Chapter 1152: Scorched World.

Sanxi.

As a region, it was by no means small, but in terms of reputation or fame, it wasn’t particularly outstanding.

For starters, it was a location without the great families called the Four Great Houses, nor the prestigious sects known as the Nine Great Schools.

Although the Peng Family of Hebei was nearby, they weren’t a Sanxi family or sect, so their influence was minimal.

A place that lacked substance despite its name recognition.

That was the feeling of the current Central Plains. And of Sanxi in the future.

Hiiing-!

The horse whinnied, its speed gradually slowing. Just as the carriage wheels were losing momentum. I had to gaze out the window, lost in a strange sentimentality.

‘Xian is similar to the place I knew.’

That place I frequented often as a child, and even after growing up.

It was Xian, which I had visited countless times because I couldn’t leave it, as if wearing a leash.

Xian, located where the influence of the Gu Family was strongest.

“Won’t you buy some of these fruits!”

“Come, come! Take a look at this!”

Not much different from the streets of other regions. Though considered relatively small, the people’s reactions and the crowd were similar.

It’s a truly ordinary county.

A place no different from the one I knew.

Just as I was quietly observing such a place.

“What are you thinking about?”

“…….”

Hyeon Soyeon spoke to me.

“…Yes?”

“Your eyes looked particularly sentimental, so I asked. Why? Have you been here before?”

“…No. It just resembles a place I knew.”

“Oh? Well, counties are all pretty much the same. But what’s with those eyes?”

“…What’s wrong with my eyes now?”

“They were just a bit too sentimental for your usual demeanor.”

“Too sentimental for my…”

That comment stung a bit, didn’t it? I clicked my tongue inwardly and looked away. It was also true.

‘There’s no need to miss Xian.’

The Gu Family hasn’t disappeared from the original world. It was just a fleeting sense of nostalgia for this time period.

‘…What’s important isn’t Xian.’

It was what I felt before entering Sanxi. I had to recall that.

‘Who could it have been.’

Whose voice was it, really?

‘So you’re Scorching.’

I recall the voice that spoke to me. It definitely wasn’t telepathy.

An alien sound, like it was imprinted directly onto my brain.

I kept recalling that bizarre sensation.

‘Tsk.’

Since the others didn’t seem to hear it, it means only I heard it.

‘Who could it be.’

Who would have said that while looking at me? I was curious about that.

‘…Hmm.’

In reality, I was already expecting it to some extent.

It’s just that.

‘…If it turns out to be true, it would be quite troublesome.’

I could only hope it wasn’t.

Dalgeudak.

After moving slowly with the slowed carriage, it gradually and completely stopped.

Turning my eyes, a familiar entrance came into view.

Sanxi Gu Family Estate.

The gate, with its nameplate clearly displayed, was visible.

“We’ve arrived.”

Father spoke and stepped out of the carriage first.

Seeing that, we followed him out. As we did, personnel were already waiting outside to greet the guests.

“We greet the Master and the Young Master.”

An old man, white-haired and kindly aged, bowed his head while looking this way.

“…Huh?”

Seeing him, I was surprised inwardly.

‘It’s… the Head Steward?’

It was precisely because he was the Gu Family’s Head Steward. What surprised me wasn’t anything else but…

‘…He looks the same?’

The Head Steward’s appearance as I remembered it and his current appearance were astonishingly identical.

He hadn’t aged at all, nor had he become younger.

‘What is this?’

Just as I felt his appearance was somewhat strange.

“…!”

The Head Steward suddenly cast his gaze towards me. Normally, I would have just overlooked it.

‘… .’

Strangely, a chill ran down my spine. The fact that I felt nothing was subtly unsettling.

The Head Steward withdrew his gaze and continued speaking, looking back at my father.

“Your message was received. You must be tired from the long journey. Please, come inside.”

“Head Steward.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Where is the Family Head?”

Flinch. As talk of the Family Head arose, my body stiffened involuntarily.

“Ah, the Family Head is currently out, but… they said they would return today.”

“I see… Very well.”

Father nodded and started walking.

“…Out? In this situation? What on earth are we going to do with that lunatic.”

Gu Ryun contorted his face repeatedly as if displeased by something. Seeing him glance at me amidst it all, I figured I must be the reason.

Hyeon Soyeon dragged Namgung Jin, who was almost half-dragged out, inside.

Do Yun, with a somewhat stiff expression, looked at the Gu Family estate before following the group.

‘Come to think of it.’

I need to pay attention to that guy too. Since Do Yun’s objective is also here, I should try to figure out his objective as well.

After the entire party entered the Gu Family estate following the Head Steward.

Just as I was about to slowly move my feet.

“To think I’d come here again.”

I heard Pae-jon muttering while picking his ear.

Hearing this, I asked with curiosity.

“Have you been here before?”

Had Pae-jon ever come to the Gu Family estate? Ah, well.

‘He said he was friends with the First Elder.’

Since Pae-jon himself said he had met my grandfather. It wasn’t strange that he had visited the Gu Family estate.

“…I have. A long time ago.”

“Oh… Why?”

“It was when I was busy fighting everyone. Probably not long after I came down from the mountains.”

I understood the timing. It must have been right after Pae-jon left his family, the Seoanbi Family, and created the Tuapa Cheonmu in the mountains.

Pae-jon back then was known as a mad martial arts fanatic, meeting every master he could find.

Someone even called him a man blessed by heaven?

Because despite fighting like that, he didn’t die and his limbs remained intact.

