Everyone seemed to lose their voice for a moment, only regaining some semblance of sanity after a series of shocked “Aaahs”. The comments that followed still seemed a bit unhinged.

“Only his grown-up self could surpass Xie Shuangxue in beauty.”

“Woohoo, what did I do to deserve such a gorgeous kid? Come give mommy a hug.”

“Honey, honey, I can finally call you my wife with pride. Let’s do something that only adults can do, baby. My pants are coming right off.”

…It seemed that they weren’t quite back to normal.

Qiao Zhihui looked at his screen, where terms like “kid” and “wife” and a jumble of other nicknames mixed together, hardly seeming to describe the same person. As expected, whenever Xie Shuangxue was involved, everyone seemed to get a little carried away.

Some comments were even flagged and banned by the Ling Jiao Live moderators for inappropriate content; the site had been strict recently with game-related risqué comments. Yet, being there in person, Qiao Zhihui couldn’t help but have his heart race.

This is my kid, why am I blushing?! I can’t lose my composure like them.

He tried to hypnotize himself.

But looking up at Xie Shuangxue, it seemed to give him heartburn.

He really did turn into someone more impressive and dazzling, just as he had promised when they parted ways.

But the players didn’t have much chance to talk to him; the reunion was chaotic. The nearby monsters weren’t even fully cleared yet, and Xie Shuangxue was still protecting the child. With a raise of his hand, he knocked down a flock of carrion crows diving from the shadows.

“Everyone, be careful,” he said. “This place is dangerous.”

Though it wasn’t the first time they were protected by Xie Shuangxue, it felt different now. The players’ eyes were glued to him, almost twisting their necks into knots from staring, barely focusing on the monsters.

Luckily, the instigator behind all this chaos had been caught.

The players were on a timed quest, and the monsters wouldn’t spawn indefinitely. Once the area was nearly cleared and the quest time ended, Xie Shuangxue’s expression remained grave.

He spoke a few words to the Feather Clan members beside him, confirming something, then the group started moving in another direction. The monsters were cleared, but the city’s chaos hadn’t ceased.

There was still a storyline unfolding.

The players had seen a cutscene upon entering, roughly understanding the background of the events. The incident at Lu Yun Platform years ago had left the continent on edge, and the Feather Clan’s recent isolation had not stopped rampant rumors.

Many were saying that the fall of Lu Yun Platform was orchestrated by the Feather Clan. The investigation into demonic qi in the Seven Major Cities had only brought disaster to others, fueling suspicions that the Feather Clan itself was troubled.

If the recent shock from the Book of Floating Dream confirmed this suspicion, today’s events were the nail in the coffin.

No matter how the Feather Clan explained, they were wronged, finding themselves suddenly the target of public ire. Once revered as divinities, their protective umbrella was now full of holes, giving their enemies ample opportunities.

Monsters can be killed, but the suspicions and doubts of the people are endless. This was the beginning of the Feather Clan’s disaster.

The players realized this, naturally following Xie Shuangxue. Soon, they saw the gravity of the situation facing the Feather Clan.

Chun Yao and Ling Luo had already subdued and bound another Feather Clan member turned traitor, but they couldn’t leave yet.

The city’s residents surrounded them, not intending to let them go. Although the City Lord had died, there were still people in charge. The timely arrival of the Feather Clan had managed the immediate crisis, but they now faced a different challenge—not monsters, but accusations against the Feather Clan.

“You don’t think you can just leave like this, do you?” The leader of the crowd had a menacing look. “Leave the culprits behind. Even the Feather Clan must not shield the guilty!”

Chun Yao found himself in a tough spot. He had explained many times, but to no avail.

He could forcibly leave if he chose, but striking at ordinary people seemed wrong.

As for the two Feather Clan members stained with demonic qi, he had no intention of shielding them. Sooner or later, they were to be executed, but the Feather Clan had its own concerns and rules.

Just days ago, the Book of Floating Dream had caused a major stir, drawing too much suspicion. Not all powers in the great world were friendly with the Feather Clan, and this city was among those with strained relations.

In fact, these two Feather Clan members had already been acting suspiciously in the Floating Dreams Cloud Realm, and there had been plans to detain and investigate them, but they had fled mid-investigation.

Now, no one knew why they had turned to demons, so Chun Yao and Ling Luo had been hesitant to act, hoping to knock them out and continue the investigation rather than execute them on the spot. Now that they were bound, the situation was far from simple.

If these two Feather Clan members were handed over to the city’s residents, it would only complicate matters further. The relationship was already strained, and leaving directly would appear cowardly and likely worsen public perception.

“Not allowed to leave!”

“Leave the people behind! The City Lord’s family died by their hands. An eye for an eye, a life for a life!”

