Inside, the hall was wide, with rows of wooden pillars supporting the roof.

Lanterns burned on each side, and in the middle stood a tall incense altar. Behind the altar were rows of shelves, each filled with portraits of their ancestors.

Jichun guided Gu Jin forward.

"Let us start from the beginning. This is Old Mu, our very first ancestor. He was an orphan, abandoned with no family. But he worked harder than anyone else. Day after day, he trained, and slowly he rose in cultivation until he became a Heaven-ranked mage. His strength was feared everywhere."

She pointed to the first portrait. A young man with sharp eyes and thin lips looked back at them. His clothes were plain, but his gaze carried a fire.

"After he became strong," Jichun continued, "he joined the army and fought in countless dangerous missions. With his power, he earned respect and finally military strength. From there, he began to build an information empire for his descendants. It was because of him that our family grew strong."

Hearing these words, Gu Jin's heart moved slightly. She whispered softly, "Mu…"

In her past life, her grandfather had also been called Mu. A small hope rose in her heart.

Was this the same? Could there be a link?

She turned and asked, "If the ancestor's name was Mu, then why is our family called Gu?"

Jichun chuckled.

"That is a good question. Our ancestor Mu did not care about family names. He never changed it, and it continued like that until the fourth generation. It was only the fourth descendant who finally changed it to Gu."

Gu Jin nodded slowly. Her eyes stayed on Old Mu's portrait, but she told herself not to hope too much.

This was a different life. She could not foolishly think everyone from her past would appear again.

They moved from one portrait to another. Jichun explained their lives, their struggles, and their victories.

But suddenly, Gu Jin's eyes froze on one of the portraits.

It was the fourth generation's elder. The man in the portrait was young, maybe in his thirties. His jaw was sharp, his nose tall, and his eyes deep.

But Gu Jin did not see only his youth. She imagined how this face would look when old, with wrinkles and white hair.

Her whole body shook. Her lips trembled as she pointed at the portrait. "Who… who is this?"

Jichun chuckled.

"You really do have sharp eyes. This man is the fourth descendant. He was the one who changed our family's name from Mu to Gu. From that point on, we became the Gu family."

Gu Jin's heart pounded in her chest. She could not believe it. This face… this face was exactly the same as her Grandpa Mu from her past life.

Her voice was soft. "So in this world… Grandpa Mu also exists…"

She could not stop staring. A storm of emotions filled her. Was his soul here too? Did he live another life? Could she meet him again?

Seeing her so lost, Jichun smiled and wanted to say something. But at that moment, Gu Jihu walked in. His steps were calm, his expression serious.

"Jichun," he said, "leave us."

Jichun frowned and pouted. "Why? I am spending time with Elder Sister. Do not disturb us."

"I need to talk with her about something important. Alone," Jihu replied, his tone steady.

Jichun rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. But with that attitude, Brother, you will never find a wife." She left with a playful pout.

Now, only Gu Jin and Gu Jihu were in the hall.

Gu Jin still stood in front of Grandpa Mu's portrait. She did not even notice Jihu at first. Her eyes were full of questions.

Jihu looked at the portrait too. His lips curved. "You are wondering about Grandpa Mu. Let me answer for you. Yes… This is indeed your Grandpa Mu from your past life."

Gu Jin froze. Her mouth opened but no words came out. Her chest tightened as if she had forgotten how to breathe.

"What… what did you say?" she whispered.

"I said this is the same person," Gu Jihu replied. "The Grandpa Mu you remember from your past life is the same ancestor of the Gu family in this life."

Gu Jin blinked several times, trying to steady herself. She finally managed to ask, "Then… then does that mean my Grandpa Mu… he was always from the mage world?"

Jihu looked at her quietly, his eyes calm and heavy, as if he was carrying a truth that even he did not fully understand.

"Maybe," he said softly, "maybe you belonged to the mage world all along. Maybe your fate was tied here from the very beginning."

Gu Jin's heart shook again. She took a step back and stared at him with disbelief.

"No. That cannot be right. From my memories, I was first born in the mafia world. I grew up there. It was Grandpa Mu who told me stories about mages and magical couples. The very night he told me such a story, I… I was pulled here, into the mage world. That is how I came here. I cannot accept that I was always from this place."

Her voice trembled slightly, though she tried to sound calm.

Jihu frowned and looked at her deeply. "Then perhaps there is something more. I cannot say for sure why Grandpa Mu would do that. There are many possibilities."

"What possibilities?" Gu Jin asked quickly.

Jihu lifted his gaze to the portrait and spoke slowly.

"Maybe Grandpa Mu, as an ancestor, saw that his descendant was in danger in another world. So he parted his soul. One fragment stayed in the mafia world to watch over you. The other stayed in this mage world, waiting. When the time was right, the fragment in the mafia world brought you back to where you belonged, which is here."

Gu Jin felt her hands trembling. "Or maybe…"

"Yes," Jihu continued, "or maybe you were never originally from the mage world. Perhaps you only had a deep connection to it, so when danger came, fate itself pulled you here. And maybe it was Grandpa Mu's soul fragment that carried you across worlds to protect you."

Gu Jin bit her lip. Her mind was spinning, but Jihu's words strangely made sense.

"There is even another possibility," Jihu added, his voice lowering.

"Grandpa Mu might not be dead at all. He might still be alive, somewhere, as a soul fragment. He could be watching over you, making sure you live, guiding you in ways you cannot see."

Gu Jin turned back to the portrait, staring at the familiar face. "So… maybe all along, he never left me."

Her voice softened. She let out a long breath and finally whispered, "I am truly glad I was given another chance. A second life. I got to meet my family again."

Hearing those words, Jihu chuckled.

"That is enough. Stop thinking so much about the past. The future is what matters now. Maybe it is enough that I am here as your brother. Having me as a brother is already trouble. Imagine if your grandfather were here, too. That would create chaos beyond control."

Gu Jin let out a short laugh, the tension breaking a little. "You are right. One role is enough."

They both moved on, walking deeper into the hall as the rest of the family prepared for the ceremony. The Gu family worshipped the ancestors with a serious attitude.

Incense sticks burned, offerings were laid neatly on the altar, and every bow was performed with great care. Not one of them dared to show laziness.

That night, the Gu family decided to stay in one of the side chambers of the ancestral hall. The room was simple, with wooden floors and a few mats to lie on. After such a long day, everyone soon fell asleep.

Gu Jin lay on her mat, staring at the ceiling. Slowly, her eyes grew heavy, and she drifted into dreams.

But when she opened her eyes again, she was not in the ancestral hall.

She was back in her luxurious mansion from her previous life.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"I… I am back?" she whispered.

Her breathing quickened. Was this real? Had she truly returned to her original world?

She should be thrilled that she had returned, right? But why does she only feel even more lonely?

She clenched her fists tightly. If she were back here, then did that mean she would never return to the mage world again?

For some reason, a hollow ache filled her heart.

She thought of her half-brother who had protected her, of her parents who were still alive in this life, of her siblings who actually loved her, and of Long Yifan… the man she had slowly begun to like. The thought of leaving them forever made her chest heavy.

"No," she muttered, shaking her head. "I cannot lose them again."

She shut her eyes tightly, hoping it was just a dream. Maybe if she concentrated, she could teleport back to the mage world. But when she opened her eyes again, she was still in the mafia world.

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