Bai Qiuyan marched out in a huff, his demeanor as bold as if he was about to buy out Endless Sea. He didn’t give Yu Haiqing a chance to explain, leaving with such determination that it seemed like nothing could stop him.

Even after he left, the conversation about Xie Shuangxue didn’t end. Qiao Zhihui and a few remaining players continued questioning Yu Haiqing intently.

“Hurry up and think of something! If you don’t know anything, what will happen to Shuangxue?”

“He must be so scared all alone, just waiting for us to save him.”

“Endless Sea is really going too far.”

Yu Haiqing: …

These fans were something else.

Being infatuated with Xie Shuangxue seemed to have this effect on people. Calmly, Yu Haiqing thought, good thing I’m not a fan.

As for why he had been so anxious earlier—enough to open the backend and make those changes—Yu Haiqing had already come up with a reasonable explanation for himself. Xie Shuangxue was currently the most popular character in “Gods and Demons,” and as the CEO of Endless Sea, of course he had to care. Besides, the storyline had reached a point where Xie Shuangxue’s importance was only increasing, so it was perfectly natural for him to take extra care.

Plus, he’d promised that NPC he would protect him. He couldn’t just go back on his word, right?

Speaking of which, what was Xie Shuangxue doing now?

Though he had just returned, Yu Haiqing was already feeling the urge to check on him again. Hopefully, Xie Shuangxue hadn’t been bullied, as the players feared.

At that moment, Xie Shuangxue was under guard, unable to do much, but he could still browse the forums. Yun Ren’s appearance had brought him new information, and when he opened the forum, the Yun Ren fan thread immediately popped up, starting another wave of excitement.

Players referred to Yun Ren as “His Majesty,” considering his long-standing reign as the second Demon Emperor. Even with his face covered in blood and grime while rescuing the Demon Clan kids, some fans had recognized him through the livestream footage.

Seeing Yun Ren in his childhood form had completely changed the tone of his fan threads. What had once been full of declarations like “His Majesty is so cool” had turned into a chorus of “So cute!” and “Let me pinch those cheeks!”

Just as I thought, Xie Shuangxue mused. This was Yun Ren after all, and with his soft, round cheeks, who wouldn’t want to give them a little squeeze?

Amid all the fangirl squealing, some important information was also surfacing. Yun Ren’s storyline was extensive, with a well-developed character arc, and certain quotes were coming to light that Xie Shuangxue found interesting. It seemed Yun Ren had followed Luo Yin out of a sense of gratitude, just as he had once followed a previous Demon King for the same reason, having apparently been saved by them.

While players didn’t yet know who this “previous Demon King” was, Xie Shuangxue had a good idea—it was most likely Ling Luo. Could this be referring to the hunting incident? But now, it was Xie Shuangxue who had saved Yun Ren, not Ling Luo.

There were also photos in the forum thread showing some of the children Yun Ren had rescued, who looked remarkably similar to Yun Ren’s close companions. Fans who had gotten word of this new development even tried sneaking into the shelter, with a few managing to get close enough to identify other familiar faces.

It was now confirmed that it wasn’t just Yun Ren who had been recruited by Ling Luo; the entire group from the shelter had moved as one unit. These Demon Clan members hadn’t died in the sinking of Lu Yun Tower. When Lu Yun Tower collapsed, it had taken many innocent lives, but some residents had managed to flee during Yun Panlong’s rampage. When they returned, they avoided the city center and settled in the outskirts. Since the tower sank starting from the City Lord’s Mansion at its core, ordinary people had a chance to escape, and naturally, so did the Demon Clan.

Those who lived in Lu Yun Tower were initially under Yun Qiang’s care before nearly all of them were handed over to Ling Luo. This explained how he had been able to gain a foothold so quickly and rise to power as the Demon King. After Ling Luo’s death, they transferred to Luo Yin, and when Luo Yin ended the chaotic era, Yun Ren assumed the throne as the Demon Emperor with these followers by his side.

Xie Shuangxue sorted through these timelines, feeling clear about the latter parts, but there were still some gaps in the earlier parts. It was highly likely that Yun Qiang had also perished in Lu Yun Tower, which would explain her absence in the later plot. However, why had the Demon Clan’s power fallen to Ling Luo, someone unrelated to Yun Qiang?

