The Mighty Mage-Chapter 538: Information

The one running looked panicked and messy. Her clothes were different—not like anyone else’s.

Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed.

That woman’s identity might be just what I need...

She crouched low and watched, careful not to draw attention.

One of the policewomen shouted, "Stop running! Surrender now!"

"You stole two loaves of bread and a glass of milk! Do you want to be executed?!"

The running woman didn’t answer. She just kept running, her breathing rough, her steps desperate.

Gu Jin’s brows furrowed.

Executed? For stealing food? That’s crazy.

In her own world, stealing bread and milk would maybe land someone in jail for a short time. Not death.

But then the second policewoman yelled something that made Gu Jin freeze.

"That milk cost 20 billion mutes!"

"And the bread—100 billion mutes! You’ll pay for this crime!"

Gu Jin’s jaw nearly dropped.

What?!

She had never heard of food being so expensive.

Gu Jin quietly followed behind the two policewomen and the woman they called a criminal. She kept her head low and stayed hidden behind trees and rocks. They didn’t notice her.

Soon, they reached a dead-end—a narrow cliff with nowhere to run. The wind blew gently, but the air felt heavy with tension.

One of the policewomen stepped forward and shouted, "Stop right there! If you don’t listen, we’ll kill you!"

The woman turned around, panting hard. Her face was pale and sweaty, her hands shaking.

"It was just two loaves of bread and a glass of milk!" she cried. "Why are you chasing me like I killed someone?"

The other policewoman gave a cold smile. "Think carefully. Who do you think you’ve offended? That might help you understand."

The woman frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?! That bread didn’t even cost two mutes! And you’re saying it’s worth 100 billion? You’re lying! Why are you doing this to me?!"

The policewomen didn’t hide anymore. They smiled calmly, like they had full control.

One of them said, "You’re not just anyone. You’re the real daughter of a powerful official."

Gu Jin, still hidden, blinked in surprise.

The woman’s eyes widened in shock.

The other officer continued, "You were switched at birth. The fake daughter found out and now she wants your identity. And your death. That way, no one will ever know the truth."

"No... no way..." the woman whispered, dropping to her knees.

"I won’t ask for much," she begged. "You can take everything. I’ll disappear. I’ll leave this place. Just let me live. Please."

Tears fell from her cheeks.

But the two policewomen only smiled cruelly and raised their guns.

They were really going to shoot her.

Gu Jin narrowed her eyes. She had seen enough.

In a flash, she pulled out a small pouch hidden in her sleeve. It was filled with a special sleeping poison she had made long ago.

She opened the pouch and lightly blew the powder into the air.

The wind helped her.

Within seconds, the three women began coughing.

The two policewomen stumbled, eyes wide with confusion.

The criminal woman looked around, trying to figure out what was happening.

Then, all three dropped to the ground with soft thuds—completely unconscious.

Gu Jin stepped out from the trees.

She walked over and checked their pulses. They were alive, just deeply asleep. Good. The poison would keep them unconscious for two whole months.

First, she moved to the policewomen and quickly threw them into her space, where time moved slowly. They would stay asleep in a quiet corner, far away from trouble.

Then, she turned to the woman.

Gu Jin took her identity license from her pocket. It had her name, age, and rank. That was all Gu Jin needed.

"I’m sorry," she whispered. "I’ll return your identity after I finish my task. And I’ll get justice for you."

She gently lifted the woman and placed her in her space as well.

After that, she took out a magical artifact. It shimmered in her hand. When she activated it, her face and body changed.

Her skin turned fairer, her height shifted slightly, and her face changed shape until she looked exactly like the criminal woman.

She picked out a green dress from her storage ring and tied her hair into two pigtails, just like the real woman.

She looked into a mirror and saw her new appearance.

Plain. Average. Nothing eye-catching.

Perfect.

She smiled and whispered, "Let’s begin."

Gu Jin left the dead-end quietly and walked into the main path. People passed by her, but no one gave her a second glance.

