Far to the west, inside Black River City's government hall, reports about Green Willow Valley continued arriving almost every week. At first, the officials dismissed them as exaggerated rumors. A tiny mountain village could hardly become a threat overnight. That attitude quickly changed as more merchants, wandering cultivators, and traveling scholars confirmed the same stories. The Golden Gate Sect had grown at an unbelievable pace, attracting talented cultivators from across the region while the valley itself was becoming a thriving place to live and trade. The city lord frowned as another report landed on his desk. "This is happening far too quickly," he muttered. "Something isn't right." Around the council chamber, the atmosphere became noticeably more serious.
The council's greatest concern wasn't military strength. It was politics. For years, Black River City had been preparing its application to join the Western Wang Alliance, a prestigious coalition made up of the fastest-growing and most influential cities throughout Western Wang. Membership promised stronger trade routes, shared military support, and tremendous political influence within the empire. It was a goal the city's leadership had invested countless resources into achieving. Now, however, a new regional power was rising only a short distance away. Several council members feared the Alliance might see greater potential in Green Willow Valley instead. If that happened, years of careful planning could collapse overnight. No one in the room was willing to accept that possibility.
The City Lord slowly stood and walked toward the large map hanging on the chamber wall. His eyes settled on the small section marked Green Willow Valley. Just 3 years ago, it had been an insignificant farming settlement barely worth mentioning. Now it was appearing in merchant records, cultivation reports, and political discussions throughout the region. "A sect..." he said quietly. "I could tolerate." His gaze narrowed. "A growing city... I cannot." Several elders exchanged uneasy glances but remained silent. They all understood what he meant. If Green Willow continued developing at its current pace, it would become Black River City's greatest competitor. Before long, the City Lord gave his first order. "Increase surveillance on Green Willow Valley. I want to know every move that Sage makes."
Over the next 90 days, Green Willow Valley experienced a wave of newcomers unlike anything the region had ever seen. At first, only a handful of merchant caravans arrived each week. Soon, the roads leading into the valley became noticeably busier. Refugees fleeing poverty, traveling craftsmen searching for opportunity, wandering cultivators, and even entire families from small clans began relocating. Word had spread that Green Willow was different. Taxes were lower than those imposed by neighboring cities, the roads were kept remarkably safe, and disputes were settled fairly rather than according to wealth or influence. For many people, it was the first place they had visited where ordinary citizens were treated with genuine respect instead of being viewed as little more than sources of revenue.
The rumors surrounding Jin Nan played an even greater role. Whether he admitted it or not, stories about the Golden Sage had traveled far beyond the valley. Some claimed he had stopped a Heavenly Tribulation with his bare hands. Others insisted he could command mountains, forests, and even the heavens themselves. The more skeptical travelers dismissed those tales as exaggerations, but even they admitted something extraordinary was happening. After all, a small mountain valley should not have produced a sect capable of defeating forces that dwarfed its own. Many visitors came not because they believed the stories, but because they wanted to see the truth with their own eyes. If a real Sage truly existed within the Wang Empire, witnessing history would be worth the journey.
The growing population quickly changed the valley's atmosphere. Empty fields became neighborhoods, temporary market stalls turned into permanent shops, and new homes appeared almost weekly. Independent clans purchased land, merchants established warehouses, and artisans opened workshops to meet the increasing demand. The Golden Gate Sect welcomed the growth but remained focused on its original mission of protecting the innocent rather than governing every aspect of daily life. Watching the steady stream of people entering the valley, Jin Nan quietly smiled beneath the old apple tree. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had hoped. A great city could never be built through force alone. People had to choose it willingly, and every family crossing Green Willow's gates was making that choice for themselves.
With so many newcomers arriving every day, Green Willow Valley couldn't simply open its gates and trust everyone. Joong Khan and the elders knew they had already made powerful enemies, and it would only be a matter of time before someone attempted to infiltrate the valley. Every merchant caravan, wandering cultivator, refugee family, and visiting clan underwent a thorough but respectful investigation before receiving permission to settle. Records were carefully kept, recommendations were verified whenever possible, and suspicious individuals were quietly monitored. The goal wasn't to make honest people feel unwelcome. It was to ensure that Green Willow remained a place where ordinary citizens could sleep peacefully without worrying about hidden enemies working from within.
Jin Nan, however, had a different idea. "Information doesn't always come from interrogation," he said with a grin. "Most people tell you everything if they're comfortable enough." A few days later, he disappeared from public view before returning with an entirely different appearance. His face looked older, his posture slightly hunched, and he even grew a scruffy beard through a simple disguise technique. The transformation was so convincing that even several disciples failed to recognize him. Only the Village Chief, Joong Khan, and the Golden Gate Sect's senior leadership were told the truth. Under his new identity, Jin Nan quietly became the proprietor of the Saggy Willow Inn, a lively establishment located in the very center of town where travelers naturally gathered before going anywhere else.