As for Ling Luo’s descent into darkness, Xie Shuangxue had thought about it for a long time. He couldn’t decide if it was an accident or a premeditated plan, but now he leaned more toward the latter. Ling Luo’s transformation into a demon might have been part of Yun Ruowei and Yun Qiang’s plan, and it was likely connected to the transfer of power.

Just as Xie Shuangxue was frowning and contemplating all this, a burst of light landed on his head and slowly seeped into his body. His popularity points had been updated once again.

By now, Xie Shuangxue was used to it. Since his fame had grown, he no longer worried about spending these points frivolously. Even though he’d used quite a bit to trigger hidden tasks, the return on investment made it worth it. At this point, he had become a true “popularity tycoon.”

But this time, something felt different. The light initially became part of his bracelet, which had thickened into more of a bangle, but then, the light abruptly stopped. A portion seemed blocked, swirling around without dispersing or merging.

Xie Shuangxue: Hmm?

Curious, he examined it closely. Unlike the rays he’d gathered from the Endless Sea “documents,” this one looked like a small orb attached to his bracelet, with no way to absorb or alter it.

Could it be that he hadn’t gathered enough yet? Was his popularity level hitting a bottleneck?

It almost felt like a strange version upgrade, but Xie Shuangxue had no idea what to do about it.

At that moment, he sensed someone approaching, the feeling similar to last time when he’d encountered Yu Haiqing. Perfect timing!

Since Yun Ren wasn’t constantly watching over him, Xie Shuangxue saw an opportunity to send him off on an errand, leaving him alone when Yu Haiqing appeared before him.

This time, Yu Haiqing had a solid reason to be there: he was bringing Xie Shuangxue the latest information from Yun Panshan. After all, Xie Shuangxue should have been kept informed if Yun Qiang hadn’t captured him.

Sure enough, Xie Shuangxue’s attention was immediately piqued. “So Yun Ruowei is dead, with nothing left of her?”

In theory, the information Yun Panshan provided should be accurate at this point in the game, so if he claimed Yun Ruowei was dead, it was probably true. But certain Demon Clan abilities could be… tricky.

Xie Shuangxue thought it over before murmuring to himself, “Why would Yun Panlong suddenly start practicing demonic arts?”

Initially, Xie Shuangxue hadn’t given much thought to this obvious boss figure, but now, something felt off. If Yun Panlong’s motivation was to seize the City Lord’s position, he didn’t need to go to such lengths; he was already stronger than Yun Panshan, who couldn’t stand up to him. If Yun Panlong had wanted the role, he could have claimed it long ago.

So, was the current Yun Panlong even the same as before?

Piecing everything together, Xie Shuangxue’s instincts told him this seemed like a revenge plot. Yun Panlong had mercilessly killed Evil Sword and her daughter simply because of their Demon Clan identity, so for someone as proud of his Celestial Clan lineage as him, dying a demonized death, despised by all, would indeed be the perfect form of retribution.

Xie Shuangxue had always searched for Yun Ruowei as if she were a real person, but perhaps that wasn’t necessarily the case. There were many forms a demon could take.

So what was Yun Ruowei’s real goal?

He also couldn’t shake the thought that in the original storyline, Ling Luo was corrupted at Lu Yun Tower, which set off a tragic chain of events. Ever cautious, Xie Shuangxue had so far managed to keep his senior brother Ling Luo away from any demonic influences.

“How are Ling Luo and Chen Xin doing?” he asked Yu Haiqing. “Are they alright?”

Whatever happened, Ling Luo absolutely could not fall to the darkness.

Yu Haiqing replied, “They’re fine, just worried about you.”

Due to Xie Shuangxue’s constant troubles, Ling Luo, who hadn’t been so vigilant in the original storyline, was now extremely on guard, and with Chen Xin by his side, the two moved together, ensuring their safety.

Xie Shuangxue sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

He glanced down at the light on his wrist, then naturally rested his hand on Yu Haiqing’s, sighing, “As long as my senior brothers are safe, I can rest easy.”

Yu Haiqing: …

Hearing this, an odd, unidentifiable feeling arose in his chest.

Xie Shuangxue seemed only to care about his two senior brothers. What about everyone else?

In reality, Xie Shuangxue had said it casually, a simple excuse, before returning his attention to the light on his bracelet.

The light orb from Yu Haiqing had transferred to him, yet the bottleneck issue remained unchanged. This approach clearly wouldn’t work; he couldn’t solve it as he had with the hidden quest.

