The Mighty Mage
Chapter 331: True Identity

Chapter 331: Chapter 331: True Identity

Long Yifan didn’t respond to Yu Jin’s warning. Instead, he turned back to Gu Jin, carefully lifting her unconscious form into his arms.

His expression was calm, but his voice carried an edge of steel as he addressed the group one last time.

"I will find the person who sabotaged her breakthrough," he said, his gaze sweeping over the gathered students. "And once I do, I will teach them a good lesson."

The weight of his words sent a chill through the air.

Without waiting for a response, Long Yifan walked past the group, heading toward the forest with Gu Jin cradled protectively in his arms.

Yan Mei looked after him, her expression conflicted, while Gu Aihan smirked triumphantly.

Yu Jin called after him, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Good luck, Yifan. You’re going to need it."

Long Yifan didn’t look back.

As he disappeared into the shadows of the forest, the green light from Gu Jin’s body fading slightly in the distance, the group was left in uneasy silence.

"Alright everybody leave." Yu Jin ordered.

Gu Aihan slipped into her tent, a triumphant smile playing on her lips.

The chaos outside had settled, and the students were gradually returning to their tents, though the tension in the air lingered.

She lit a small lantern, its soft glow casting flickering shadows across the canvas walls.

Moments later, the tent flap rustled, and a figure entered—nervous and hesitant.

It was the young man who had aided her in stealing the bracelet.

His eyes darted around the tent as if afraid someone might see him.

"Did anyone notice you?" Gu Aihan asked, her tone sharp but low.

He shook his head quickly.

"No, no one saw me," he whispered, his voice shaky. "But... what if Long Yifan figures out it was us? He’s not just bluffing. If he knows—"

Gu Aihan cut him off with a smirk, stepping closer.

"Relax," she said, her voice dripping with confidence.

"Long Yifan’s all talk. If he truly suspected me, he would’ve exposed me in front of everyone. Instead, he spouted vague threats and stormed off like a fool. That tells me one thing—he doesn’t have the courage to act."

The young man frowned, his unease evident.

"But what if he does come after us? Or worse, what if he convinces Yu Jin to investigate? I think we should tell Yu Jin the truth—"

Gu Aihan’s smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a sharp glare.

"Tell Yu Jin?" she hissed, her voice cold and dangerous. "Are you that foolish? If you breathe a word of this to him, you won’t just be dealing with Long Yifan. You’ll be dealing with me."

The young man swallowed hard, his uncertainty growing. "I... I just think it’s safer to—"

Before he could finish, Gu Aihan’s demeanor shifted dramatically.

Her sharpness softened into something more alluring, and she took a deliberate step closer to him, her fingers brushing lightly against his arm.

"Safer?" she murmured, her voice sultry.

"You don’t need to be scared, especially not of Yifan. You’ve been so helpful to me, and I won’t let anything happen to you."

The young man froze as she leaned in, her lips curving into a seductive smile.

She placed her hands on his shoulders, her touch firm yet enticing, and slowly began to undo the clasp of her outer robe.

The fabric slipped down slightly, revealing the curve of her collarbone.

"You’re so brave," she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. "And so loyal. Let me show you how much I appreciate you."

His protests faltered as his gaze dropped to her exposed skin.

Gu Aihan’s hands trailed down his chest, tugging him closer.

The tension in his body melted under her touch, and his initial resistance crumbled.

"Aihan..." he began, his voice trailing off as he gave in.

She silenced him with a kiss, pulling him down onto the bedding in the corner of the tent.

The young man surrendered to her advances, his earlier concerns forgotten as he became lost in the moment.

............................

On the other side.

Once quite a few distances away from the campsite, Long Yifan took out a similar but high-quality bracelet and helped Gu Jin wear it.

Gone was the anger he had shown previously.

In fact, after the assassination attempts by Gu Aihan, Long YIfan understood that he couldn’t defend Gu Jin if the person attacking her was Gu Aihan.

He was bonded by a promise and couldn’t harm Gu Aihan.

