Albert was elated, and he immediately used his aura to make a connection.
As soon as the two auras merged, a vivid image suddenly appeared in Albert’s mind.
The image showed a grand funeral taking place in a mountain village. The people at the funeral were not dressed in modern attire but rather in costumes resembling the Tang Dynasty.
Albert was able to identify the location of the mountain village from the terrain, and it was the same place where Mrs. Treadway lived. The mountain village in the image did not look as rundown as it was now.
In the picture of the mountain village, Albert saw a spacious wooden courtyard, adorned with intricate carvings and vivid paintings on the buildings. The place looked like it belonged to a wealthy family.
However, the funeral scene was not depicted in real-time, but rather like a time-lapse sequence that was fast-forwarded multiple times.
Albert saw a large crowd gathering in front of the coffin in the main room, a middle-aged man was grieving loudly and weeping on his knees. Behind him were a group of women and children were also crying uncontrollably. On the wall opposite them, there were three paintings hanging and the picture shifted to show people mourning and grieving.
The funeral ceremony proceeded quickly, with various rituals and customs being followed in a rapid manner, like a horse observing flowers.
Once all the necessary protocols were fulfilled, a group of middle-aged men carried the coffin to the base of the nearby mountain and laid it to rest.
Afterward, the people returned to the large wooden house and the noise faded away. A few women from the family, along with their families, left one after the other, leaving the middle-aged man alone in the mourning room.
The middle-aged man, who was in the main room, stood with a happy expression on his face, looking at the portrait of Lord Morvel on the central wall.
Stefan then spoke with a smile, “Patriarch Morvel, my father passed away three days ago and has now been buried in the earth. Even if you have the power to bring the dead back to life, it may be too late now. If you truly possess the secret of longevity, I hope you will fulfill the promise made to my father. My father lived for 113 years, which I greatly envy. I am now 42 years old, and I only wish for you to live long enough to fulfill your promise to my father as soon as possible.”
Albert comprehended the essence of the middle-aged man’s words even though they were cryptic. It seemed that the middle-aged man was the descendant of the Treadway family.
Stefan stood in front of Lord Morvel’s portrait, expressing his desire for Lord Morvel to attain longevity and keep the promise made to his father.
In simpler terms, the middle-aged man eagerly awaited Lord Morvel’s return so that he could also attain eternal life.
After speaking, the man in the main room suddenly collapsed onto the floor and went into a deep sleep. At the same time, a middle-aged man in a green shirt entered the room with strong steps.
This man had the same appearance and clothing as the portrait of Lord Morvel, but he appeared slightly younger than in the portrait.
Albert deduced that this person was Lord Morvel himself!
This Lord Morvel stood in front of the three paintings for a prolonged moment, then cast his gaze on the portraits of the past ancestors of the Treadway family on the right wall.
Stefan let out a sigh and said, “The respected student has passed away… If he had only waited for three more days, I could have honored my obligation as a mentor. However, now that he has gone, I must fulfill the agreement with his son as a mentor. But upon hearing his words and observing his actions, I am greatly disappointed. This opportunity will not be given to him.”
After speaking, Lord Morvel extended his hand and gently tapped on his own portrait.
Stefan murmured, “I have recorded today’s events in this painting. If your descendants ever blame me and destroy this portrait of me in the future, they will know why. I will eventually be reunited with you at the Nine Springs, so don’t hold it against me.”
With that, Lord Morvel gracefully turned around and disappeared into the night. At the same time, all the images came to a sudden stop.
Albert was overwhelmed by this experience that seemed to transcend time and space, and it took him a while to come back to reality.
As he regained his composure, he was in awe of Lord Morvel’s ability to preserve his thoughts within a painting. At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the tragic fate of the Treadway family descendants. There was no doubt that when Lord Morvel returned to the small mountain village, he must have attained some sort of longevity.
Ludwig, however, came to the conclusion that the longevity obtained by Lord Morvel broke through the limit of 200 years lifespan but did not mean immortality.
Stefan was certain of this because, on the one hand, after he had the mastery of the Apocalyptic Book, he was able to analyze it from an inside perspective. In reality, immortality did not exist, only a slightly longer lifespan.
In addition, Albert was convinced of this because of Lord Morvel’s final statement to the portrait of the Treadway ancestors.
His words, “I will see you again under the Nine Springs in the future, don’t blame me for it,” were unambiguous.
Since the Northern Dynasty, the phrase “under the Nine Springs” had been used and at that time, it symbolized the afterlife.
Albert deduced that Lord Morvel’s intention to reunite with the Treadway ancestors under the Nine Springs implied that he was aware of his impending death. This led Albert to the conclusion that Lord Morvel had sought a way to extend his life before reaching 200 years old, and had returned to fulfill his promise to the Treadway ancestors.
However, the plan was not fulfilled because Lord Morvel was too late and the ancestor of the Treadway family had already passed away.
The son of the Treadway ancestor, due to his rebellious behavior in front of the portrait, let Lord Morvel down, causing him to miss the opportunity to have a life span of 200 years or longer.
Albert couldn’t help but marvel at the patience of the Treadway family’s descendants.
Over a thousand years had passed, yet Mrs. Treadway’s generation was still waiting for Lord Morvel to show up. Had they had a bad temper, someone who couldn’t wait for such a long time might have torn up Lord Morvel’s portrait and learned the reason.
But sometimes luck deceives people, and the Treadway family didn’t get the result they were waiting for, but instead stumbled upon it by chance.
Albert was in deep thoughts, pondering the mysteries of Lord Morvel’s life. Stefan couldn’t help but wonder how Lord Morvel had extended his lifespan beyond the maximum limit of 200 years.
Stefan also pondered if Lord Morvel was still alive and if he had lived for more than 1,400 years. But after considering the matter, Albert decisively concluded that such a long lifespan was impossible. Stefan believed that Lord Morvel’s bones were likely buried somewhere.
