The Mighty Mage-Chapter 495: Farewell Party

"Watch your words." Gu Jin warned. freewebnøvel.com

Qiao Feng sighed and said helplessly,

"Alright! Alright! I am the wrong one! I accept it!"

Long Yifan smiled when Gu Jin took his side.

Just as the team finished wrapping up their training session for the day, Instructor Luo approached from the side of the field, his expression more serious than usual.

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows behind him, but his calm voice cut through the golden haze.

"Gu Jin," he called out.

She turned, brushing the ash of a recent explosion off her sleeves. "Yes, Instructor?"

Instructor Luo glanced briefly at Long Yifan, who stood nearby, arms crossed, still glaring in Qiao Feng’s general direction, before shifting his gaze back to her.

"The investigation concerning Han Xiaoyu has reached the Magic Council. All evidence has been presented, and now the case will go to trial."

Gu Jin’s brows furrowed slightly.

"You are being summoned," Luo continued, handing her a sealed document.

"They want your statement. After all, you were the one she targeted."

A strange silence fell over the group as the team looked over, clearly recognizing the name.

"If all goes as expected..." Luo’s voice grew heavy,

"Han Xiaoyu will be sentenced. Two hundred years in magical prison—possibly more. And if the Council deems her crime unforgivable..."

He didn’t say it, but Gu Jin understood.

Execution.

Gu Jin nodded once. "I understand."

Instructor Luo gave her a small, approving nod.

"Good. That will be tomorrow morning. But I want to let you know something else."

He looked out over the team.

"This will likely be the last time you see your teammates for a long while. The regional teams are disbanding the day after tomorrow.

Everyone will return to their provinces or new assignments. You, too, will leave for your international role shortly after."

Gu Jin was quiet.

"So spend some time with them. Tonight, maybe have a small celebration," Luo suggested. "You’ve all come a long way."

Then, with his usual elegance, he turned and walked away.

Later that afternoon, while the rest of the team went off to prepare for the impromptu farewell party, Gu Jin returned to her dorm room.

She didn’t change into party clothes or scroll through her phone. Instead, she sat at her desk, opened a leather-bound notebook, and began writing.

One page per teammate.

A full analysis.

She listed their weaknesses in alchemy—wrong measurements, unstable formations, poor heat control.

But she didn’t stop there. Under each weakness, she wrote solutions. Techniques. Tips.

Notes from her personal research. Even little encouragements in her careful, neat handwriting.

By the time the sun had dipped below the horizon, she was still writing.

Long Yifan leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, watching her.

"You’re really doing all that?" he asked.

Gu Jin didn’t look up. "Yes."

"You think they’ll even remember this? You’ve already helped them in training. They might thank you now, but in a few months..." He shrugged. "They’ll probably forget."

Gu Jin paused, pen hovering over the page.

She looked out the window. "It doesn’t matter."

"Doesn’t matter?" Long Yifan echoed. "Then why are you doing it?"

She turned slightly toward him, her voice calm but firm.

"Because I aim for my own victory. Not just on the battlefield, but in knowing I did my part well. Whether they remember or not isn’t the point."

Long Yifan’s lips curled into a knowing smile.

"Then why aren’t you training?" he asked smoothly.

"If you really cared only about winning, you’d be out there practicing making two pills at once in different cauldrons like you’ve been obsessing over for weeks."

Gu Jin’s head snapped around. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said innocently, walking over to her desk.

"You haven’t even touched your dual cauldrons today. That’s very unlike you, oh mighty alchemy genius.

You’re spending hours writing personalized feedback books instead. Curious, isn’t it?"

She glared at him, narrowing her eyes.

"If you say one more word—just one—I will kick you out. And you’ll be sleeping in the hallway tonight."

Long Yifan raised both hands like a criminal caught red-handed.

"Understood. Silent mode: activated."

He zipped his lips, then made a show of locking them with an invisible key and tossing it behind him.

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

The hallway outside the main hall was unusually quiet.

Gu Jin walked slowly, holding the notebook in her hand—her gift to the team.

