Players in the game had no idea what had just happened; they didn’t even understand the concept of “falling into demonic influence,” nor could they hear the system’s alarms. All they saw was Xie Shuangxue getting injured.

The events were a blur—Yun Ren was thrown to the ground beside him, and in the urgent chaos, Xie Shuangxue still managed to shout at him, “Run!” The kid quickly grasped the situation, cast a deep look at Xie Shuangxue, then dashed off without hesitation.

What happened next was rapid and intense. Yun Qiang obstructed most of the view, but they could see the Crescent Moon Blade, slick with blood, slicing downwards, even leaving a deep cut on the wall beside it.

They then heard a muffled groan from Xie Shuangxue, as more blood dripped from the blade’s tip, filling the room with a thick scent of blood.

This left viewers to imagine the rest.

The streamers who had turned on their cameras were stunned. Their viewers had been cheering the successful rescue with comments like “Awesome!” and “Legendary!” But in the next instant, their beloved “little cub” was hurt!

The chat froze momentarily, as though everyone was too shocked to respond, but soon after, an avalanche of messages flooded in:

“Ahhh! Let my cub go!”

“Endless Sea, you’ve killed my boy! I’ll destroy you!”

“Shuangxue, my poor Shuangxue… Save him, someone save him! I’m losing my mind!”

Only Jiu Shen reacted quickly, rushing in to scoop Xie Shuangxue up before anyone else could, and right then, Ling Luo arrived.

He took one look at the scene, his expression shifting as he immediately moved to take Xie Shuangxue away. The players couldn’t heal NPC injuries, so naturally, they left him in the Feather Clan’s hands. But once he was taken to the Feather Clan’s camp, there was no further news.

Bai Qiuyan, who had earned some recognition from the NPCs thanks to the token Xie Shuangxue had given him, tried to question the Feather Clan about his condition. However, they simply said that due to the complexity of his injuries, no visitors were allowed, without specifying the severity.

How could that be acceptable?

Bai Qiuyan had worked so hard to rescue Xie Shuangxue, only to see him get hurt again, and now he was left in the dark about his condition. He couldn’t bear it!

Endless Sea, you trash company!

He quickly messaged Gou Yuan, threatening that if Xie Shuangxue suffered any further injuries, he would report Endless Sea to the Consumer Association to demand a refund. Then he called together three guild leaders to discuss the matter.

“We can’t rely on this garbage game. We have to do it ourselves. We know where Shuangxue’s room is anyway,” Bai Qiuyan said. “The Feather Clan is tough to handle, so let’s team up once more.”

Shi Jiu Jianghu and Cherry Tomato exchanged glances, nodding quickly.

It didn’t matter if they were die-hard fans of Xie Shuangxue or not. They still had unredeemed Bond Values with him, and guild members were buzzing about it. The Player Forum was full of speculation; there had to be an outcome.

“What about Jiu Shen?” Shi Jiu Jianghu asked. “We need him for this.”

The mention of Yu Haiqing only increased Bai Qiuyan’s frustration.

He was already anxious about Xie Shuangxue, and yet Yu Haiqing had disappeared as soon as trouble struck.

What a scumbag!

“Forget him!” Bai Qiuyan waved it off. “We can handle this ourselves.”

The players weren’t the only ones left in the dark. Chen Xin and Ling Luo didn’t dare tell Xie Shuangxue about his near-demonic transformation either, only suppressing the demonic energy in his body for fear that it might affect him.

But that was just a surface solution.

Xie Shuangxue secretly spit out the medicine Chen Xin had given him, silently managing the demonic energy within him. Thanks to his experience during the testing phase, he knew how to conceal it.

The two hadn’t stayed in the room long, as things at Lu Yun Tower were unstable, and although they had sent out a request for help, the Feather Clan’s reinforcements would take time to arrive. They had to leave to handle matters.

Once they were gone, Xie Shuangxue took out the two items he had left in his room before—namely, the golden locket and pendant he had taken from Lord Yun. He had been cautious not to bring these to the auction.

Now, looking at the quest items again, he realized they weren’t as simple as they initially seemed.

For Yun Qiang to risk everything for these items, they must hold far more than sentimental value.

One stab hadn’t been enough; he hadn’t fallen deeply enough into demonic influence, nor had he fully replaced Ling Luo’s storyline as the Demon King. He was bound to confront Yun Ruowei and Yun Qiang again.

Next, he glanced down at the Light Bracelet on his wrist.

It had transformed, now a brighter silver, with the previously loose beam of light fully absorbed within it.

With a thought, Xie Shuangxue’s surroundings changed.

Once again, he was in Endless Sea’s office, but looking back, he saw only his body lying there with closed eyes. The gentle voice was absent this time.

The office seemed to have calmed down as Yu Haiqing had arrived.

Xie Shuangxue leaned forward, closely observing the face he hadn’t seen in ages. In the game, Jiu Shen always wore a mask, making it hard to be certain before, but now he could tell. Despite slight differences in their physique, likely due to adjustments by the game system, Jiu Shen and Yu Haiqing shared the same manner of speaking.

Jiu Shen was indeed Yu Haiqing.

Yu Haiqing had been sitting there for a while, his head slightly lowered, lost in thought.

In the game, SEA’s alarm couldn’t reach the players’ ears, but Xie Shuangxue could hear it clearly.

