Chapter 3: Starting with a Makeover
Ah Yin looked at Ye Wen with a bit of confusion. Following the unspoken rules of soul beasts, she acknowledged Ye Wen as the dorm's leader and hadn't thought of challenging him, so she obediently followed him outside.
As they walked, Ye Wen began casually asking questions, like how Ah Yin came to attend school. Naïve to the world's dangers, Ah Yin openly shared that she'd awakened her martial spirit in an orphanage and was offered a spot as a work study student. This cleared up one of Ye Wen's doubts.
So, soul beasts could transform and enter school quite a revelation. Lucky for Ah Yin; in Ye Wen's previous world, a sweet girl like her would have been at risk of being kidnapped and sold. It seemed Ah Yin's luck was remarkable, though Ye Wen couldn't help but wonder if some unknown God of Slaughter might be watching out for her.
The Notting Academy wasn't very large, so the two quickly found a quiet spot where Ye Wen began to speak. "Ah Yin, listen closely. Since classes haven't started yet, you haven't seen the disgusting behavior of some noble students. Some of them specifically target pretty girls like you. I didn't want to mention it back in the dorm, but I think you should consider changing your hairstyle to make yourself less noticeable. Frankly, I've never seen someone as beautiful as you, but unless you make an effort to stay under the radar, those nobles are bound to bother you. I've heard of many good looking work study students being taken as concubines by them. Be careful."
Ah Yin, innocent and naive, was taken aback by Ye Wen's words. Though she didn't fully understand the concept of a concubine, she grasped the meaning of being taken, and her face paled as she clutched Ye Wen's sleeve, looking up at him pitifully.
"Boss, please help me!" she pleaded. (T﹏T)
Ye Wen couldn't help but think, Adorable! But he quickly reminded himself that he was helping Ah Yin avoid tragedy, definitely not because he was attracted to the cute little Ah Yin.
Cough, cough.
Ye Wen cleared his throat, feigning seriousness as he said, "Let's start by changing your hairstyle. Don't leave your entire face exposed. Also, try to stick with the others from our dorm when you're studying. Safety in numbers means even those nobles will think twice before messing with us."
Taking a glance at Ah Yin's slender figure, he added, "Do you mind cutting your hair a bit shorter?"
Ah Yin looked down at her long hair, which reached her waist, and shrugged indifferently. After all, unlike most girls who cherished their hair, she hadn't grown up as a human.
With her permission, Ye Wen got to work. For a simple haircut, he could manage on his own. With a swift cut, he chopped off Ah Yin's long ponytail, leaving her with a shoulder length bob. He instinctively felt the softness of her cut hair in his hand, then discreetly kept a strand as a memento. He wasn't done yet, though; heating an iron rod, he gave Ah Yin a bit of a wave to disguise her features further.
Ah Yin watched Ye Wen's handiwork with wide eyed curiosity. She hadn't realized that hair could involve so much care and styling in human society. After a few adjustments, the once genteel looking Ah Yin was transformed into a boyish figure with bangs partially covering her eyes.
Since work study clothes were generally shabby and unisex, her appearance was now ambiguously gendered. Even Notting Academy's uniform a modest cape over the shoulders only added to her disguise.
Ye Wen, pleased with the outcome, thought he had done quite well, considering he wasn't a professional. Ah Yin, for her part, felt even closer to him, grateful for his protection and kindness.
As time went by, Ye Wen's organized leadership turned Dormitory Three into a noticeable presence at Notting Academy. Even noble students were cautious around the work study group when they moved together in formation.
As the days passed, Ye Wen began secretly sharing Douluo Continent's broader knowledge with Ah Yin knowledge that regular work study students would never learn. Sometimes, exclusive knowledge works just like this: what might seem commonplace to some can take others a lifetime to learn.
He thought of how Xiao Wu's naive personality in the original story had led her into trouble. Following Tang San's impulsive escapades, she had eventually sacrificed herself for him. If she had known more about the continent's top powers, she wouldn't have become just another tool for Tang San's power ups. Ye Wen didn't want Ah Yin to meet a similar fate.
For now, Ah Yin accepted Ye Wen's guidance with her usual cheer, unaware of the depth of what he was teaching her.
"Ah Yin, do you know anything about the power structure on Douluo Continent?" Ye Wen asked.
"Uh?" The question caught Ah Yin off guard. In her soul beast days, she'd been rather laid back and had only taken on her human form to escape a heavenly tribulation. While Blue Silver Grass shared a spiritual network, she'd never taken the time to learn about human society in detail.
"Human society on Douluo Continent is organized at different levels," Ye Wen explained. "At the top of the Soul Master world, there's what's known as 'One Hall, Two Empires, and Three Sects.' The 'One Hall' refers to Spirit Hall; the 'Two Empires' are the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire; and the 'Three Sects' are the most famous: the HaoTian Sect with the world's greatest tool spirit, the Clear Sky Hammer; the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan with the top beast spirit; and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, renowned for its auxiliary spirit.
"Each of these top powers is protected by at least one Title Douluo, which is why they reign supreme over the continent's hundreds of thousands of Soul Masters. Just below them are countless secondary powers the so called Lower Four Sects, the four affiliated clans of the HaoTian Sect, and even elite Soul Master academies within the two empires. At least one Soul Douluo protects each of these secondary powers. So, as common Soul Masters, we must be cautious and not wander about carelessly. It's easy to land in trouble," he concluded, casting a meaningful glance at Ah Yin.
Ah Yin was visibly shocked, taken aback by the ruthlessness of human society. Ye Wen couldn't help but smile at her reaction. After all, if he wanted to get close to a ten thousand year soul beast queen, a little scare would go a long way.
(End of Chapter)
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