Yun Qiang squinted her eyes, “Really?” 

She stared at Xie Shuangxue, feeling that his capabilities had grown even stronger since their time at Lu Yun Platform. They met up at night when no one was around, the distant bonfire casting flickering light across Xie Shuangxue’s face, illuminating his ice-blue eyes that sparkled brilliantly.

“Of course it’s true. I’m thinking about our Northlands and you, Sister Yun Qiang,” Xie Shuangxue said earnestly. “You see, the Northlands always need more hands, and I can’t always be there with the Feather Clan. Yun Ren and the others are capable, but they’re still so young. I don’t want to overburden them.”

“So when Qin Feiluan appeared, I immediately thought of you. Wouldn’t it be great if she could help?”

As Xie Shuangxue’s tone softened, Yun Qiang found herself being drawn in, and looking into his eyes, it seemed impossible not to trust him.

“Why don’t you give it a try, Sister? I promise, if you really don’t like her, I won’t bring her to the Northlands,” Xie Shuangxue held up three fingers as if swearing an oath. “I just think Sister Yun Qiang is too tired. If not Qin Feiluan, then anyone you fancy in this great world, I’ll find them for you.”

Was he seducing her into agreeing?

Yun Qiang couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, amused by his charm. After a moment, she added, “Yun Ruwei always says you’re like this, and that you’ve never called her ‘sister’. She wants you to call her that too.”

Though Yun Ruwei and Yun Qiang shared the same body, each took on different personas; Yun Ruwei was just a kid, even younger than Xie Shuangxue, who wouldn’t normally use such terms of endearment.

“Tell her not to take advantage of me,” Xie Shuangxue responded, “I’ve always had the Northlands’ best interests at heart. Don’t you believe me, Sister Yun Qiang?”

Yun Qiang shook her head: “That’s not what I mean.”

Having known him for years, Yun Qiang was well aware of what Xie Shuangxue was truly like. He was definitely a smooth talker, but behind those words lay genuine effort and dedication, something both Yun Qiang and Yun Ruwei recognized. Somehow, during just this short period, the Continental Wanderers had become active, transforming the Northlands entirely.

Qin Feiluan was genuinely capable; dying in Linan would be a waste. If she could really switch sides, the Northlands would have a strong ally amid chaos.

“I know what to do now,” Yun Qiang said. “Take care here too.”

Their meeting was brief, both aware they couldn’t linger. Xie Shuangxue watched Yun Qiang leave safely and was about to return himself when he turned and saw Yu Haiqing, who had just logged in. The man had a way of appearing silently.

Xie Shuangxue suddenly felt like he’d been caught doing something wrong, startled and slightly guilty, he asked, “You’re back? How long have you been here?”

Yu Haiqing had been there a while, having observed Xie Shuangxue’s interaction from afar.

“Ah Xue, how many brothers and sisters do you have? Are you planning to bring someone else home now?” he approached slowly, scrutinizing him. “Qin Feiluan will be yours eventually, right?”

He emphasized the words “will be yours”.

Xie Shuangxue quickly understood what he was getting at. Ah, this was similar to what he had said to Ling Xuan before—Yu Haiqing must have checked the logs and seen that conversation.

“I can’t bear to see Ling Xuan die, plus, they’re all my friends. Now that I have the capability, I naturally want to protect them,” Xie Shuangxue stepped forward and patiently explained, “I just can’t stand watching them suffer. You understand me, right?”

Yu Haiqing: “I understand, but am I the only one who does?”

Xie Shuangxue felt a tinge of jealousy in his tone.

But just now, Sister Yun Qiang was a bit upset, and as partners, it was natural to care about each other’s feelings—something he was very good at.

“Isn’t it only you who really knows what kind of person I am?” Xie Shuangxue leaned into Yu Haiqing’s embrace naturally and proficiently, “You’ve been away at a conference, and I haven’t seen you for days. Don’t be mad at me.”

Yu Haiqing instinctively embraced him, saying, “I’m not.”

How could he stay mad at Xie Shuangxue?

“Really? You seem a bit upset,” Xie Shuangxue continued to explain, “Now that I’m coexisting with Sea, that naturally makes me a part of Gods and Demons, so it’s not wrong to say that the brothers and Sister Yun Qiang are ‘my people’.”

Then he looked up at Yu Haiqing, a slight smile on his face: “But I am your person.”

Yu Haiqing: …

He was initially just a bit jealous, but that jealousy was washed away by the overwhelming affection in that remark.

Xie Shuangxue’s way of charming people was effortless, not knowing the impact it had on others, and then he saw Yu Haiqing’s expression change, the man suddenly tightening his embrace.

He seemed a bit excited.

Xie Shuangxue didn’t probe further, knowing now that Yu Haiqing wouldn’t be upset anymore. He innocently leaned against him, bringing up external matters: “I saw the recent news; are Endless Sea and the Bai family really going to collaborate? No wonder you’ve been so busy.”

