The Mighty Mage
Chapter 542: Men or Women?

Chapter 542: Chapter 542: Men or Women?

But if she brought the girl out now, it would be dangerous. Too many eyes. Too much risk.

So she made a quick decision.

She closed her eyes and whispered softly in her mind, speaking to the space where the girl was hiding.

"Give me one of her hairs. Just one."

A moment later, a single strand appeared in her hand. It looked like her own, but Gu Jin knew it wasn’t.

She had asked the space to take off one of the girl’s hair strands and switch it with the one in her hand.

She held it out.

The man took it silently. He passed it to one of the men behind him.

"Run a DNA test. Now."

The man nodded and rushed inside.

Gu Jin stood still, her face calm.

The officer didn’t speak, but he didn’t look away either. His eyes were sharp, scanning every small detail.

Gu Jin didn’t lower her eyes.

She knew this moment was important.

And she was ready to see how it would play out.

Minutes turned into hours.

The officer sat down and didn’t even glance at Gu Jin again. As if she wasn’t worth the time.

Gu Jin, too, stayed quiet. She pretended not to care.

But in her heart, she kept thinking.

How could a man exist in this world?

This place was ruled by women. But there were still people who called themselves men.

They looked like men. Acted like men. Led like men.

But Gu Jin knew the truth. They weren’t men biologically. They had no male parts. Just powerful women who shaped their identity differently.

It was strange.

Strange and mysterious.

Still, Gu Jin kept her expression calm.

Two hours later, the person who ran the test returned. They handed a paper to the officer.

The officer stood up, took the paper, and read it.

His eyes widened.

He looked at Gu Jin as if she was a miracle.

"You... you’re related to me," he said slowly.

Gu Jin raised her eyebrows, acting surprised.

"I am? That’s funny. I don’t remember you."

The man frowned. "I don’t remember having a child either. But the results are clear."

Gu Jin chuckled. "Maybe you had me in your dreams."

The people around him looked angry.

"Watch your mouth!" one of them snapped. "You’re talking to a major general!"

Gu Jin rolled her eyes. "So what? I had parents. They died. Now a stranger says he’s my parent. Isn’t that strange to you too?"

The officer paused. Then nodded slowly. "You make a good point."

He sighed. "But maybe you really are my daughter. A few months ago, I ran a DNA test. For my current daughter. It showed she wasn’t mine. Not even related to anyone in our family."

Gu Jin blinked. "Then she’s a fake?"

"Yes," he said. "Maybe even a distant cousin. But not my daughter. That’s when I started searching for the real one. For you."

Gu Jin nodded. "Alright. I understand. But a few days ago, two police officers tried to arrest me. Said I stole milk and bread."

Some of the guards frowned. "That’s still stealing."

Gu Jin smirked. "Really? They said I stole milk worth 20 billion mutes. And bread worth 50 billion."

Everyone was stunned.

The officer stared. "What?"

Inside her mind, Space spoke. "You’re lying. The number wasn’t that high."

Gu Jin whispered back, "I know. But if I don’t make it sound serious, they’ll ignore it."

The officer’s face turned dark. "Where are those officers now?"

Gu Jin shrugged. "I don’t know. They told me I had offended someone important. They were going to kill me. I escaped. Hid in the mountains. An old auntie helped me survive."

The officer’s fists clenched.

He knew. He just knew.

If the girl at home wasn’t his daughter, she must have found out. Maybe she wanted to stay as the real daughter. Maybe she wanted to erase the true one.

Or maybe... someone else was behind it all.

Either way, someone tried to kill his daughter.

The officer looked at Gu Jin for a long time. His expression was unreadable. Then he said in a calm but firm voice, "I don’t have all the answers right now. But I promise, I will give you a proper explanation very soon. For now, please come with me."

Gu Jin shook her head. "What if I get assassinated again?"

Some of the soldiers nearby, who had started feeling pity for her, immediately spoke.

"You won’t be assassinated," one of them said. "Don’t worry. We’ll protect you."

