"Brother Xu Ran, how did you get injured?"
Shui Yue'er knelt before Xu Ran, her expression a mixture of concern and sorrow. In her eyes, Xu Ran was the image of invincibility; if even Xu Ran, so formidable, could be injured, then who could have done it?
"I'm hardly the strongest in the world, isn't getting hurt normal?" Xu Ran gently ruffled Shui Yue'er's hair, looking at the girl kneeling before him. The young girl's tender figure was draped in a water-blue dress, beneath which were white silk stockings. The lively and pretty girl knelt on Xu Ran's feet like a kitten, her eyes filled with tenderness and concern.
Shui Bing'er took a step closer to Xu Ran too, her long blue hair cascading over her shoulders, standing tall and graceful. Although she wasn't as proactive as Shui Yue'er, she still watched Xu Ran anxiously, afraid something serious had happened to him.
When she first saw the number of women around Xu Ran at Shrek Academy, her mood had been incredibly gloomy. But now, seeing Xu Ran like this, all she could feel was a pang of heartache.
Xu Ran was very strong, and although they were geniuses, their abilities paled in comparison to his. Even if they devoted themselves to cultivation, they would still be far behind Xu Ran. And now, she didn't even know when Xu Ran had gotten injured.
At this moment, she had completely forgotten her previous displeasure.
Although Xu Ran was a bit of a playboy, he had always been the one to take the lead and protect them, from front to back. Now that Xu Ran was injured, what could they say?
Cherishing the people before you is what matters most.
Many people in the world disliked Xu Ran. There were even many formidable opponents that Xu Ran found it hard to deal with. All they could do was try not to cause him any trouble and, at the very least, not aggravate him emotionally, so that Xu Ran could boldly walk his path.
"Xu Ran, why didn't you tell us you were injured? If we hadn't come to Tiandou City for the competition, would we have never found out?" Xue Wu walked to Xu Ran's right side, gently massaging his shoulder, her eyes misting like shimmering black jewels. Xu Ran was the man she had resolved to stay with for life; she didn't care how many women were by his side, what mattered most was his safety.
"It's nothing, just a minor injury," Xu Ran felt a warmth in his heart. Although he was a playboy, he had no regrets. He knew that the women he pursued were good girls, ones worth taking care of for a lifetime.
And what made Xu Ran feel the best was that this injury was worth it.
There had been some worries at first; if Shui Bing'er and the others arrived, Xiaowu and the rest might not be pleased, since so many new faces had suddenly appeared. If one round table wasn't enough for meals at home, wouldn't Xiaowu and the others blame him? If it wasn't handled well, it might even leave a blemish on their relationships.
But now, everything was fine. Once he recovered, Xiaowu and the others' anger would subside, and then a little sweet-talking would do the job.
"Let's go, we can talk more about this when we get to the Xu Sect," Xu Ran coughed lightly, eager to change the subject. As more and more people crowded around, even Xu Ran began to feel overwhelmed.
If he weren't careful, his reputation as a flirtatious heartbreaker would be cemented.
Xu Ran could well imagine that, starting tomorrow, the whole of Tiandou City would be abuzz with rumors about his relationship with Shui Bing'er and the other girls from Tianshui College. Given his current reputation on Soul Land, any little incident would cause a stir.
Even though he was a bit of a playboy, his reputation on Soul Land was still quite good. After all, it was a world where strength was respected, and having multiple wives and concubines wasn't something people would criticize much. However, there was more talk about the powers behind Xu Ran and Ning Rongrong and the other girls, which could influence the Continent's power structure.
"Oh my goodness. The Tian Shui Battle Team actually came looking for Senior Xu Ran; this is it, it's all over, my goddess..."
"The Captain of the Tian Shui Battle Team, Shui Bing'er, the Vice-Captain, Xue Wu, and that beautiful girl Shui Yue'er seem to have a certain relationship with Senior Xu Ran... And most importantly, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er are sisters. Could it be that Senior Xu Ran is taking on both at once?"
