Instead of looking angry, Long Yifan smiled, though there was a touch of helplessness in his eyes.

"Back out? No. What can I do? I have already invested my time in you. And worse than that, I invested my heart. Now my heart refuses to return to me."

Gu Jin gave him one glance, but she did not answer. She simply walked forward and stepped into the car waiting at the gate.

Long Yifan followed quickly, muttering to himself, "Sometimes I wonder why I fell for such a cold woman."

The ride was long, but silent. Gu Jin closed her eyes and rested, while Long Yifan stole glances at her every few minutes.

By noon, they arrived in front of the Magic Council Court.

The grand building stood tall and majestic, with carved stone pillars and banners flying high in the wind.

Reporters, officials, and protesters crowded the front square.

The moment the black car stopped, the noise outside swelled.

"Look, it's her! The daughter of Gu Family has arrived!"

"Hey! Look how calm she is? She should be ashamed of what she is!"

"Let's go and take her interview."

Cameras flashed wildly as the car doors opened.

Gu Jin stepped out first, her face calm, yet her eyes calmly surveyed her surroundings.

Long Yifan came right after her, his hand protectively brushing the air behind her, as though ready to shield her from anyone who came too close.

In reality, he had indeed casted a psychic barrier around her.

At the front steps of the court, the Gu family was already waiting.

Mr. Gu stood tall, though his eyes betrayed his worry. Beside him, Gu Jishi clenched his jaw, Gu Jihu visibly relaxed and Gu Jichun clutched her bag tightly, her knuckles white.

Mrs. Gu's eyes reddened slightly.

But before Gu Jin could reach them, the reporters surged forward like a wave.

Microphones stretched toward her face, voices overlapping one another.

"Gu Jin, do you feel ashamed for lying about your element?"

"Do you feel guilty for deceiving Beijing University?"

"You had a chance to erase the necromancy element. Why didn't you take it?"

"Do you regret hiding your truth from the public?"

"Are you here to beg for forgiveness?"

"Do you finally understand your lesson?"

The questions were filled with malice and revealed the depth of darkness of the world in a simpler form.

Gu Jin's eyes grew colder with every word. She did not stop walking, but when the crowd pressed too close, she finally halted.

She turned her head slightly, her dark red eyes reflecting the flash of dozens of cameras.

Her voice was calm, but it easily overpowered the noises.

"I have not done anything wrong," she said. "So why should I feel ashamed? Why should I be punished? Why should I be executed?"

The crowd fell quiet for a second, stunned by her confidence.

Her tone did not waver as she continued,

"If necromancy is truly evil, then tell me. Why did God bestow it upon humans at all? Why give us this element if it is nothing but darkness?"

For a moment, silence spread across the square.

Then one reporter shouted,

"That is not the case! God only gave it by mistake! Necromancy is the manifestation of human darkness, of greed and sin!"

A few others nodded, murmuring agreement.

But Gu Jin chuckled softly, and the sound carried into the microphones. She looked at the reporter with cold amusement.

"If that is true," she replied, "then all criminals should have necromancy. Every thief, every murderer, every traitor should awaken it. But do they? No. Many criminals have light, fire, water, wind, and other elements. Do you call those elements evil, too?"

Her words struck the crowd like a thunderbolt.

For a moment, everyone froze. They did not know how to respond.

The argument was simple, but so sharp that it cut through their prejudice.

Cameras flashed again, this time recording not her shame, but her cold and unshaken figure standing proudly before the court.

She stepped forward once more. Her eyes swept over the crowd as if they were nothing but buzzing flies.

"Do not confuse ignorance with education," she said softly, but every word was like thunder in the silence.

"If you are too blind to see the truth, then remain blind. But do not expect me to bow to your stupidity."

The crowd gasped. Some reporters looked embarrassed, while others bit their lips in frustration.

Gu Jin turned away from them and finally walked up to her family.

Mr. Gu reached out, as if to place a hand on her shoulder, but he stopped halfway. His voice was heavy but proud. "You spoke well."

Gu Jin's lips curved faintly. "They are not worth our time. Let us ignore them."

Gu Jichun rushed forward. "Sister, they are too mean. You should not even listen to them. Come and hug if you feel scared."

Gu Jin chuckled, hearing her eldest sister's antics, her expression softening for the first time that day.

"I do not listen. That is why their words cannot hurt me."

Long Yifan, who had been silent until now, finally smirked.

"You see? This is the fiancée I chose. No matter what the world says, she does not bend."

Gu Jishi gave him a look. "You talk too much."

But Gu Jin ignored the small quarrel. She simply looked at the towering building before her.

"Let us go in. The real battle is inside."

The Gu family nodded, and together they stepped into the Magic Council Court.

Inside the court, the sound of footsteps echoed as the doors closed behind Gu Jin and her family.

The hearing was about to begin.

Just as Gu Jin stepped inside, she felt two sudden forces collide with her.

"Gu Jin!"

She stumbled back a little but quickly steadied herself. Her eyes softened when she saw the familiar faces pressing against her shoulders.

"Liang Bao. Lu Siyao," she whispered, her voice faint but filled with warmth.

Both girls held her tightly, refusing to let go.

Gu Jin got to know that during her coma, her business abroad was handled by Long Yifan and these two friends.

Long Yifan could easily enter and leave the space, and he had grown the psychomindris and sent them to Liang Bao and Lu Siyao.

Both of her friends had also come to visit her and stayed by her side for a month, like the masters from the alchemy tower, and her master from the university.

Lu Siyao's voice shook. "We thought something had happened to you. We were so scared, Gu Jin."

"I am fine." Gu Jin said helplessly.

Liang Bao wiped her eyes roughly, though her tears still rolled down.

"You disappear for days, the world calls you a monster, and yet you stand here as if nothing happened. Do you know how worried we were?"

Gu Jin patted their backs gently, her tone calm. "You should not worry so much. Look, I am standing here, safe."

Liang Bao pulled back, holding Gu Jin's shoulders tightly. Her lips trembled as she whispered,

"You are the only person I know who can remain so calm in such a storm. But we… we were afraid. Afraid they would catch you, afraid you would be taken away."

Gu Jin tilted her head slightly, studying the flicker in Liang Bao's eyes.

It was not only worry. It was fear, deep and old, as if she had already lived through the pain of losing someone in a similar way.

But Gu Jin did not ask. Instead, she nodded once.

"I am fine. That is enough."

Liang Bao suddenly grabbed Gu Jin's hand and squeezed it.

Her voice turned sharp and serious.

"Do not worry today. I have been collecting information for weeks. I know how they will attack you, and I will make sure nothing happens. I promise."

Gu Jin looked at her friend quietly, then gave a small nod. "I believe you."

Lu Siyao sniffed and tried to smile. "We will give our testimonies. We will not let them harm you."

Gu Jin smiled again, a little brighter this time. "Thank you."

Together with Liang Bao, Lu Siyao, Long Yifan, Jasmine and the Gu family, they walked to the benches reserved for them.

The hall buzzed with whispers. All eyes turned to Gu Jin, some filled with curiosity, others with hatred, but many with doubt.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the back. The judge had arrived.

"Please rise," the guard announced loudly.

Everyone stood.

The judge walked slowly to the high seat at the front of the hall.

He was an older man with sharp gray eyes that seemed to pierce through lies, and his robe carried the crest of the International Magic Council.

This was Judge William Hargrave. His name was well-known throughout the world.

People said he had judged high-ranking officials and peasants with the same fairness, and that he had never bent under pressure from any government.

Judge Hargrave took his seat, his voice steady and powerful. "Be seated."

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