Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1152

Chapter 1152

Shanxi.

As a territory, it was not insignificant in size. However, in terms of prestige or fame, it was far from remarkable.

It was home to none of the Four Great Noble Families or the Nine Great Sects.

The Hebei Peng Clan was located nearby, but as their base of power was not within Shanxi itself, their reach here was minimal.

A place that was known in name but held little actual influence.

That was the essence of Shanxi, both in the present and in the future I had once known.

*Hiiing—!*

The horses whinnied as the carriage began to slow.

Watching the wheels lose their speed through the window, I was gripped by an odd sense of familiarity.

‘This prefecture… it looks exactly as I recall.’

Throughout my childhood and even into adulthood, I had journeyed here often.

I had been bound, unable to depart this place freely, so I had seen it more times than I ever wished to.

It was the prefecture where the Gu Clan’s authority was most deeply entrenched.

«Fresh fruit for sale!»
«Come, see what I have here!»

The streets were indistinguishable from those of any other city.

Though smaller in scope, the crowds and the market thrummed with the same lively atmosphere found everywhere else.

A truly ordinary prefecture.

One that was no different from the place etched in my memory.

As I sat in quiet observation—

«What has you so lost in thought?»

«…….»

Hyun Soyeon’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

«……What?»

«You had a strangely wistful look in your eyes, so I asked. Have you been here before?»

«……No. It merely resembles somewhere I know.»

«Really? I suppose all prefectures do look rather similar. But still, why that particular expression?»

«…What expression?»

«You just seemed uncharacteristically sentimental. It doesn’t suit you.»

«Doesn’t suit me…?»

That felt somewhat rude.

I clicked my tongue internally and averted my gaze.

But she wasn’t entirely wrong.

‘There’s no reason to feel nostalgic about this place.’

After all, the Gu Clan from my original world still existed.

It was just that this particular era had momentarily provoked a reaction within me.

‘…But the prefecture itself isn’t what matters.’

I needed to concentrate on what I had perceived just before reaching Shanxi.

‘Who was that?’

Whose voice had that been?

«So, you are the one who burns.»

The words replayed in my mind.

It had not been conveyed through any form of inner voice transmission.

It was something else—an alien sound implanted directly into my awareness.

A bizarre and deeply unsettling feeling.

«Tsk.»

No one else appeared to have heard it.

Which could only mean… it had been intended for me alone.

‘Who could it have been?’

Who had looked upon me and spoken those words?

I was curious.

And—

‘…I already have a theory.’

I simply did not want that theory to be correct.

I could only hope it was not who I suspected.

*Clatter.*

The carriage continued to decelerate.

Finally, it rolled to a complete stop.

I turned my head—

And saw a familiar entrance.

Shanxi Gu Clan.

A grand sign bearing the clan’s name hung above the large gate.

«We have arrived.»

My father was the first to step out of the carriage.

We followed him out to where a reception party was already waiting.

«Greetings to the Clan Leader and the Young Master.»

An elderly man with white hair bowed his head respectfully.

«……Huh?»

I froze.

«…The Chief Steward?»

I recognized him immediately.

But that wasn’t what shocked me.

‘…He looks precisely the same.’

The Chief Steward of the Gu Clan.

The very same man I had known in my original time.

He had not aged a single day.

Not even slightly.

‘What… in the world?’

For a moment, I experienced a profound sense of dissonance.

Then—

«……!»

The Chief Steward abruptly turned his gaze toward me.

Under normal circumstances, I would have thought nothing of it.

But—

‘…….’

A peculiar chill traveled down my spine.

I could sense nothing from him, and that itself was deeply troubling.

After a moment, the Chief Steward looked away and resumed speaking with my father.

«We received your message regarding your arrival. You must be weary from your travels. Please, come inside.»

«Chief Steward.»

«Yes, Young Master?»

«Where is the Clan Head?»

*Flinch.*

At the mention of the Clan Head, my body tensed involuntarily.

«Ah, the Clan Head is currently away… but he indicated he would return before nightfall.»

«I see… understood.»

My father nodded and began to walk forward.

«…Away? At a time like this? How are we supposed to handle that madman?»

Gu Ryun scowled with clear displeasure.

And from the way he kept glancing in my direction, I was evidently part of the reason for his irritation.

Hyun Soyeon pulled a half-resistant Namgung Jin along with her.

Do Yun, appearing tense, hesitated before finally following the rest of the group into the estate.

‘Speaking of which…’

I needed to keep a close watch on him as well.

Do Yun had his own reasons for being here.

I needed to discern exactly what those were.

As the group followed the Chief Steward into the Gu Clan residence—

I took a step forward.

Then—

«Never thought I’d find myself back here.»

Paejon remarked lazily as he picked his ear.

I looked at him with curiosity.

«You’ve been here before?»

Had Paejon ever visited the Gu Clan?

Ah—that’s right.

‘He was acquainted with Elder Il.’

Paejon had mentioned knowing my grandfather in the past.

So it wasn’t strange for him to have come here.

«Yeah… a long time ago.»

«Oh? What for?»

«Back when I still fought for the thrill of it. It was not long after I first came down from the mountains.»

That narrowed it down considerably.

That would have been shortly after Paejon left the Seoan Bi Clan and created Tua Pacheonmu.

In those days, he was notorious for seeking out and challenging powerful warriors across the land.

Some had called him a man of incredible luck.

Because despite all those battles, he had never died, nor ever lost a limb.

