Chapter 627: Chapter 627: Arrangement
At first, she had been unsure if she should go at all.
The idea of being watched and judged for an entire year was not pleasant.
But when she saw the faces of her family and friends...people who believed in her, people who were counting on her...she understood something important.
’If I want to protect them... if I want to protect all necromancers... then I must go.’
And deep down, another thought came.
’If I work under Lady Ling, there’s a chance I could become the next Mighty Mage myself. And if I succeed, then no one will ever dare call necromancers evil again.’
Mighty Mage... the highest respectable profession. A professional the mages wanted to reach but had to work for years before reaching there.
As long as a couple works under Lady Ling on paper, they become a Mighty Mage couple. While the individuals working under Lady Ling... are called Mighty Mages.
Yet even those mighty mages have to pair with others, and she wondered who her partner would be.
Just then, she saw her parents objecting and how Long Yifan told them he was going too...
She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. ’I would prefer if he stayed behind,’ she thought. This will only get more complicated.
But fate had other plans.
Just then, Lady Ling started to walk toward Gu Jin.
Her presence was so graceful, so powerful, that everyone felt the air grow still.
Her white robes seemed to glow softly, and though no one dared meet her gaze directly, her aura alone was enough to make hearts tremble.
Even Gu Jin, who was usually calm, froze for a second.
Lady Ling stopped in front of her and held out her hand. "Gu Jin," she said gently.
"Do not be afraid. I will take good care of you. And you will not go alone. Long Yifan will come with us."
Gu Jin frowned slightly. She wanted to protest, to say that she didn’t want him there, but she knew it was useless. Lady Ling’s words were final.
However... what she couldn’t understand was Lady Ling’s friendly behavior. Why was Lady Ling so polite with her?
Behind Lady Ling, a group of powerful mages stood watching silently.
Among them were the current Mighty Mage couple, guardians of the God of Magic. Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’They won’t be happy about this,’ she thought. ’They know that my arrival might change everything. Their power, their position... will be snatched by me...’
While she was thinking, Long Yifan walked up beside her with a small smile.
"It seems," he said, "that we’ll be living together for a while."
Gu Jin crossed her arms. "I will request a single room," she said coldly.
Long Yifan chuckled and shook his head. "That won’t happen. We’re going to spend a lot of time together. If we don’t, you might fall ill."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
He looked at her seriously. "Have you ever wondered why there are always two guardians of the God of Magic? Why not one?"
Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "No. I never thought about it."
"It’s because of balance," he explained patiently.
"The mage world is built on the harmony of yin and yang. Yin and yang are the two forces that keep everything stable...light and dark, life and death, creation and destruction. One cannot exist without the other."
He took a small step closer, lowering his voice.
"If only one mage guards the God, the balance breaks. Too much yin or too much yang causes chaos. But when a man and a woman guard together, they create harmony. That’s why a Mighty Mage is always a couple. One represents yin, the other yang."
Gu Jin stared at him for a long moment. "So you’re saying," she said slowly, "that I have to work with you."
"Yes," he replied with a smile. "Not just work with me. Trust me. Rely on me."
She looked away. "I don’t need anyone," she muttered.
Long Yifan only smiled more. "Maybe not now. But one day, you will."
The courtroom began to empty as people whispered excitedly about the decision.
Some were hopeful, some were terrified, and some were furious. But no matter their feelings, the future had been decided.
Gu Jin walked slowly toward the exit, Lady Ling beside her and Long Yifan a step behind.
Her family reached out as she passed, Mr. Gu grabbing her hand one last time.
"Please... be careful," he whispered, his voice trembling.
Gu Jin squeezed his hand gently. "I will," she said softly. "I promise."
Lady Ling looked at Mr. and Mrs. Gu, who were still standing beside their daughter with uneasiness in their eyes.
She walked closer to them, her expression turning serious but gentle.
"There is no need to worry," she said softly. "If there is even the smallest danger, I will make sure your daughter is safe. You have my word."
For a moment, both Mr. and Mrs. Gu were speechless.
Her words carried such conviction and gentleness that even their fear seemed to fade a little.
Mrs. Gu covered her mouth with her hand as tears filled her eyes.
"Then..." she whispered, voice trembling, "then we will trust you. Please... please take good care of our daughter."
Mr. Gu nodded, his eyes wet too. "We are entrusting her to you, Lady Ling."
Lady Ling bowed her head slightly.
"You have my promise," she said. "And you can spend today with her. Tomorrow morning, I will come to pick her up."
Hearing those words, the Gu family felt a wave of relief wash over them.
They would have one more day.
One more day to talk, to laugh, and to hold their daughter before she was taken far away for a whole year.
After Lady Ling and the powerful mages left the courtroom, Gu Jichun leaned close to Gu Jin.
Her voice was low but worried. "Lady Ling seemed nice," she said, glancing at the doorway. "But the people around her... they looked really hostile toward you."
Gu Jin’s face stayed calm. "Of course they are," she replied quietly. "I am going to take their position. They know it, and they hate me for it."
Gu Jichun frowned. "If that’s the case, they should argue about it openly. Why act so shamelessly? It’s childish."
Gu Jin didn’t respond.
The Gu family tried to focus on happier thoughts.
They were deeply grateful that they could spend one more day with her.
But reality kept creeping back into their minds. Tomorrow, she would be gone.
"By the way," Gu Jichun asked suddenly, "what about your university degree? How will you finish your classes?"
Before Gu Jin could answer, Long Yifan spoke up.
"I already talked with the principal of Beijing University," he said.
"He agreed to give Gu Jin online lectures. Her final exams will be held near Lady Ling’s place, and her performance will be graded there."
"Oh," Gu Jichun said with relief. "That’s good."
Then another thought came to her. "And the alchemy competition? What will happen to that?"
Long Yifan chuckled.
"That’s taken care of, too. Because of her special situation, they will keep a spot open for her. If they reach the final round, Gu Jin can just join them then. If they don’t reach it, then it’s not worth worrying about."
Gu Jichun nodded. "That makes sense."
She paused for a moment before asking, "And your own competition?"
Long Yifan laughed lightly. "I’ve already resigned as captain of my team. I’ll join them directly in the finals."
Gu Jichun stared at him, surprised by the cheerful smile on his face. "You don’t look sad at all," she muttered.
"Why would I be sad?" Long Yifan grinned. "Would you be sad if you were given the chance to spend one whole year with Gu Jin?"
Gu Jichun thought for a second and then shook her head. "I guess not. I’d be happy."
"Exactly," Long Yifan said. "So am I."
The entire Gu family’s mood dropped immediately.
They all glared at Long Yifan, their faces full of annoyance.
For a moment, they wanted to throw him out of the house and go in his place. But they knew that wasn’t possible.
Gu Jihu clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and calmed himself.
Then he turned to Gu Jin.
"I’ll help you pick out some outfits that have strong defensive clothes," he offered.
But Gu Jin shook her head. "There’s no need," she said. "I already have plenty of clothes. Instead, let’s just spend time together today."
Everyone stared at her in surprise. It was rare for her to say something so soft, so human.
For the first time, it felt like the coldness around her heart had melted just a little.
Something was changing in her.
Ever since she had woken up from her coma, the emptiness and detachment in her heart seemed to be fading. Little by little, she was starting to feel again.
Was she really healing? Was she finally beginning to recover from the pain that had followed her for so long?
The thought made them both happy and emotional. One by one, they exchanged glances before nodding silently.