"What taking on both? Are you questioning Senior Xu Ran's strength? It might as well be taking on seven, haven't you seen that there are seven people in the Tian Shui Battle Team? Although the other four don't compare to Shui Bing'er and the rest, they're still very beautiful girls to behold."
Envious voices rose among the crowd as countless young men and women watched Xu Ran and the girls leave, overwhelmed with admiration. The young women had stars in their eyes, wishing to be as close to Xu Ran as Shui Bing'er and to be with him.
As for the young men, they were even more envious, drooling with desire. Most of them were still single. Ever since Xu Ran had come into the picture, the girls from Shrek Academy, though unable to win Xu Ran's heart, had become pickier. Moreover, many of Xu Ran's devoted female fans declared they would remain chaste for him for life. This indirectly led to a large group of desolate single guys.
They were still single while Xu Ran was already embracing one girl after another.
No, embracing one on each side only accounts for two, and that no longer sufficed to describe Xu Ran's awesomeness. The only way to describe him was as a man with a harem.
What's more, with so many women together, they didn't fight or argue when they met, and there was no sign of an Asura battlefield. They were all Heaven's Proud Daughters, as proud as phoenixes, yet they all became docile and willing to be demure women only around Xu Ran.
Comparing oneself with another can often lead to despair.
"Husband truly is marvelous. The Tian Shui Battle Team consists of Heaven's Proud Daughters, yet he's managed to sweep them all off their feet in one go,"
"But why does that woman look so familiar? Could it really be Bi Bidong? If it is indeed her, this would become even more interesting."
Not far away, a beautiful middle-aged woman with a still-charming figure licked her luscious red lips, exuding a seductive aura.
Liu Erlong wore a black sheer dress with black stockings underneath and exquisite little high heels on her feet. Coupled with her voluptuously mature figure, she attracted numerous sideways glances and caused many to swallow hard.
For these young men, a mature elder sister like Liu Erlong, with her irresistible allure, was the epitome of beauty.
At that moment, Liu Erlong's gaze settled on Bi Bidong, with an unfathomable look in her eyes.
Just because others didn't recognize Bi Bidong didn't mean she couldn't. Back when she had loved the cold-hearted, beastly Yu Xiaogang, she had thoroughly investigated Bi Bidong, her rival in love. Although she had wholly lost interest in Yu Xiaogang by now, she was still very familiar with Bi Bidong.
Such a beautiful mature lady with an even more charming figure could only be the old witch Bi Bidong. Who else could it be?
"Hmph, Bi Bidong, you really are a persistent ghost. Back then you competed with me for Yu Xiaogang; now I have fallen for Xu Ran, and here you are trying to snatch him from me. Flirting and bothering my husband? This is my turf, not your Spirit City," Liu Erlong snorted with feigned anger. She was considering how to target this old foe without displeasing Xu Ran.
Although she disliked Bi Bidong, she also couldn't afford to upset Xu Ran.
There was only one way, then. Bi Bidong seemed to have lost her powers, so she could bully her to her heart´s content. Other kinds of bullying would displease Xu Ran and even anger him, but for this particular kind, he would not stop her; he might even enjoy watching the spectacle.
For Bi Bidong, what mattered most was her face and dignity. Being toyed with by Liu Erlong would deeply wound her pride, a far worse pain than physical suffering.
"Husband, don't you want to possess this enchantress? I'll help you then," Liu Erlong giggled, trembling like a flower in the breeze, causing the passing students to stare in amazement.
Vice-Chancellor Liu Erlong was exceedingly pretty, dressing youthfully and attractively, sometimes even wearing short skirts to class.
When Vice-Chancellor Liu Erlong wore a short skirt to teach, they would occasionally drop something on the floor deliberately, sneak a peek upward hoping to catch a glimpse of something. But they were always disappointed.
Even though Liu Erlong dressed more and more beautifully and enticingly for Xu Ran, she remained very conservative in front of others. She reserved all her beauty for Xu Ran alone, naturally not allowing others to take advantage.