Yu Haiqing looked through the backend data and quickly figured it out: Yun Qiang was holding Xie Shuangxue right inside the auction venue. This area was completely under her control, making it nearly impossible for either the Feather Clan or the Yun family to locate Xie Shuangxue through a surface-level search.

Yu Haiqing had never relied on such “outside information” before. When he encountered challenges in his own game, he had always relied on his patience and pieced together clues on his own, gradually unraveling them. Truthfully, players would eventually figure out Yun Qiang’s involvement. However, this time Yu Haiqing didn’t have that kind of patience.

In situations like this, where he was genuinely worried about Xie Shuangxue’s safety, he found himself unnerved. The turbulence surrounding this person was just too much.

He’d been on edge, fearing that Xie Shuangxue would be at a disadvantage. But by the time he located him, Xie Shuangxue had already taken control of his situation, rendering Yu Haiqing’s worry almost unnecessary. And judging from Xie Shuangxue’s calm response, he really didn’t seem inclined to leave anytime soon.

Fine. Yu Haiqing sighed. Since he’d already used his special privileges once, why not a second time?

His concern still nagged at him—he’d have to see Xie Shuangxue himself to finally put his worries to rest.

Meanwhile, in the game, after Xie Shuangxue had fallen asleep, Yun Qiang hadn’t stayed by his side, as she had many other matters to deal with outside. But Xie Shuangxue’s words earlier had indeed softened her approach to him.

Since his hand was injured, Yun Qiang removed the iron cuff from his wrist before she left, attaching it instead to his ankle, allowing him to lie comfortably on the bed. Now, he had more room to move around than before, when he could barely budge. Although there were more guards outside, they didn’t stand so close as to watch him non-stop. She even had the curtains around his bed drawn, as if to let him sleep undisturbed.

Apart from the chain, he might as well have been a guest here.

When Yu Haiqing entered in his invisible GM mode, the room was completely silent, and no one noticed him.

This invisible status was originally designed for bug fixing, allowing a GM to bypass the game’s interference and collect bug data quickly. Now, however, it served to help monitor what was becoming the “Xie Shuangxue bug.”

Everyone else remained oblivious to his presence, except for Xie Shuangxue, who opened his eyes immediately.

“Is it you?”

He whispered softly into the empty air.

A pair of hands soon reached out, pulling him close. Xie Shuangxue didn’t panic—he knew exactly who it was.

He was lying on a bed, and for Yu Haiqing to talk to him, he had to come out of his invisible mode and reveal himself. Since the guards were just a door away, the two of them couldn’t move around or make too much noise, so Yu Haiqing lay down next to him.

As soon as he appeared, he saw Xie Shuangxue’s eyes light up. Carefully, Xie Shuangxue moved his upper body closer, resting his head in the crook of Yu Haiqing’s arm so they could speak in hushed tones.

“I knew you’d be the first to find me,” Xie Shuangxue said. “Only you could figure out where I am.”

As he spoke, the faint scents of tea and medicinal herbs that always lingered around him rose once again.

Yu Haiqing reached out, brushing his hair gently. “Does your hand hurt?” he asked softly.

“A little, but it’s just a small injury—nothing serious,” Xie Shuangxue replied. “You know I did this on purpose, right? If I hadn’t caused some trouble, Yun Qiang wouldn’t have come to see me so soon.”

Yu Haiqing sighed. “But you can’t keep using these methods that harm yourself.”

“I know there are other ways, but this was the most effective,” he admitted, sounding a bit aggrieved. “I didn’t realize she was an issue. I was just trying to fish for information; I didn’t expect to get caught.”

“I must’ve looked like a fool.”

“If you hadn’t come tonight, I’d really be scared here.”

“You’re not a fool.”

Yu Haiqing knew better than to take everything Xie Shuangxue said at face value, but in moments like these, he was always drawn in by him. “Do you want to leave?”

Xie Shuangxue looked down at the chain on his bare ankle. The black metal against his pale skin was striking, and it clinked softly with any movement.

“I tried, but it won’t come off. I’m afraid I can’t leave for now,” he said. “Besides, I’m quite curious about what’s going on here with Yun Qiang.”

