dedicated fan threads for Yun Ren on the forums and even clicked into one out of curiosity, feeling a tinge of envy. But compared to the mature and steady Demon Emperor depicted there, the little kid in front of him was still young and childish, which was why he hadn’t recognized him right away.

It didn’t take Xie Shuangxue long to realize why Yun Ren was here. The “Book of Floating Dreams” storyline took place hundreds of years in the past, and the setting included long-living characters. There had been rumors that some popular characters would make appearances in their childhood forms during the third anniversary storyline, as both an in-game interaction and to build on the characters’ personas. It was also a way to use established characters’ popularity to create buzz for the anniversary event.

But the strange thing was, Xie Shuangxue wasn’t supposed to encounter Yun Ren at this point in the story. According to the plot Xie Shuangxue knew, Endless Sea indeed planned to introduce a young Yun Ren. However, his introduction was set to happen after Ling Luo’s descent into darkness and transformation into the Demon King. Yun Ren would start growing under Ling Luo as a trusted subordinate. Later, after Ling Luo’s death, Luo Yin would consolidate the Demon King’s forces, and Yun Ren would naturally take over, becoming a pivotal figure in the history of the Demon Clan’s development.

“Come over here, sit down,” he called out to Yun Ren. “I’m stuck sitting on the bed, and looking up at you is exhausting.”

Yun Ren stared at him for a long time before finally sitting down beside him, still with a frosty expression. But after all, he was just a child, with a bit of baby fat rounding out his stern expression, making it look completely harmless.

Then, Xie Shuangxue reached out and pinched his cheek.

“What are you doing!” Yun Ren whipped his head around to glare at him. “You—you, don’t push it!”

“What did I do?” Xie Shuangxue looked innocent. “I just wanted to ask if your injuries are better.”

Come on, this was the well-known, famously composed character of “Gods and Demons.” Who wouldn’t want to pinch his cheeks?

Yun Ren huffed. “…I’m fine.”

Xie Shuangxue chuckled. “Little kids who lie like that, let me see for myself—give me your hand.”

“Mind your own business,” Yun Ren scooted back a little, still glaring at him. “You’re acting weird. There’s no way I’d trust you!”

His popularity as a character made sense. Even in his child form, he was adorable, like a little tiger trying to show its fangs. He looked hard at Xie Shuangxue, trying to spot anything unusual, but Xie Shuangxue just kept smiling, even with a hint of affection.

Kids are kids, after all, and Xie Shuangxue had his own tricks to deal with them.

He didn’t get mad; he simply leaned in and asked, “Are you mad because I grabbed your chin when we first met? I was just putting on a show for others, but I also saved you later. If you’re really mad, here, you can pinch my cheek back.”

Xie Shuangxue’s face did look soft and squishable.

But he was just too good-looking, and when Yun Ren, who would one day be the calm and composed Demon Emperor, got close, his face turned bright red, and he stammered, “I—I’m not touching you!”

“Fine, I’ll sit a bit further away,” Xie Shuangxue said. After a while, he asked again, “Do you and Yun Qiang share the same surname, Yun? If she trusts you, you must be quite talented.”

Yun Ren lifted his chin proudly. “Of course, I’m powerful.”

He glanced sideways at Xie Shuangxue and added, “So don’t even think about running away.”

“I’m not running,” Xie Shuangxue replied. “I couldn’t beat you even if I tried.”

Kids tend to let things slip when you chat with them. Xie Shuangxue learned that this shelter was only recently established, closely connected to the auction house, all due to Yun Qiang. It seemed Yun Qiang was the sole leader of these Demon Clan orphans, and there was no mention of Yun Ruowei.

Even if Yun Ruowei wanted to stay hidden, would her followers be totally unaware? How exactly was she leading them? And in the earlier conversation, Yun Qiang had mentioned someone who had been kind to her but was no longer around—who was that person?

These questions mirrored the player base’s own frustrations. They had gathered all the necessary ingredients for the medicine but lost track of their target, which didn’t feel like a satisfying exchange. However, getting Yun Panshan to wake up was their best chance at finding their missing person.

With the three ingredients combined, the antidote was quickly prepared and administered to Yun Panshan, who had been in a long coma.

He awoke to find a crowd watching him. In front were two Feather Clan members, looking serious—he recognized them. Behind them were over twenty Continental Wanderers, all gathered around, their eyes lighting up the moment he opened his eyes.

Bai Qiuyan, forgetting to be polite to NPCs, rushed forward. “Where is Yun Ruowei? Tell us quickly! We’re running out of time to save her!”

