Many players here are habitually keeping their cameras on, especially whenever Xie Shuangxue is involved, as if it’s an unspoken rule in Gods and Demons to go live as long as he’s around. After all, as long as he’s present, even if he’s just sitting there, asleep, motionless, people would still flock to watch. It’s no joke to say that he alone practically supports half the streamers on Ling Jiao Live.

Naturally, the scene just now was faithfully captured by the system’s camera.

When he blinked innocently and said that line, the shock that Shi Jiu Jianghu felt could hardly be matched by any of the viewers. Just as he stood there dazed, Xie Shuangxue casually took down another Skeleton Ghost.

Even as he spoke, his actions never stopped. At some point, he’d slipped a dagger out from his clothing, swiftly turned, and plunged it into the Skeleton Ghost’s weak spot.

In the players’ view, the Skeleton Ghost’s health bar instantly dropped to zero, its body stiffening for a moment before crumbling into a pile of bones on the ground.

“Oh,” Xie Shuangxue tilted his head, still looking as innocent as ever. He glanced at the bones by his feet, stepped on them to crush them, then, with a hint of amusement in his tone, said, “It doesn’t seem all that hard to deal with after all.”

The bullet screens in the various livestream rooms froze for a moment.

The majority of players had never actually seen Xie Shuangxue in action. Their impression of him was that he was incredibly fast, with extended stealth duration, but when they finally witnessed their precious “Snow Bun” fighting in earnest, they were suddenly struck by how unexpectedly compelling he was.

When Xie Shuangxue had been rescued, he was dressed in white, which made him appear even more like a frail patient. The Skeleton Ghosts crawled up from the ground, covered in dust and grime. The white of his clothing dirtied with each move, and even his face caught a bit of smudge.

The dagger moved in his hand as though leaving an afterimage, occasionally thrown as a flying dart, striking with pinpoint accuracy before he recalled it with a fluid ease, dispatching several Skeleton Ghosts cleanly and efficiently.

Once the area around him was cleared, and no new Skeleton Ghosts appeared, Xie Shuangxue casually wiped the dirt from his face and approached the player with a touch of cautiousness, asking Shi Jiu Jianghu, “Are you okay? Everything alright?”

In stark contrast to his previous moves, Xie Shuangxue now looked like a little kitten with a bit of dust on it—utterly harmless, making people want to reach out and give him a gentle pat.

He smiled, “It seems like I can protect you all now.”

Shi Jiu Jianghu: ……

Heaven help him; he truly wasn’t a fan before, but with Xie Shuangxue approaching like this, he couldn’t help but feel his heart race.

Xie Shuangxue’s protecting me.

Is this what it’s like to receive special attention from an NPC? It’s so… addictive.

The bullet screen viewers seemed to be feeling the same way.

“Waaah, my Snow Bun is actually really strong.”

“He even thinks about protecting Mommy. Mommy is so proud.”

“He just fought to protect a player, right? I’m calling it now—this is a two-way rescue!”

But some viewers, staying alert, realized something was off.

“Wait a minute, guys, wake up! He’s not supposed to touch any more demonic energy right now!”

Just then, Shi Jiu Jianghu heard Bai Qiuyan yelling from behind him, “Shi Jiu! Are you serious right now? Letting an NPC save you?! If something happens to him, you’re done for!”

Bai Qiuyan didn’t even get the chance to stop them because Xie Shuangxue was too fast. When Shi Jiu Jianghu finally reacted, Xie Shuangxue quickly retreated, preventing any physical contact with the player.

Xie Shuangxue had indeed taken time to rest properly before, taking all the healing meds except those suppressing the demonic energy. Now, he was almost fully recovered.

With his skills leaning towards those of an assassin, his agility was exceptional. Who could possibly stop him?

“Shuangxue!” Bai Qiuyan ran forward anxiously, “Are you okay? Let’s go find Chen Xin right away…”

Regret seeped in. He should never have touched that protection array or taken Xie Shuangxue outside in the first place!

“I’m fine,” Xie Shuangxue replied, but as he spoke, he hid his dagger behind his back. It seemed he already sensed something and took a few steps back, ensuring no one got close.

The demonic energy, which had been temporarily suppressed within him, began to surge again, steadily growing, though it didn’t yet show on the surface.

Xie Shuangxue indeed wasn’t proficient at direct combat before, but he had experience with demonization. In cases like this, the fastest way to boost strength was to absorb other demonic energy.

The demonic energy in the Skeleton Ghosts was of the same source, so when he killed the first one, he felt it draw toward him, his strength subtly increasing with each kill.

That’s why he chose to come out tonight, stepping further down the path toward becoming the Demon King.

At this moment, Chen Xin, who had received the message, arrived. Sensing the protection array’s disruption, he had brought others over and encountered this scene.

Luckily, it was only a few Skeleton Ghosts, and there was no obvious demonic energy on Xie Shuangxue yet, so the other Feather Clan members accompanying Chen Xin didn’t notice anything unusual.

“Shuangxue,” Chen Xin steadied himself, “come back with me first. We can still sort this out.”

But Xie Shuangxue didn’t move. He glanced at the Feather Clan members and asked, “Where’s Senior Brother Ling Luo?”