It seemed his bracelet’s light had truly “maxed out.”

With that, he withdrew his hand coolly.

Yu Haiqing had been about to say something, but with the abrupt loss of warmth, he was left speechless. Just then, there was a noise from outside the small door—likely Yun Ren returning as instructed.

“He’s back,” Xie Shuangxue reacted quickly. “You should go; it’d be bad if he found you.”

Yu Haiqing: …

He suddenly wanted Bai Qiuyan to come here and see just who the real “jerk” was!

Yun Ren entered, seeing nothing suspicious, though he thought he’d heard something. Glancing at Xie Shuangxue with suspicion, he noticed the shackles on his feet hadn’t moved.

“Don’t you trust me?” Xie Shuangxue asked with an innocent look. “I did save you, after all.”

Yun Ren merely huffed.

After spending some time with Xie Shuangxue, he wasn’t as resistant to him as before.

Xie Shuangxue glanced down at the forum again.

Due to his disappearance and the unfolding plot, Lu Yun Tower’s facade of peace was unraveling, revealing a deeper chaos. The forum’s information evolved by the day.

In the main storyline of the “Book of Floating Dreams,” players were closing in on the truth, and Yun Panlong had become the primary target of their wrath. Some players had encountered him, describing him as “like something possessed,” a skeleton cloaked in human skin, unwilling to face the public. Despite Yun Panshan’s confession, Yun Panlong’s power within Lu Yun Tower remained formidable, leaving Ling Luo and his allies at an impasse.

However, Xie Shuangxue’s lack of a player ID was a hindrance. As a guest user, he couldn’t post questions or contact players directly, and some forum threads were restricted to full members.

Now he realized that if players were motivated, they could outpace him significantly.

Yun Qiang had been too busy to visit him, and both the guards and Yun Ren were tight-lipped with limited knowledge. But as long as Xie Shuangxue remained here, he was the players’ greatest source of inspiration.

The top three guilds had even issued bounty notices, and any stream involving Xie Shuangxue gained immediate popularity. Who wouldn’t want to earn money?

Over time, players began to suspect Yun Qiang, her actions drawing increasing scrutiny. Some players had even managed to record a conversation outside her room.

The audio, recorded from outside, had no visuals, only the voices of Yun Qiang and another person.

“…Is this really necessary?” Yun Qiang’s voice asked.

The response came from a strange, youthful female voice—cold and mature despite its childish tone. “Wasn’t this decided long ago? Are you going to ruin our plan?”

“But he knows nothing, Ruowei. Can’t we stop using him?”

The girl laughed coldly, her voice chilling. “You underestimate him. Actually, Xie Shuangxue is the perfect candidate. Now that he’s captured, we should make the most of it.”

Yun Qiang’s voice grew tense. “But he wasn’t our original choice!”

“That target was too difficult. You know that. I can’t do anything about it,” replied the girl. “Just consider it destiny.”

This clip first surfaced on a livestream and quickly made its way to the forums, where Xie Shuangxue heard it.

Yun Ruowei was indeed real, and she seemed to have shifted her target onto him.

The storyline’s twists felt as tangled as the light stalled on his bracelet. His guesses were gradually taking shape, but something was still missing to make things clear.

For the players, however, this revelation was monumental. Not only did they confirm Yun Ruowei’s existence, but they also realized that Yun Qiang had captured Xie Shuangxue!

At last, a solid lead!

With newfound purpose, the players focused on the auction house, gathering in increasing numbers.

“Gods and Demons” was still a game, after all, and in a game, there was nothing the vast player base couldn’t accomplish.

Xie Shuangxue was nearly shocked by their efficiency. Soon, he could hear sounds coming closer from outside his room—definitely players.

Yet the guards were too tight for them to break through.

However, players are fearless. After a while, a few brave souls broke through the defensive ring and actually made it into the room.

The moment the player entered and saw Xie Shuangxue, their face lit up, as if finally confirming something, but before they could say a word, they were forcibly dragged back to the respawn point by the guards.

Where there’s a first, there’s a second and a third hero.

Xie Shuangxue even spotted Qiao Zhihui, who managed to shout “baby!” before being dragged away.

This left Yun Ren, standing guard, utterly bewildered.

Some of these wandering players even yelled odd phrases at Yun Ren, like, “Hahaha, it really is His Majesty! Give us a smile!” which was both disturbing and confusing.

