100 days after Jin's arrival, Green Willow Village was already showing signs of change. The damaged homes had been rebuilt stronger than before, new wells had been dug, and the fields surrounding the village were producing healthier crops than anyone could remember. Word had spread quickly that the village had somehow recovered from disaster in just over 3 months. Travelers passing through often stopped to ask how they had managed it. The villagers always gave the same answer. "Our Sage helped us." Every time Jin Nan heard that, he nearly choked on whatever he was eating. He had never called himself a Sage. In fact, he had tried explaining that several times, but nobody seemed interested in listening.
The title only became more ridiculous as the days passed. Villagers constantly showed up at his door seeking advice. Some problems were serious. Others were completely absurd. One man wanted help deciding where to plant vegetables. Another asked whether he should marry the blacksmith's daughter or the baker's daughter. A group of children even asked Jin Nan to settle an argument about whose dog was smarter. Somehow, despite all this nonsense, the village continued improving. People worked harder, disputes became less common, and everyone seemed happier. Jin Nan eventually stopped arguing about the Sage title. It was easier to let them believe what they wanted than explain himself every day.
On the morning of the 100th day, Jin Nan sat beneath a large tree near the village entrance enjoying a peaceful nap. Unfortunately, peace never seemed to last. The sound of horses and wagon wheels echoed from the main road, causing nearby villagers to gather and watch. Opening one eye, Jin Nan spotted a caravan approaching from the distance. There were 12 wagons, dozens of guards, and several cultivators riding alongside them. The village chief hurried over with a nervous expression. "Local Sage, visitors from Black River City have arrived." Jin Nan rubbed his forehead and sighed. He had spent 100 days helping rebuild a village. Apparently, that was enough time for trouble to come looking for him.
Jin Nan resisted the urge to immediately throw the visitors back down the road. Over the last 100 days, he had learned that rushing to conclusions usually created more problems than it solved. So, when the caravan entered Green Willow Village, he calmly followed the village chief to meet them. The leader turned out to be a fat merchant dressed in expensive robes, accompanied by 3 Foundation Establishment cultivators who looked more interested in showing off than protecting anyone. The merchant introduced himself as Manager Kou of Black River City. At first, everything sounded normal enough. He praised the village's growth, complimented the harvests, and even congratulated the villagers on their recovery.
Then the demands started. Manager Kou claimed Green Willow Village now fell under Black River City's protection and therefore owed taxes. Not unusual. The problem was the amount. He demanded 70% of all grain harvested, 60% of all livestock, and a yearly payment of 5,000 silver coins. The villagers nearly fainted on the spot. Their entire village had not seen that much silver in generations. As if that wasn't enough, Kou announced that every family with more than 2 children must send 1 child to work in Black River City's mines for a minimum of 10 years. He said it all with a smile, as though he were offering generous gifts rather than robbing them blind.
Jin Nan listened quietly the entire time. In fact, he was so calm that several villagers began to worry. Those who knew him well had learned something important over the past few months. The calmer Jin Nan became, the more dangerous the situation usually was. Once Manager Kou finally finished speaking, Jin Nan slowly stood up from his chair and stretched. "Let me see if I understand correctly," he said casually. "You want to take most of their food, most of their animals, all their savings, and their children?" Manager Kou nodded proudly. "Correct." Jin Nan scratched his chin thoughtfully before smiling. "Good. I was worried I misunderstood. Turns out you're even dumber than I first thought."
Manager Kou's face immediately darkened. The 3 Foundation Establishment cultivators behind him stepped forward, each releasing a bit of their aura to intimidate the villagers. Unfortunately for them, Jin Nan looked completely unimpressed. He casually reached into his sleeve, pulled out a small cloth package, and tossed it onto the table. Kou opened it and nearly exploded with rage. Inside were several adult diapers. "Depends," Jin Nan said with a grin. "Figured you'd need them before this conversation ends." Several villagers quickly turned away to hide their laughter. Even the village chief had to bite his lip. Kou's face turned red while the cultivators looked ready to attack on the spot.