If there was someone else in Gu Aihan’s place, he would have killed them before they could even plan out their first assassination attempt.

But he couldn’t kill Gu Aihan, so he can only make it seem as if her plan succeeded.

Does Gu Aihan truly think, he would be so dumb to leave the tent in the first place? Haha. The reality was he wanted to put Gu Aihan at ease and let Gu Jin pass the difficult period.

As he was passing by, he met many top-rank beasts. However, they didn’t dare to go close to Long Yifan at all.

All of them were looking at Long Yifan with a fearful expression and moving away.

Long Yifan smirked but continued to move.

Long Yifan reached a serene lakeside clearing bathed in moonlight.

With practiced ease, Long Yifan pulled out a large prefabricated house from his storage ring.

In moments, the house unfolded itself—a sleek, modern structure made of reinforced materials, large enough to accommodate a group of ten.

Its glowing edges shimmered faintly, indicating high-grade enchantments embedded within the walls.

Cradling Gu Jin, he entered the house and gently placed her on a plush bed in one of the rooms.

After ensuring her new bracelet was functioning properly, he left the room and settled on a comfortable sofa in the living area.

His demeanor was composed, but his sharp eyes carried a glint of anticipation.

Time passed quietly.

Exactly twenty minutes later, the door creaked open, and five hooded figures stepped in, their movements purposeful but silent.

They formed a line before Long Yifan, lowering their hoods to reveal familiar faces: Yu Jin, Sheng Han, Jung Shao, Professor Meng, and Yan Mei.

Yu Jin, who had been the loudest critic moments ago, strode confidently to the sofa and plopped down beside Long Yifan with an exaggerated sigh.

He fanned himself with his hand, pretending to be exhausted.

"Yifan, turn down the temperature, will you?" Yu Jin grumbled, casting a playful glare at him.

"Do you know how hard it was to act like I was questioning your strength? I deserve an award for that performance."

Long Yifan smirked but said nothing, reaching out to a control panel on the wall.

The ambient temperature in the house adjusted immediately, a cool breeze wafting through.

Jung Shao leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, a grin tugging at his lips.

"Not gonna lie, I’ve always thought Yu Jin was a natural at playing dumb, but tonight? He outdid himself."

Yu Jin shot him a mock glare, and the two exchanged a laugh.

Professor Meng took a seat across from Long Yifan, his usual stern expression softened. "It was a necessary act. Otherwise, Gu Jin would be in constant danger."

Yan Mei, standing by the door, finally spoke, her tone calm but tinged with amusement.

"Though I have to admit, I didn’t think Yu Jin could pull it off without cracking."

"Excuse me?" Yu Jin said indignantly, pointing at her. "Who do you think kept the whole charade from falling apart? If it wasn’t for me, Gu Aihan would’ve sniffed out something fishy in no time."

Sheng Han, quiet until now, stepped forward, her gaze landing on Gu Jin’s room.

"Alright, enough banter," she said with a no-nonsense tone.

She turned to Long Yifan.

"Pass her to me. I’ll take care of cleaning her up and ensuring she’s comfortable."

Long Yifan nodded, his expression softening as he rose from his seat.

With careful precision, he carried Gu Jin from the room, her delicate figure still unconscious but stable.

He handed her to Sheng Han, his movements gentle, as though handling the most fragile treasure.

"Take good care of her," he said quietly.

Sheng Han gave him a reassuring nod. "You don’t need to worry. I’ll ensure she’s fine."

She disappeared into another room, the sound of running water following shortly after.

Jung Shao sighed and looked at Long Yifan with admiration,

"You know Yifan, I almost believed our act. Who would have thought that the people who are fighting and causing trouble for each other, are in fact one big group."

The reality was, that Long Yifan, Yu Jin, Jung Shao, Fei Hanzhou, Yan Mei, Sheng Han, and Professor Meng were a group.

Long Yifan always tried to keep his connections with others private. The primary reason was, that he didn’t want the Long Family to benefit from him and the secondary was Gu Aihan.

After all, if either of them knew the identity of his friends, they might beg him to introduce them and cling to him.

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