“Back then, I heard rumors that a ‘Mad Ghost’ lived in Sanxi, so I came here thinking I might spar with them.”

“…Mad Ghost?”

“Yes, they certainly lived up to their name. I’ve never seen such a crazy bastard.”

“…Could it be…”

“That’s right.”

Pae-jon chuckled and said to me.

“It was your father.”

“…”

The father Pae-jon was referring to must mean my grandfather, not my current father…

‘My grandfather… was called the Mad Ghost?’

What could he have been doing to earn such an unorthodox nickname? I was utterly baffled.

‘Grandfather…’

I don’t have many memories. No, I have none.

He wasn’t there since I was born, and the most I saw was…

‘…only that formless appearance.’

The form fire took when it became human. That was all I had seen.

‘…But grandfather.’

I felt a strange sensation.

“He was certainly strong. The problem is, I got entangled with him then, and it became quite a hassle.”

“…A hassle?”

“There are things like that.”

Pae-jon clicked his tongue and entered the Gu Family estate without elaborating further.

“…”

If you’re going to tell me, tell me everything.

Feeling uneasy, I entered the Gu Family estate.

However.

Woooong-!

“…! “

The moment I stepped through the gate.

Huuuuuuuuu—!!!

An unknown energy brushed past my body.

‘What is this?’

Should I call it discomfort? Or just strangeness? It was an undefinable feeling.

What is this now?

I tried to ignore it and took a step forward.

‘…Haa.’

In contrast, my mind became complicated.

‘It seems.’

No matter how many times I thought about it, it was right.

‘This must have been the correct answer.’

The thing I needed to do in this world.

Coming to the Gu Family estate among them felt like the right choice.

---

We arrived at the Gu Family estate and had to wait. Since the Gu Family Head was absent, there was nothing to discuss immediately.

We also had luggage, so we needed time to unpack and rest.

The Gu Family estate wasn’t exactly vast, but since it operated with fewer personnel, there was ample space for guests to stay.

What was strange was…

‘…This is my room?’

The place I was guided to happened to be the room I originally stayed in.

“Please place your luggage here… We will certainly prepare bedding, but if you need it, over there… Huh?”

Before the attendant could finish explaining, I took out the bedding first.

“…Eh?”

“Ah.”

Realizing my mistake, I quickly added an explanation.

“I somehow thought it would be here.”

“Ah… Ah, I see.”

I glossed over it, unpacked my luggage, and laid out the bedding.

The attendant offered to do it themselves, but…

“It’s more comfortable for me to do it.”

I declined. I never really liked anyone entering my room anyway.

After tidying up a bit, I went outside.

According to the guidance I received, I should wait for about half an hour (half a shichen).

Since they said I could look around freely, I intended to use that time to survey the surroundings, but…

‘…There needs to be something else to see.’

I couldn’t find anything particularly unusual.

Seriously, how could there be so little change?

‘Where are they spending the subsidies?’

I know that later on, the Gu Family receives significant funding from the Hundred Flowers Merchant Association.

It’s baffling where they spend it, given there’s no difference between this era and the future.

“…Hoho.”

Since it was the same, finding the way was easy.

I walked paths I had trod hundreds of times.

I took in sights I had seen thousands of times.

‘…’

There wasn’t much excitement. As I said, it was just too similar.

‘I think I’ve seen enough.’

I understood why they told me to look around freely. With nothing much to see, what else could I possibly look at?

Just as I was about to turn back, thinking it was pointless.

“…”

I stopped abruptly for a moment and looked somewhere.

Amidst the bleakness of the Gu Family estate, a particularly beautifully decorated entrance was visible.

‘What is that?’

I found it. The only place different from my memory.

Moreover.

‘Wasn’t this place non-existent?’

It seemed like a location that didn’t exist in the Gu Family estate I knew. Was there such a place?

Instinctively, I moved forward.

The entrance itself was different. A path cultivated as if flowers were planted and grown. It was lovely enough to be called a walking path.

As I walked calmly, and walked some more.

‘…This place.’

A lake appeared.

It was a space offering a glimpse of a truly beautiful landscape along with the lake.

So this place existed within the Gu Family estate.

A spot where a refreshing breeze blew. And in the center of the lakeside, a watermill and a small hut.

It was an unexpected sight, yet strangely familiar.

‘Oh.’

It came to mind not long after.

‘This…’

I wondered where I had seen it.

‘The space within the Demonic Mirror Gate of the Heavenly Demon.’

That place, which the Heavenly Demon opened and entered at will. The scenery there bore a striking resemblance.

Not identical, but perhaps similar in feel?

How could such a place exist within the Gu Family estate?

As I was wondering about it.

Kkiiiiik-!

“…! “

The hut opened, and someone emerged.

“Oh my…”

The one who opened the door was a middle-aged woman.

Hair half-dyed with white. A woman with softly wrinkled skin and a gentle impression.

Who could she be?

I couldn’t tell. Just then.

“A guest has arrived?”

The woman smiled as she looked at me and spoke.

“Ah… I apologize.”

I apologized immediately.

“I seem to have intruded due to unfamiliarity with the area. I’ll leave right away…”

“No, no. It’s not a place you can’t come and go from, so don’t worry about it.”

The woman, without losing her gentle smile, gestured subtly towards her hut with her hand.

“Rather, if it’s not an imposition, wouldn’t you like to come in for a moment?”

“…”

Normally, I would have refused.

“…Would that be alright?”

For some reason, at that moment, I didn’t refuse.

It was truly strange.