The Mighty Mage-Chapter 442: Alchemist Families

"No need to worry." Gu Jin said with a smile, "I will manage it on my own. Thank you for informing me everything."

Old Xiang studied Gu Jin’s composed expression, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Gu Jin... this isn’t something you can handle alone," he said, his tone laced with concern.

"These families have roots that run deeper than you think. Their influence—"

"I know." Gu Jin’s eyes gleamed coldly, her smile fading.

"But if they think I’ll sit back and let them trample over me..."

Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the table again, her mind already strategizing.

"Then they’ve severely underestimated me."

Old Wu’s gaze softened with a trace of admiration.

"We know you’re capable, Gu Jin. But..."

"But I have more enemies than I can count," she finished for him, her lips curving slightly. "That’s nothing new."

Old Fan, despite his usual grumpy demeanor, was frowning deeply.

"These families don’t play fair, Gu Jin. They’ll use underhanded means to ruin you. They’re not just after your reputation — they’re after everything."

Gu Jin was silent before saying,

"No need to worry. My brand has long since surpassed its initial phase, and it won’t be easy to take it down; however, if all three of them worked together, there might be a chance...I just need to find someone who has more power to protect me till I establish myself."

The elders exchanged glances before saying,

"In fact, there is someone who can protect your brand."

"Who?"

"Ma Bence." Old Xiang answered. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Gu Jin blinked for a few seconds before she remembered who Ma Bence was.

A child prodigy who had mastered multiple elements — and not the basic ones either.

Rumors whispered that his elements included rare and forbidden types that hadn’t been seen for centuries.

But no one had ever confirmed them because no one had truly seen Ma Bence.

He was a shadow.

His existence was a mystery, and his influence was hidden beneath layers of secrecy.

Only a few even knew he was the heir to the Ma family — a family so powerful that even the top-tier alchemist clans tread carefully around them.

Gu Jin’s fingers tapped against the table, her expression unreadable.

"Ma Bence..." she murmured softly. "Why would someone like him be interested in protecting my brand?"

Old Xiang’s expression was serious as he spoke.

"The Ma family isn’t just involved in cultivation and alchemy, Gu Jin. They have deep ties to international trade and business as well.

Your brand is already making waves domestically, but if you want to expand globally, the Ma family’s support would be... invaluable."

Old Fan, surprisingly, nodded in agreement.

"And Ma Bence is the key. He’s not just the heir — he’s the one who controls most of the Ma family’s interests. If you can get him to take an interest in your brand... no one would dare touch you."

Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed, her mind already analyzing the situation.

"But Ma Bence doesn’t just offer his support to anyone," she said quietly, her voice laced with caution.

Old Wu gave her a small nod.

"Exactly. He’s... selective. No one knows what drives his decisions, but the people he chooses to support always rise to the top."

Gu Jin leaned back in her chair, her fingers brushing against her chin.

"How do I even get in touch with someone like Ma Bence?"

Old Xiang exchanged a glance with Old Fan and Old Wu before speaking carefully.

"We... may have a way."

Gu Jin’s eyes sharpened. "Go on."

"There’s a private auction happening in three days," Old Xiang said slowly. "An underground auction hosted by the Ma family."

Gu Jin’s brows lifted slightly.

"An underground auction?"

Old Fan nodded, his tone serious.

"Only those with status and influence can even get an invitation. Rare items... forbidden relics... things that aren’t sold through normal channels."

Gu Jin’s eyes gleamed.

"And Ma Bence will be there?"

Old Wu’s gaze was steady as he spoke.

"Yes."

Gu Jin’s mind raced. The next round of the alchemy competition was going to be held in Beijing city, but it was after 1 week.

So she still has time.

After thinking for a while, she decided to stay in Fujio City.

Suddenly, she thought about the temple, and after hesitating for a while, she asked,

"Um...grandpa...what if...I mean, just what if...I see a scene of a strange world suddenly."