After a moment of silence, Yu Haiqing responded in a slightly deeper voice than before: “It’s not finalized yet. The Bai family situation is also complicated. I’m still negotiating with Bai Qiuyan, considering whether to join forces with him.”

During this period of contact with the Bai family, Yu Haiqing had clarified their situation. Although currently controlled by Bai Qiuyan’s father and elder brother, the Bai patriarch, Bai Qiuyan’s grandfather, still held significant sway without having passed away, leading to ongoing internal competition.

Bai Qiuyan, along with his sister Bai Qiuheng, had been immersed in gaming over the past few years, somewhat lying low intentionally. To say he had no ambition would be a joke, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so active at the summit these past few days.

“Bai Qiuyan has his own motives,” Yu Haiqing said, “The Bai family has many assets, and he wants to grab more.”

This provided an opportunity for manipulation.

Yu Haiqing had mentioned before that collaboration with the Bai family would mainly extend the platform of Sea. As the game’s main brain, it had a huge capacity and could be used for “one brain, multiple uses.”

Inspired by Xie Shuangxue’s situation, Yu Haiqing wanted to revisit the previously abandoned method of auxiliary chips, continuing to upgrade this main brain, so that Sea would not only manage Gods and Demons. Its 94.9% realism advantage could be directly replicated on the new platform, gaining a unique competitive edge not available on the market.

Xie Shuangxue thought for a moment, then asked, “But I see it hasn’t been implemented yet; is there a technical bottleneck?”

“Yes, so there’s a lot of work ahead,” Yu Haiqing didn’t deny this, “And I see the Bai family is prepared for both scenarios, not just stringing me along here, but also in contact with other companies.”

In such business maneuvers, taking a step ahead gives one the initiative. Endless Sea’s continuing development required equipment and money, something Yu Haiqing could provide, but he wanted to use this as a pretext to further access Bai Qiuyan’s lifelike human project.

Bai Qiuyan was somewhat indecisive, essentially waiting to see clear benefits before acting.

Xie Shuangxue understood, and he was quite serious about helping, saying, “Is there anything I can help you with? I’ve fixed bugs for you before, I’m really good at it!”

“I know,” Yu Haiqing patted his head. “If you want to keep updated, I can share some progress with you later, but if you try to directly hack into Sea now, I can’t save you if the top security systems trigger an alarm.”

After saying this, Yu Haiqing sighed, “Try to make fewer ‘brothers and sisters’ here, even if just to ease my mind.”

Xie Shuangxue didn’t catch the last, quieter part of that statement.

He pondered Yu Haiqing’s words, his thoughts drifting to whether he meant his current permissions weren’t enough to help? Got it.

Permissions can be upgraded; Xie Shuangxue knew what to do. The deeper his narrative modifications penetrated Sea, the higher his permissions would be.

“Then, brother, help me with one thing,” Xie Shuangxue looked at him, finally making a small request, “Linan is too dangerous, I need to be prepared, I want a small prop.”

Yu Haiqing could easily adjust such minor details for him. Linan was indeed tumultuous, and although he knew Xie Shuangxue had previously staged some dangerous acts as part of a ruse, he still felt protective. Initially, the players felt the same as Yu Haiqing, but they quickly sensed something was amiss.

Xie Shuangxue was no longer the pitiable character he used to be; his nature now was entirely the opposite of passive suffering.

Yun Qiang’s actions here were undetected by the Feather Clan, who were too preoccupied; the city was chaotic, and everyone was there, but the players who had infiltrated noticed.

Especially after people from the Northlands actually went and rescued Qin Feiluan, the disguised Yun Qiang indeed found much common ground with her, feeling as though they had met too late, which exactly matched Xie Shuangxue’s guess, and the two grew closer.

Then the players with a god’s-eye view seemed to realize something.

“Huh? Can someone tell me why Yun Qiang is here? What kind of dream crossover is this?”

“I think the answer is quite clear now, my boy brought her here, wanting to pull her back to the Northlands. No wonder my boy was so obedient despite being upset; he was waiting here.”

“That’s because his wife is smart, completely strategic, and never at a loss. Thank goodness I listened to the specialized forum when he said he hated Linan and immediately chose Linbei, now I’m reaping the benefits. Shuangxue’s wife is so good to me, thank you, wife.”

“The grown-up scheming beauty is even better at fishing now, haha, I love him even more.”

Yu Haiqing naturally saw these comments too, thinking that what Xie Shuangxue did might not be fully known to you yet.

And the person making these comments looked very familiar to him.

It was someone from that group. It had to be said, the grand ambitions that group initially had seemed to be gradually coming to fruition. Now, half the specialized forum was filled with such obsessed faces, which could rival fan mothers and were getting more intense by the night.

Initially, Yu Haiqing was baffled by these fans, finding them utterly inexplicable, but his feelings were now mixed.

His specific behavior was that Yu Haiqing didn’t quite approve of those strange individuals, but he had never left the group, occasionally going back to check.

As time passed, this symptom not only didn’t ease but grew more intense.