Yun Panshan: “…What?”

Though the players seemed truly anxious, they finally managed to explain the situation. According to the game’s setup, Yun Panshan was supposed to reveal the truth now. But what he said was entirely unexpected.

“The Ruowei you’re talking about is indeed my child.”

Yun Panshan took a deep breath, struggling to continue, but finally spoke, “The reason I couldn’t acknowledge her is that her mother was secretly a Demon Clan member. We… loved each other deeply, and I never suspected anything.”

“But when Ruowei was born, the truth was exposed. I wanted to protect them, but the Yun family couldn’t tolerate two of them. Lu Yun Tower is the descendant of the Celestial Clan; how could they allow such a thing to happen? I hadn’t yet taken over as City Lord back then, and my elder brother was too strong for me to stop…”

The players could mostly piece together this story from earlier clues; this was just confirmation. Bai Qiuyan quickly pressed him, “So what happened next? Is she back for revenge? Where have you seen her?”

But Yun Panshan shook his head in denial.

“I haven’t seen Ruowei. The poison and injuries I have were caused by my elder brother, Panlong. I discovered his suspicious behavior and followed him, finding that his Skeleton Ghost arts were remarkably similar to the ones in Penglai City. My elder brother, who despised the Demon Clan, actually practiced such dark arts.” He added, “Ruowei and her mother may have been from the Demon Clan, but they never did anything evil. I never expected my brother to turn out this way. Just as I was about to report him to the Feather Clan, he harmed me.”

“There’s no way it’s only Yun Panlong,” Bai Qiuyan immediately retorted. “He wouldn’t need both poison and a blade; there must be more to it. It’s definitely connected to Yun Ruowei. If she wasn’t back, how could Shuangxue have ended up in danger?”

“It’s true,” Yun Panshan sighed. “Ruowei has been dead for a long time—I saw it with my own eyes. My brother was too ruthless, leaving nothing behind. How could she possibly return?”

The players were stunned for a moment, until someone finally asked, “Wait, who was Yun Ruowei’s mother? Was it… Evil Sword?”

They had reason to suspect this. Xie Shuangxue had asked them to investigate Evil Sword. Thanks to their vast numbers, they found a lot of information. Many people in the city remembered Evil Sword, a person who, despite the “evil” moniker, was famous in Lu Yun Tower for fighting for justice. She had a close bond with the young City Lord of Yun, practically inseparable.

If Yun Panshan had a child and a lover, the evidence pointed most clearly to Evil Sword.

Yun Panshan closed his eyes. “Yes. Although she was from the Demon Clan, she wasn’t a bad person…”

“What do you mean ‘although’? What’s so wrong with the Demon Clan?” Bai Qiuyan interjected sharply. “Your old-fashioned thinking is hopeless. You couldn’t even protect your wife and child.”

At this point in the game, the animosity between the Celestial Clan and Demon Clan had led to all these absurd situations, and Bai Qiuyan’s patience was wearing thin.

There was no way Yun Ruowei was truly dead. If she were, then who later submerged an entire city as City Lord? And more importantly, who took Xie Shuangxue?

“Where did they die?” a player asked. “There has to be a place, right?”

“The Feather Clan has the Book of Floating Dreams, and Lu Yun Tower, as the Celestial Clan’s heir, has a Divine Vein. They were powerful members of the Demon Clan, so by rule, they needed to be suppressed by the Divine Vein. All powerful Demon Clan members who were executed were buried there,” Yun Panshan said. “If you want to search, go there. Since I took over as City Lord, I’ve kept it abandoned, and no one has been executed there for years.”

But looking at the map Yun Panshan marked, Bai Qiuyan found the location familiar.

“It’s the shelter,” a nearby player reminded him. “We went there last time, and it’s right in that area.”

Bai Qiuyan understood. “Let’s go look.”

He still felt Yun Panshan was holding something back. As he turned to leave, he glanced back and saw Yu Haiqing standing there.

Yu Haiqing was contemplating how to inform Xie Shuangxue of this information when Bai Qiuyan stopped in front of him, his gaze unwavering. “You’ve gone too far.”

Yu Haiqing: “What did I do?”

“Xie Shuangxue’s popularity has made Endless Sea a lot of money. Can’t you treat him a little better?” Bai Qiuyan said, “He trusts you—even if he’s just an NPC. Yet you don’t care at all.”

“You’re such a jerk.”

“Shuangxue is better off with us protecting him.”