Of course.

Yu Haiqing warned him, “It’s dangerous here.”

The guards were all from the Demon Clan. While Yun Qiang treated Xie Shuangxue differently, others might not be as kind.

“But you found me, didn’t you?” Xie Shuangxue looked at him again. “I was scared before, but now that you’re here, I’m not anymore.”

Yu Haiqing sighed. “So you really don’t plan to leave?”

“You know me best,” Xie Shuangxue smiled. “Don’t worry. If things go wrong, I’ll leave in time.”

Fine, let him do as he wished.

Yu Haiqing didn’t argue further. Before leaving, he tucked the blanket around Xie Shuangxue securely, even covering his exposed foot.

After seeing him, Yu Haiqing felt much more at ease. As usual, the player community was in an uproar; Endless Sea was once again flooded with complaints, just like previous incidents.

“Is there something wrong with Endless Sea?”

“Heartless! I finished the quest, turned around to find my wife, and she’s gone! Kidnapping someone’s spouse is a crime, you know?”

“Stop claiming wives amidst the chaos.”

“Where’s my guy? Just tell me how much I need to pay to get him back. Dog company, all you want is ransom money, right?”

Lin Tong, who was already accustomed to these situations, remained calm, analyzing the situation rationally.

“This shows that players are deeply engaged in the storyline, and the game’s immersion is improving. The data from Ling Jiao is also looking great. We hardly need to think up the next theme—they’re already searching for Xie Shuangxue themselves, which could be another great theme.”

Moreover, they’d gathered enough ingredients to save Lord Xie. The three main guilds had made substantial gains, so they weren’t exactly tricking the players.

Gou Yuan massaged his temples, recalling the complaints he’d received from VIP clients yesterday, not to mention the reaction of their own boss, President Yu. Normally, Jiu Shen, their top executive, didn’t get overly concerned with the game, but yesterday he had a tense expression while personally combing through the backend data.

Didn’t anyone else think Xie Shuangxue’s influence as an NPC was getting a bit frightening?

“But all of this is outside our original settings,” Gou Yuan said, worried. “If this keeps going, won’t it eventually get out of control?”

Lin Tong was firm. “It won’t. After all, this is Xie Shuangxue. He can adapt to any situation.”

You can always count on Xie Shuangxue.

Despite the added content, everything still followed the main storyline from her perspective. The team had anticipated Yun Qiang’s true nature early on, so she’d purposely added a question about it in Ling Jiao’s poll. This was all still under main storyline control.

Whether others were anxious or not, Xie Shuangxue had become increasingly at ease. By the next morning, any panic he’d felt after being captured had faded.

When he “woke up” and saw Yun Qiang again, their dynamic had shifted from before.

Yun Qiang was examining the wound on his hand.

A pile of medicinal herbs sat beside the bed, though she seemed unsure of which to use. When he opened his eyes, he looked a bit dazed, and as he slowly sat up, he resembled a small, defenseless animal.

“Don’t be afraid,” Yun Qiang said gently, her voice softening unconsciously. “I just applied a bit of medicine yesterday, and it doesn’t seem to have fully healed, so I brought some more herbs. Since these aren’t the kind the Feather Clan uses, you probably know better than I do.”

With that, she set the herbs beside him.

Xie Shuangxue understood and reached out to examine them. Opening a few bottles and sniffing them, he immediately recognized their quality.

Without hesitation, he chose a few, mixing them in the best ratio. He applied the mixture to the wound on his palm, though his movements were clumsy as he struggled to bandage it himself. Seeing this, Yun Qiang stepped in to help.

As she finished bandaging him, she suddenly felt a cool sensation on her cheek.

Instinctively, Yun Qiang’s aura spiked with killing intent, and she stepped back, momentarily ready to draw her weapon. However, she quickly realized it was Xie Shuangxue, so she restrained herself and simply kept her distance, eyeing him warily.

But then she felt a soothing coolness, accompanied by the faint scent of herbs.

Startled by her reaction, Xie Shuangxue quickly explained, “I only wanted to apply some medicine for you, Sister.”