Old Xiang, Old Fan, and Old Wu’s brows furrowed, and they asked,

"Can you explain clearly?"

"Well...I was roaming around the teleportation array from Beijing to Fujio city, the one that is broken. Near the teleportation array of Beijing City, there is a temple.

When I went inside that temple for the first time, nothing happened, but during the second time, I suddenly heard a conversation sound, so I walked toward the temple and as soon as I stood at the entrance, I saw a...strange underwater world...there were mermaids and a completely different civilization living there."

Old Xiang’s expression slowly changed to disbelief, and he was about to say something when Old Wu held him down and shook his head.

Old Fan, on the other hand, noticing their exchange, decided to stay silent too.

Gu Jin continued,

"The strangest part was...there was a mermaid that looked like me...well, technically her and mine hair color were different. There was also a mermaid who looked exactly like Long Yifan.

They were having a ridiculous conversation, and I wanted to intervene, but for some reason, but body seemed to have frozen, and I couldn’t move at all.

I only saw the scene for 5 minutes or so, but when the scene vanished, 6 hours had passed. At first, I thought it was an illusion array, but...now I don’t think so. Can you tell me what exactly happened?"

Old Xiang asked in a gentle tone.

"Can you tell us about the temple first?"

Gu Jin was confused by his question. But thinking about how she might be the only one who had entered the temple, she answered,

"Well, the temple..."

She told them about the passage and the teleportation core she found in the temple and how it looked before turning silent.

Old Wu patted Old Xiang’s hand and said,

"Well...Gu Jin, don’t panic when we say this...but I think your psychological condition has... deteriorated."

Gu Jin wasn’t offended and asked,

"Why do you say so? Because of the scene I saw? Well, it is indeed strange..."

"No." Old Fan who was silent till now, shook his head. "It’s not because of that."

Old Wu nodded solemnly while Old Xiang said in a calm voice,

"Well, you see...there is no temple around the teleportation array of Beijing City."

Gu Jin froze before chuckling,

"I am not talking about the teleportation array in Beijing City, I am talking about the one in the middle of the forest."

Old Xiang looked at Gu Jin with a hint of pity before shaking his head,

"Well...we talking about that teleportation array too. The one in the forest. The one that is connected to the teleportation array of the southern part of the Fujio city."

Gu Jin’s brows furrowed.

"Impossible." Her voice was firm, her mind racing.

"I saw it. I walked inside. I touched the walls. I found the teleportation core. It was real."

Old Fan’s expression was unusually serious, his usual grumpiness replaced with something close to worry.

"Gu Jin," he said slowly, his eyes narrowing.

"That teleportation array has been abandoned for centuries. It’s been checked and rechecked by countless experts.

No one has ever reported the existence of a temple nearby. If there was anything there, the sects and the major families would have discovered it long ago."

Gu Jin’s pulse quickened.

No temple?

But I was there. I walked inside it... I saw it.

Her heartbeat quickened as doubt began to creep into her mind. But no...

It wasn’t an illusion.

It couldn’t be.

"Are you saying... I imagined all of it?" Gu Jin’s voice was calm, but her eyes betrayed her turmoil.

Old Wu’s expression was gentle as he spoke, his tone filled with hesitation.

"Not exactly... but..."

Old Xiang exchanged another glance with the other two elders before saying carefully,

"Gu Jin, we will consult with your psychologist. Why don’t you take some rest?"

Gu Jin remained silent. At that point, she didn’t know what was reality or what was fake...

She left the alchemy tower after chatting for a while.

On reaching her heart had turned heavy, yet she refused to give up.

She searched the images of the teleportation array in the forest of Beijing City.

Gu Jin’s fingers clenched around her phone as she stared at the screen, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

The images clearly showed the familiar clearing where the teleportation array stood — ancient, broken, and covered in moss — but there was no sign of the temple.

How is that possible? Was it truly her imagination?