The Xie Shuangxue fan forum was immediately thrown into shock, and the group of big-name followers who’d come to interact were equally stunned.

“What?!”

News updates kept popping up in the forum chat.

“Logging into the game to check won’t help; the Feather Clan area is on lockdown.”

“At least he’s okay for now, though it sounds like it was pretty serious.”

“Ugh, my poor Xue keeps getting hurt. This Endless Sea story arc is total garbage.”

“Maybe it’s an extension of today’s plotline? Judging by the world quest I’m on, there’s definitely some deep-rooted conflict in Lu Yun Tower.”

Bai Qiuyan refreshed his feed, his mind spinning. How could so much happen to Xie Shuangxue in such a short time? Before he even realized it, he was already logging in with his VR helmet.

But just as the forum had said, when he finally reached the City Lord’s Mansion, the Feather Clan had indeed locked the area down. He wasn’t the only one rushing to log in; there was a crowd of players stuck outside, all unable to get in.

“Doesn’t Jiu Shen have that special pass?” Qiao Zhihui, who’d hurried over as well, had a sudden idea. “Check if he’s online and ask him to get us in.”

Bai Qiuyan did have Jiu Shen’s contact, having just added him earlier in the day. He checked his friends list, saw Jiu Shen was online, hesitated for a second, and then sent him a message.

At that exact moment, Yu Haiqing saw the message notification pop up. He glanced at it and, seeing it was Bai Qiuyan, didn’t bother reading further.

Bai Qiuyan’s tone in the first few messages was polite enough, but he quickly grew more impatient. The last message Yu Haiqing read said: “You’re online, so you must know what’s going on, right? You sneaky old dog, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Are you planning to hog Xie Shuangxue all to yourself?!”

Amused, Yu Haiqing thought, what did that have to do with “hogging”?

Being the only player in the room and standing beside Xie Shuangxue’s bed, Yu Haiqing felt completely calm. The pass token had been given solely to him, so letting them in was entirely his decision. If they couldn’t get in, well, that was their problem, not his.

When the Feather Clan guards had seen his token, they had scrutinized him for a while before letting him through. In the end, it was Xie Shuangxue himself who’d nodded to let him enter.

The moment Yu Haiqing entered, he saw Xie Shuangxue and immediately forgot about everything else.

Chen Xin had just finished treating the wounds. The injuries from the curved blade were spread across his shoulder, forearm, and leg, looking quite severe. Xie Shuangxue sat there, his clothes hanging loosely as he slowly tried to apply some medicine to himself.

Earlier, Chen Xin had painstakingly extracted the demonic qi that had seeped into Xie Shuangxue’s wounds. This dark energy was indeed sinister; as he pulled it out, it looked like thin, wriggling threads that took a long time to dissipate. Even Chen Xin had to be extra cautious to avoid making any mistakes. Luckily, there were no remnants left, so Xie Shuangxue didn’t need to return to the Feather Clan for treatment.

Exhausted, Chen Xin had left to take care of the remaining traces of demonic qi. And with such a major incident occurring that night, someone from the City Lord’s Mansion had come to investigate, leaving Ling Luo to handle them. So now, the only person left in the room was Xie Shuangxue.

Though his wounds were stable, he was now gingerly applying some ointment to speed up healing. Yu Haiqing moved closer, reaching over to take the medicine bottle from him.

“I’ll do it.”

Xie Shuangxue considered it for a moment and didn’t refuse.

The cut from the curved blade ran in a thin line, starting at his shoulder and extending backward to a part he couldn’t quite reach himself.

As Yu Haiqing applied the medicine, Xie Shuangxue obediently held his hair to the side.

The ointment was cool and soothing, and Yu Haiqing’s hands were gentle. Once he’d finished, he heard Yu Haiqing sigh.

“Just a moment without supervision, and you end up in trouble,” he murmured. “Honestly…”

Was that a hint of concern in his tone?

