Chapter 7: He Is the Ancestor

Even though Jiaoyue had already begun cultivating her spiritual power, it was still insufficient to sustain her use of it; she would have to wait for another opportunity to observe. The seven uncles behind also bowed their heads, equally puzzled. Aside from the Feng Shui treasure land of Lanzi Mountain, coveted by the royal family, there was nothing else concerning the Meng family. What did Father mean when he said the Meng family was saved?

Meng Wenxi’s heart sank. His father’s words had completely confirmed his suspicions.

After paying respects to their ancestors, the patriarch of the Meng family personally wrote Jiaoyue’s name beneath that of the seventh son, Meng Wenxuan, in the clan genealogy.

Jiaoyue watched her grandfather write her name, admiring the elegance of his calligraphy. At the same time, she saw just how prosperous the Meng family lineage was.

She only viewed a portion of her grandfather’s branch, yet the thickness of the rolled-up genealogy indicated the Meng family’s population was extraordinarily thriving.

A question arose in her mind: how large must this family be? With such prosperity, why would they need her to save them?

Nevertheless, her large eyes diligently recorded the names. After all, she needed the complete names to write them down in her little notebook.

Fortunately, her strong spiritual power endowed her with an excellent memory—she could remember everything at a glance.

Since they were family, if possible, she wished them good fortune; after all, their well-being was tied to hers.

After inscribing his granddaughter’s name into the genealogy, the Meng family patriarch let out a long sigh of relief. The person who had predicted the Meng family’s fortune centuries ago had been remarkably accurate.

Looking down at the bright and perceptive little girl in his arms, his gaze softened, tinged with barely noticeable guilt. In his heart, he vowed: Child, I will give you all my love.

Jiaoyue’s soul was not that of a true infant—she caught the fleeting guilt in her grandfather’s eyes. She sensed he was thinking of something important, something that surely involved her.

More precisely, it concerned the women of the Meng family.

Yet, her spiritual power was too weak to hear her grandfather’s thoughts.

She sighed. It seemed she must work harder to cultivate her spiritual power.

The time required to grow up was fixed and unalterable, but the speed of cultivating spiritual power was within her control.

Even if there were no pressing matters, she would seize the golden opportunity before age five to strengthen her spiritual power beyond that of her previous life.

A strange sense of urgency gripped her. Spiritual power was the only means of self-protection for a nursing infant like herself.

Despite her strong will, she was still a newborn, exhausted and yawning again. “Is it over yet? I want to sleep,” Jiaoyue thought helplessly.

The Meng family patriarch held Jiaoyue in his arms but did not leave the ancestral hall. Instead, he walked slowly around its perimeter, where portraits hung on the walls.

“Good child, this is your great-grandfather…”

Jiaoyue summoned her strength to look. Her great-grandfather appeared a gentle and refined man.

He then introduced the other ancestors in a calm, patient voice, explaining how the Meng family had risen and sustained itself through scholarly pursuits for generations.

The seven uncles listened with silent bewilderment. Had their father forgotten the little niece was just born? Could she understand any of this?

They had no idea that within Jiaoyue’s tiny newborn body resided the soul of a teenager, who not only understood but memorized every word perfectly.

Jiaoyue learned that the continent of her birth was indeed a mortal realm.

The Meng family was the premier scholarly lineage of the Great Yu Empire, with a history spanning centuries. They resided on Lanzi Mountain, their academy, Hanmo Academy, situated on the front hill, while their home lay on the rear hill. She was the first girl born to the Meng family in centuries.

How could a family go centuries without a girl being born?

Even with Jiaoyue’s power over human fortune, she had never encountered such a family.

There was indeed something unusual about the Meng family’s fortune.

When she reached the portrait of the family’s first ancestor, Jiaoyue’s drowsiness vanished instantly.

This old man was the progenitor of the Meng family?

He looked exactly like the elderly man who had saved and comforted her in her previous life.

Except the old man in the portrait bore the aura of a transcendent immortal, while the one who had saved her was shrouded in tattered despair.

Could it be that she had reincarnated as his descendant? Had they truly become family?

But this world was supposed to be a mortal realm, and that old man with the surname Meng was from the immortal cultivation world.

How could his descendants exist in the mortal world?

Recalling her grandfather’s words that the Meng family was saved because of her birth, and her own promise once made to repay that old man—though she had since lost contact and never fulfilled it—she wondered.

Could it be that this single promise had caused her to reincarnate as his descendant to repay his kindness?

In her previous life, Jiaoyue had mingled among cultivators and was deeply aware of the law of cause and effect. Although she was adept at deceiving others, it was harmless, merely a means to earn some extra spirit stones, never committing evil deeds.

The names she wrote in the black notebook were all individuals she was forced to include for self-preservation.

Those in the white notebook were people who had helped her; she had never misused that.

When the old man surnamed Meng had helped her, she had not yet awakened her notebook. After awakening it, she lost contact with him. Since she only knew his surname, and the notebook required full names, she could not enhance his fortune.

At this moment, Jiaoyue's heart pounded. If all this was true, she could no longer treat the Meng family’s affairs lightly.

For her to reincarnate so conveniently, the Meng family’s troubles must be considerable.

Could it be related to their fortune?

Jiaoyue knew herself well. She had thrived in her past life by relying on strong spiritual power and two notebooks that governed human fortune.

Could it be that what the Meng family needed was indeed fortune?

Her thoughts raced until reaching their limit. Her large eyes blinked open and shut, but eventually, she could no longer fight sleep and succumbed, effectively fainting.

The Meng family patriarch saw his granddaughter’s eyelids flutter and knew she had no strength left. When she closed her eyes to sleep, he carried her out of the ancestral hall and handed her over to his wife before leading his sons to the study.

The seven uncles felt a weight settle in their hearts, for they knew the Meng family’s hidden secrets were about to be unveiled.

Jiaoyue awoke again, this time from hunger—a sensation unfamiliar in a long time.

In her previous life, she had traded with cultivators for many fasting pills, which she would eat when busy and unable to cook; a single pill could stave off hunger for a whole day.

When she had time, she would prepare delicious meals herself. After all, she was not a cultivator; grains and cereals were only beneficial to her body.

Each time she indulged in fine food was a moment of self-comfort, a small victory over cultivators in some respect.

Now, waking from hunger, the feeling was utterly strange.

Jiaoyue forced her eyes open with great effort.