As the tension rose, Jin Nan remained seated. Slowly, an invisible pressure began spreading from him. At first nobody noticed. Then the cultivators suddenly found it difficult to breathe. Sweat formed on their foreheads. Their knees started trembling uncontrollably. Manager Kou's smile vanished as his body felt heavier with each passing second. The strange part was that none of the villagers seemed affected. Children continued running around nearby, and a few farmers kept working as though nothing was happening. One cultivator attempted to circulate his spiritual energy but found it completely suppressed. Fear quickly replaced arrogance as they realized they could not even identify Jin Nan's cultivation realm.
By the time Jin Nan stood up, the visitors were barely able to remain standing. His smile never disappeared. "Now then," he said casually, dusting off his robes. "You can leave while you still have enough dignity to walk away." Nobody argued. Kou and his men practically stumbled toward their wagons. Before leaving the village, however, Kou turned around and pointed at Jin Nan with a shaking hand. "You will regret this! Black River City commands over 8,000 soldiers and dozens of cultivators. This means war!" Jin Nan watched them disappear down the road before letting out a sigh. "Every time," he muttered. "Why does everyone jump straight to war? They could have at least tried bribery first."
The strange thing was that after the caravan left, nobody panicked. There were no frantic discussions, no desperate meetings, and no families packing their belongings to flee. The villagers simply returned to what they had been doing before. Farmers went back to their fields. Merchants reopened their stalls. Children resumed chasing each other through the streets. It was as though Black River City's threat of war had been nothing more than a brief interruption to their afternoon. Jin Nan stood near the village entrance watching everyone disperse with a confused expression. He had expected at least some concern. Instead, the entire village seemed completely unbothered by the possibility of thousands of soldiers marching toward them.
Unable to understand their confidence, Jin Nan stopped the village chief before he could leave. "Are you people not afraid?" he asked. "That fool claimed his city has 8,000 soldiers and dozens of cultivators. That's a serious threat for an ordinary village." The old chief blinked as though the answer was obvious. Then he smiled and bowed respectfully. "The Sage is here. What is there to fear?" Several nearby villagers nodded in agreement before continuing on their way. Not a single person questioned it. To them, the matter had already been settled. If the Sage remained in Green Willow Village, then Green Willow Village would be safe. It was simply common sense.
Jin Nan watched the chief disappear into the inner village and could only shake his head. A long sigh escaped his lips. This was exactly how it had started when he was a child over 100,000 years ago. Back then, people had looked at his clan the same way. Whenever danger appeared, they would say, "The Jin Clan is here. What is there to fear?" Then more people arrived. Then more responsibilities followed. Eventually entire regions began depending on the clan's protection. Jin Nan leaned against a tree and stared toward the horizon. "This never ends well," he muttered. Yet despite his complaints, a faint smile appeared on his face. Some things, it seemed, never changed.
Jin Nan stood on the outskirts of Green Willow Village long after everyone had returned to their daily routines. His gaze drifted toward the distant mountains as old memories surfaced. The Jin Clan was gone. The halls where he had grown up were dust. The elders who once guided him had vanished into history 100,000 years ago. He was the last Jin. The only survivor of a clan that had once shaken entire realms. Yet instead of feeling lonely, he found himself smiling. Life had somehow given him a second chance. The villagers shared no blood relation with him, but they had accepted him without question. They called him their Sage. Trusted him completely. Jin Nan silently vowed that he would never betray that trust.
The next morning, Jin Nan climbed one of the mountains overlooking the village. It wasn't particularly tall, but it provided a perfect view of the surrounding lands. After walking around for several hours, he found a flat area nestled against the mountainside. Satisfied, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Trees began falling one after another as he chopped them down with casual swings of his hand. By sunset, a simple wooden hut stood proudly on the mountain. A stone courtyard occupied the front, while a small garden sat off to one side. It wasn't grand compared to the estates of powerful cultivators, but Jin Nan liked it. It felt peaceful. More importantly, it felt like home.
On the third day, curious villagers noticed activity on the mountain and climbed up to investigate. What they found left them speechless. At the entrance of the courtyard stood a wooden gate unlike anything they had seen before. Hanging above it was a freshly carved signboard. Written across it were 3 glowing words: Golden Gate Sect. The characters had been painted using spiritual ink, causing them to shine with a gentle golden light visible even during daylight. Several villagers stared in amazement while Jin Nan sat nearby drinking tea. "Sect?" one villager asked nervously. Jin Nan grinned. "Well, every Sage needs a sect, right?" Within hours, the entire village knew that Green Willow Village now had its very own sect.