The Mighty Mage-Chapter 477: Dead Bodyguard

Zhao Lili sat down on the stone bench outside the dorms, crossing her arms and biting her lip. Her face was full of anger.

Han Xiaoyu sat beside her, whispering,

"Don’t worry. Gu Jin can’t do much now. She’s under watch. As for the bodyguard, let’s see what will happen to him."

....

Gu Jin sat on the bed, eyes closed, resting.

A soft knock came from the door.

She opened her eyes and said, "Come in."

The door opened, and Bai Yu stepped in first, followed by the others.

Gu Jin didn’t look surprised.

"Come in."

"We wanted to hear your side," Bai Yu said seriously. "Zhao Lili said some very serious things."

"I know," Gu Jin said. She walked over to the small table and poured some tea. "Sit. I’ll tell you everything."

One by one, they sat down.

Gu Jin didn’t beat around the bush and told them everything. freēnovelkiss.com

"So you mean to say Zhao Lili might want to assassinate you, and hence she was protecting him?" Bai Yu asked with a frown.

Gu Jin nodded slowly.

"I don’t have full proof yet. But that man didn’t act like a bodyguard. Real guards don’t hide behind curtains and use shadow and psychic magic to stab people in the back. And Zhao Lili didn’t look surprised when she saw him. She acted like she knew."

Lin Yue leaned forward. "But she said he went to the wrong room by mistake."

Gu Jin gave a small smile.

"And just happened to attack me? With a silent blade, no warning? Come on. If he was really lost, why didn’t he ask for help? Why didn’t she scold him for being in my room?"

The others looked at each other. They could see her point.

Zhou Lei crossed his arms.

"That’s true. And Zhao Lili didn’t look scared when she showed up. She was mad. She started throwing water attacks, not asking questions."

"Exactly," Gu Jin said. "She wanted to shut me up before I could report him."

Meng Hao rubbed his chin.

"And what about the part where she said you were muttering about kicking her off the team?"

"Do you truly think I need such a petty trick to kick someone less talented than me off the team?"

Bai Yu: "..." Ultra kill!

Yun Qing: "..." This sis needs to hesitate!

Qiao Feng: "..." What a way to present the truth.

Zhao Lei: "...." I will never fight with her.

Lin Yue: "..." Jin is indeed dangerous.

Meng Hao: "..." How straightforward.

Lin Yue nodded. "So... what do we do now?"

Gu Jin looked at them all.

"You don’t have to do anything. The truth will come out when they test the bodyguard with truth magic. I’ll wait."

"No way," Qiao Feng said, shaking his head. "We believe you. If Zhao Lili keeps spreading lies, we need to speak up too."

"Yeah!" Yun Qing agreed. "She’s trying too hard to act innocent. It feels fake."

The others stayed with Gu Jin for a little longer, then left one by one.

When the door closed behind them, the room became quiet again.

Gu Jin stood by the window, staring out at the night sky. Her eyes were calm, but her mind was busy.

She picked up her coat, then left her room quietly. She didn’t tell anyone where she was going.

.......

By the time Gu Jin returned, the moon was still out, but the night had grown colder.

As she stepped into the dorm room, she saw Lin Yue, Yun Qing, and Qiao Feng fixing their beds.

Lin Yue looked up and gave her a small wave.

"You’re back."

Gu Jin nodded once. "Mm."

She didn’t say more and quietly walked over to her bed, pulling the sheets straight and fixing the pillow.

The others didn’t ask where she went. They could tell she didn’t want to talk right now.

......

Meanwhile, in another building far from the dorms...

The assassin was sitting in the middle of a cold room, tied tightly with thick ropes that glowed faintly — they were enchanted to stop magic use.

His eyes were sharp, even though he had no weapon. He didn’t look scared, just annoyed.

No one else was in the room.

Suddenly, the door creaked open.

The assassin’s eyes lit up. "You came! I knew it! You’re here to get me out, right?"

But the figure who stepped in didn’t speak at first. A soft hood covered their head, hiding their face in shadows. After a moment, the figure spoke in a low voice.

