After reaching their destination, Huo Yu'er quickly sought out the local city lord and used his connections to bring in a healing soul master. The soul master applied healing techniques to Ye Wen and Xiao Wu.
Though both were severely injured, under the high-level healing techniques of the soul master, their wounds seemed to heal rapidly as if time itself had reversed.
Such was the unreasonable power of soul skills.
However, the healer in this remote area was at most a Soul Ancestor-level practitioner, so while Ye Wen and Xiao Wu appeared healed on the surface, their internal injuries were not fully resolved. They still needed a significant amount of time to recover properly.
During this period, Huo Yu'er asked Ye Wen for the bodies of the three traffickers.
It wasn't that Huo Yu'er wanted to mutilate them—she didn't have such a twisted hobby.
Rather, she felt that encountering such an incident near her family's territory demanded retribution. How could she call herself human if she didn't retaliate?
Thus, a large-scale operation to eradicate human traffickers centered around Tianxin City began with great fervor.
Most nobles weren't exactly clean, owning slaves or servants here and there. But under the overwhelming pressure of Huo Rui, who possessed the cultivation of a Soul Douluo, they had no choice but to join forces in rooting out the dark forces of human trafficking.
As the operation progressed, the nobles grew increasingly ruthless. Some discovered that even their obscure illegitimate children had been abducted by these traffickers!
Though these illegitimate offspring were often neglected, they were still part of their bloodline. These traffickers were slapping them in the face, and any noble with a shred of pride couldn't tolerate it!
But all of this had nothing to do with Ye Wen, who was still recovering in a remote small town.
There was no helping it—he had fought against opponents at least 20 levels above him and had been directly hit by a hundred-year soul skill. Even though Ye Wen had layered multiple defenses on himself and hadn't neglected physical training, he still sustained serious internal injuries.
Fortunately, he had the means to hire a skilled healing soul master. Otherwise, Ye Wen feared he might suffer lifelong regret from lingering side effects.
Once Ye Wen was able to get out of bed freely, he noticed Xiao Wu sitting dejectedly in the courtyard. Her usually meticulously styled scorpion braid was nowhere to be seen, and her thick chestnut hair was left loose, cascading down her back.
Being a boy, Ye Wen was naturally oblivious. For a moment, he didn't notice that Xiao Wu's long hair was significantly shorter and assumed she had simply been too lazy to style it that day.
After all, in his past life, girls with long hair often found it difficult to maintain, sometimes going two or three days without washing it.
But as Ye Wen passed by Xiao Wu, he suddenly noticed her holding a severed braid in her hand and realized something was amiss!
Men were often captivated by Xiao Wu's long legs, while women marveled at her stunning scorpion braid, which nearly reached her ankles.
Now, however, Xiao Wu's once ankle-length hair had been cut short, stopping just above her hips. Though it was still impressively long and lush, it was undeniably different.
Ye Wen quickly deduced that Xiao Wu's hair must have been severed during her battle with the leader of the traffickers.
He knew how much Xiao Wu treasured her hair, so he hesitated to go out for food. Scratching his head awkwardly, he softly asked:
"Xiao Wu, are you alright?"
Lost in thought over her shortened hair, Xiao Wu only noticed Ye Wen's presence now. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes as she hurriedly hid the severed braid behind her back and replied:
"Y-yeah, I'm fine."
Her stuttering response revealed her unease. Unsure of what to say, Xiao Wu hastily changed the subject:
"You're finally up and about. You must be hungry, right? Let's go eat."
Without waiting for a reply, Xiao Wu grabbed Ye Wen's hand and tried to pull him toward the door.
But to her surprise, Ye Wen didn't budge. Instead, he gently caught her wrist and softly said:
"No one says they're fine when they're truly fine. I'm sorry, Xiao Wu. I failed to protect you in that fight, and now your beloved hair has been cut short."
Xiao Wu fell silent for a moment before realizing something. Her cheeks flushed red as she gently pulled her hand away from Ye Wen's grasp.
"It's not your fault—it was that bastard who was too strong. On the contrary, you protected me and Sister Yu'er before you got hit. I should be thanking you."
Watching Xiao Wu's blushing face, Ye Wen chuckled softly. The usually bold and fiery Xiao Wu was now unexpectedly shy—it was quite amusing.
At this moment, Ye Wen glanced up at the sky, estimating it was around noon. He was indeed hungry.
As if on cue, Xiao Wu's stomach let out a soft growl, adding to her embarrassment.
Seeing this, Ye Wen reassured her: "It's alright, Xiao Wu. It's just a braid—it'll grow back over time. So let's put aside these negative feelings for now. Go tidy up, and we'll go out for a good meal."
Something in Ye Wen's words touched Xiao Wu's heart. Realizing her feelings for him, she bravely looked up and asked:
"Brother Wen, can you help me comb my hair?"
Unlike her usual spirited tone, Xiao Wu's voice was soft and slightly pleading. Her expectant gaze sent a ripple through Ye Wen's heart.
Almost instinctively, Ye Wen agreed with a simple "Alright."
But the next moment, Ye Wen froze. Though he had been with Huo Yu'er for so long, she kept her hair short and manageable, tying it into a simple ponytail. There had never been a need for Ye Wen to comb her hair, so he had no idea how to style a girl's hair.
Refusing was out of the question. Driven by some inexplicable male pride, Ye Wen resolved to see it through.
However, he soon faced another problem. He looked at his right hand, then around the room, flexing his fingers awkwardly.
"Oh, wait—I need a comb to even start!"
Just then, Xiao Wu pulled a simple wooden comb from her small bag. It was decorated with an adorable little radish charm, perfectly matching her martial soul and personal style.
But as soon as Xiao Wu took it out, her expression fell.
Unbeknownst to her, a barely visible crack had formed in the middle of the comb. When she moved it slightly, it snapped into two pieces.
Staring blankly at the broken halves in her hand, Xiao Wu was momentarily stunned.
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