Gu Jin gave a small smile but still shook her head. "You say that now. But there’s too much politics. I almost got killed before I even stepped inside the gate. How can I trust that things will be safe after I enter?"

The soldiers grew quiet. Her words were true. They looked at each other but had no reply. Even the officer didn’t speak for a moment. His jaw tightened as he thought hard.

Finally, he looked up and asked gently, "What is your name?"

Gu Jin looked him in the eye. "My name is Lian Ruo."

The officer repeated the name softly. "Lian Ruo..."

He nodded. "You don’t need to worry, Lian Ruo. I will make sure no one can harm you again."

Gu Jin smiled slightly. "I want to believe you. I really do. But... what if your gentle and kind daughter tries to ruin me again?"

At that, some of the soldiers frowned.

"That’s not possible," one of them said. "Miss Xia is very kind. She wouldn’t hurt anyone."

Gu Jin laughed. It wasn’t a happy laugh.

"Your kind and gentle Miss Xia tried to kill me. Isn’t that enough proof?"

The soldiers didn’t speak.

Gu Jin’s voice turned serious. "If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. I’ll give you proof. Just follow me. Hide and watch everything. I’ll show you the truth."

Some of the soldiers who were still loyal to Miss Xia looked uncertain, but after a short pause, they nodded.

The officer, still confused, asked, "What are you planning to do?"

Gu Jin turned her head slightly and said, "I’ll give you the proof you need. After that, you can deal with your ’daughter’ as you see fit."

With no better option, the officer nodded.

Then Gu Jin looked at one of the soldiers. "Give me Miss Xia’s contact number."

The soldier hesitated, then gave her the number. Gu Jin took out her phone and typed a short message:

"I know the truth. I am the real daughter."

Some of the soldiers who saw the message frowned, but they said nothing.

Gu Jin put away her phone and said, "Come with me. But stay hidden. Watch everything."

They followed her through the forest until they reached a small open area surrounded by trees and bushes. Gu Jin pointed to the trees.

"Hide there. Don’t make a sound."

The officer and the soldiers did as she said, hiding behind bushes and trees.

Gu Jin stood in the middle of the clearing, alone.

Minutes passed.

Then footsteps echoed through the silence.

A girl with a soft, angelic face walked into the clearing. She looked graceful, like a fairy from a dream. When she saw Gu Jin, her eyes narrowed for a split second—but then she smiled sweetly.

"Who are you?" she asked in a gentle voice.

Gu Jin smiled. "You know who I am. Let’s stop pretending."

"I’m sorry," the girl said, tilting her head. "I don’t understand..."

The soldiers hiding behind the bushes immediately felt relieved.

"See! Miss Xia might not be the person behind the attack all along!"

"Indeed! Her smile is still gentle. If she were the culprit, why would she be so calm?"

"I guess this Miss Lian is the problem here all along. Maybe she was telling a lie? She just wants sympathy from us!"

Gu Jin chuckled. "You tried to kill me, Xia. Don’t act like you don’t know."

Miss Xia kept smiling, though her smile now looked a little fake.

Gu Jin suddenly took out her phone. She tossed it in the air, letting it fall hard to the ground. It shattered into pieces.

The moment it broke, the smile vanished from Miss Xia’s face.

Her eyes turned cold and sharp. All her gentleness disappeared.

"You’re truly stupid," she said. Her voice was completely different now—low, dangerous, and full of hate.

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "No recording. No tricks. Just you and me. Now tell me, why did you try to kill me?"

Miss Xia sneered. "Because you were in my way."

Gu Jin didn’t flinch. "Your way? You mean pretending to be someone else’s daughter?"

"I’ve lived as his daughter for years. I won’t give that up now. Not for some lost girl who just showed up out of nowhere."

Gu Jin tilted her head. "So you really were trying to kill me."

Miss Xia smirked. "You should’ve stayed hidden in those mountains. Now you’ve ruined everything."

Behind the trees, the soldiers were frozen in shock.