The Mighty Mage
Chapter 515: Winner Gu Jin

Chapter 515: Chapter 515: Winner Gu Jin

"Who is she?"

"She’s not just strong... She’s terrifying!"

"Emperor Rank plant element... Thunder element mastery... She’s been hiding this whole time."

"Hey, now that I remember, she had used the thunder element in the battle against Nan Bei, too."

"She has been in the thunder department since the beginning, too!"

"Wait! What are you talking about? She is in the fire department, too!"

"What the hell! But she had used the plant element just today and the undead element yesterday."

"So she had taken that potion too, huh?"

"I don’t think so. In fact, I had heard that when she was admitted into Beijing University, she was just an orphan."

"What the f*ck do you mean?"

That question hung heavy in the air.

Everyone fell silent.

It didn’t make sense. Unless...

"Do you think she’s from some hidden family?" someone whispered.

Gu Jin didn’t react. She turned, walked off the stage, and disappeared into the corridor beneath the stands.

She still had one more match to win.

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

The arena was glowing under the setting sun. Evening light painted the clouds in shades of gold and crimson. The final match of the semester was about to begin.

Across the platform stood Luo Fei, dressed in white and pale green robes, his expression calm and proud.

He raised his hand to greet her. "Gu Jin. I’ve been waiting for this. I heard that you are a genius when it comes to both combat and alchemy. Alas, you have to meet me. Guess your winning streak ends here."

Gu Jin stepped forward, her face still and unreadable.

"Let’s see if your family name lives up to its reputation," she said coolly.

The crowd fell into a hush.

The judge raised his hand.

"Final match: Gu Jin versus Luo Fei. Begin!"

The ground trembled.

Luo Fei was the first to move. He summoned a wave of earth, the ground shifting and rising to form jagged walls and sharp boulders, blocking Gu Jin’s path.

At the same time, light energy shimmered around him like a barrier—his second element.

Super Rank in both.

The arena shook as the walls moved like living beasts, aiming to trap and crush her.

Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed.

Then she raised her hand—

And the entire battlefield bloomed.

Poisonous flowers burst from the cracks between stones. Vines thick as tree trunks shot up, tearing apart the rocky maze in seconds.

Luo Fei’s expression changed.

Then lightning crackled.

Gu Jin stepped through the smoke and chaos, thunder dancing at her fingertips. She struck like lightning itself—fast, sharp, and impossible to follow.

Luo Fei raised a shield of light, barely blocking her attack.

But it was too late.

The vines had already wrapped around his legs, thorns biting into his skin and draining his energy.

She didn’t give him time to recover.

A final bolt of thunder struck down from above, crashing into him and forcing him to his knees.

The arena went silent.

Then the judge raised his hand.

"Gu Jin wins! She is the number one ranked mage of this semester!"

The crowd erupted.

Some screamed. Some just sat in stunned silence. Others stood up, clapping hard, unable to believe what they had just seen.

The commentators couldn’t help themselves and said one by one,

"This year has been surprising. The toppers of the monthly exams were crushed by a genius alchemist, who has also turned out to be a top-ranked Mage!"

"A history has been made today! Who would have thought that a versatile mage existed in the first years?"

"Indeed. Now I am looking forward to the day when the competition between the first year and all the other years will be held."

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

Gu Jin finished with her battle and walked out of Beijing University.

She had asked Wen Xue to meet her in the same room as the previous time.

The moment she opened the door, Wen Xue greeted her,

"Good afternoon. And congratulations on ranking first in the semester ranking."

Gu Jin nodded, however, the aura around her was cold as she sat on the sofa. She asked,

"Is there anything that you would like to tell me?"

She was giving him the chance. The chance to tell everything on his own accord.

Wen Xue smiled calmly, as if her sharp tone hadn’t touched him at all.

He poured a cup of tea and slid it toward her. "Why the sudden coldness, Gu Jin? You weren’t like this before."

