A sage master under the pine tree imparted the Dao and taught longevity.

Once the imperial edict was issued, the name of Songjianmen spread like a spring breeze, quickly reaching all five towns and thirty-two villages at the foot of Dahuang Mountain.

A few days later, Shi Niu followed Wang Huai'an into Tingsong Valley. Behind them were seven people, all skilled craftsmen selected from the five towns. Some carried axes and saws on their shoulders, while others carried ropes and chalk on their backs. They filed in along the path of Tingsong Valley.

Although Shi Niu was only thirteen or fourteen years old, he had already trained under Wang Huai'an for more than two years, and his demeanor naturally exuded a sense of composure.

Upon seeing Chen Chuan, he bowed respectfully and said with his hands at his sides, "Sect Leader, the chief craftsmen and foremen from the five towns have all arrived and are ready to receive orders."

Chen Chuan nodded, looked at the group of craftsmen, and then turned his gaze to the mountain peak on the right side of Tingsong Valley.

The mountain peak is unnamed, standing alone on the east side of Tingsong Valley, about three or four hundred feet above the valley floor. There is a wide plateau at the waist of the peak, flat as if cut by a knife, with cliffs on all sides. There is only a winding mountain path for climbing, which can be described as a place where one man can hold the pass against ten thousand.

Chen Chuan had surveyed this place for a long time and knew it was an excellent location to establish his clan and family.

He summoned Wang Huai'an and the other craftsmen to his side, pointed to the mountain peak, and said in a deep voice, "The sect of Songjian Sect is built on the plateau on the mountainside. The plateau is about thirty or forty acres wide, which is enough for its use."

He took out a map he had drawn beforehand, spread it on the stone table, and pointed out the details one by one: "To build the mountain gate here, we need to use bluestone to build it, and take the local blue-gray rock from Dahuang Mountain, so that it can be integrated with the mountain's shape."

Behind the mountain gate, a front courtyard was set up, with a martial arts training ground paved with bluestone and a flagpole at each of the four corners.

Behind the martial arts training ground, a main hall, a scripture pavilion, and a pill room were built in a staggered arrangement according to the mountain's terrain.

The main hall is in the center, facing south, and enshrines the ancestral master's tablet...."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, while the foreman listened intently, taking notes rapidly on paper with a charcoal pencil.

Wang Huai'an listened from the sidelines, nodding frequently and secretly marveling.

Good heavens, this isn't building a Taoist temple, it's clearly building a small town!

Chen Chuan looked at the stone ox one last time and said gently, "The matter of those five hundred good citizens will be entrusted to you to handle."

These families were settled in the flat land of Tingsong Valley, given farming tools and spiritual seeds, and supervised to cultivate the spiritual fields.

From now on, your Shi family will be the stewards of the Songjian Sect in the mortal realm, responsible for collecting spiritual rice and plants. If you do a good job, you will be generously rewarded.

Shi Niu nodded solemnly: "Sect Leader, rest assured, Shi Niu will certainly live up to your expectations!"

The craftsmen rested in the valley for a night, and the next day more than 500 craftsmen arrived in the valley one after another. After the chief craftsmen took attendance, they offered sacrifices to the heavens and burned incense before starting their work.

The Dahuang Mountain is rich in bluish-gray rock, which has a fine texture and does not break even after frost and snow, making it an excellent material for building walls and foundations.

The craftsmen followed the mountain path, driving several strong mules and horses, transporting cartloads of quarried stone from the mountains to the plateau.

The sounds of chiseling, sawing, and tamping echoed from the first light of dawn until dusk, causing the entire nameless mountain to tremble slightly amidst the clamor.

Then, craftsmen dragged ironwood from the depths of the Great Wilderness Mountain. This wood is tough and will not rot for a hundred years, making it most suitable for supporting beams and pillars.

The sturdy crossbeam was hoisted high by ropes, and more than ten men worked together to push and pull it firmly onto the top of the giant pillar. It was then nailed with iron nails, wrapped with hemp rope, and soaked in tung oil to make it dense and secure.

Meanwhile, another team of craftsmen was dedicated to building the walls.

