CH 99

Chapter 99: I'll Take You Home

"By the way, you haven't told me your name yet," Qiao Can realized that he didn't know the name of his new friend.

"I'm Xiao Qingyang," Xiao Qingyang replied.

So, Xiao Qingyang and Qiao Can walked down together from the mountaintop of the finish line.

While everyone else was desperately trying to go up and reach the finish line, Xiao Qingyang and Qiao Can were going against the crowd, causing strange looks from the teams heading towards the finish line. They were regarded as if they were monsters.

However, there was an advantage to this situation. Most people didn't actively attack Xiao Qingyang and Qiao Can, as their attacks were needed for the enemies going in the same direction. There was no surplus to spare for Xiao Qingyang and Qiao Can, who were going down.

Therefore, they progressed smoothly.

"Haha, while everyone is going up, we're going down. I've experienced something different," Qiao Can shared with Xiao Qingyang, a bright smile on his face.

Since their fate was already determined, and they couldn't attack others at will, it was best to maintain a peaceful coexistence with the other teams.

Xiao Qingyang and Qiao Can hadn't walked for long when they encountered Lin Weiran and others, who had just finished a battle. They quickly greeted them, "Weiran..."

When Lin Weiran and the others saw Xiao Qingyang, they were also surprised. "Qingyang, how did you end up here?"

In the next moment, everyone reacted and surrounded Xiao Qingyang, guarding their surroundings, fearing that someone might attack Xiao Qingyang. After all, their team's total points were all in Xiao Qingyang's possession.

"You don't need to protect me. They won't attack me," Xiao Qingyang hurriedly reassured them.

"What's going on? How did you end up here, Qingyang? What about Li Ying and the others?" Xu Kaiyang asked with concern.

"Didn't Li Ying and the others join you?" Xiao Qingyang was also surprised by this.

He thought Li Ying and the others would go and regroup with the main force after they got separated.

"No, they didn't," Xu Kaiyang was also puzzled.

Thus, Xiao Qingyang explained how he got separated from Li Ying and decided to go to the mountaintop alone to hand over the scorecard to the teacher, and then he told them everything about his journey down to find them.

"Did you hand over the scorecard?" the others in the team excitedly confirmed once again.

Handing over the scorecard meant that their team's trial had ended, and they didn't have to engage in battles with other teams anymore.

Xiao Qingyang nodded with a smile, "Yes, I did."

Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. Throughout the journey, they had been on high alert, mentally and physically exhausted. Now they could finally rest.

"Alright, it's not time to rest yet. We still need to escort Chen Yihan's team to the mountaintop," Lin Weiran said to everyone.

They suddenly realized that they still had an allied team that hadn't completed their trial, so they mustered their spirits once again.

"No need, you've helped us enough by bringing us here. We can go up on our own from here," Chen Yihan hurriedly said.

The other team had been helpful throughout their journey, and now that they had completed their trial, Chen Yihan didn't want to trouble them any further.

"How can we allow that? We've come this far together, so of course, we'll continue together," Xu Kaiyang immediately spoke up.

They had formed an alliance and acted together almost from the beginning of the trial. Over the past month, they had gotten along well and became friends. They couldn't abandon their friends.

Chen Yihan was moved by their words and was about to say something when Gao Lingqi interrupted him by grabbing his neck and saying, "Enough with the talk, let's go. The end time is approaching."

As a result, Chen Yihan's team didn't say anything further and followed Lin Weiran's team towards the finish line.

Whether it was because they were nearing the finish line or because all the teams treasured their points, nobody dared to easily attack other teams anymore. They feared that their previous efforts would be in vain. Whatever the reason, everyone walked harmoniously during the final stretch.

After Chen Yihan's team successfully reached the mountaintop, Li Ying and his team of three also reached the top. Both teams, with a total of twenty people, successfully reached the summit.

"Li Ying, what's the matter with you? Qingyang managed to reach the top on his own, and yet you, as his protector, disappeared without a trace," Xu Kaiyang immediately approached Li Ying, playfully pinning his throat with his arm while jokingly scolding him.

Li Ying and his team had no excuse. Since they separated from Xiao Qingyang, they had been searching for him, but with so many people going up the mountain and constantly being challenged or accidentally attacked, they had very little time to search for him. They couldn't seem to break free from those battles.

Later on, realizing that their search for Xiao Qingyang was futile, they felt guilty. They believed that with only Xiao Qingyang, a logistics member with some self-defense abilities at best, he wouldn't be able to successfully reach the summit. So, they decided to find the main group and apologize to everyone.

