Chapter 27: Yao Xing Academy 27 Part 1

Blood stained the fresh sprouts on the lawn red, while Yu Fangbai’s legs bent at eerie angles as he lay quietly on the ground.

The once lively and jubilant square was instantly drowned in screams and terror. The crowd scattered in panic, descending into chaos. Amid the turmoil, someone shouted loudly, “Young Master Xun and the others are still up there!”

The crowd regained a bit of composure from their fright and looked up toward the Bell Tower.

Halfway in the air, four tiny figures dangled precariously, on the verge of plummeting at any moment. At the Bell Tower’s spire, the holographic projection of the Phoenix seemed awakened by the crowd below. It spread its massive wings and soared downward, circling the Bell Tower to hover near them, emitting a resounding cry.

As if to comfort, as if in pity.

Several minutes earlier.

The Mechanical Elevator swayed unsteadily as it descended slowly. Yan Qian and Luo Xunan were still chattering excitedly, recapping the details of the Star-Plucking Championship and savoring the joy of victory, while Yu Fangbai pulled out his Mobile Phone and began typing.

“Hey, so eager to report the good news back home?” Luo Xunan leaned over and saw the chat window labeled [Father] at the top.

Yu Fangbai flushed with embarrassment and annoyance as he covered his phone. “Stop peeking into other people’s privacy!”

“With your family’s secrets, does anyone even need to peek? The whole school already…” His words slipped out without thought, and he realized his mistake only after speaking, closing his mouth awkwardly.

“So what if I’m a bastard child?” Yu Fangbai’s face darkened. He suddenly pointed fiercely at Lu Zhou. “Does being a bastard mean I deserve to end up like this guy, not even worthy of sharing good news?!”

Xun Ji’s brows furrowed slightly; Yu Fangbai seemed to be implying something. Before he could ask, Lu Zhou stepped forward, grabbed Yu Fangbai by the collar, and pinned him against the elevator’s guardrail. “Shut your mouth, or I’ll rip out your tongue.”

But Yu Fangbai wasn’t intimidated. He shoved Lu Zhou away forcefully and sneered, “What are you showing off for here? If you have the guts, then tonight…”

“Don’t move around!” Yan Qian’s voice trembled with fear. “Why do I feel like this Mechanical Elevator is shaking badly?”

The others had clearly noticed it too. Midway down, the elevator suddenly jolted violently. Lu Zhou and Yu Fangbai froze.

But it was already too late.

The Mechanical Elevator emitted a continuous, ear-piercing screech of metal scraping against metal, followed by a faint “crack.”

Time seemed to pause.

“Clang!“

The elevator tilted like a massive beast losing its balance, slamming heavily into the Bell Tower wall.

“Ah!!!”

Terrified screams erupted inside the cabin. The five were flung to the floor by the sudden force, flailing their limbs in panic as they desperately tried to grab onto something solid to halt the horrifying freefall.

“Xun Ji!” Lu Zhou clutched the guardrail with one hand while reaching for Xun Ji’s clothing with the other.

Xun Ji was the calmest of them all. He even steadied his body and wobbled to his feet. The elevator now hung motionless in midair, swaying back and forth from the impact’s aftershocks, teetering on the brink.

“Don’t! It’s dangerous!” Lu Zhou said anxiously.

Xun Ji turned to show him the Safety Rope around his waist; the other end was now tied securely to a steel guardrail on the elevator.

The moment the elevator made that strange noise, Xun Ji’s body reacted faster than his mind. The Safety Rope at his waist was retractable; pulling the lock allowed the sturdy rope to slide smoothly from its pouch. He completed the action in less than three seconds.

“The main brake wheel on the track must have broken,” Xun Ji said, craning his neck to look up. A deep crack was visible on the main brake wheel.

Yan Qian clung to the elevator’s side panel, looking on the verge of tears. “W-what do we do now?”

Luo Xunan’s legs were wedged in the tilted guardrail, dangling in the air as he swayed. His eyes were squeezed shut tight; he didn’t dare look down. “Do you think we’d survive a fall from this height?”

“You jinx!” Yu Fangbai’s face paled in fright. He struggled to maintain his balance while cursing under his breath.

“Luckily, the emergency brake activated when we hit the wall,” Xun Ji reassured them. “Everyone hold on a bit longer. Rescue will…”

Before he finished, the elevator let out another muffled groan and sank heavily downward again!

“Wh-what’s happening now?!” Yan Qian burst into real tears this time.

Xun Ji steadied himself and peered out again, his expression turning grave.

The situation was worse than he thought. The crack in the main brake wheel had deepened from the full loss of weight, and if it split just another inch, it would snap completely. Then the emergency brake would fail, and the entire elevator would lose support and tumble down.

He glanced downward. The tiny figures on the square below were clearly in commotion; the accident had been noticed, and rescue was on the way.

But they couldn’t wait. The elevator could plummet any second, and all five of them might die the next moment.

“We have to get out of here right now,” he said calmly to the other four.

“Get out? To-to where?” Yan Qian had no time to wipe his tears; he blinked hard and looked at Xun Ji.

Xun Ji’s gaze shifted to the wall adjacent to the elevator’s facade—one covered in massive gear blocks.

“No!” Lu Zhou clearly understood his intention and snapped sternly, “It’s too dangerous!”

Xun Ji smiled. “Could it be more dangerous than this?”