They stacked the neatly cut bluestones one by one, and applied a mixture of yellow mud and lime between the stones. Once solidified, it became as hard as iron and stone, and even a blade could not be inserted into it.

Chen Chuan would go up the mountain every few days to check on the craftsmen and was very pleased to see that they were skilled and each performed their duties well.

……

About half a month later, Shi Niu finally led the five hundred good people to Ting Song Valley.

That day, Chen Chuan was reading through the cultivation manual jade slip in the hall when he suddenly heard Shu'er shouting loudly outside the courtyard, "Master! People are here! So many people!"

He put down the jade slip, pushed open the door and went out. He saw a long dragon made up of people winding its way along the mountain path of Listening Pine Valley.

Men, women, and children, carrying loads and baskets, leading cattle and herding sheep, chatted and laughed all the way, gradually filling the wide plain outside Tingsong Valley.

The children, seemingly tireless, ran back and forth, playing around the green ox grazing on the west side, causing the big green ox to moo and swing its emerald horns, looking both amused and exasperated.

Standing on the stone bridge, Chen Chuan looked around and felt that Tingsong Valley, which had been desolate for many years, finally had a bit of a lively human atmosphere.

He immediately gave the order.

"Mo'er".

Upon hearing the sound, Shen Mo quickly walked over and bowed, saying, "Master, your disciple is here."

"You grew up in the academy and have excellent handwriting. Let Xiao Jin lead you to be in charge of registration and record-keeping. Record the population, names, and ages of each household in the register, and make sure there are no mistakes."

Shen Mo responded, turned around and went back to his room to fetch a brush, ink, paper, inkstone, and a stack of blank notebooks, then went to find Xiao Jin.

"Shu'er".

Shu'er had already rolled up her sleeves, rubbing her hands together, her face full of eagerness: "Master, Shu'er knows! I'll take care of the arrangements!"

Chen Chuan chuckled and nodded, saying, "The sheds, firewood, drinking water, and cooking utensils must all be arranged properly so that the villagers don't suffer any injustice."

"Don't worry, Master!" Shu'er patted her chest and said.

As the sun set, Shen Mo closed the last book and respectfully reported to Chen Chuan: "Master, the total number of people who have moved into Tingsong Valley this time is 2,532, including 1,187 men and 1,345 women."

Of these, 312 were children aged six to twelve.

Chen Chuan nodded, his eyes brightening slightly.

He turned to look at Xiao Jin and said in a deep voice, "Xiao'er, tomorrow you will gather those 312 children together and examine them one by one using the 'Qi-Guiding and Root-Probing' method. Record those who have spiritual energy in their names and bring them to me for review."

Xiao Jin bowed and accepted the order.

After instructing his disciples, Chen Chuan took the [Jia Ma Talisman] and affixed it to his legs. He then rode the wind and headed towards the nameless mountain peak that was under construction day and night.

The mountain path winds its way through the mountains, with pine trees standing tall on both sides, their leaves rustling in the wind.

When he climbed to the top of the terrace, he saw the sky full of sunset clouds, the afterglow like gold.

On the terrace, the stone foundation of the mountain gate has been laid, and two thick gate pillars stand tall and majestic, with distinct outlines, exuding a solemn atmosphere.

The foundation of the training ground has been laid halfway, with neat rows of bluestone.

The foundation for the alchemy room had been laid, and the craftsmen were still busy working in the last rays of sunlight, the clanging sounds of chiseling stone carrying far and wide in the mountain breeze.

Chen Chuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the bustling construction site, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up in his chest.

Having lived two lives, he was a schoolteacher in the mountains and a wandering cultivator who wasted half his life. Now, atop this desolate mountain, he is witnessing firsthand the rise of a sect of his own from nothing.

A breeze rustles through the pines, causing clothes to flutter lightly.

Chen Chuan took a deep breath of the mountain breeze, which carried the scent of pine resin and earth, and slowly opened his mouth, his voice low and deep, as if speaking to himself, and to this world:

"If I grow old and pass away in the future, even if my body dies and my cultivation dissipates, the Songjian Sect will surely stand tall in this world!"