“Seeing you still worried about me despite your injuries, I was grateful but also worried about you,” he continued, showing her his hand as reassurance. “Don’t worry. I’ve used it myself, so it’s safe.”

After confirming his words, Yun Qiang relaxed, lowering her hand from the hilt of her blade. “It’s fine. It will heal quickly,” she replied calmly.

Then, in a quieter tone, she muttered, “These days won’t last much longer.”

Indeed, according to the original storyline, the upheaval at Lu Yun Tower was just around the corner.

Xie Shuangxue understood.

Yun Qiang’s expression softened as she allowed him to continue applying the medicine to her wounds. Perhaps it was due to trust, though it was more likely that with Yun Qiang’s strength, if Xie Shuangxue did try something, he wouldn’t get far before she stopped him.

So, Xie Shuangxue continued applying the medicine to her wounds, his fingers brushing her skin with utmost care.

“Your attendants must be careless if they haven’t even applied medicine for you,” he remarked, his tone full of concern. “Even if the injuries aren’t severe, leaving them untreated is uncomfortable.”

“You know how it is; the Yun family has always disregarded me,” Yun Qiang replied. “Once, I met someone who cared, but they’re no longer here. Now…”

She trailed off, shaking her head. “Since I took on the demonic path, pain hardly affects me.”

“That’s nonsense,” Xie Shuangxue replied seriously. “Everyone feels pain, whether demon or deity.”

In his past life, he’d been touched by darkness too, but it had hurt all the same.

Yun Qiang stared at him for a long moment, her expression contemplative. “Do you hate the Demon Clan?” she asked.

“I hold grudges against those who destroyed Penglai, but hating every demon in the world would be exhausting,” Xie Shuangxue replied. “You and I have been through similar hardships, Sister. How could I possibly hate you?”

Yun Qiang sighed, a hint of sadness in her voice. “Even someone as young as you understands this, yet they don’t.”

Then, a slight smile graced her face as she added, “So that’s how you feel. No wonder you saved him.”

Who?

Xie Shuangxue didn’t immediately understand, but moments later, someone entered the room.

It was a boy of thirteen or fourteen. Xie Shuangxue scrutinized his figure and recognized him as the young Demon Clan child he’d saved on the Yun family’s hunting grounds. Covered in blood back then, he hadn’t been able to see the boy’s face clearly.

So they really were part of the same group.

Xie Shuangxue felt even more certain now—Yun Qiang was connected to Yun Ruowei, who hadn’t yet shown up, and that hidden sanctuary where Ling Xuan had unintentionally stumbled. He also noticed that Yun Qiang had used the phrase “saved him” instead of “saved them.”

Ling Xuan needed to keep his Feather Clan identity hidden, so his interactions with Xie Shuangxue had been kept secret. Bai Ying, who had gone to convey messages and find people, had also been cautious not to reveal himself.

The only Demon Clan child Xie Shuangxue had openly protected was this one, which meant that while he’d been captured, Ling Xuan was still deeply embedded in their plans, advancing their infiltration.

“Is it really you?” Xie Shuangxue asked, turning his head to look at the boy. “Are your injuries better?”

The demon child didn’t respond immediately. He stared intently at Xie Shuangxue before finally saying to Yun Qiang, “It really was him who saved me.”

The child’s testimony seemed to affirm that Xie Shuangxue wasn’t just a schemer.

“That’s good. You don’t need to doubt him anymore,” Yun Qiang said, as if speaking to herself as well. “Rest easy, Shuangxue. We won’t trouble you further. You can stay here peacefully, and when things are over, we’ll send you back.”

With Yun Qiang’s assurance, he no longer had to worry about being forcibly ejected from the game by SEA.

“Lady,” the child continued to stare at Xie Shuangxue, turning to Yun Qiang. “If he’s staying here, then I’d like to stay too.”

Yun Qiang raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“He’s still a bit strange to me,” the young demon replied. “He doesn’t like those guards—they scare him. But he doesn’t have to be afraid of me, right?”

Xie Shuangxue: …

This kid.

And the more he looked at him, the more familiar the boy seemed. Where had he seen this face before?

Where, exactly?