“Absolutely!” the elderly woman asserted with conviction. “The two bracelets are crafted from phoenix bone rattan. They were originally a matching pair and have been passed down as heirlooms in the Jiang family. After the ancestor was rescued by Meng Laozu, he recognized the unique material of the bracelet. Meng Laozu then asked the ancestor if he would be willing to part with one of the bracelets in exchange for epting the other. At that time, the ancestor had no one to rely on, so he readily agreed. Meng Laozu truly was a gentleman; he only desired one of the phoenix bone bracelets and encouraged the ancestor to keep the other.”
Charlie inquired further, “So, did your ancestor also learn spiritual energy from this Meng Laozu?”
“No,” the olddy replied, shaking her head with a hint of sadness. “It is said that those who possess the gift to master spiritual energy are extremely rare, like finding a needle in a haystack. If onecks this innate talent, no amount of hard work will allow them to enter the realm of spiritual energy. My ancestors, as well as the family of Meng Laozu, did not possess this gift…”
She gestured toward a picture on the wall depicting a child engrossed in reading. “My ancestorscked that talent, which is why they took on the role of a servant boy beside Old Ancestor Meng. While he was called a servant boy, in truth, he was more like an adopted son to Meng Laozu. Meng kept him close, teaching him to read and paint. The three paintings you see here were created by my ancestors in theirter years, with thest being a self-portrait from their old age.”
Charlie felt a wave of admiration, eximing, “It seems that this Ancestor Meng truly was a remarkable figure—possessing not only incredible supernatural abilities and knowledge but also apassionate heart, which is quite rare…”<fn4fdd> Follow current nov?ls on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn4fdd><h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">
“Indeed,” the olddy agreed with a slight nod. “My ancestors served alongside Meng Laozu for about sixty years, until 820 A.D., during the fifteenth year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty…”
“At that time, Ancestor Meng was nearly 160 years old, and my ancestors were 71. That year, Ancestor Meng advised my ancestors that if his cultivation did not progress or he failed to refine the elixir he sought, he might not reach the age of two hundred. Therefore, he decided to seek a more suitable cave for deep meditation.”
“When they parted ways, Ancestor Meng gifted some money and a pill to my ancestors, instructing them to go out into the world and live. He promised that once he discovered the path to longevity, he would return to enhance the chances of my ancestors.”
“Although my ancestors were reluctant to say goodbye, they understood that the bond between master and servant hade to an end. After their farewell, my ancestors entered the world, marrying a woman from Jiangyang Mansion, not far from here, to continue their lineage.”
“Three years after their marriage, they returned here with their wife and children, hoping to stay close to the mausoleum of Meng Laozu’s family, while also waiting for Meng Laozu’s return. Over a millennium passed…”
Charlie felt puzzled and remarked, “Your ancestor was already seventy when he parted with Meng Laozu, yet he went down the mountain, got married, and continued his lineage. It’s truly astonishing. Could it be that he relied on the elixir given to him by Meng Laozu before they parted ways?”
“Exactly,” the olddy sighed. “Meng Laozu provided my ancestors with two pills; one was given when they turned fifty, and the other upon their departure. He mentioned that these two elixirs are among the most precious treasures in existence. Just one can make a person appear twenty years younger. Thus, although my ancestors were seventy at the time of marriage, they looked like they were merely thirty.” Charlie was taken aback and eximed, “Grandma, is the elixir that Ancestor Meng gave your ancestors known as the Huichun elixir?”<h3 ss="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="chapter-list"><strong></strong>