Chapter 25: Yao Xing Academy 25 Part 1

After such an accident, their lead advantage vanished completely. Xun Ji had no choice but to let the four disheveled teammates go clean themselves up first.

“What about this stage?” Yan Qian asked anxiously. “It’s all my fault. I’ll stay and redo it…”

“I’ll handle it.” Xun Ji patted his shoulder, his tone relaxed. “You guys clean up and head straight to the next stage. This shouldn’t take long.”

Yan Qian clearly doubted those words. Before he could say anything else, Lu Zhou responded first:

“Got it. I’ll head over as soon as possible.”

With that, he turned and left, his head still covered in silver powder.

The other three had no choice but to follow.

Xun Ji swapped to a new workbench and began making the fireworks again. The sight of Young Master Xun conducting the experiment alone quickly drew attention, and people gradually gathered around once more.

Xun Ji focused intently, his movements flowing smoothly like water. Reagents of different colors shuttled and blended between his slender fingers. In no time, three tubes of freshly prepared reagents stood neatly in front of him.

Xun Ji called over the referee and added metal powder to each reagent one by one. After a few faint “sizzle” sounds from miniature explosions, three puffs of colorful powder fireworks shot up above the reagents, bursting into cute round clusters.

Applause erupted around him instantly, mixed with a few excited squeals.

“Young Master Xun looks so ascetic doing the experiment with that cold face— so handsome!”

“The way he handles the test tubes is making my face flush and heart race…”

“Didn’t Young Master Xun always hand in blank papers in every subject? How is he so good at chemistry experiments?”

…

Amid the referee’s perfect score verdict, Xun Ji ignored the chatter behind him and headed to the sixth stage.

The sixth and seventh stages were in the same location—the Bell Tower.

“Young Master Xun!” Yan Qian and the others hurried over, looking like they had all tidied themselves up.

“Young Master Xun already passed the fifth stage?” Yan Qian’s tone was delighted.

“Yeah.” Xun Ji pulled a Star Medal from his pocket and handed it to Yan Qian for safekeeping.

Lu Zhou trailed at the back, having changed into clean clothes. The chemical powder on his hair and face had also been cleared away.

Xun Ji suddenly remembered something and leaned close to his ear. “Did you take a photo earlier?”

Lu Zhou froze. “No.”

Xun Ji clicked his tongue twice. “What a shame. You looked pretty good with white hair.”

Lu Zhou clenched his fist, endured it for a moment, but couldn’t hold back. He said to Xun Ji, “Young Master Xun, can you please not say things like that casually?”

“What kind of things?” Xun Ji was baffled. “Complimenting how good you looked with white hair?”

“Yeah,” Lu Zhou replied softly, “and… white hair…” White-Haired Little Dog.

Xun Ji realized. “You’re not embarrassed about it, are you?”

Lu Zhou lowered his head and said nothing.

“You got blasted all over to save me. What’s there to be embarrassed about?” Xun Ji curved his lips slightly. “Though I saved you in the first stage too, so we’re even.”

“Even?” Lu Zhou murmured in repetition.

“Hm?” Xun Ji didn’t catch it and leaned closer, only to suddenly meet Lu Zhou’s raised, dark eyes.

“It’s not because of embarrassment.” Lu Zhou said word by word, “And we’re not even between us.”

What did Lu Zhou mean by that? Xun Ji wanted to ask more, but a gasp rose from the crowd nearby.

The host, dressed as a rabbit mascot, announced loudly: “The first brave challenger has set off, climbing vigorously toward the Bell Tower summit! Let’s wish him good luck!”

Yan Qian urged the group anxiously: “We need to pick someone fast too, or we won’t catch up!”

This stage was a physical challenge called Summit Star-Climb. As the name implied, they had to climb to the top of the Bell Tower and claim the star.

The Bell Tower was a classic Gothic spire structure. Two of its outer walls connected to the teaching building behind it. On the exposed side, there was a half-suspended Mechanical Elevator—originally installed for workers during construction and later preserved for its unique, attractive design.

The opposite side had originally been a relief wall, but for this stage, the school had embedded large climbable gears into the facade. Each team had to send one member, secured with a Safety Rope, to climb the outer wall to the top, press the Mechanical Elevator button there, and bring up the rest of the team to complete the challenge.

“Lu Zhou can do it—he’s got great stamina!” Luo Xunan said confidently.

Yan Qian looked at Lu Zhou expectantly. Yu Fangbai frowned, as if he wanted to say something, but Lu Zhou headed toward the climbing point without a word.

“Wait.” Xun Ji grabbed him. “Lu Zhou’s out.”

Lu Zhou paused and turned back. “I can do it.”

Xun Ji released him and raised a brow. “Still not planning to tell the truth?”

“I didn’t… Ow!”

Xun Ji squatted down and pinched Lu Zhou’s calf, causing cold sweat to break out instantly from the pain.

“Your movements have been sluggish all day. You’re injured, aren’t you?” Xun Ji said as he lifted Lu Zhou’s pant leg, revealing a large, dark purple bruise on his calf.

“This… You competed with us all day carrying an injury like that?” Yan Qian, who had never suffered physical hardship growing up, stared in shock.

Lu Zhou stepped back awkwardly and pulled down his pant leg to cover the wound.

“How did it happen? Anywhere else?” Xun Ji asked.

Lu Zhou didn’t want to lie to him and fell silent.