CHAPTER 649: CHAPTER 649: RAPID PROGRESS

’Just pretend and make it seem like you believe.’ Long Yifan said.

’But why such secrecy?’ Gu Jichun asked curiously.

Long Yifan calmly told them everything about what he knew, and for a moment, the entire Gu Family fell silent. Then they acted like Long Yifan had told them to.

"Gu Jin has lost her emotions." Long Yifan said loudly.

"What? Again?" Gu Jichun cried. "Then we must find a cure quickly!"

"Yes," another family member said. "We cannot let her suffer again!"

While everyone acted out the scene, Long Yifan sighed quietly in relief. Everything was going according to plan. It had been a close call, but they had managed to fool Lady Ling once again.

Days passed, then weeks. For the next two months, Gu Jin and Long Yifan continued their act.

They showed distance and coldness before others, but in secret, they stayed close and prepared for what was coming. Lady Ling, however, was growing restless.

By the start of the third month, she finally lost her patience.

She appeared at the Gu Mansion herself, wearing her usual proud smile. The family welcomed her warmly, treating her like royalty. Seeing this, her heart relaxed.

’If they were suspicious of me, they would not treat me so kindly,’ she thought.

She looked around the hall and smiled. "Where is Gu Jin?" she asked sweetly.

"She is in the living room," Gu Jichun replied politely.

Lady Ling nodded and walked in. She saw Gu Jin sitting quietly on the sofa, reading a book. Her posture was calm, and her eyes were empty of emotion.

"Gu Jin," Lady Ling said, sitting beside her. "How are you now?"

Gu Jin looked up and said calmly, "I am fine."

Lady Ling smiled and gently took Gu Jin’s hand. Gu Jin did not resist.

Lady Ling sent out a small pulse of mana trying to sense Gu Jin’s cultivation.

Her eyes softened when she realized Gu Jin was still at Transcendental Stage Ten. She smiled with relief.

’Good,’ she thought. ’She hasn’t advanced. Her condition must still be unstable.’

Out loud, she said kindly, "You have been working too hard. Maybe what you need is a little happiness."

Gu Jin looked at her quietly. "What do you mean?"

Lady Ling smiled wider. "I think you and Long Yifan should get married. It might help you heal. Love can open even the coldest heart."

The Gu family exchanged nervous looks. They did not dare to speak first.

Gu Jin’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she did not show any anger. She only stared silently.

"I will personally bless the marriage," Lady Ling said, her tone cheerful. "It will be beautiful."

The Gu family quickly acted happy. "That’s wonderful!" Gu Jichun said with a forced laugh. "We will start preparing right away!"

Inside, they were uneasy. ’Why does Lady Ling want this so suddenly? they wondered. Is there something she is planning?’

Gu Jin also felt suspicious. Her eyes met Long Yifan’s across the room.

Without words, they understood each other. Maybe Lady Ling’s plan required this marriage. Maybe the ritual she was preparing would take place soon.

Still, Gu Jin lowered her eyes calmly. "I’m not interested in getting married now," she said coldly.

Lady Ling’s smile froze for a second. Her fingers curled slightly, but she quickly covered her anger with a sweet laugh.

"Of course, I’m not asking you to marry immediately," she said. "We can set the date eight months from now. That should give you plenty of time to prepare."

Gu Jin and Long Yifan both exchanged a look. ’Eight months,’ they thought. ’That means her real plan will happen in the ninth month.’

Neither of them showed any reaction. Long Yifan smiled cheerfully. "That sounds good," he said, pretending to be excited.

He gave a small laugh and looked at Gu Jin. She looked back with a calm expression. "I will think about it," she said quietly, then stood up and walked away.

Lady Ling’s smile faltered. Her nails dug into her palm, and for a moment, a dark aura flashed around her.

She almost wanted to kill Gu Jin right there. But she forced herself to smile again.

"You should go after her," she said to Long Yifan in a soft voice. "Don’t let her slip away."

Long Yifan bowed slightly. "Yes, Lady Ling," he said politely, but when she looked away, his eyes turned cold.