Hesitating under these circumstances, more and more people surrounded the Feather Clan, making the situation increasingly uncontrollable, even more chaotic than when the city was full of monsters.

That’s when Xie Shuangxue arrived with his group. He was still holding the chain that bound the people, and he threw the dark-winged Feather Clan member into the center of the crowd.

Unlike the Feather Clan member on Chun Yao’s side, who was beaten to a bloody pulp barely clinging to life, this one seemed unscathed and was awake, struggling to escape despite being bound.

But having seen his prowess in slaughter, the noisy crowd quickly retreated, leaving a clear space around the Feather Clan member, and the scene quieted down.

Ling Luo’s regard for Xie Shuangxue was as intense as ever, watching him as closely as his own pupils. He had been tense not because of the situation at hand, but out of concern for the departing Xie Shuangxue, only relaxing upon seeing him unharmed.

“I turned away for a moment and you disappeared. Are you hurt?” he hurriedly pulled him close, instructing, “Ah Xue, this place is too dangerous, you’re not allowed to do this again.”

But Xie Shuangxue just smiled, his demeanor effortless, reassuring him, “Brother, don’t panic, see? I’m fine. I figured it’s better to resolve this sooner rather than later. Any further delay and the Feather Clan’s situation here would only worsen.”

He indeed arrived just in time.

Thanks to his actions, the situation at least gained some semblance of control.

Many in the crowd recognized Xie Shuangxue, and the leading man calmed slightly, then shouted again, “You don’t need to scare us! You may be willing to see your home destroyed and still play the Feather Clan’s lapdog, but we aren’t. The City Lord’s family died at your Feather Clan’s hands, and we need an explanation!”

The directionality of those wings was too obvious; even stained black, one glance was enough to identify these two as members of the Feather Clan, and even the child in Xie Shuangxue’s arms was recognizable. It was no wonder they blamed the Feather Clan.

No matter how others cursed, Ling Luo took it all in. He knew the Feather Clan was at fault here.

But hearing them slander Xie Shuangxue, he couldn’t accept it, his face darkening, ready to step forward and drag the culprits out. But Xie Shuangxue stopped him.

His expression unchanged, but as the man finished speaking, a child timidly emerged from behind Xie Shuangxue, clutching at his clothes and staying close.

“He saved me,” the child said, “Uncle Qin, don’t speak ill of him.”

The child’s injuries had been hastily treated, and the dirt on his face cleaned off. After escaping danger, he appeared much calmer, not like an ordinary child.

But anyone who had not panicked and had even tried to bite at that time was certainly unusual.

Xie Shuangxue knew who he had saved—today’s incident coincidentally involved the City Lord’s son, which might just turn the situation around.

In the original plot, there was no such turnaround.

The Feather Clan couldn’t act violently, and despite Chun Yao’s pleas, the other side wouldn’t listen, leading to another conflict and mutual losses.

The conclusion of the incident was Chun Yao voluntarily accepting punishment. He had not managed the situation well, tarnishing the Feather Clan’s reputation even further abroad. Ling Luo, as the original guardian of the two, also received punishment, being whipped, which eventually revealed the demonic qi in his roots, gradually discovered by others.

Now, there was no demonic qi in Ling Luo’s body, but there was in Xie Shuangxue.

Besides, he didn’t want to endure the Feather Clan’s whip.

The Feather Clan had many rules, and he was the Golden Feather Envoy. One of the demon-infected Feather Clan members was younger, making Xie Shuangxue responsible according to the rules. So now, he had also come down. If the current situation wasn’t handled well, he wouldn’t be able to avoid punishment.

But if it had been handled well from the start, wouldn’t all this have been avoided?

He wasn’t new to changing the plot.

The man previously referred to as “Uncle Qin” saw the child, his expression changing to genuine concern, quickly stepping forward to ask, “Xiao Shu, how are you? Come here!”

But the child hesitated, having been abandoned by his caretakers halfway through, now unwilling to trust anyone except Xie Shuangxue.

“No,” he said, “I want to stay with Brother.”

Xie Shuangxue again scooped him up, then raised his voice, timely speaking, “I see everyone is quite agitated, let me say a word. The Feather Clan isn’t running away, but things are chaotic enough today. The culprits have been caught, and their trial is inevitable, no need to rush.”

As he spoke, the dark-winged Feather Clan member on the ground moved, making a strange “heh heh” sound, but quieted down after Xie Shuangxue delivered another blow with his sword. Seeing this, the crowded onlookers stepped back again, no one daring to speak.

This was why Xie Shuangxue had decided to act independently from the main group; he hadn’t beaten them too harshly, still retaining some control.

