Though Ye Wen still had a pile of work to do, looking at Xiao Wu now, he completely lost the motivation to work and began pouring out his feelings to her.
Gradually, an ambiguous atmosphere began to fill the small room.
But Ye Wen's eyes remained clear and focused.
Ye Wen didn't deny that he was a man who appreciated beauty and enjoyed looking at beautiful women. However, when it came to family, Ye Wen would never view them through the lens of pure desire.
Seeing that the mood was just right, Ye Wen gently asked, "Xiao Wu, on your way here, you must have encountered quite a few Soul Douluos. Did any of them see through your identity or look at you with suspicion?"
Though the Medical Alliance hadn't officially expanded its sphere of influence yet, this early stage saw many prominent families coming to negotiate partnerships, hoping to secure a share in this emerging faction.
Those bold enough to directly approach Title Douluos for business were naturally the heads of the most powerful Soul Douluo families in the Tian Dou Empire.
In other words, the concentration of Soul Douluos in Tian Dou Imperial City was currently at its highest in decades.
Xiao Wu tilted her head, her carefree nature meaning she hadn't paid much attention during her journey.
After all, regardless of a soul master's level, unless they actively released their aura or revealed their soul rings, determining their cultivation level was difficult.
Moreover, Xiao Wu had arrived as Ye Wen's fiancée. Even the Soul Douluos wouldn't dare offend her, given Ye Wen's rising prominence. Furthermore, based on the intelligence they had gathered, Xiao Wu, though of humble origins, was a genius with innate full-soul power, making her even more untouchable.
After carefully recalling everything that had happened since entering Dugu Bo's residence, Xiao Wu nodded earnestly.
"Nope, though they looked at me strangely, it definitely wasn't the kind of suspicion you're talking about."
Upon hearing this, Ye Wen breathed a sigh of relief.
Because soul beasts and soul masters were inherently antagonistic, if Xiao Wu's identity were exposed, even the Medical Alliance—backed by two Title Douluos—wouldn't be able to protect her.
However, this meant that his theory on concealing soul beast auras using spirit tools had passed the test among Soul Douluos.
Still, Ye Wen wasn't entirely reassured.
Human hearts were fragile and easily tested.
Thus, from the very beginning, Ye Wen had never revealed Xiao Wu's true identity to Huo Yu'er or anyone else.
Though deep down Ye Wen trusted Huo Yu'er and Huo Rui, who treated Xiao Wu like a granddaughter, not to harbor ill intentions toward her, the best way to keep a secret was to never let it out in the first place. Once leaked, the only foolproof method of secrecy would be to eliminate everyone who knew.
But doing so would inevitably arouse curiosity, fueling humanity's insatiable thirst for exploration, ultimately exposing Xiao Wu's identity. Hence, Ye Wen had always kept Xiao Wu's true nature under wraps.
Though confident in his theories, Ye Wen couldn't guarantee that Title Douluos—with their superior abilities—couldn't see through Xiao Wu's disguise, given he himself hadn't yet reached the Title Douluo level.
Moreover, Xiao Wu's concealment relied heavily on the Xuan Yuan Gong technique to suppress her aura and the strong soul beast energy emitted by her spirit tool. If the spirit tool were to fall off, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Thus, even while executing the plan to "bump into" Dugu Bo, Ye Wen had already anticipated this situation.
To avoid complications or future accidents, Ye Wen retrieved a large red flower from his storage spirit tool.
"Wow, such a beautiful flower! Is this for me, Wen Ge?" Xiao Wu exclaimed in delight.
Ye Wen smiled and nodded, then said, "This flower is for you, Xiao Wu, but it's not meant for decoration."
His eyes filled with tenderness, Ye Wen gently stroked the delicate petals of the Heartbreak Red before handing it to Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu, this is called the Yearning Heartbroken Red. It's a divine-grade immortal herb."
Ye Wen then recounted the legend of the Heartbreak Red—a story he personally found ridiculous.
In his view, the male protagonist of the legend was too weak. In a world where one could cultivate immortality, why didn't he strive for greatness, win over his beloved, and instead mope around flowers all day?
While Ye Wen acknowledged that loving someone to the point of spitting blood was indeed a profound expression of devotion, he believed that such energy could've been better spent achieving something meaningful. Sitting idle, unwilling to explore new paths, was a mistake!
And thus, the tragic legend of the Heartbreak Red was born.
Though Ye Wen dismissed the legend as melodramatic, the pure-hearted Xiao Wu was moved to tears after hearing it.
She actually cried from being touched!
Then again, setting aside Ye Wen's cynicism, what love-struck girl wouldn't be moved by a man willing to sacrifice his life for her?
Ye Wen felt somewhat exasperated internally. Girls' tears were so easy to provoke, but this was part of the effect he wanted, so he didn't comfort Xiao Wu. Instead, he continued:
"Xiao Wu, I'm telling you all this because this herb is extraordinary. If consumed, according to the information I've gathered, it can boost your soul power by at least ten levels. Additionally, it will fully transform your body. This immortal herb has the power to revive the dead and regenerate flesh, ensuring that you'll never need to fear being exposed by a Title Douluo again."
Xiao Wu was more diligent than her original counterpart in the story. Her soul power had already surpassed Tang San's pseudo-full soul power and was nearing level 34.
Having experienced the hardships of cultivation, Xiao Wu was initially shocked by the Heartbreak Red's ability to enhance cultivation. Upon hearing that it could also conceal her aura, she immediately understood Ye Wen's intentions and was deeply moved.
But Ye Wen quickly tempered her excitement.
"This immortal herb may be powerful, but its harvesting conditions are extremely strict, just like its legend suggests.
It involves a pair of deeply devoted lovers. To pluck this flower, one must think of their beloved with absolute sincerity and drip a drop of their own blood onto its petals.
If there's any hesitation, even spilling all your blood won't allow you to pick it.
So, Xiao Wu, though I know you love me and your heart is pure, if you can't pluck this flower, don't be disheartened. I'll find another way to help you conceal your aura."
(Author's note: Anyone with basic medical knowledge knows that damaging the heart can be fatal, let alone extracting heart blood. In the original story, the Shrek Seven Monsters merely spat blood, not extracting heart blood. Therefore, here we use regular blood as a substitute.)
Xiao Wu was first astonished by the stringent conditions for picking the flower, but then she smiled brightly.
"Wen Ge, who do you think I am?"
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