Chapter 137: Rolling Pin
However, when they looked in the direction of Jiang Tian, their expressions seemed a little unnatural.
There were far more people around Jiang Tian than they had imagined.
Logically, for someone ranked No. 1 in the country like Jiang Tian, the only person who should be around him was Xue Ruyan.
But there were more than ten people standing with him, and judging from their auras alone, they were far from ordinary.
If they wanted to execute their plan, it would definitely be much more troublesome than expected.
Just as these students were observing Jiang Tian and contemplating their approach, on the makeshift stands, Zhou Shang had already returned, and the other teachers were gathered together for discussion.
However, the main topic of their conversation was naturally the current focus—Jiang Tian.
Compared to the students, the teachers had more insight into the situation.
For example, they knew that Jiang Tian was actively invited by Hongwu University, and the invitation was personally sent by President Zhou Shang.
"How long do you think Jiang Tian can last?" One teacher spoke first, a smile on his face.
It was obvious that he was not optimistic about Jiang Tian's entrance examination.
With the expansion of enrollment at Hongwu University, the number of students had exceeded 10,000.
One could easily tell from the massive crowd gathered on the martial arts field.
Facing the targeted siege from so many people, it was almost impossible for Jiang Tian to hold out for long.
"It's hard to say..." Another teacher looked at the students and responded, "Even though they all claim they want to attack him, not many have taken action yet."
"Look at the stronger students—they've already entered the forest ahead of time, finding strategic positions and waiting for their chance."
The teacher's meaning was clear—the first group to attack Jiang Tian would most likely be the weaker students.
With his companions by his side, Jiang Tian would have no trouble stabilizing the situation.
What happened next would depend on how these students chose to act.
Zhou Shang listened silently to the teachers discussing Jiang Tian. He watched with a mysterious smile on his face.
Zhao Yongwu, the director of studies responsible for supervising the entrance exam, carefully observed Zhou Shang.
As expected, having followed Zhou Shang for so long, he understood his teacher's personality well.
The way Zhou Shang looked at Jiang Tian was exactly the same as when he had observed Zhao Yongwu and the other students in the past.
This meant only one thing—Jiang Tian was already his last disciple.
Zhao Yongwu knew he was right. If Jiang Tian was chosen by the teacher, then he was definitely not as simple as he seemed.
"So, classmate Jiang Tian… What is it about you that made the teacher break his vow and take you as his last disciple?" Zhao Yongwu muttered to himself, intrigued.
At that moment, many students glanced at their phones and began taking action.
They moved toward the edge of the forest, but instead of entering, they stopped at the borderline, forming a wide, loose line.
Their eyes remained locked on Jiang Tian, tracking his every move.
As more students chatted in their group chats, the line at the forest border grew longer and more organized.
The teachers watching couldn't help but raise their eyebrows in interest.
This was clearly an organized maneuver.
Someone was controlling and directing these students behind the scenes.
"The freshman group chat was full of clear strategies," one teacher said with a smirk, looking at his phone.
These freshman group chats were not random private groups—they were officially created by the school and monitored by the teachers.
If left unchecked, they could easily be infiltrated by people with ulterior motives.
The student orchestrating the siege against Jiang Tian was Zhang Mou.
Zhang Mou was strong, living in Dormitory No. 03, which corresponded to his ranking in the national martial arts college entrance examination.
He was third among the Hongwu University freshmen, but his actual national ranking was fifth.
This was normal.
For example, in previous years, out of the top ten in the martial arts college entrance examination, most students chose Tiansheng University in the capital.
This year, however, three of the top ten chose Hongwu University—
Jiang Tian, Xue Ruyan, and Zhang Mou.
Despite Jiang Tian and Xue Ruyan—the top two—choosing Hongwu University, the negative public opinion online had made Tiansheng University the more popular choice for this batch of new students.
At that moment, Zhang Mou was actively directing students in the group chat.
If they wanted to take down Jiang Tian, they had to monitor his actions closely.
The rules clearly stated that if students failed to enter the forest before noon, they would receive zero points.
So, Zhang Mou had arranged for students to stand at the forest's edge, waiting for Jiang Tian to enter.
Once he did, they would ambush him immediately, surround him, and take him down as quickly as possible.
In the group chat, Zhang Mou instructed everyone:
"Since this exam evaluates teamwork and performance, we need to work together and execute this flawlessly."
"If we coordinate well and successfully trap Jiang Tian, we will earn extra points for strategic teamwork."
"After all, on the battlefield, fighting against alien races requires collaboration. This will work in our favor."
His words were calculated, convincing the students to put aside personal bias and cooperate.
Jiang Tian may not be that strong, but in Zhang Mou's mind, Xue Ruyan was a bigger threat.
She was the cousin of Hongwu University's Student Council President.
Moreover, with so many War Emperors in her family, there was no way she was weak.
With so many people surrounding Jiang Tian, he wanted to ensure the plan succeeded.
Meanwhile…
"Is this really necessary?" Some students from Xiang City asked in disbelief after hearing Jiang Tian speak.
Just when they were discussing how to protect him, Jiang Tian actually told them to leave.
"Everyone, just do your best," Jiang Tian said, looking at them calmly. "I will act alone later."
Then, as he spoke, he raised his hand slightly and retrieved his chosen weapon from his space ring.
A metal rolling pin appeared in Jiang Tian's grasp.
The students stared in shock.
This was his chosen weapon?
Jiang Tian smirked.
As a chef, what better weapon could he choose?
It was unassuming, not too lethal, yet completely fitting for him.
Most importantly—
It was perfect for what he was about to do.