Ling Luo was one of Yun Qiang’s main targets tonight, so naturally, he was nowhere to be seen now.

The Skeleton Ghosts had come so suddenly that by the time Chen Xin had gone back to look, Ling Luo had already vanished.

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring people to find Ling Luo,” Chen Xin said. “The Feather Clan reinforcements will arrive soon; you don’t need to worry about these things.”

He was growing anxious, then furiously shouted, “Who deactivated the protection array?!”

Bai Qiuyan was just about to confess when Xie Shuangxue cut in.

“It was me. I broke the protection array myself. Don’t blame them; the wanderers were merely being used by me.” Xie Shuangxue’s expression was calm as he raised his dagger in front of him, then stepped back again. “I heard noises and knew something was happening outside.”

Bai Qiuyan suddenly understood. No wonder that thing had shattered so quickly.

Xie Shuangxue had seen through everything from the start.

“Yun Qiang’s target wasn’t me—it was Senior Brother Ling Luo. I thought this would end with me taking that hit, but I was wrong.” Xie Shuangxue continued, “Don’t lie to me. Senior Brother Ling Luo has been taken, hasn’t he?”

Chen Xin was silent.

Xie Shuangxue’s demonic arts, and the fact that killing several Skeleton Ghosts would strengthen him, was something Chen Xin was all too aware of. Xie Shuangxue likely knew this too, making him hesitant to recklessly drag Xie Shuangxue back, for fear that the demonic energy in him would be discovered, complicating matters further.

“Ever since Penglai City, I decided no one else should get hurt because of this. Enough is enough. Even for Ling Xuan’s sake, I will bring Senior Brother back,” Xie Shuangxue said, his expression resolute. “Also, my father’s sword that His Highness entrusted to me is still there. I’ll retrieve it myself.”

After saying that, he turned and walked away.

Too fast for anyone to stop him.

The City Lord’s Mansion was crawling with Skeleton Ghosts. While the players and Chen Xin were held back by them, Xie Shuangxue weaved nimbly through the crowd, slipping past each one. Once he was out of sight, he began absorbing demonic energy from them.

The benefits of demonic arts were glaringly evident.

The closer he got, the more he saw the Yun household in chaos, catching Yun Pannan by complete surprise.

In this current storyline, the Feather Clan had already discovered Yun Qiang and Yun Panlong’s suspicious activities, but Yun Ruowei’s existence was only confirmed from the players’ perspective. The game NPCs were unaware, unable to hear forum conversations or access any evidence proving Yun Ruowei’s parasitic existence. Even Xie Shuangxue could only guess, based on City Lord Yun’s testimony, that Yun Ruowei was indeed dead.

Yun Panlong and Yun Qiang drew most of the attention, especially Yun Panlong, who was the apparent ringleader.

Since the Feather Clan entered the city, Yun Panlong hadn’t made a single proper appearance. When Yun Pannan went to search his quarters, both he and Yun Qiang had vanished.

Feather Clan reinforcements were imminent, and Yun Pannan was almost thrilled.

If things continued like this, he could soon assume the position of City Lord with no competition left.

However, his dream shattered when a Skeleton Ghost General dragged him out into the main hall and dumped him on the ground like garbage.

While the Skeleton Ghosts outside weren’t too formidable, the Skeleton Ghost Generals within the City Lord’s Mansion were the real bosses, reserved especially for the Yun family.

Just as Yun Pannan lay there bewildered, he saw Yun Panlong striding in with a massive blade in hand. Shrouded in black aura, his eyes glowed an eerie red, a clear sign of demonization.

“Brother!” Yun Pannan, hardly skilled in combat, trembled under the assault of the Skeleton Ghosts. “What’s happened to you? I’m your own brother!”

Yun Panlong twisted his neck at an inhuman angle, grinning stiffly at him. Seeing him like this, Yun Pannan nearly fainted in terror.

“Really?” Yun Panlong spoke eerily. “And yet, when someone saved your life and became your sister-in-law, didn’t you still try to betray him, attempting to push Yun Panshan aside to become City Lord?”

“Unlike you, Yun Panshan is ruthless enough to sacrifice even his wife and daughter. Do you think you could ever outdo him?”

“You…!”

Yun Pannan froze, his face draining of color. “You’re not my brother… you’re back!”

Meanwhile, the players hiding in the corner were also feeling the tension.

“Isn’t this about Yun Ruowei?”

“Let’s turn the camera on and record this to show the guild later. Might score some contribution points.”

The discussion over there had almost wrapped up, leaving the Yun family members looking grim, while Yun Panlong gave a menacing laugh. Following his command, the Skeleton Ghost General raised its hand to drag Yun Pannan forward.

Yet, Yun Pannan, selfish as he was, dodged to the side and shoved the terrified Yun Mu in front of him.

Yun Mu, unable to believe his own father would do such a thing, let out a scream as he nearly succumbed to the Skeleton Ghost’s grip. But the next second, a dagger struck the Skeleton Ghost’s outstretched hand, and Yun Mu suddenly felt someone pull him back. Dazed, he realized he had narrowly escaped death. When he turned, he saw a familiar face.

