Lin Hongyu said solemnly with a serious expression, "Anyway, please be careful, my lord."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ning Shi and the others suddenly sensed an unfamiliar aura.
They moved in a flash, firmly blocking Nan Xunran's path.
Upon recognizing the person, Pei Zimo tilted his head slightly and muttered in a low voice, "I knew she was coming."
Lin Hongyu frowned and said, "Why does our lord attract madmen so easily?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Zimo said irritably, "The Lord is indiscriminately attracted, it's just that Nalan Fu's personality makes it especially obvious."
Lin Hongyu nodded thoughtfully and said, "That's true."
Nalan Fu's gaze followed Nan Xunran intently as she exclaimed, "Divine Son Xunran!"
Nan Xunran nodded slightly.
Behind Nalan Fu, Long's gaze was obscure, his eyes fixed on Nan Xunran as his mind raced, searching for a foolproof way to save his own life.
Nan Xunran noticed his gaze, then looked at him with a hint of inquiry in her eyes.
Nalan Fu quickly noticed this scene and turned around to look at it closely.
Two pairs of eyes focused on him simultaneously. He jolted awake, bowed deeply, and said clearly, "Divine Son Xunran."
Nan Xunran replied, "Mm."
When Nalan Fu saw Nan Xunran's gaze linger on Long, a hint of coldness quietly surfaced in her eyes, and she glared at Long with her beautiful eyes.
She said in a sweet voice, "Divine Son Xunran, do you want to keep him?"
Pei Zimo said slowly, "Isn't this your man? Why are you asking about the master?"
Nalan Fu's gaze swept lightly over Long, and she said coldly, "He's nothing but a substitute."
Pei Zimo's gaze fell on the person with their head down. He clicked his tongue, a hint of pity on his face. "How pitiful."
However, he simply stood there, showing no intention of offering any help.
Lin Hongyu said expressionlessly, "The lord does not keep useless people."
Upon hearing the sound, Long trembled and involuntarily raised his head.
The moment his eyes met Lin Hongyu's, a flash of understanding appeared in his eyes, and he instantly grasped the other's deeper meaning.
His mind raced, racking his brains to figure out how he could demonstrate his value to the Divine Son Xunran.
A moment later, he suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with unwavering determination, and stared directly at Nan Xunran, proclaiming loudly, "Divine Son Xunran."
Nan Xunran her head slightly, "What is it?"
He took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination. "Could we speak alone?"
Nan Xunran waved her hand gently.
Pei Zimo and the others immediately understood and turned to leave.
But Nalan Fu remained motionless, as if rooted to the spot.
Seeing this, Pei Zimo frowned and urged, "If you don't want to annoy the master, you should leave immediately."
Nalan Fu bit her lip lightly, and despite her reluctance, she finally took a step and turned to leave.
In the blink of an eye, only Nan Xunran and He Long remained.
He stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said earnestly, "Divine Son Xunran, I am willing to serve as your substitute."
Upon Nan Xunran raised her eyebrows slightly.
With a resolute expression, he looked directly at Nan Xunran and solemnly said, "The assassination attempt against you is aimed at me. I am willing to die in your place."
Having said that, he took another step forward, his eyes full of eagerness. "I can use your identity to mislead the enemy and make them misjudge your whereabouts."
He paused briefly, his expression slightly uneasy, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists, before continuing, "I know you might not believe me now, after all, I only bear a slight resemblance to you."
As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand and brushed it across his face. In an instant, a ball of light enveloped his entire body.
In the light, his features gradually became blurred and indistinct, his bones made a slight cracking sound, and his outline began to distort and change.
As the light faded, he had transformed into Nan Xunran's appearance, and even his figure was constantly approaching Nan Xunran's appearance, like a perfect replica.
Long lowered her head slightly and said softly, "Because I bear some resemblance to you, the transformation will make us look even more alike."
Then, his voice lowered again, tinged with helplessness. "But my build can only be roughly similar to yours, and I am not yet able to change my aura."
Nan Xunran remained calm, gently raised his hand, and snapped his fingers crisply.
Instantly, a strange power flowed out, swirling around Long's body like wisps of smoke.
The aura emanating from him changed accordingly, becoming exactly the same as Nan Xunran's.
Long's face showed surprise, his eyes filled with admiration, and he blurted out, "Amazing!"
Then, his expression became cautious, and he asked, "So, are you going to let me stay?"
Nan Xunran nodded slightly and said, "Okay."
The moment he received the reply, Long quickly reverted to his original appearance.
He immediately knelt on one knee, exposing his vulnerable neck to Nan Xunran without any concealment, and said respectfully, "My lord."
Nan Xunran simply gave a faint "hmm".
Long lowered his head further, exposing his neck even more completely, his voice becoming even more humble. "My lord, please leave a mark on my neck."
Seeing Nan Xunran silent, he felt uneasy and couldn't help but raise his head again, saying, "It's good that I can represent you."
Nan Xunran nodded slightly, then lowered her head again, appearing obedient and waiting.
Nan Xunran leaned forward slightly, her hair falling gently and swaying slightly.
A moment later, Long stood up again, her loose hair covering the newly added mark.
Then, Nan Xunran raised her hand and gently placed it on his forehead. A faint light flashed, and the Slave Mark immediately merged into his Sea of Consciousness.
After completing all this, Long seemed to breathe a long sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
In the distance, Nalan Fu, already impatient, quietly moved forward a little.
Pei Zimo and the others, fearing she would cause trouble, followed closely behind her.
The group of people saw this scene from afar, and their expressions varied.
Pei Zimo was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Wow!"
Ning Shi touched his neck, thinking to himself: Why didn't I think of this? I should have asked my lord to get one for me too.
The instant Nan Xunran stopped, Nalan Fu rushed out.
Pei Zimo was caught off guard and exclaimed, "Eh?!"
Immediately afterwards, the group quickly followed.
Nalan Fu rushed forward and asked, "Divine Son Xunran, have you accepted him?"
Nan Xunran nodded slightly.
Long stood silently behind Nan Xunran, her lips tightly pressed together, the newly pierced spot on her neck throbbing faintly.
Nalan Fu nodded slightly, her lips parted gently, and said, "Okay."
She paused, then looked up and asked, "What kind of person do you admire?"