Page "Ge Hong" Paragraph 24

Rather than return north, Ge refused other honors and remained in the south, living as a recluse on Mount Luofu for the next eight years before returning to his native Jurong around 314.

The decision meant that Ge avoided much of the political upheaval that ravaged the Jin state, as various contenders for the throne pillaged Luoyang over the next several years.

It was probably during this time on Mt.

Luofu that Ge began his relationship with Bao Jing ( 260-327 ).

According to the biographies of both Bao Jing and Ge, Bao was an adept in a wide variety of esoteric studies, including medicine, and transmitted his techniques and knowledge to Hong.

Conversely, Bao Jing " valued Ge very much, and married a daughter to him ".

Evidence for the precise timing of their initial meeting is largely circumstantial.

Around 312, Bao was appointed Governor of Nanhai prefecture, not far from Mt.

Luofu.

Some sources suggest that Bao Jing often traveled to Mt.

Luofu to study esoteric arts, during which time he would have certainly met Ge.

While such accounts may be apocryphal, timing and proximity raise the possibility that the two men began their relationship while Ge lived in the far south.