It was only the two of them here, so there was no need to put on any front. Xie Shuangxue looked up at him. After finishing, Yu Haiqing even helped him dress carefully, ensuring not to brush against his wounds. Like before, he wrapped him up snugly.

“You’re sensitive to the cold, aren’t you?” Yu Haiqing recalled the script describing Xie Shuangxue’s character traits. He draped an extra layer over him and tucked his exposed feet under the covers. “Are you feeling any better?”

The question was phrased so caringly that even Xie Shuangxue found himself momentarily swayed.

Since being reminded by Ling Luo, he couldn’t help but wonder whether this unusually helpful security officer from Wubianhai was cooperating with SEA to set him up. Otherwise, how could he have arrived so quickly tonight?

And more importantly, he kept thinking—was this really Yu Haiqing?

He’d suspected as much from their very first meeting. That kind of authority aura theoretically only belonged to Yu Haiqing, yet he couldn’t be certain. The famously workaholic CEO of Wubianhai didn’t seem the type to take time off to play games. The further along things went, the more uncertain he became. Would Yu Haiqing really allow him to challenge SEA?

SEA was, after all, his creation.

Moreover, the person in front of him seemed nothing like the rigid, aloof Yu Haiqing who had pried his hand off that first time.

Yu Haiqing noticed that Xie Shuangxue’s gaze held an unusual intensity, one of scrutiny. It hadn’t been this obvious before.

But in the next second, that gaze softened, and Xie Shuangxue gave a slight smile, saying, “Did you come because you were worried about me?”

Yu Haiqing paused, actually considering his own feelings for a moment, then nodded.

“Really?”

“I was really scared tonight,” Xie Shuangxue said after a moment, leaning against the bedframe and gently clutching Yu Haiqing’s sleeve. “Senior Brother Chen Xin told me that if my injuries had been a bit worse, he wouldn’t have been able to save me. He’d have to send me back to the Feather Clan.”

Wait—send him back to the Feather Clan?

Yu Haiqing followed this line of thought, finally understanding why Xie Shuangxue had looked at him that way.

“But now that you’re here, I feel much better.”

Xie Shuangxue’s voice broke his train of thought.

Yu Haiqing didn’t pull away from the hand holding his sleeve, so Xie Shuangxue leaned in closer, lightly resting his head against Yu Haiqing’s shoulder. His voice was soft, almost plaintive.

“If I had to leave now, I would never be able to accept it,” Xie Shuangxue murmured close to his ear. “I believe that, like you, the other Continental Wanderers wouldn’t just stand by and let it happen. Right?”

“We’ve come this far. I’m really scared, but… you’ll keep helping me, won’t you?”

He looked so vulnerable, enough to tug at anyone’s heartstrings. But maybe only Yu Haiqing could understand the underlying meaning.

For the game’s production team, many players had already become deeply invested in Xie Shuangxue’s story. The Yun Ruowei questline had just begun, and assassins had only just tasted their long-awaited buffs. If Xie Shuangxue, a crucial character, were sent back to the Feather Clan—a place inaccessible to players—the team would undoubtedly face backlash from the players, which would be hard to handle.

On the surface, he looked pitiful, but he was, in fact, delivering a threat, voicing his most cutting remarks in the softest, most sympathetic tone.

Xie Shuangxue truly was something else.

As he awaited a response, Xie Shuangxue felt Yu Haiqing laugh softly, then reach out to ruffle his hair—a gesture of reassurance.

“I know. You don’t have to worry so much. Even without those reasons, I wouldn’t want you to leave.”

Xie Shuangxue blinked, relaxing slightly, and replied, “That’s good to hear.”

They seemed perfectly in sync—at least on the surface.

By the time Bai Qiuyan and his group were finally allowed in, it was the next day.

The assassin had managed to escape, but Lu Yun Tower’s City Lord’s Mansion issued a token wanted notice, and the Feather Clan strengthened their defenses.

Upon entering, Bai Qiuyan spotted the very person he’d messaged all night without a single response.

So, only he was allowed in, huh? Pretending he didn’t see my messages, huh?

