The four instantly realized they had been tricked, but by then, their force could no longer be retracted. They could only watch as their attacks were about to land on Li Chonglou.
"Even if we've been tricked, this strike should at least take half your life!"
All four were ruthless individuals. Knowing they couldn't avoid it, they immediately increased their power. Their thoughts had now shifted to ensuring they would bring Li Chonglou down with this single blow.
Someone who would be at least half-crippled, if not dead!
Damn it! They dared to set a trap for me!
But just as the four's attacks were about to connect, Li Chonglou's body uncharacteristically twisted in mid-air a few times. The four's momentum was instantly diffused, and he then leaned to the side.
The result was that the four's full-force attacks landed on empty air, while the instigator, now the victim, lay on the side with a cold expression.
The word "lay" was actually more appropriate than "fell," as it was Li Chonglou's own action.
If there were any countrymen present, they would surely exclaim, "He's truly mastered the art of faking an injury!"
The four, only now reacting, all changed color. Without a word, they rushed forward, pulled the Japanese man up, and quickly dragged him back into the hidden door, closing it behind them.
At this moment, the Japanese man had lost several teeth and was still dazed, but the four directly forced him to sit in his original spot. They cleaned up the floor, and then nonchalantly sat down again.
Meanwhile, Li Chonglou had already returned to his seat, also appearing silent.
For a moment, it was as if nothing had happened in the hidden door, except for the missing teeth of the Japanese man, which still spoke of the harsh reality.
About half an hour later, the Japanese man slowly recovered. Realizing his miserable state and the attitude of the others, he lowered his head.
This was not out of shame, but out of overwhelming killing intent.
At this moment, he truly harbored murderous intentions, and not just towards Li Chonglou.
There was a prerequisite to the rules they had discussed earlier: a victim had to step forward first or be discovered by the guide.
This meant that as long as the Japanese man didn't step forward to address the matter, the recent actions would go unpunished. Since he had already suffered a great loss, coming forward would only mean incurring further losses, making it a losing proposition.
Therefore, he wouldn't do such a thing. This implied that he alone had to bear this loss, and it was an unavoidable one.
His killing intent stemmed precisely from this point.
However, facing someone who seemed like a stray dog, the four did not take the Japanese man seriously.
He couldn't even block a single punch; how useless could this person be?
As the four thought this, they couldn't help but shake their heads. The Japanese man could discern some of their thoughts from his peripheral vision, but he offered no defense.
Instead, he secretly glanced at Li Chonglou, who was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, resting.
A chill suddenly flashed through his mind, and the Japanese man quickly averted his gaze.
Another half an hour passed, and the signal from outside the hidden door sounded again.
The blond man, who was closest, opened the door, and a little loli immediately appeared before the six of them.
She was truly a little loli, appearing to be no more than five or six years old.
The blond man couldn't help but ask, "Is she also a contestant?"
The other few people heard this and frowned, showing their displeasure.
They had come because of the prestige of the Tie Lin competition. Cruelty, death, and brutality were the stimulating words that attracted them, not some cute, attention-seeking loli.
However, the guide's next answer surprised everyone.
"This one is not a contestant participating with you. She is the target you must protect."
Everyone, including Li Chonglou, focused their gazes on the loli once more with seriousness.
The latter quickly hid behind the guide, seemingly intimidated by their stares.
"Alright, it's getting late. We should be going."
The guide said, giving them a look, and then turned to leave with the loli.
At this moment, the Muay Thai woman quickly followed and asked, "What about our teammates? Will we still act individually? What are the rules for this competition this time?"
The Muay Thai woman's three consecutive questions also voiced the doubts in everyone's minds, so they all looked at the guide.
"Your mission this time is to protect her into the depths of Tie Lin and then return to the starting point. This is the most important mission. There are other minor tasks, which depend on your own choices."
"As for teammates, you few are now a team."
As soon as the guide finished speaking, the expressions of the few people changed slightly, and the Japanese man's expression instantly turned grim.
Before coming, they had inquired about the previous rules of the Tie Lin competition. Although they differed each year, they were generally similar: contestants from various places would gather, and then teammates and opponents would be randomly assigned.
They had never heard of teammates being assigned from the beginning!
However, the guide said no more. He was merely a messenger conveying the mission; whether the recipients accepted it or not, he just needed to deliver the task.
The few people clearly understood this, which was why their expressions turned somewhat unpleasant, and they harbored some resentment towards the guide.
Why wasn't such an important matter mentioned earlier! If it had been, there would have been no conflict just now.
At this moment, they exchanged glances, and all felt a sense of awkwardness.
For a moment, knowing that the people beside them were their future comrades, no one spoke a greeting.
Li Chonglou, however, did not feel much about this. The core rule of the Tie Lin competition was singular: the same mission would be divided into two opposing factions. One faction would aim to complete the mission, while the other would try to prevent its completion. However, regardless of which faction, as long as one person ultimately completed the mission, the entire team would be considered to have completed it.
In other words, as long as Li Chonglou's strength was sufficient, he could completely disregard his so-called teammates, or at least prevent them from counterattacking.
The six people, each lost in their own thoughts and with complete lack of communication, followed the guide to a ventilation shaft.
The large fan blades of the ventilation shaft had stopped rotating, and the gap was aligned with exactly six o'clock. The guide, without any hesitation, took the little loli's hand and walked inside.
At this moment, the guide's voice echoed in their ears.
"Remember, once you enter, there will be a black iron door. I can only escort you there. As for how to get to Tie Lin to compete, I believe you all know."
The few people nodded silently.
In fact, they all understood that the moment they entered the black iron door, the competition would essentially have officially begun.
Li Chonglou's gaze gradually became sharper. For him, the plan for the next month was also about to officially commence.