The Mighty Mage-Chapter 421: First Round

Just as Gu Jin finished writing the paper, a paper ball fell off her bench.

Gu Jin glanced at the small paper ball that had rolled onto the floor near her feet.

Her expression remained indifferent as she bent down to pick it up.

Carefully unfolding it, she read the hastily scrawled words:

"Meet me after the exam. I have something important to tell you."

There was no signature.

Gu Jin frowned slightly but didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she crumpled the note into a tiny ball and flicked it away without a second thought.

Whatever it was, it was unlikely to be of any real importance.

The theoretical exam continued for another hour.

Gu Jin calmly checked each question, her brush gliding across the parchment with precision.

Her knowledge of alchemy was leagues above the rest, and she completed the test well before the allotted time.

After reviewing her answers once, she placed her brush down and closed her eyes, waiting for the proctors to announce the end.

All around her, students were frantically scribbling, their brows furrowed in frustration. Some glanced at Gu Jin, envious of her composure.

Others, especially her rivals, clenched their teeth in irritation.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the test. The proctors collected the papers, and murmurs filled the hall.

"She finished so fast! Do you think she got all the answers right?"

"Tch! Just because she looks calm doesn’t mean she’s the best."

Ignoring the chatter, Gu Jin stood and exited the hall.

"Gu Jin," a voice called out.

She looked up to see Shen Yue, a fellow competitor and one of the top alchemists in the academy. He was tall, with sharp, intelligent eyes and an air of confidence that never wavered.

"I assume you wrote that note," Gu Jin said, crossing her arms.

Shen Yue smiled. "You assume correctly. I wanted to speak with you privately."

"I’m not interested." freeweɓnovel.cѳm

"Not even if it’s about the upcoming rounds?"

Gu Jin narrowed her eyes slightly but remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

Shen Yue took that as permission to speak.

"In the next competition, we all will be given a list of medicinal herbs which we will have to identify and bring back to the stage within 1 hour.

You belong to a noble family yourself, so your parents will warn you about what I am going to tell, but I will still relay the message to you.

Some of the noble families and wealthy families know about your ranking and will try to mess up with your result.

The Shen family of Beijing doesn’t want to offend you, and hence, I am here to express my goodwill by warning you in advance."

Gu Jin’s expression remained unreadable as she studied Shen Yue. His face was calm, but his words carried weight.

"Mess with my result?" she repeated, her voice flat. "How?"

Shen Yue leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.

"They’ll use every means possible—switching the herb samples, bribing the examiners, even planting false information among the competitors. The goal isn’t just to hinder you; it’s to ensure their own candidates rank higher."

Gu Jin tapped her fingers lightly against her arm.

"I expected underhanded tactics, but to tamper with an official competition? How bold."

Shen Yue gave a wry smile.

"The National Alchemy Competition is more than just a test of skill. It determines influence, status, and even resource allocation among noble families. Some will go to any lengths to tilt the odds in their favor."

He tilted his head, golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

"It would be entertaining to watch you crush them despite their schemes."

Gu Jin smirked slightly at that. "Then you won’t be disappointed."

Shen Yue nodded. "I expected nothing less. Just be careful. They might try something beyond just tampering with herbs."

The result was announced, and Gu Jin ranked first in the theory exams.

Her answer was accurate and on point, making the paper checker frown. Even they were in dilemma on how to find mistakes in her paper.

"Who is the first ranker?"

"Someone named Gu Jin."

"Gu Jin? Who is that?"

Some of the students who hadn’t seen Gu Jin in the National Alchemy Competition were confused by the sudden emergence of a dark horse.

However, 80% of the noble family or sponsored students knew about Gu Jin because of the rumor that was circulated in the circle.

Gu Jin has already reached the Earth Rank.

It was shocking news for all the candidates.

If the rumor was true, then Gu Jin was destined to rule the National Alchemy Competition for the next 3 years.

However, those students who knew about Gu Jin decided to keep their mouths shut.

The reason was simple. The wealthy families were going to deal with her. Geniuses like Gu Jin were like a hindrance for wealthy families.

