The old master looked toward Riven.
"You've been away for several years. You've probably forgotten many things about Murong City."
Riven nodded slightly.
The old master smiled before beginning his explanation.
He introduced the major noble families that currently held influence within the city.
The Zhao family.
The Zhang family.
The Luo family.
One by one, he explained their histories, their strengths, and the relationships they maintained with one another.
Some families had been allies for generations, while others constantly competed in business and influence despite maintaining an outward appearance of harmony.
Finally, the old master picked up a beautifully decorated invitation lying beside his plate.
"This is from the Zhao family. They host the annual martial arts tournament every year."
"Whether a family participates or not, every noble household within Murong City receives an invitation."
"This year our family received one as well."
He gently placed the invitation before Riven.
"The tournament begins in a few days. Would you like to go and watch it?"
Riven returned the smile.
"If it's being held in the city, why not?"
"It should be interesting."
The old master's eyes brightened.
"I haven't attended the tournament in years. In the past, our family would always participate."
He sighed softly.
"But after the family declined, we gradually stopped going."
"Perhaps this year, we can finally attend again."
The atmosphere around the dining table became noticeably lighter.
Even Rose looked forward to the tournament.
It had been a long time since the family had gone anywhere together.
After finishing dinner, everyone chatted for a while before returning to their rooms.
The Millings Manor slowly became quiet once again.
...
Meanwhile...
Inside the City Lord's Mansion.
The City Lord sat inside his study, carefully reading through the reports delivered from every part of Murong City.
Since the arrival of the mysterious cultivators, he had become far more cautious than usual.
Nothing happening within the city escaped his attention.
One after another, he opened the reports before him.
The first concerned the forest surrounding Murong City.
To his surprise there were still very few beasts roaming the outer regions.
Hunters had ventured much deeper into the forest than ever before without encountering any major danger.
Because of that, the herb gatherers had enjoyed unprecedented success.
Numerous medicinal herbs that had remained untouched for years had finally been harvested.
Several rare plants had also been discovered.
One report immediately caught his attention.
A herb gatherer had stumbled upon a peculiar fruit tree growing deep within the forest.
The fruits growing upon it possessed remarkable medicinal properties.
According to the city's pharmacists, consuming one of them could greatly strengthen a martial artist's physique.
Unfortunately, the gatherer had no knowledge of its true value.
Believing it to be an ordinary spiritual fruit, he had sold it for merely ten gold coins.
Later, the same pharmacy displayed the fruit for sale at nearly one hundred gold coins.
After discovering the difference in price, the gatherer returned to argue with the merchant.
Naturally, nothing came of it, as the transaction had already been completed.
The City Lord rubbed his forehead.
"This is troublesome..."
The news had already spread throughout the city.
Countless people now believed the forest was filled with priceless treasures waiting to be discovered.
Many ordinary villagers abandoned their daily work.
Hunters ventured deeper than ever before.
Even merchants temporarily closed their shops in hopes of finding a rare herb that could make them wealthy overnight.
Although the City Lord knew this enthusiasm wouldn't last forever.
For the moment, there was nothing he could do.
The reports continued.
Another document detailed the recent situation of the Millings family.
The City Lord slowly read through it.
"All outstanding debts have been repaid."
He wasn't surprised.
After all, a cultivator possessing even a handful of spirit stones could easily exchange them for enough gold to sustain an ordinary noble family for decades.
Fifty, perhaps even a hundred, gold coins would mean almost nothing to such people.
Closing the report, he leaned back in his chair.
"So, the mysterious cultivator truly intends to help the Millings family."
He still couldn't determine who Riven truly was, nor could he understand why such a powerful cultivator had returned to such an ordinary household.
After thinking for a while, he finally gave a simple order.
"Continue observing the Millings Manor, but do not provoke them as long as they don't interfere with the city's affairs; leave them alone."
The guard respectfully acknowledged the command before leaving the study.
The City Lord sighed.
He had managed Murong City for over twenty years.
Never before had so many unusual events occurred within such a short period.
...
The following few days passed peacefully.
For the first time in a long while, the Millings Manor was filled with quiet laughter instead of worries.
Every morning, Riven could be found in the backyard garden.
He watered the flowers, planted new seeds, and trimmed dried branches.
Sometimes he quietly sat beneath the old tree while observing the slowly blooming garden.
No one disturbed him.
To the servants, he seemed less like an cultivator and more like an ordinary young master who simply enjoyed caring for flowers.
With each passing day, the once neglected garden became more vibrant.
Flowers of every color bloomed throughout the courtyard.
Even the dry corners of the garden gradually regained their life.
Lady Millings often stood by the window, smiling whenever she saw Riven working quietly among the flowers.
Meanwhile, outside the manor.
Murong City had become unusually lively.
The rumors about valuable medicinal herbs hidden within the forest continued spreading.
Every morning, groups of hunters, herb gatherers, and even ordinary townspeople entered the forest carrying baskets, ropes, and digging tools.
Some returned with ordinary herbs while others discovered rare medicinal plants worth several years of income.
A fortunate few even found spiritual fruits hidden deep within the mountains, and stories of overnight riches spread rapidly.
As a result, even more people ventured into the forest.
However, the good fortune didn't last forever.
Around the third day, hunters began reporting something strange.
Beasts had started returning.
At first, only one or two wolves were occasionally spotted roaming the outskirts.
Then, several tigers appeared near the mountain paths.
By the fifth day, entire wolf packs had been seen moving through the forest once more.
The reports arriving at the City Lord's Mansion gradually became more serious.
Some herb gatherers had barely escaped with their lives, while several hunters returned carrying deep claw wounds, and others never returned at all.
Soon, the city guards began warning ordinary people not to travel too deeply into the forest, but greed often proved stronger than fear.
The possibility of finding another priceless spiritual fruit continued drawing people deeper into the mountains.
For every group that returned injured, two more entered the forest the following morning.
The City Lord could only shake his head helplessly.
He had expected the beasts to return eventually.
After all, the powerful beast that had frightened them away could not possibly remain outside Murong City forever.
Nature was slowly returning to its original balance.
Unfortunately, many people had already grown accustomed to exploring the forest without danger.
Now, that illusion was beginning to disappear.
Inside the Millings Manor, however, life remained peaceful.
No matter how noisy Murong City became, Riven still spent each morning tending to his flowers as though nothing outside the manor concerned him.
The greedy treasure hunters and the returning beasts were all merely passing waves.
Only the slowly blooming flowers before him seemed worthy of his attention.