“I’m leaving these two with you. Can anyone here handle them? Who will be responsible if something happens?” Xie Shuangxue said. “Don’t worry, since this has happened, the Feather Clan will take full responsibility.”

He continued speaking, skillfully shifting the conflict: “If there’s still someone in the City Lord’s Mansion, they should immediately send someone to maintain order within the city.”

“The monsters are dead, but on my way here, I saw many people looting and pillaging. If this continues, the number of dead might exceed those from before. Are you truly considering the city’s welfare, or just venting your anger? To be honest, if you delay any longer, who ends up ruling the City Lord’s Mansion might still be up for debate.”

After the scene calmed down, the continuous explosions and cries from within the city could be heard, reminding everyone that not all people help each other in times of disaster.

In the original plot, this mess was also blamed on the Feather Clan.

But now, with his intervention, Chun Yao reacted swiftly, immediately stepping forward: “I am the heir of the Feather Clan, and my word is my bond. I will stay here with others to maintain order. These two demon-infected Feather Clan members will be kept here under pressure, and the Feather Clan will do its utmost to atone for these two traitors’ crimes.”

Chun Yao emphasized the word “traitors.”

The Feather Clan was indeed at fault for not supervising them closely, but that didn’t mean others could exploit the situation to their advantage, putting them even more on the defensive.

After several negotiations, the hostility of the crowd hadn’t disappeared, but the situation had significantly eased. Some people had left, responding to the loud noises at the City Lord’s Mansion.

Some stayed to watch over them, but they had given the Feather Clan some room to move, no longer as tense as before.

Chun Yao breathed a sigh of relief, giving Xie Shuangxue a few more glances.

Some had been unsatisfied when he was appointed Golden Feather Envoy, and she had been worried too, but now it seemed she had underestimated him.

“Ah Xue, thank you,” Chun Yao said. “If it weren’t for your timely arrival, this place would have been a mess.”

“You needn’t thank me, Your Highness. This is what I should do,” Xie Shuangxue replied with a smile, then reached out to point at his cheek. “Your Highness, you have an injury on your face, let me treat it.”

“It’s okay,” Chun Yao waved his hand. “I’ll wait for them to come and handle it.”

The Feather Clan wasn’t just waiting around. As soon as Chun Yao arrived and saw the scene, he immediately sent people back to call for more support. Not just people, but also supplies, which might soothe some of the city’s residents.

But sadly, in the original plot, this back-and-forth had already been too late.

However, the main character’s emotions had changed somewhat here.

Luo Yin’s feelings for Chun Yao had already shifted at this point in time, not entirely transparent, somewhat hazy and mutually unrequited. He had hurried along with the other Feather Clan members, only managing to whisk Chun Yao away amid the chaos, his heart aching.

Now, seeing Chun Yao injured, he still felt pained, but there was also a hint of another emotion, because when Luo Yin arrived with his group, what he saw was Xie Shuangxue and Chun Yao standing close together, Chun Yao’s gaze towards him seemingly different from how he looked at other Feather Clan members.

Luo Yin: …

This was not a good time to feel jealous, but he immediately went to check on Chun Yao’s condition, deftly separating the two.

But Xie Shuangxue didn’t say anything, just watched them with a smile, then quietly walked away.

The main character’s CP (character pairing) fans were always numerous, and they were just reveling at this time, having not seen each other for three days.

But Qiao Zhihui, who had been watching intently, sensed something was off.

My kid couldn’t possibly still like Chun Yao, could he?

But looking at Xie Shuangxue’s expression, everything seemed normal, showing no sign of emotional turmoil, yet that grown-up face couldn’t help but remind people of Xie Shuangxue’s first confession trailer.

My kid’s grown up, he can date now.

Could it be that my kid is still harboring a secret crush?

No way, a great beauty can’t have an unrequited love! I won’t accept it!

Actually, Xie Shuangxue hadn’t done anything, but Qiao Zhihui’s mind raced with many possibilities.

Yet at this moment, he wasn’t the only one feeling unsatisfied and a bit jealous.

Yu Haiqing was also feeling this way.

He had still been at the summit these past two days, an unavoidable part of his job, unable to log into the game immediately, but he could sneak peeks at updates, and seeing this scene, something scratched at his heart.

It was just uncomfortable.

In the original plot, Xie Shuangxue was crazy about Chun Yao, and Yu Haiqing still remembered their first formal meeting backstage, where it seemed like he was confessing to him, but those words were all meant for Chun Yao.

Of course, the current Xie Shuangxue was different.

But what if he was influenced by the original plot?

He clearly had feelings for other NPCs, couldn’t let go of Ling Luo, constantly calling him “brother” and being very good at acting spoiled. What if?

Yu Haiqing thought very seriously.

He felt this couldn’t go on.