Jiang Tian didn't even have time to scream before a hammer from the sky slammed him to the ground.
Then, another black rod smashed from behind.
Xiao Qingyu detested Jiang Tian. It was this guy who had played dirty when challenging him. Now, seeing the culprit here, his hands holding the dual hammers trembled with excitement. He showed no mercy as he smashed towards Jiang Tian. Trapped in a deep pit and bound by an unknown Immortal Binding Rope, Jiang Tian was pummeled relentlessly, unable to even retaliate or defend himself.
Jiang Tian had truly become a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
Lin Yichen and the other two didn't hold back either. All the grievances they had suffered in the past days erupted now. Various spells and techniques were unleashed, raining down on Jiang Tian in the deep pit.
"Ah!" Jiang Tian roared, trying to break free from the bindings, but the Immortal Binding Rope only tightened with every struggle.
"Zhang Er Gou, I'll kill you!" Blinded by his predicament, Jiang Tian had no idea that others besides Zhang Er Gou were attacking him. He only knew he had been lured here by Zhang Er Gou, and all his fury was directed at him.
"Heh heh, Senior Brother Jiang, I'm right here." Jiang Tian looked towards the sound and saw a thick black rod descending from the sky.
Ah!
With a scream, Jiang Tian was struck on the head. Without any spiritual energy to protect him, the iron rod made direct contact with his skin. Instantly, a massive gash opened on Jiang Tian's head, and blood gushed out.
Bang!
The dazed Jiang Tian hadn't fallen yet when Xiao Qingyu's hammer struck his head again. Jiang Tian's eyes rolled back, and he was completely incapacitated.
What the heck!
Lin Yichen and Wang Teng watched as Zhang Er Gou and Xiao Qingyu took down Jiang Tian with one strike each. They hadn't even had their fill of the fight before Jiang Tian was knocked out. They couldn't help but exclaim.
"Quick, don't just stand there! Clean up the battlefield. We don't want to be discovered." Zhang Er Gou hurriedly called out to the three, and they quickly dragged Jiang Tian out of the pit. In a flash, they stripped him of all his valuables and his clothes. They then threw the naked Jiang Tian back into the pit, buried him, leaving only his head exposed. After completing this, they destroyed any evidence of their presence and fled the scene in a different direction.
"Quick, let's see what treasures are in Jiang Tian's storage ring. We'll split them."
In a cave nearly ten miles away from their ambush spot, Zhang Er Gou and the other three were sprawled on the ground, counting their spoils.
"Damn, no way, how can a cultivator at the early Golden Core stage be this poor!" As they opened Jiang Tian's storage ring, they were stunned.
"We worked so hard for this meager harvest. All this effort late at night was for nothing," Xiao Qingyu said, looking dejected.
To their astonishment, Jiang Tian's storage ring contained very little. There were only a few thousand spirit stones, some basic elixirs, and nothing else. Not even a single weapon. This left the three robbers feeling a sense of disappointment.
Unlike the other three, Zhang Er Gou seemed to have anticipated this situation. He had, after all, robbed dozens of outer disciples during the Beast Forest trial not long ago. Zhang Er Gou knew exactly why Jiang Tian was so poor; the items he had previously stolen were still in his own storage ring.
"Kid, did you perhaps rob this guy's belongings before? I heard you had quite a haul last time in the Beast Forest." Lin Yichen and the other two suddenly realized. They had gone through so much trouble to rob Jiang Tian and his companions, but they had forgotten that Zhang Er Gou had already stripped those dozens of outer disciples bare in the Beast Forest, leaving each of them with nothing but their underpants. Even if these outer disciples had spent days collecting items, they wouldn't have gathered much. Jiang Tian was a prime example of this.
"Heh heh, I did take some things, but not much. I can only give you each a little." Zhang Er Gou couldn't just hoard it all for himself. If the three hadn't asked, he would have played ignorant. But now that they had inquired, if he were to be stingy, would these people still work with him on future endeavors? Zhang Er Gou understood this calculation and wouldn't risk losing three good brothers over a bit of wealth.
Lin Yichen, Wang Teng, and Xiao Qingyu accepted the storage rings handed to them by Zhang Er Gou, their faces filled with excitement. These three were truly impoverished. Not only had they been beaten by Zhuge Wen and the others, but they had also been thoroughly robbed, leaving them with only their defensive weapons. Zhang Er Gou giving each of them a storage ring now greatly improved their impression of him.
"Er Gou, you're a good guy. I, Xiao Qingyu, acknowledge you as a brother!" Xiao Qingyu happily accepted the storage ring from Zhang Er Gou, threw an arm around his neck, and exclaimed loudly.
"Count me in!" Wang Teng was not to be outdone.
"How could I be left out? Er Gou, from now on, your business is my business, Lin Yichen's business." Lin Yichen immediately pledged his loyalty.
Zhang Er Gou hadn't expected that by casually giving away three previously plundered storage rings, he would gain three sworn brothers. This was an incredibly profitable transaction. Suppressing his inner excitement, Zhang Er Gou casually clapped his hands.
"Who told us to be brothers? These things are naturally my tribute to all of you." He continued, "In the future, we brothers will share fortunes and face hardships together."
"Er Gou is right. We four brothers will surely share fortunes and face hardships together." Lin Yichen stood up and patted Zhang Er Gou's shoulder. He had no objections to Zhang Er Gou's words. Wang Teng and Xiao Qingyu, completely won over by Zhang Er Gou's generosity, naturally did not voice any dissent.
"Brothers, tonight we lured Jiang Tian here. Although we didn't get much from him, we beat him up and got some revenge. We can consider it a successful night." Seeing the rising spirits of his companions, Zhang Er Gou felt that they could perhaps stir up more trouble.
"However, from what you guys said earlier, Jiang Tian wasn't the only one causing you trouble. There were also Zhuge Wen and Zuo Tian."
"Under the cover of this dark and windy night, why don't we go big and lure Zhuge Wen and Zuo Tian into the back mountains respectively and beat them up?" Zhang Er Gou finished speaking and cast a questioning gaze at the three.
"I think it's feasible!" Xiao Qingyu agreed without hesitation.
"I have no problem with it either. Let's beat them up! That bastard Zhuge Wen, my face still hurts from his blows." Lin Yichen cursed, clearly indicating that Zhuge Wen's earlier assault had been severe.
"I don't have any objections either. Everything will be according to Er Gou's plan." Wang Teng also agreed. Like Lin Yichen, he had been caught and beaten by Zhuge Wen several times.
"Then let's proceed according to our original plan."
Seeing that everyone was in agreement, Zhang Er Gou was relieved. He then discussed further plans with the group, continuing with their original objective. The one who would be sent out to find people this time was still Zhang Er Gou...