What on earth was going on?

Of course, player lives weren’t endless, and after testing the defenses, they realized a full-scale assault would be required.

Previously, it was Xie Shuangxue who led missions to kidnap NPCs and ambush auction events, but those who had participated were now experienced enough to plan on their own.

Now, the players immersed in the game’s free-form chaos were ready to take the lead.

“Now that we know where he is, it’s time for a full-on assault,” Bai Qiuyan said, eyes sharp. “We lost Shuangxue; we have to get him back!”

It was a rousing declaration, and he promptly set a time. “Quick and clean, let’s do it tonight!”

Bai Qiuyan, ever the guild leader, wasn’t acting recklessly. With the Feather Clan also receiving this information, Ling Luo would join him, making this a proper rescue operation.

“Are you coming?” he challenged Yu Haiqing. “I’d say stay out of it. We’ve got Shuangxue covered.”

Yu Haiqing sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Honestly, with that pathetic plan of yours? I’ll take the lead on this.”

After consulting Xie Shuangxue, who had limited ability to gather information, they agreed that if players organized a rescue, Xie Shuangxue could slip out with them.

Bai Qiuyan snorted, muttering, “Well, at least you’re human.”

Xie Shuangxue was aware of the plan but couldn’t shake a sense of unease.

That night, when the players charged in, it was bound to be another lively evening.

The guards debated moving him, but time had run out; the players had arrived too quickly, and Yun Qiang was already out front, trying to hold them off.

Although Xie Shuangxue was shackled and immobilized, he could still follow the livestreams on the forum. Watching the players inch closer, he sensed the excitement drawing near and knew it was time to make his escape. Suddenly, a new message appeared on the forum:

“Wait, Yun Qiang just disappeared?”

“She was fighting Ling Luo, then vanished?”

Xie Shuangxue’s unease reached its peak, and at that moment, the very-much-alive Yun Qiang entered the room.

She held the Crescent Moon Blade, dripping with blood, her entire body radiating fierce demonic energy. The look in her eyes set off alarm bells in Xie Shuangxue’s head.

“It’s you,” she sighed, “I don’t have time left.”

In the next instant, she was already advancing on him.

Yun Ren, assigned to guard Xie Shuangxue, immediately tried to block her, clearly not wanting Xie Shuangxue to die. But Yun Qiang was not someone he could stop.

The blade closed in on Yun Ren.

But Xie Shuangxue was a step quicker. The moment Yun Qiang appeared, he grabbed the cup on the table, shattered it, and threw the shards toward her blade.

The Xie family’s hidden weapon skills proved effective; anything could be deadly in their hands. Though he only managed to deflect the blade slightly, it was enough to save Yun Ren from harm.

Yun Qiang’s target wasn’t him, however. She pushed past Yun Ren, appearing in front of Xie Shuangxue in a blink.

“Well done,” she murmured, her voice eerily resembling the strange girl’s voice captured by players. “Quite capable. I’d say you’re perfect.”

Xie Shuangxue didn’t have time to wonder what that meant. He only knew he was in for a head-on battle, his least favorite kind. Fortunately, the chains holding him were long enough to let him use them defensively, blocking the incoming blade.

“Hurry up and go!” he shouted at Yun Ren. “Something’s wrong with her!”

Yun Qiang’s appearance had completely changed from before.

The chains binding him were surprisingly durable. They withstood Yun Qiang’s blade, giving him a moment’s respite, but he couldn’t hold out forever.

Soon enough, the Crescent Moon Blade aimed directly for his chest.

At that moment, the players finally broke through, charging in to witness the scene.

“Shuangxue!”

“Let him go!”

But Yun Qiang’s strike landed, and she vanished in an instant.

Xie Shuangxue glimpsed the eerie smile on her face as she disappeared.

Yet strangely, when her blade struck him, he didn’t feel the pain he’d expected.

Instead, he felt something unusual entering his body, a curious sensation. Then, his head buzzed, followed by a series of “ding-ding-ding” sounds in his mind, like SEA’s warning alerts.

Xie Shuangxue had heard this sound only once before, when he’d triggered SEA’s limits while issuing a mission.

That strike shouldn’t have killed him; he wasn’t that fragile.

So why did her strike trigger a system warning?

Alongside the alarm, the heat on his wrist grew intense, as if a fire had been kindled.