«At the time, there were rumors of a ‘Mad Ghost’ living in Shanxi. So I came to test myself against him.»

«…Mad Ghost?»

«Yeah. And let me tell you—he lived up to the name. I’ve never encountered a more deranged individual in all my life.»

«…Wait.»

«Yeah.»

Paejon smirked.

«That individual was your grandfather.»

«…….»

The «Mad Ghost» he spoke of—

Was my grandfather?

‘What in the world did he do to earn a name like that?’

I was utterly baffled.

‘My grandfather…’

I possessed very few memories of him.

No, I had none at all.

He had been gone since before I was born.

The closest thing I had ever seen—

‘Wasn’t even his true face.’

I had only ever seen him in his Flame Incarnation form.

That was the entirety of it.

‘…But my grandfather, huh.’

A strange feeling stirred within me.

«He was unquestionably powerful. The problem was, after our encounter, things became complicated for me.»

«…Complicated how?»

«Let’s just say… certain events transpired.»

Paejon offered no further details.

Clicking his tongue, he simply strode into the Gu Clan residence.

«…….»

If he was going to bring it up, he should have at least finished the story.

Feeling slightly irritated, I too stepped into the Gu Clan.

And then—

*Wuuung—!*

«……!»

The moment I crossed the threshold of the gate—

*Fwooooosh—!!!*

An unfamiliar energy swept through my entire body.

‘What is this?’

Discomfort? No, it was more than that. An indescribable sensation.

What in the world was that?

I tried to dismiss it and continued walking.

‘…Hah.’

But inwardly, my thoughts were in turmoil.

‘No doubt about it.’

No matter how I considered it—

‘This was the correct decision.’

Of all the things I needed to accomplish in this world…

Coming to the Gu Clan had undoubtedly been one of them.

***********

After our arrival, we were left to wait.

With the Clan Head absent, there was little to discuss immediately.

We had brought a considerable amount of luggage, so it was reasonable to unpack and rest for a while.

The Gu Clan estate was not enormous, but as they operated with relatively few members, there were ample rooms available for guests.

And yet, what took me by surprise—

‘…This is my room.’

The chamber I was led to was the very room I had once inhabited.

«Please leave your belongings here… We will prepare your bedding shortly, but if you require anything, over there— Oh?»

Before the servant could finish, I had already retrieved my own bedding.

«…Huh?»
«Ah.»

Damn it.

I quickly supplied an explanation.

«I had a feeling it would be located here.»

«Ah… Ah, I see.»

I smoothed over the moment, unpacked my things, and laid out the bedding myself.

The servant offered to do it for me.

«I prefer to handle it myself.»

I refused.

I had never liked people entering my private space.

Once I had finished organizing, I stepped back outside.

We had been told to wait for approximately half an hour.

We were free to look around in the meantime.

So I decided I might as well explore.

But—

‘…There’s nothing new to see.’

Everything was precisely as I remembered it.

How was that even possible?

‘Where did all the financial support go?’

In the future, the Gu Clan received substantial funding from the Baekhwa Trading Company.

And yet, the estate now appeared no different from how it would look in the future.

Where had all that money been spent?

«…Hah.»

At the very least, it made navigation effortless.

I walked the same paths I had traversed hundreds of times before.

I observed the same sights I had seen thousands of times before.

«…….»

I felt nothing.

I had already anticipated this.

It was all too familiar.

‘I’ve seen enough.’

I now understood why we were permitted to wander freely.

There was truly nothing of interest to find.

I was on the verge of turning back when—

«…….»

I suddenly halted.

Something had caught my eye.

Amidst the stark, rigid architecture of the Gu Clan, one entrance stood in sharp contrast.

It was adorned beautifully—unlike anything else in the estate.

‘What is that?’

I had found it.

The one thing that was different.

More than that—

‘That place… did not exist before.’

I was certain of it.

There had never been anything like it in the Gu Clan I knew.

My feet carried me forward instinctively.

Even the entrance was distinctive.

A path bordered by flowers, meticulously maintained.

It resembled a scenic walking trail.

And as I followed it—

‘…A lake?’

A lake unfolded before me.

The view was breathtaking.

‘The Gu Clan had a place like this?’

The air here was fresh and clear.

At the center of the lake, a waterwheel turned slowly beside a small hut.

It was an utterly unexpected sight.

But strangely—

‘Why does this seem so familiar?’

It did not take long to understand.

‘This…’

I had seen this before.

‘This is just like the space inside Magyeong Gate.’

The realm that Cheonma himself could open and enter at will.

The two places were not identical.

But the essence, the feeling, was the same.

‘How can such a place exist here?’

I was still wrestling with that thought when—

*Creeeak—!*

«……!»

The door of the hut opened.

«Oh my….»

A middle-aged woman stepped out.

She had hair that was half-white, soft wrinkles gracing her face, and a gentle, kindly demeanor.

Who was she?

I did not know.

Then—

«It seems we have a visitor?»

She smiled at me as she spoke.

«Ah… I apologize.»

I offered an immediate apology.

«I am unfamiliar with the area and intruded by mistake. I will leave at once—»

«Oh, no. There is no need for that.»

She maintained her warm smile and gestured toward her hut.

«This is not a forbidden area, so please do not worry.»

Then—

«If it is not too much trouble… would you care to come inside for a short while?»

«…….»

Under normal circumstances, I would have declined.

But—

«…Would that truly be acceptable?»

For some reason—

I did not say no.

It was strange.

Profoundly strange.