“Xie… Xie Shuangxue?”

The Yun family members were stunned, and even the players hiding nearby were taken aback.

“When did he get here?”

“What’s he doing here?”

These players weren’t fans and had never interacted with Xie Shuangxue. They weren’t assassins and had little interest in hidden storylines, so they had no reason to approach him. But as a famous NPC, they’d certainly heard of him.

“Why would he even bother saving Yun Mu?” one of the players muttered to the audience with a hint of sarcasm. “People said this NPC was all pure and innocent, but he’s more of a saint than I expected.”

After all, Yun Mu wasn’t exactly a good person. Players who had delved into the World Quest storyline could learn about many members of the Yun family’s dark histories. To put it bluntly, there wasn’t a single “good person” here. They had often treated innocent Demon Clan members as playthings before mercilessly killing them, and now they were merely facing retribution.

In the narrative, players tended to empathize more with Yun Qiang’s plight.

Yun Mu, overwhelmed, felt grateful. “Shuangxue, thank you for saving me. Was it because of last time…”

But he was cut off by the “Yun Panlong” over there.

“You actually came,” Yun Panlong halted his movements, twisting his neck to face Xie Shuangxue. “But it’s pointless, Xie Shuangxue. You saved him this time, but can you save him a second?”

Xie Shuangxue just smiled.

Calmly, he said, “No, I didn’t save him; I just needed a bargaining chip to threaten you.”

As he spoke, he didn’t shield Yun Mu protectively but instead swiftly bound him, sealing his mouth and grabbing his neck as if he were holding a helpless chick.

The player who had just mocked Xie Shuangxue: …Huh?

He couldn’t help but think Yun Mu looked even worse off than he had when faced with the Skeleton Ghost. Something wasn’t adding up here.

“Threaten me?”

Yun Panlong scoffed. “Your brain’s rusted, Xie Shuangxue. Yun Mu is nothing; his death would be a relief.”

“No,” Xie Shuangxue shook his head, “I don’t want him dead; I want him alive. The Xie family’s medical skills are excellent, and as long as he has one breath left, I can keep him alive.”

“If he’s the only one left in the Yun family, he’ll be the next City Lord of Lu Yun Tower. No one else will get the chance.”

Yun Ruowei, who had initially had no status, rose to the position of Lu Yun Tower’s City Lord only because every other Yun family member had been killed. Yun Qiang couldn’t assume the role due to the Feather Clan’s knowledge of his demonization. As a member of the Yun bloodline, Yun Ruowei became the sole candidate.

Without physical evidence of Yun Ruowei’s parasitic existence, Xie Shuangxue could only guess her survival. Even Yun Pannan thought that the Demon Sword had merely returned to avenge herself.

Without a body, Yun Ruowei likely used Yun Qiang’s form, altering it through dark arts.

The ultimate controller of Lu Yun Tower remained Yun Qiang.

Enraged, Yun Panlong growled, “You dare?”

“Oh, just watch me,” Xie Shuangxue replied, even tilting his head with a smile. “Or perhaps you’d like to guess if I can convince the Feather Clan.”

Yun Mu struggled, seemingly trying to say something, but Xie Shuangxue shot him an annoyed glance and promptly dislocated his jaw.

“Stay still,” he ordered. “If you disobey, I can always choose another. The Yun family has no shortage of descendants. Understood?”

“I know what you want to say. Don’t try to bring up the time I thanked you—I was lying. Just polite talk. Did you really believe it?”

“Move again, and I’ll twist your head off.”

Yun Mu immediately went silent.

Even the players crouching in the corner stayed quiet.

Completely controlling Yun Panlong’s body, Yun Ruowei surveyed the scene, hesitant to make any hasty moves. She knew that these Skeleton Ghost Generals were no threat to Xie Shuangxue now and that killing both him and Yun Mu at once was impossible.

Besides, she didn’t want Xie Shuangxue dead anymore.

“You came for Ling Luo, didn’t you?” Yun Panlong said. “I told Yun Qiang you’d be more suitable, but he didn’t believe me. He said you were pitiful and naive. Looks like I judged you better.”

Ling Luo, with his steadfast personality, would sooner kill himself than develop any sympathy or acceptance toward the Demon Clan, unlike Xie Shuangxue.

He was astute, clearer on the situation than any of the still-clueless Feather Clan members, and he had come willingly.

If Xie Shuangxue had genuinely wanted to avoid demonization, he could’ve blown everything wide open with Chen Xin. But he hadn’t, raising some suspicions.

“So, before anyone else arrives, why don’t you hand over my senior brother?” Xie Shuangxue said, “I’ll keep you company.”

A faint smile played on his lips, while the demonic energy around him seemed to grow stronger.

The player livestreaming quietly in the corner: …

Wasn’t Xie Shuangxue supposed to be the delicate flower type? Where did things go wrong?

The bullet screen, initially invested in watching this feud unfold, now had its attention entirely on Xie Shuangxue’s unexpected arrival.

“My friend is a Mom Fan of his… she’s probably shocked, thinking, ‘Do you even know what kind of person your kid actually is?’”