Gu Jin didn’t even glance at the tea.

"I’m only going to ask once," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "Who are you really?"

Wen Xue’s smile faded just a little. His fingers tapped lightly against the table.

"I don’t understand what you mean."

Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed.

"No records. No clan seal. No bloodline trace. The Prophet Clan says you don’t exist."

That made him pause.

The silence between them grew heavier.

Then Wen Xue leaned back in his chair and sighed softly. "So you had me investigated."

"I had to," Gu Jin said coldly.

"I don’t trust people who lie to me. You’ve been hiding your background since the beginning. So tell me—are you from the rebel branch that was wiped out thirty years ago?"

Wen Xue didn’t answer immediately. He stared at her, and for the first time, there was no smile in his eyes. Just quiet intensity.

"Does it matter?" he finally asked.

Gu Jin stood slowly, her presence pressing down like a storm. "It does. In a way, I am helping you. If any of them come in my direction, then I will charge more."

Wen Xue’s jaw tightened.

Then, after a long moment, he said,

"Yes. I’m from the offshoot branch. The one that was supposed to be ’wiped out.’ But not everything is what it seems, Gu Jin. The main Prophet Clan wasn’t innocent either."

"It doesn’t matter to me." Gu Jin said coldly. "You tricked me. The deal is off."

With that, she stood up, but Wen Xue stopped her,

"Please don’t leave me. At least give me a chance to explain everything."

"I already told you, if you tried to trick me, I won’t help you." Gu Jin’s eyes flashed with coldness.

Wen Xue panicked and shouted,

"I never planned to put you in danger. No one will know that you are there other than a few people."

Gu Jin narrowed her eyes,

"What?"

"I... I only asked you to pretend to be my girlfriend because it was a condition put forth by those who are supporting me in the rebellion." Wen Xue explained in a soft voice.

"I also didn’t tell you everything purely because I don’t plan to drag you into my mess. Once you know everything, you will be dragged into my mess."

Compared to the previous composed air, Wen Xue looked much more panicked today.

Gu Jin crossed her arms, watching him closely. "So you survived. Why hide it?"

"Because the world doesn’t accept survivors," Wen Xue said bitterly.

"They fear us. The moment I reveal who I really am, I’ll have a target on my back—not just from the Prophet Clan, but from all the families that supported them during the purge."

"But what I don’t understand as to why you are asking me to pretend to be your girlfriend?" she asked quietly.

Wen Xue lowered his eyes. His voice was soft, almost like a whisper.

"...Because they don’t trust me."

Gu Jin frowned. "What?"

"The ones supporting the rebellion," he said, finally meeting her gaze.

"They’re powerful, cautious, and cruel. To them, everything is a chessboard. And I’m just one of the pieces. They said I needed to show I had someone... someone by my side who wasn’t just loyal, but smart, talented, and difficult to buy."

He paused. "They meant you."

Gu Jin stared at him in silence.

"You think pretending to date me would fix that?" she asked.

Wen Xue gave a dry laugh.

"Not fix, but buy time. I’ve told them we’re close. That you trust me. That if they tried anything against me, they’d face you too. It was the only way to make them hesitate."

"Trust you?" Gu Jin’s tone was sharp now. "You lied to me. Used me. How do you expect me to believe anything you say?"

"I don’t," Wen Xue said honestly.

"But I had no choice. I really didn’t want you involved. That’s why I never told you everything. But things are changing. Fast. The Prophet Clan is stirring again, and the rebels are getting desperate. If they think I’ve failed them... they’ll remove me. Or worse."

"Then run," Gu Jin said coldly. "Hide. That’s what you’ve been doing, isn’t it?"

Wen Xue’s face twisted. "I was hiding. But now I want to fight back. And I can’t do that alone. I need allies I can trust. I need you, Gu Jin."

She shook her head.

"You need someone to be your shield. Someone to stand in front so you can survive. That’s not trust. That’s cowardice."