She could hear the faint hum of energy behind the double doors, but no music, no chatter.

Strange, she thought. I thought they were having a party.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Darkness greeted her.

The wide hall—usually so lively—was silent, with not a single light on.

No music, no voices, nothing but the soft sound of her own footsteps echoing off the walls.

For a moment, Gu Jin frowned. Did I come to the wrong place?

She turned, ready to leave—

Click.

The lights turned on all at once, flooding the room in warm, golden brightness.

A burst of confetti exploded in the air, and loud voices filled the space.

"Surprise!"

Gu Jin blinked, stunned.

Her entire team stood in front of her, grinning from ear to ear.

Balloons floated above their heads, streamers decorated the walls, and a large banner hung overhead that read in messy but enthusiastic handwriting:

"Thank You, Captain Gu Jin!"

Bai Yu ran forward with a party hat in hand and quickly placed it on Gu Jin’s head.

"Don’t just stand there, Captain! Come in!"

Lin Yue tugged her arm, dragging her forward into the center of the room.

Gu Jin stared, almost suspicious. "What is all this?"

Zhou Lei laughed.

"It’s your farewell party, obviously! You thought you could sneak away tomorrow without letting us thank you?"

Qiao Feng crossed his arms.

"We wouldn’t let you go like that. Not after everything you’ve done."

Then, one by one, each member stepped forward.

Lin Yue was the first. She clasped her hands together nervously and looked up at Gu Jin.

"I... I used to think I’d never improve," she said, her voice soft.

"But you showed me I could. You never sugarcoated things, but you always gave me something to work on.

You believed I could get better. So... thank you, Captain. I’ll never forget that."

Next was Meng Hao, unusually serious for once.

"I joined the team because I liked winning," he admitted.

"But after training with you... I realized there’s more to it. You made me care about doing things right. About alchemy itself. I’ll keep working hard. For real this time."

Zhou Lei stepped forward with a lazy grin.

"I used to think you were terrifying," he said, scratching his head.

"But turns out, you’re just a perfectionist with no patience for idiots. Which... honestly, fair. Thanks for pushing me. You’re the best captain I’ve had."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "That’s not saying much. You’ve only had two."

"Still counts," Zhou said quickly, then stepped back.

Yun Qing was next. She held a small potted plant in her hands—clearly a gift.

"You helped me understand more about plant-based ingredients than I ever learned in class. This is for you," she said, offering the plant.

"It’s a rare hybrid. I thought you might like it."

Gu Jin took it carefully. "...Thank you."

Even Qiao Feng looked serious for once as he approached.

"I always joke around. But you... You saw through that. You didn’t let me off easy. You challenged me to be better.

I’ll never forget how much you believed in this team. And I swear, if anyone says anything bad about you in the future..." He cracked his knuckles. "They’ll hear from me."

Bai Yu wiped her eyes dramatically. "Now I’m going to cry!"

"Oh no," Meng Hao groaned. "Here we go."

Bai Yu sniffled.

"Captain... You’re strict and scary and brilliant, and I admire you more than anyone. If I ever get half as good as you, I’ll be proud."

Gu Jin looked around at them all—these people who, just weeks ago, were strangers. Now, they stood like family. Not perfect, but loyal. Changed.

She was quiet for a long moment.

Then Long Yifan stepped beside her, smirking

"Well, Captain Gu...I take my words back. Your team does remember you."

Gu Jin rolled her eyes but said nothing.

Qiao Feng stepped forward again and raised a glass of fruit punch.

"To Gu Jin," he declared. "The best alchemist, the scariest mentor, and the only person who could turn a bunch of reckless amateurs into a real team."

The others raised their glasses too.

"To Gu Jin!"

Gu Jin lifted hers slowly.

"To the team," she said softly. "And your future victories."

Cheers echoed across the hall, and music finally began to play.

That night, the laughter, stories, and dancing lasted long into the evening.

Before Gu Jin left, all 6 members gave her a small box.

When she was about to open it, Lin Yue stopped her and said with a blushing face,

"Open it only when you are alone... wear it the next time you meet us in the International Alchemy Competition."