That meant her disguise worked.

Her heart felt a little lighter.

As she walked through the streets, she kept her eyes open and ears sharp. She needed information.

Especially about Long Yifan.

So, she walked into a small food shop. The smell of grilled meat and sweet pastries filled the air.

A cheerful shopkeeper behind the counter smiled at her.

"Welcome! Looking for something to eat?"

Gu Jin nodded. "Yes. What do you recommend?"

The shopkeeper handed her a few snacks wrapped in soft leaves. "Try these. They’re cheap and tasty."

Gu Jin thanked him, then looked around. In a casual voice, she asked,

"By the way... have you heard anything about that man? The one everyone’s hunting?"

The shopkeeper raised her eyebrows, then chuckled. "You? Asking about him? With your rank?"

Gu Jin tilted her head, acting curious. "Why not?"

She laughed again.

"You’re just a green official. You’ll never get to taste that man unless you climb to the top. Maybe in two years, if you’re lucky. But god knows till then the man would be alive or not!"

Gu Jin smiled awkwardly, pretending to agree.

But inside, she was relieved.

’So Long Yifan is still free.’

She looked at the shopkeeper again. "Do you know where he was last seen?"

"Why? Are you planning to catch him on your own and gain merit?"

Gu Jin puffed her chest and nodded,

"In that way, I will have enough rank to have a taste of that man."

The woman leaned on the counter. "Haha! What an ambitious girl! I was just like you in my prime days, now see where I am!"

Gu Jin looked at the woman’s pot belly and chubby hands and fell silent.

The woman continued,

"He was last spotted near Zhenmu Mountain. Big forest area. Hard to search. That man’s clever, I’ll give him that."

Gu Jin gave a polite nod to the shopkeeper and turned to leave.

But just as she stepped outside, the woman behind her shouted,

"Hey! Aren’t you going to buy something?!"

Gu Jin stopped, turned around, and gave a sweet smile.

"I will, someday. But since I’m ambitious and don’t want to end up like you... I need to start working hard from today."

The shopkeeper froze.

It took her a moment to realize what Gu Jin had just said.

Her eyes widened in shock, and her face turned red with anger. "You little brat!"

But by the time she opened her mouth to yell more, Gu Jin had already walked away.

The woman fumed behind her stall, muttering, "Kids these days... no respect at all!"

A few streets later, Gu Jin arrived at a large wooden board placed at the center of the plaza. It held the map of the entire city and surrounding lands.

She scanned it carefully, her eyes moving quickly.

"There it is... Zhenmu Mountain," she whispered.

But when she looked at the distance, her heart sank.

One hundred kilometers away?! she thought.

She bit her lip. That would take her at least four hours to go and come back if she rushed. And that was without any problems in between.

That won’t do. I need to make sure Jiang Wei’s daughter is safe first, she decided.

But then a sudden thought hit her.

Wait... I don’t even know the daughter’s name!

She took a deep breath and turned around. I guess I’ll have to go back...

Back at the food stall, the shopkeeper was still grumbling to herself when Gu Jin walked up again.

The woman looked up in surprise.

"What now? Realized my food’s too delicious to resist?" she said with a huff.

Gu Jin smiled and nodded. "I was halfway down the road and realized I couldn’t stop thinking about it."

The shopkeeper blinked. Then, slowly, a big grin spread across her face. "Haha! I knew it! I do have talent!"

She puffed up her chest with pride. "How many servings do you want?"

"Two," Gu Jin said.

As the woman began preparing the skewers, Gu Jin tried to act casual.

"So... that outsider woman who was caught earlier... what happened to her? Was she really captured?"

The shopkeeper gave Gu Jin a side-eye and snorted. "You really don’t follow the news, do you?"

"She was caught two days ago. And guess what? She’s gonna be executed soon."

Gu Jin froze for a split second.

But on her face, she showed no surprise. Instead, she clapped her hands together and smiled.

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