However, to their surprise, they couldn't even find the main group. This left them even more hopeless.

Therefore, the three of them decided to move towards the finish line. After all, everyone's ultimate goal was the same, and they were sure to encounter their teammates at the finish line.

However, they didn't anticipate that when the three of them reached the finish line, the rest of their team had already arrived, making them the last to arrive.

"Hold on, what did you just say? Qingyang reached the summit?" Li Ying finally understood Xu Kaiyang's words and asked in astonishment.

"Yes, Qingyang reached the mountaintop earlier than any of us," Xu Kaiyang truthfully replied.

Li Ying and his team immediately turned their gaze towards Xiao Qingyang, their eyes filled with excitement, making Xiao Qingyang feel embarrassed.

"Well... since you weren't around, and we couldn't find you, I... I went up on my own," Xiao Qingyang said shyly.

In fact, after seeing Li Ying and his team separate, Xiao Qingyang was somewhat relieved. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to openly use his stealth abilities, and it wouldn't be certain that he could successfully reach the summit.

"Qingyang, you're amazing! You're the hero of our entire team," Li Ying exclaimed with excitement upon learning that Qingyang had reached the summit with the points.

"No, it's all thanks to everyone's efforts," Xiao Qingyang replied modestly with a shy smile.

After Chen Yihan's team handed over the scorecard, everyone finally relaxed. Some even lay down on the ground.

Xu Kaiyang, one of those lying on the ground, couldn't help but complain, "I'm so exhausted. This month's trial was even more tiring than a month of constant training."

"Who said it wasn't? We had to be cautious of being attacked by others every day. We couldn't relax for a moment, and even sleeping was restless. When we get back this time, I'm going to sleep for three days and three nights without being disturbed by anyone," a member of Chen Yihan's team echoed.

Others also expressed various grievances, but the outcome was good. At least both teams successfully completed the trial without anyone being eliminated midway, filling them with a sense of accomplishment.

"I also want to go back and have a good sleep. I feel like I can fall asleep as soon as I close my eyes," Gao Lingqi joined the team, laughing and saying this

Xiao Qingyang looked at everyone lying on the ground, exhausted, and felt a bit sorry for them. But when he thought about the completion of the trial and how they all made it to the end, he felt happy.

Although it wasn't his first time going out on a trial, it was the first time he had gone on an adventure with his friends as a team. This experience was novel, special, and left a deep impression on him.

When the time for the trial to end arrived, the teacher in charge of scoring smiled and said, "Congratulations, everyone, on successfully completing this freshmen trial. We will have a three-day vacation now, so you can rest well."

After the freshmen trial ended each year, students were given a three-day break to relax. It was also a time for those who hadn't been home for two months to visit their families and avoid feeling too homesick.

Although most people were aware of this tradition, they were still excited to hear the teacher announce the three-day vacation.

Soon, ships landed on the mountaintop, and everyone boarded in order, preparing to return to the school, just as they had arrived.

The biggest difference between the arrival and the return was probably the expressions on their faces. When they arrived, everyone looked serious, but now, they were all very relaxed.

As for the teams that hadn't reached the summit on time, teachers had already been sent to pick them up.

"We're finally going back to school." Xu Kaiyang stretched and yawned, saying with a smile.

Although the distance was the same for the journey there and back, they felt that the return trip went by quickly, as if they had returned to school in the blink of an eye.

"Qingyang, Weiran, Xiaotian, are you planning to go home today or return tomorrow?" Xu Kaiyang asked as soon as they returned to the dormitory.

They had returned at 5 pm, neither early nor late. Some students would choose to rest overnight and go home the next day, while others who couldn't wait would leave on the same day.

"I..." Xiao Qingyang was about to say that he didn't know, as he hadn't made a decision yet, but then his terminal sounded, indicating the arrival of a message.

He opened the message, and the information on it helped him make up his mind in advance.

Long Jingze: Your trial should be ending today. I'm waiting for you at the school gate to take you home.

"I'm going home now. See you all in three days!" Xiao Qingyang said with a happy smile. He immediately rushed back to his room, quickly packed up, and hurriedly left the dormitory without even giving his roommates a chance to say goodbye.

Seeing this, the others shook their heads, especially Xu Kaiyang, who chuckled and said, "Is he that excited to go home?"

But nobody paid too much attention to it. After all, everyone was feeling excited inside.