He thought that Ah Xue needed to be well cared for, but how could anyone harbor such lascivious thoughts towards him? His mind kept echoing Ah Xue’s words that day, “I am your person,” as he looked so obedient and overwhelmingly beautiful at the time.

Yu Haiqing couldn’t help but think of him.

But since returning from the summit, the Endless Sea’s issues were incessant, and he had to stay in the machine room with Gou Yuan and others, trying to cool down, but he still couldn’t help sneaking a look at the backend.

Xie Shuangxue himself might not fully distinguish these nuances.

He only knew that whatever type of fans looked at him, it was with goodwill; the players liked him, and he liked them too, feeling the same about his brothers.

But by comparison, some NPCs’ “affections” were disgusting.

The City Lord of Linan was one such case.

Practicing dark magic amplified one’s basest nature and desires; for example, Yun Ruwei’s hatred was intensified, her obsession, while this City Lord’s was lust.

From the beginning, he had stared at Xie Shuangxue, thinking he was well-hidden, but the Feather Clan suspected his intentions, especially Qin Feiluan who was fully aware of what sort of person he was and had already warned to be cautious.

Ling Luo, Ling Xuan, and others, realizing that disgusting intent, wanted to act directly but were stopped by Xie Shuangxue.

A small sacrifice for a greater cause; he was very clear that this City Lord of Linan indeed needed to be dealt with, but not just yet.

The Feather Clan had already dispatched people to secretly investigate Linan’s issues, with Xie Shuangxue providing covert guidance. He had indeed found some clues and tested the City Lord’s strength, but to gather concrete evidence, they needed to delve deeper, as this man and his backers were cunning.

Xie Shuangxue didn’t want to act rashly, knowing the other’s strength was formidable. Although always lurking in the background, this didn’t mean the City Lord lacked ability; on the contrary, he was extremely strong, especially after practicing dark magic.

If they directly attacked, they might not win, and the City Lord had others to defend him. Qin Feiluan, still hesitating and swaying because of past loyalties, needed a catalyst to make a firm decision.

Finding evidence of secret collusion with the great villain was the best catalyst.

Most importantly, if they couldn’t produce solid evidence and Linan really fell and the City Lord died, the Feather Clan would have a hard time explaining themselves back home.

The rules of the Feather Clan were strict, and if these four acted as leaders, they couldn’t avoid the disciplinary whip.

Xie Shuangxue himself couldn’t endure whipping, nor did he want others to suffer; he feared pain, and being whipped tended to blow their cover.

Thus, he had no choice but to alter the narrative again, but the Feather Clan’s investigations temporarily hit a snag, with the City Lord’s Mansion tightly guarded. Xie Shuangxue originally wanted to go himself but was categorically refused by Ling Luo, who absolutely wouldn’t allow him to risk it, even keeping him away from the City Lord to protect him, and even considering sending Xie Shuangxue back to Floating Dreams Cloud Realm for safety.

But Xie Shuangxue was counting the time; Ling Xuan’s time of death in the original plot was approaching, and with the City Lord’s Mansion in disarray and the poor civilians the Feather Clan couldn’t bear to abandon, he felt it necessary to resolve the situation without missing a beat. He feared that if the City Lord wasn’t dealt with, he would eventually follow orders to harm Ling Xuan, complicating matters further.

So he asked Yu Haiqing for a prop to create a decoy, deciding to take action himself.

The last time he tried to strike a boss and hit a phantom was a miss, but he remembered the tactic; it seemed useful. Xie Shuangxue could create such a clone, but it was easily seen through, so he relied on a prop to fill the gaps.

If he could use it to divert the City Lord of Linan’s attention, he might have a chance to sneak into the heart of the City Lord’s Mansion and secure solid evidence that most of Linan was in league with the Demon Clan, negating the need for a standoff.

If his brother forbade it, then he’d just go secretly; it wasn’t the first time he’d acted first and reported later, and even Yu Haiqing didn’t know what he needed the prop for.

But it wasn’t long after Xie Shuangxue slipped away that people noticed something was off, the first to sense something amiss was Qin Feiluan.

Since Xie Shuangxue and she had first met, they had seen each other quite a bit, and in her eyes, Xie Shuangxue was the kindest and gentlest of the Feather Clan. Knowing the City Lord had always lusted after him, she had always steadfastly protected him, but she hadn’t expected there to be a lapse.

“My subordinates say there’s been unusual activity at the City Lord’s Mansion,” she came to find the Feather Clan immediately, her voice trembling, “Something’s wrong, very wrong, where’s Ah Xue?”

The Feather Clan turned to look for Xie Shuangxue but he was nowhere to be seen.

For the first time, Qin Feiluan regretted not having turned against the City Lord sooner; it was too late for regrets now. She looked at the Feather Clan, about to say more, but saw their faces had already turned grim.

The atmosphere became unprecedentedly tense, as if charged with gunpowder. Despite all the grievances the Feather Clan had suffered before, they had never reacted like this.

“You better hope nothing’s happened to Ah Xue,” Chen Xin spoke up, “Otherwise, it won’t be Linbei who acts, the Feather Clan themselves will flatten Linan.”