Others might not know it, but those familiar with Jiu Shen knew he was infamous for stirring up trouble. His popularity had earned him more enemies than friends, mostly because he often brought it upon himself. Even now, his reputation held true.

Qiao Zhihui rushed over and, barely containing his impulse to call him “darling,” asked, “Shuangxue, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Xie Shuangxue reassured them with a wave and a gentle smile. “It wasn’t much of an injury. It’s all in the past now.”

But his pale lips, the lingering medicinal smell in the room, and the furniture marred by knife marks—still not replaced—told a different story. The previous night had clearly been anything but ordinary.

However, Xie Shuangxue didn’t seem inclined to dwell on it. He wore a serious expression and got straight to business.

“The person who tried to kill me last night was after the item I’d taken. They wanted me to hand it over,” Xie Shuangxue said. “It must’ve been someone sent by Yun Ruowei.”

Though the attempt hadn’t succeeded in sending him back, the assassination wasn’t all bad news; at least it forced the elusive Yun Ruowei to reveal a few clues.

After all, the assassin was obviously from the Demon Clan. If Yun Ruowei could command them, it suggested that Yun Ruowei was also a demon.

Following this logic, Lord Yun’s secrecy became more understandable.

He’d kept his child’s belongings, and his few words with Xie Shuangxue had revealed his lingering concern. But he hadn’t openly acknowledged having a child. Unless… that child couldn’t be revealed to the world.

With the game’s strict conflict between gods and demons, Lu Yun Tower, representing the gods, would never allow the City Lord to have a demon child.

“Also, we’d barely brought Lord Yun here when the assassin arrived, even before Yun Panlong or Yun Pannan knew,” Xie Shuangxue continued. “So I suspect that Yun Ruowei, the person you’re looking for, might be here in Lu Yun Tower, possibly nearby and watching us closely.”

The players absorbed this new information.

Bai Qiuyan considered it, realizing that Xie Shuangxue’s reasoning made perfect sense. He was fully convinced, asking, “What should we do next?”

“Well, Lord Yun’s situation is currently stable, but it will take time for him to recover. For now, I suggest we continue working together,” Xie Shuangxue replied. “I want to find the Evil Sword, and you’re searching for Yun Ruowei. But I can’t do it alone, so I hope you can help me by gathering information in the city about the Evil Sword.”

Unlike Yun Ruowei, the Evil Sword had once been well-known, and some people in Lu Yun Tower might know additional details. But Xie Shuangxue was just one person, and going out to gather information alone was unrealistic; he needed the players’ help.

Only he had noticed the subtle link between Yun Ruowei and the Evil Sword. To the players, the assassin had come for the golden lock, and Yun Ruowei was their primary focus.

This was the one thing Xie Shuangxue kept secret.

He needed some extra leverage, with bond values being just one of them, binding himself tightly to important questlines to keep the players engaged.

He then informed them of how close he had come to being sent back to Fu Meng Cloud Terrace.

“That’s way too risky!” Qiao Zhihui exclaimed, immediately growing concerned. “Could that assassin return?”

“I think it would actually be best if they tried again,” Xie Shuangxue suggested. “You could use me as bait, set a trap, and capture the assassin, which might lead to clues about Yun Ruowei.”

Using himself as bait?

Unlike players, NPCs couldn’t respawn. Xie Shuangxue knew how dangerous this was, yet he was still willing to do it.

Bai Qiuyan paused, recalling what fans in the forum had said.

Xie Shuangxue seemed strong and capable, but he was so straightforward that he seemed unaware of just how much players had already gained from him. He still felt he owed them and was constantly looking for ways to repay them, even at his own risk.

This type of person was just so endearing.

Without needing any more words from Xie Shuangxue, Bai Qiuyan spoke up first.

“Don’t worry; we’ll gather all the information you need on the Evil Sword, and you won’t get hurt in the process.”

Even without bond value rewards, he wasn’t about to let someone like Xie Shuangxue down.

Sending him back to Fu Meng Cloud Terrace? No way!

Don’t underestimate us players!