"No. I’m not here to save you."

The assassin blinked. "What? What do you mean?! You said you would protect me!"

"You were caught," the figure said. "If you talk, the master will be exposed. His plan will be ruined."

"No! I won’t say anything! I swear!" the assassin cried out, fear finally showing in his eyes.

But the figure didn’t listen.

"You can’t be trusted. You failed... and now you have to disappear."

The figure slowly pulled out a small, curved blade. It shimmered in the dark.

"No, wait! I—"

Before the assassin could finish, the figure stepped forward.

........

The next morning...

All eight students were called to Instructor Luo’s office.

They stood in a line, confused.

Instructor Luo looked at them with a serious face.

"Last night," he said, "the bodyguard died."

Everyone turned toward Gu Jin. Some were shocked, some confused.

Zhao Lili gasped loudly.

"No way! He’s dead?!" she cried out, tears suddenly rushing to her eyes. "Gu Jin! You, you killed him, didn’t you?!"

Everyone turned to look at her.

Zhao Lili pointed at Gu Jin with a shaking hand.

"You did it so no one could question him! You were scared he’d tell the truth! That you were lying! That you were the one doing bad things!"

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her voice cracked.

"Instructor Luo! Please, you must bring justice! She killed a person!"

"Was it truly me?" Gu Jin asked with a chuckle.

Zhao Lili gritted her teeth and said,

"Who else but you? The person who would gain the most after the bodyguards death would be you!"

Zhao Lili turned toward Instructor Luo with wide eyes and a face full of fake tears. She pointed at Gu Jin again and cried loudly,

"Instructor Luo! Gu Jin killed someone! According to the military rules, anyone who murders must be kicked off the team and locked up for over 200 years! Please, uphold the law!"

The room went quiet. Everyone looked at Instructor Luo, waiting.

But before he could speak, Gu Jin stepped forward, her voice calm and clear.

"So, according to the rule, if someone murders, they’ll be removed from the team and imprisoned for 200 years?"

Instructor Luo nodded slowly. "Yes. That is correct."

Gu Jin’s lips curled into a small smirk. Her next words made everyone freeze.

"Then Zhao Lili... you should get ready."

"What?!" Zhao Lili shouted. "What do you mean?!"

Before anyone could blink, the door opened again with a loud creak.

Several guards from the city patrol marched in, their steps heavy and firm. They walked straight toward Zhao Lili without a word.

"What’s going on?!" Zhao Lili cried, stepping back. "What are you doing?!"

One of the guards pulled out a pair of glowing cuffs and snapped them on her wrists.

Zhao Lili struggled. "Let me go! Why are you arresting me?! I didn’t do anything!"

She turned to Instructor Luo with a shocked and furious look.

"Instructor Luo! What is the meaning of this?!"

Instructor Luo stood tall and calm. His eyes looked down at her without emotion.

"Last night, Gu Jin came to me. She told me to keep a close eye on the assassin, in case someone tried to silence him."

Gasps filled the room.

"She was right," he continued. "I set up a special team to monitor him. In the middle of the night, someone did come."

Zhao Lili’s face turned pale.

"And guess what we found?" Instructor Luo said. "That person had a chat history and transaction records connecting back to you, Zhao Lili."

"No! That’s a lie!" she screamed. "I don’t know any assassin!"

At that moment, the side door opened again.

Two staff members came in, carrying a man between them. It was the assassin.

He was alive, but weak, with bandages on his arm. His eyes were full of anger as he stared at Zhao Lili.

"You... You lied to me," he growled. "You said you’d protect me. You said if I failed, you’d get me out safely. But instead... you tried to kill me!"

Zhao Lili’s eyes widened in panic. "I, I don’t know him! He’s making things up!"

The assassin’s face twisted with rage.

"I risked my life for you! I trusted you! And you wanted me dead!"

Zhao Lili shook her head wildly. "No! I don’t know him! He’s lying! She’s lying! They’re all lying!"

But no one believed her now.

Instructor Luo turned to the guards and said coldly, "Take her away."

"No! Wait! I didn’t do anything! I didn’t—"