Of course, Ye Luo’s message sent a wave of urgency through Yun Liancheng and the Feathered Forest Guards he commanded!

The Demon Clan’s replacement plan is far too peculiar, so much so that Ye Luo couldn’t afford to trust anyone!

Li Long had once said that the Demon Clan of the Da Yue Empire had been implementing their replacement plan in the Great Tang Empire not just for a day or two, but for decades. Decades of time were enough to allow those Demon Clan replacements to climb to positions of significant power.

It could be said that Ye Luo’s discovery of the Demon Clan’s replacements this time was a precarious matter. A single misstep could cost him his life, and he might not even find out who was targeting him. Thus, Ye Luo had to tread carefully!

As Ye Luo sent out his signal, Yun Liancheng quickly led his men over. Simultaneously, other Feathered Forest Guards also arrived. Ye Luo immediately ordered the ballroom to be entirely sealed off and instructed Yun Liancheng to escort the Young Master of the Pearfall Palace to the Imperial Palace!

As for Ye Luo himself, he did not go along. Instead, he carried Princess Ling Xue and quickly headed toward the academy’s inner courtyard. Ye Luo could tell Ling Xue was poisoned, but he was utterly unable to determine the nature of the poison. Therefore, perhaps seeking out You Ji was the best option.

Heading to the inner courtyard, there was naturally no one to obstruct Ye Luo, so it wasn’t long before he reached You Ji.

"Mentor, Ling Xue has been poisoned by the Demon Clan’s replacement. I can’t figure out what kind of toxin it is, so I have no choice but to bring her to you first!"

Ye Luo said urgently to You Ji. After all, Ling Xue was someone he knew, and given that Ye Luo didn’t know many people to begin with, there was no way he would stand by idly.

In a blur of movement, You Ji appeared beside Ling Xue, but after inspecting her for a moment, her expression grew peculiar.

"She’s fine, there’s no major issue. Just take care of her; she’ll probably wake up soon. Stay here and keep her company for now."

Having said that, You Ji promptly left.

She had already figured out the nature of Ling Xue’s poison.

Logically, since You Ji knew what poison had afflicted Ling Xue, she should’ve been more reluctant to leave her in Ye Luo’s care.

However, Ling Xue had previously mentioned her relationship with Ye Luo to You Ji, which made You Ji believe that having Ye Luo look after Ling Xue was perfectly appropriate.

After all, whatever happened between them would ultimately be inconsequential—they were bound to get married anyway!

Of course, this misunderstanding was largely due to Ling Xue failing to explain things clearly.

The Border Guard had merely raised the possibility of a marriage alliance between Ling Xue’s father, the Xiaoyao King, and Ye Luo, but nothing had been set in stone.

Yet, in her anger during a previous encounter, Ling Xue had impulsively claimed that the two of them were bound by a marriage agreement.

And now, You Ji simply assumed her words were true.

Ye Luo abided by You Ji’s arrangement, quietly staying by Ling Xue’s side. After all, he had been planning to ask Ling Xue for some points anyway.

As he contemplated ways to enhance the Gui Men Thirteen Needles, he patiently waited for Ling Xue to wake up.

Suddenly, Ye Luo sensed some movement as Ling Xue regained consciousness. He was just about to speak when Ling Xue abruptly threw herself into his arms.

Ye Luo was slightly taken aback. What was this? Even if Ling Xue wanted to be bold, this seemed a bit extreme!

Besides, Ling Xue didn’t strike him as the type to be so liberated.

"Um, Ling Xue, let go!"

Ye Luo said hesitantly, attempting to pry Ling Xue’s hands away. But in her current state, Ling Xue had no control over her actions. The toxin in her system hadn’t cleared, leaving her mind largely unconscious, driven only by instinct to cling to Ye Luo.

The clinging itself was bearable for Ye Luo, but Ling Xue was far from idle in her embrace. Her hands constantly roamed across Ye Luo’s body, and she had entirely pressed herself against him. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Feeling the searing heat radiating from Ling Xue, Ye Luo genuinely thought he was reaching his limit!

To the point where certain parts of his body were already showing signs of strain.

Still, Ye Luo’s rationality reminded him that Ling Xue was poisoned. He couldn’t take advantage of her vulnerability, so he could only endure it through sheer willpower.

Honestly, it felt like torture.

The unconscious Ling Xue paid no mind to Ye Luo’s moral struggles; she continued her relentless exploration, even attempting multiple times to disrobe herself and Ye Luo. Had it not been for Ye Luo’s strong self-control, things could have escalated disastrously!

It wasn’t until Ling Xue fully regained her senses that Ye Luo came to understand the Demon Clan replacements’ intentions.

With Ling Xue’s current condition, she was practically defenseless, completely at the mercy of whoever sought to exploit her. If someone took advantage of this opportunity and manipulated the situation, the Demon Clan replacement could potentially subdue Ling Xue.

If Ling Xue were lost, her deeply doting father, the Xiaoyao King, might inadvertently take actions harmful to the Great Tang Empire—or even be replaced by the Demon Clan himself. The consequences would be unimaginable!

Ye Luo inwardly felt a surge of relief, understanding the gravity of the situation. Only now did he realize just how fortunate he had been.

If he hadn’t coincidentally been short on points and sought out Ling Xue for help, he would never have stumbled upon this matter. The subsequent fallout could have been catastrophic.

A gentleman must know what is right and what is wrong. Even if Ye Luo were to accept Ling Xue, it would need to be under her willing consent, not by seizing the moment in her poisoned state.

Thus, Ye Luo simply cared for Ling Xue, remaining resolute despite her every attempt at seduction.

Hours passed—whether through sheer exhaustion on Ling Xue’s part or as the toxin wore off—Ling Xue finally awakened.

At this moment, Ling Xue’s face was flushed deep red; she was acutely aware that she had been clinging to Ye Luo for hours. Meanwhile, Ye Luo had sat there unmoving the entire time.

Ling Xue wanted to let go, but she didn’t know how. More accurately, she didn’t know how to face Ye Luo after letting go. Out of sheer embarrassment, she continued to cling to him, her heart racing in panic.

Ye Luo, of course, sensed Ling Xue’s shifting heartbeat, realizing that she had regained her senses.

This sort of situation was naturally quite difficult for a girl to deal with.

So, Ye Luo took the initiative to gently push Ling Xue aside, pretending not to notice she had woken up. Casually, he moved her off and said, "The Demon Clan’s poison is really potent; it’s taken this girl a long time to recover. I better go and check if the Young Master has been safely escorted to the Imperial Palace—I’ll leave her in the room to rest for now."

Ye Luo’s words were clearly meant for Ling Xue to hear, giving her the opportunity to compose herself and fix her disheveled appearance before the conversation continued.

The constant struggle earlier had left Ling Xue’s clothing in disarray, with far too much of her skin exposed. While Ye Luo had gotten quite the eyeful, he wasn’t particularly pleased. It was torturous to see but not take. That kind of torment was the cruelest of all.