Brock swallowed hard, feeling that the situation was ominous.
He couldn't help but glance at Bi Bidong, his precious Dong'er was so beautiful and distinguished, a peerless beauty, and at the same time, the Spirit Hall Pope, with a noble status. Such a woman was most capable of arousing a man's desire to conquer.
This lecherous Xu Ran, with so many women by his side, probably wouldn't pass up the opportunity to take his precious Dong'er.
Xu Ran's visit to the Martial Soul Hall this time was definitely meant to show him up.
"No."
"No, I can't let Xu Ran succeed," Brock's face turned white as he shook his head in panic.
Now Bi Bidong was his only support; she loved him deeply, she was his final bottom line. If even Bi Bidong was charmed away by Xu Ran, then he would be stripped of the last vestiges of his dignity as a man.
A few days earlier, he found some satisfaction in seeing Xiaosan's dispirited and crestfallen appearance.
In comparison, Xiaosan had lost two in a row, and now even Hulena, whom he had been scheming to keep for a long time, might slip through his fingers. Although he felt sympathy for Xiaosan, what he felt most was a sense of smugness.
He had only lost Er Long to Xu Ran; although it was also quite terrible, compared with Xiaosan, he suddenly felt it wasn't that bad.
But now his mindset was completely different.
If Bi Bidong were to be snatched away by Xu Ran too, then he would be even more miserable than Xiaosan. He was already in his forties or fifties; what would he do if Bi Bidong no longer loved him? At least Xiaosan was still young and had his assets, but he would be left with nothing.
And Bi Bidong was so beautiful, if she were to be held in Xu Ran's arms and flaunt that in front of him, it would surely infuriate him to death.
He absolutely could not allow what had happened before to happen to Bi Bidong. Once bitten, twice shy; he had not been on guard last time and didn't expect Xu Ran to be so shameless as to try to take his Er Long.
Now he was mentally prepared; Xu Ran would not be able to take his Bi Bidong away. Bi Bidong was emotionally strong and loyal. As long as he didn't make any moves and showed a little more care towards Bi Bidong, she would never betray him.
Thinking of this, Brock felt considerably better.
"Last time I got played by Xu Ran, seeing him embrace Er Long, I thought Er Long had betrayed me. Then I developed suspicions towards Er Long, and in the end, Xu Ran took advantage," he reflected deeply and then suddenly had an epiphany.
It was him who'd deeply hurt Er Long's heart last time, which allowed Xu Ran to step in.
This time, he would absolutely not fall for Xu Ran's schemes. No matter how crafty Xu Ran's tactics were, they couldn't possibly trick a wise man repeatedly. He, Brock, was considered the smartest man in the Soul Land, and it was impossible for him to fall for Xu Ran's tricks again.
In fact, after a deep analysis of Xu Ran, Brock realized that Xu Ran only had a few tricks up his sleeve.
Having thought everything through, he felt not the slightest bit of panic, and even felt an urge to laugh. At this moment, he had seen through Xu Ran's schemes, Brock was indeed a wise man.
"Brock, what's wrong? Why did your complexion suddenly become so pale? Could it be that you can't forgive Xu Ran?" Bi Bidong looked at Brock with confusion, not at all aware of his psychological change at the moment.
By now, Bi Bidong had already begun to favor Xu Ran, if only subconsciously; she just didn't realize it herself. The feelings she once had for Yu Xiaogang have diminished with the passage of time, leaving only the deep impression he once made on her.
She didn't understand love, mistaking her lingering attachment to Yu Xiaogang as ongoing affection.
"No. Am I, Yu Xiaogang, such a petty man? Xu Ran, after all, is a junior, hot-blooded and impetuous. If a reconciliation is possible, then that's naturally for the best," Yu Xiaogang waved his hand, feigning magnanimity. Even though his heart was in turmoil, he couldn't let it negatively impact Bi Bidong's opinion of him.
As long as he remained immovable as a mountain, maintaining his composure in front of Bi Bidong, then any ploy Xu Ran used against him would be futile.
This time, he would not utter a single bad word about Bi Bidong, nor would he get as easily provoked as before. With the right strategy, he might even turn the tables and outplay Xu Ran.
If Xu Ran intended to make a move against Bi Bidong, what would Qian Renxue and Qian Dao Liu think? Perhaps then, Xu Ran would end up as an outright enemy of the Martial Soul Hall.
"It seems I, Yu Xiaogang, am not entirely useless. If Xiaosan can't handle you, then it's up to me. My cunning is a match for a thousand troops," Yu Xiaogang's face glowed with excitement, somewhat looking forward to being outwitted by Xu Ran.
He planned to employ strategies like counter-espionage, double agents, and feigned injury to ensnare Xu Ran.
Even though the process might be tough, and he might be outsmarted by Xu Ran numerous times, the outcome was bound to be wonderful. When Yu Xiaogang started to take things seriously, Xu Ran would tremble before him.
"That's good to hear. I was worried that you wouldn't get along with Xu Ran, which would have made things difficult for me. Xu Ran is, after all, Xue'er's husband. If possible, I wouldn't want to become enemies with him again," Bi Bidong sighed with relief, lightly caressing her chest, as the tension in her heart finally eased.
Now, she was looking forward to seeing Xu Ran again.
Xu Ran had promised to help her remove the Rakshasa God Power from her body and even to assist her in pursuing the Asura God's inheritance. He could also help Brock to cultivate again, all of which were good things!
The most important thing was, she wanted to see how Xu Ran would help Brock. Brock would probably be very happy then. With Xu Ran's methods, Brock was sure to achieve the happiness he desired.
"Dong'er, although I am willing to forgive Xu Ran, I'm still somewhat wary of him. Xu Ran is frivolous and licentious; I'm concerned he might do something to harm you."
"I don't mind, I'm just worried about you. You are all I have now, without you I would have no reason to live. You must remain vigilant around Xu Ran and not let your guard down,"
"Xu Ran is extremely sharp-witted, and could take advantage of any oversight to find weaknesses to exploit. You must protect yourself, for once Xu Ran finds an opening, he will exploit it relentlessly." Everyone has flaws, and for Bi Bidong, who is cold on the outside and warm on the inside, and holds herself with pride, these could be opportunities for Xu Ran to identify and unravel her defenses completely.
Bi Bidong's character flaws are even greater than those of Er Long, and if Xu Ran were to exploit them, it would spell disaster for her.
"Don't worry, Brock. I'm not so easily fooled like those naive girls. It's impossible for Xu Ran to make a move on me. Moreover, Xu Ran already has Xue'er, he will only respect and cherish me, and harbor no other thoughts,"
Bi Bidong shook her head, even she didn't quite believe her words. Xu Ran, notorious for his lechery, had been handsy with her back in Tiandou City; how could he not have such thoughts about her?
Nevertheless, she still tried to convince herself to maintain a positive image of Xu Ran.
"That's reassuring. Dong'er, I'll be leaving now. Take care of yourself, and remember to rest early," Yu Xiaogang nodded, he too didn't believe Xu Ran could precisely identify and exploit Bi Bidong's vulnerabilities straight away.
After Yu Xiaogang left, Bi Bidong sighed, feeling a sense of emptiness inside. Ever since her return from Tiandou City, nothing in the Martial Soul Hall seemed exciting anymore, everything appeared so dull. It seemed only Xu Ran could give her a different feeling.