Waiting around wouldn’t help. Yu Haiqing quickly logged into the Shenmo Office to address the issue, knowing prolonged system alerts could destabilize the game. Xie Shuangxue had already suffered a needless injury; any further system issues would only worsen his impact.

Upon entering, he overheard Gou Yuan’s shouting, but upon seeing Yu Haiqing, Gou Yuan’s tone instantly shifted.

“This thing is impossible to fix—ah! Mr. Yu, when did you arrive?”

However, he noticed that Yu Haiqing looked even grimmer than he did.

“Calm down,” Yu Haiqing said, as much to Gou Yuan as to himself, “Be quiet. There’s still a way.”

With Yu Haiqing’s clearance, the system alert soon stopped, and Lin Tong, also steady, stepped up to explain the situation. “The plot’s gone awry; Ling Luo’s Demon King storyline has deviated, so we’re…”

Before she could finish, Yu Haiqing interrupted.

“So, you’re saying the plot deviated because Ling Luo strayed?”

Lin Tong hesitated but quickly replied, “Y-yes.”

“Not because Xie Shuangxue’s life was in danger?”

He had been the first to rush in and pull Xie Shuangxue out. Blood covered Yun Qiang’s blade, and Xie Shuangxue’s clothes were soaked. A distinct wound marked his chest, a sight Yu Haiqing couldn’t bear to see again.

Logically, he knew that within the Shenmo world’s fantastical setting, characters were rarely at risk of death.

“No, I’m sure it wasn’t that,” Lin Tong confirmed. “Xie Shuangxue is on the verge of falling into demonic influence, but he isn’t in any danger.”

When she finished, Yu Haiqing visibly relaxed, and after some time, as the system stabilized, they could sit down and discuss the next steps.

As they sat in the meeting room, they were unaware that Xie Shuangxue was watching them intently.

This time, the system alert had been somewhat contained. With Xie Shuangxue on the edge of demonic influence, Endless Sea had a chance to steer the plot back. Sooner or later, Xie Shuangxue would fall into darkness; a trace of residual demonic energy wasn’t a problem. For now, the focus was on Ling Luo.

“…Coming up, there will be a major plot point where Yun Qiang seizes control of the City Lord’s Mansion,” Lin Tong explained. “With the Feather Clan stationed nearby, they’re bound to be impacted, which would create a confrontation between Yun Qiang and Ling Luo. Yun Qiang, in her current mindset, doesn’t want to harm Xie Shuangxue. If she successfully pushes Ling Luo into darkness, Yun Ruowei won’t target Xie Shuangxue again.”

Yu Haiqing cared little for Ling Luo; his attention was solely on one person, and after listening, he asked only one question, “And what about Xie Shuangxue?”

“He? He’ll be fine,” Lin Tong assured. “He just needs to rest and recover.”

Having heard all this, Xie Shuangxue made up his mind.

Rest? Absolutely not.

I’m not ill; I’m perfectly fine.

He took a longer look at Yu Haiqing. The man seemed genuinely concerned for him. The urgent meeting at Endless Sea didn’t last much longer, and Xie Shuangxue returned to his body just in time to hear someone climbing in through his window.

From the sound of the footsteps, he knew exactly who it was.

Chen Xin and Ling Luo hadn’t wanted others to know about the demonic energy in his body, so they only had guards stationed outside the door, with no one by his bed. Plus, with Xie Shuangxue’s body weak and a protective barrier set up outside his room, he couldn’t roam around freely.

But none of these barriers were effective against Yu Haiqing in his GM role.

He seemed genuinely attentive, visiting him so frequently, yet completely unsure of what he truly wanted. He had just been thinking about how to get Senior Brother Ling Luo out.

As Xie Shuangxue opened the bed curtain, he hadn’t even managed to speak before Yu Haiqing reached out, hesitantly, as though afraid of hurting him, and softly asked, “Does it hurt?”

Then, sighing, he answered his own question, “Of course, it hurts.”

There was an unmistakable relief in his tone, as though he had regained something precious, holding onto Xie Shuangxue without letting go.

Xie Shuangxue remained in his arms quietly, allowing the embrace for a while before gently pulling back and speaking in a soft voice.

“I saw you come to save me. I knew you would,” he said. “But what’s really happening to me? My senior brothers won’t tell me.”

Feigning innocence, he was fishing for answers.

Yu Haiqing, seeing the paleness of his face and lips, seemed convinced Xie Shuangxue was completely unaware. Feeling only pity, he said, “It’s nothing. It was just an accident. It’s over now; don’t be afraid.”

Xie Shuangxue blinked, then whispered, “I think I guessed a bit. Last time, Senior Brother Chen Xin removed the demonic energy from me, but it doesn’t seem to be working this time.”

“Will I change? Will I turn into something like the Skeleton Ghost from Penglai City?” he asked. “If I do, will they all hate me?”

Yu Haiqing couldn’t bear it. “No, they won’t.”

“Even if I become truly evil?”

His question pained Yu Haiqing even more, reminding him of that lively chat group. Reaching out, he brushed a stray lock of hair from Xie Shuangxue’s cheek, saying, “They won’t. No one will.”

Finally, Xie Shuangxue smiled a little. “That’s good.”

Just then, a loud “Ow!” came from the window, like someone’s foot had been stepped on.

“Let go of Shuangxue!” Bai Qiuyan leapt in through the window, glaring at Yu Haiqing. “Scumbag! Caught you red-handed, using your power for personal gain. You’re not allowed to touch him!”