The inn quickly became one of the busiest places in the valley. Merchants discussed business over meals, wandering cultivators exchanged rumors, caravan guards complained about the roads, and travelers shared stories from every corner of the empire. From behind the counter, the seemingly ordinary innkeeper listened to everything while pretending to wipe cups or refill tea. Now and then, he would casually make a harmless suggestion that nudged conversations in useful directions or quietly encouraged promising visitors to speak with the Village Chief. Important information eventually found its way to the Golden Gate Sect without anyone realizing how. Jin Nan found the role surprisingly enjoyable. "Being a mysterious Sage is exhausting," he laughed to himself. "Being a nosy innkeeper is much more entertaining."
Jin Nan's little experiment at the Saggy Willow Inn didn't go unnoticed for long. San Zidan, the Right Golden Guardian, quickly realized just how valuable information could be if gathered correctly. Rather than relying solely on scouts, he proposed creating an organization dedicated entirely to intelligence. Joong Khan approved the idea immediately. Thus, the Weeping Shadows was born. Unlike ordinary cultivators, its members specialized in stealth, speed, observation, and remembering the smallest details. Every server, cook, stable hand, cleaner, and bartender working at the Saggy Willow Inn quietly became part of the organization. To every visitor, they appeared to be ordinary workers. In reality, each one was carefully trained to observe without ever drawing attention to themselves.
Under Jin Nan's disguised identity, the Weeping Shadows learned that gathering information was only half the job. The other half was knowing when to share it. Travelers often visited the inn searching for opportunities, work, or rumors that might help them earn fame or fortune. Rather than giving direct answers, the innkeepers would casually mention a merchant needing guards, a clan seeking craftsmen, or a dangerous Spirit Beast spotted near the mountains. The information was always true, but carefully chosen. People left believing they had uncovered valuable intelligence through conversation rather than realizing it had been subtly placed before them. Before long, anyone hoping to make a name for themselves naturally stopped at the Saggy Willow Inn first.
As weeks passed, the inn became the unofficial heart of Green Willow Valley. Nearly everyone entering the valley eventually passed through its doors, making it the perfect place to quietly learn who they were and why they had come. The Weeping Shadows recorded names, backgrounds, professions, affiliations, and unusual behavior before passing reports through secure channels. One rule stood above all others: under no circumstances could anyone discover the organization's connection to the Golden Gate Sect or the Village Chief. Even if captured, members knew only enough to perform their own duties. To the outside world, the Weeping Shadows did not exist. They were simply friendly inn workers serving good food, hot tea, and useful conversation. Exactly as Jin Nan intended, the greatest source of intelligence in the valley looked like nothing more than a comfortable place to spend the night.
To further shape Green Willow Valley, Jin Nan decided it was time to let nature do some of the work. Standing atop a quiet mountain peak, he expanded his Sage Influence throughout the forests covering the valley. Rather than creating cities or buildings, he gently adjusted the balance of the land itself. Deep within 3 remote regions that ordinary people rarely visited, he allowed 3 King Level Spirit Beasts to naturally come into existence. Each beast claimed its own territory without disturbing the others. Their purpose wasn't to threaten the valley but to become living pillars of the ecosystem. Their powerful auras would gradually influence the surrounding wilderness, allowing Spirit Beasts of every level to reproduce at a much healthier rate.
The effects appeared surprisingly quickly. Within a few months, hunters and cultivators began reporting encounters with species that had never before existed in the region. Spirit wolves, crystal antler deer, iron tusk boars, and dozens of other beasts started appearing throughout the forests. None were strong enough to threaten the valley itself, but they provided excellent training opportunities for young cultivators and valuable materials for craftsmen and alchemists. The influence of the 3 King Beasts also encouraged weaker beasts to migrate into the region from neighboring territories, creating a healthy and self-sustaining population. Nearby cities initially thought the increase was a coincidence, unaware that the entire ecosystem had quietly been guided by a High Sage.
The forests themselves also began changing. Ordinary trees slowly evolved into Spirit Trees while rare medicinal herbs, colorful spiritual flowers, and unusual vines appeared in places where nothing special had grown before. Some plants possessed healing properties, while others became valuable ingredients for pills, talismans, or cultivation resources. A few even developed defensive instincts, making harvesting them an adventure of its own. Gong Su and the Green Hall quickly organized teams to study and responsibly cultivate these new resources without damaging the valley's natural balance. Jin Nan watched the thriving landscape with satisfaction. A prosperous civilization needed more than powerful cultivators. It needed a living land capable of supporting generations yet to come, and Green Willow Valley was steadily becoming exactly that.