Inside Gu Jin’s room.

For a moment, both of them stayed silent.

Then Long Yifan’s eyes flashed faintly as he scanned the room.

After checking every corner, he finally nodded.

"There are no eyes watching us," he said in a low voice. "We can talk freely."

Gu Jin relaxed a little. "Good," she said. "Because we need to discuss what comes next."

Gu Jin turned toward him. Her eyes were calm but sharp.

"Whatever is going to happen will happen soon," she said. "We have only eight months before Lady Ling makes her next move. We must raise our cultivation before that."

Long Yifan nodded seriously.

"I agree. We have to speed up our plan. If we remain weak, Lady Ling could destroy us with one strike when the time comes."

Gu Jin folded her arms.

"From what I’ve seen, she isn’t rushing for no reason. She wants something from us. I think her real plan is to create a link between you and me."

Long Yifan frowned. "A link?"

"Yes," Gu Jin said. "She wants to tie us together through marriage. Once the marriage happens, she will perform a ritual that connects our emotions."

Long Yifan looked alarmed. "So that’s why she was suddenly talking about marriage!"

Gu Jin nodded.

"She thinks I have lost all emotions, so she wants to use this bond to awaken them in a way she can control. But the truth is, she just wants to place a restriction on me."

Long Yifan rubbed his chin, thinking deeply.

"If that’s the case, then we cannot allow a real marriage to happen. We have to fake it somehow."

Gu Jin sat down slowly.

"That is what I was thinking too. If we fake the marriage, there won’t be any true bond. The connection thread won’t form between us."

Long Yifan hesitated.

"But Lady Ling is not a fool. She might notice right away. She has been the guardian of the mage world for centuries. She probably has the power to see the marriage thread between two people."

Gu Jin’s expression grew thoughtful.

"You’re right. She might be able to see it. If she realizes it’s fake, she will destroy us before we can even react."

They both fell silent for a moment, the sound of the wind brushing softly against the curtains.

"Then what can we do?" Long Yifan finally asked.

Gu Jin looked up at him with determination in her eyes.

"The only way left is to become stronger. Strong enough that even if she finds out, she cannot kill us easily."

Long Yifan nodded firmly. "Then I will use everything I have. I’ll spend all my fortune if I have to."

Gu Jin gave a faint smile. "Money alone won’t be enough. You know how rare high-level resources are. To break through the Saint Stage, we need something more than just wealth."

Long Yifan smiled mysteriously. "That’s true. But I have another way."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow. "What way?"

He looked around once more, then leaned close and whispered, "You know the name Ma Bence?"

Gu Jin’s lips curved slightly.

"Of course. The mysterious merchant who has been funding ny business and selling rare treasures."

Long Yifan smiled nervously. "That’s me."

Gu Jin chuckled softly. "I already knew."

Long Yifan froze. "What? How?"

Gu Jin looked at him with amusement.

"When I said I planned to ask Mabenz for help, your reaction gave you away. You looked too stiff. And Jasmine...she acted strangely too, like she was trying to hide something. Then I thought about how Ma Bence’s deals were always in my favor. It didn’t take long to figure it out."

Long Yifan sighed and laughed helplessly. "I can never hide anything from you."

"Apparently not," Gu Jin said, smiling faintly.

He looked at her seriously again.

"If that’s the case, then I’ll use my Ma Bence identity to get us the best resources possible. We will reach the Saint Stage no matter what it takes."

Gu Jin nodded slowly. "Then let’s begin."

Over the next few months, Long Yifan used his hidden identity as Ma Bence to gather rare mana stone and divine herbs.

Gu Jin, meanwhile, focused on training. She meditated for long hours, refining her elements.

Her body grew stronger, and her mana space expanded.

By the fifth month, Gu Jin had reached Saint Stage Five, and Long Yifan had reached Saint Stage Seven.

Time passed quickly. The eighth month arrived.

Both Gu Jin and Long Yifan had made great progress. Gu Jin reached Saint Stage Seven, while Long Yifan stood at Saint Stage Nine.