If Gu Jin was some orphan, they would still be a little gentler to Gu Jin and would have asked to join them, but Gu Jin already belonged to a wealthy family, so recruiting her was out of choice.

For some students, Gu Jin was nothing more than an obstacle.

One such person was Wei Lin, the young heir of the Wei family, a noble house notorious for manipulating competitions.

Sitting among a cluster of competitors, he let out a short laugh as he scanned the results.

"First, in theory?" Wei Lin scoffed, tossing the result sheet onto the table in front of him. "Let’s see if she’s just as flawless in the practical round."

The students around him exchanged glances.

One of them hesitated before speaking, "Are you thinking of... handling the problem?"

Wei Lin smirked. "Oh, I don’t need to handle her myself. I just need to make sure she doesn’t make it back in time."

A few of his lackeys chuckled knowingly.

If Gu Jin was removed from the equation, everything would proceed smoothly.

Wei Lin wasn’t the only one plotting against Gu Jin.

Two other competitors—Zhao Ming and Luo Fei—had their own plans.

Zhao Ming, the son of a high-ranking official, was known for his cunning rather than his alchemy skills.

He was quick-witted but lazy, relying on shortcuts to stay ahead.

Luo Fei, on the other hand, came from a family of renowned alchemists.

However, he lacked the talent to match his family’s reputation. Jealous of Gu Jin’s success, he was determined to take her down.

The three of them sat in a secluded corner of the academy courtyard, whispering among themselves.

"Wei Lin’s plan is simple," Zhao Ming said, leaning forward. "But what if it fails?"

Luo Fei frowned.

"Then we need backup plans. I say we switch the herb list before she even enters the forest. If she searches for the wrong ingredients, she’ll fail on her own."

Wei Lin smirked. "That’s a decent plan, but we need something more... direct."

Zhao Ming chuckled.

"I have an idea. There’s a rare herb that looks almost identical to one of the required ingredients. The only difference? It’s slightly poisonous. If Gu Jin picks it, she’ll be disqualified."

Luo Fei grinned.

"That would ruin her reputation. Everyone would say she’s careless and unworthy of first place."

Wei Lin nodded. "Good. We’ll put both plans into action."

Unaware of their schemes, Gu Jin returned to her home.

Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu were pacing in the living room. Gu Jihu and Gu Jichun were trying to calm them down,

"Gu Jin will definitely pass the exam. Don’t worry, her talent is great in alchemy."

"Exactly."

Her siblings, Gu Jihu and Gu Jichun, sat on the couch, trying to calm them down.

"Gu Jin will definitely pass the exam. Don’t worry, her talent is great in alchemy," Gu Jihu reassured them.

"Exactly," Gu Jichun agreed, though her voice held a hint of nervousness.

Just then, Gu Jichun’s eyes landed on the entrance, and she gasped.

"Gu Jin is back!" she exclaimed.

At once, Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu turned toward the doorway. Seeing their daughter standing there, they rushed to her side.

"Jin’er! Did anyone try to harm you?" Mrs. Gu asked anxiously, scanning Gu Jin from head to toe as if checking for injuries.

"I am alright but..." Gu Jin stopped midway through her sentence.

"But what? What happened, Jin’er? Just tell me." Mr. Gu asked anxiously.

"I..." she began, her voice soft. "I didn’t make it."

The room fell silent.

Mrs. Gu’s face turned pale. "What? That’s impossible!"

Mr. Gu’s hands clenched into fists. "It must be the examiner’s mistake! Or—" his eyes flashed with suspicion—"someone tampered with your paper!"

Without another word, he pulled out his phone. "I’ll call Old Master Zhou. He has connections with the examination board. We’ll demand a re-evaluation immediately!"

Mrs. Gu quickly followed, grabbing her own phone. "I’ll contact Lady Feng. She’ll help us get to the bottom of this!"

Gu Jihu and Gu Jichun were already discussing who might have sabotaged Gu Jin.

But before anyone could make a call, Gu Jin lifted a hand, stopping them.

"No need," she said, her voice calm.