With the rise of my family, I can summon the Daoist Soldiers' Nest.

Xiang County, Qingyang Prefecture, Wuwei Commandery, was originally the fiefdom of the Wang family.

The Wang family has a nest of third-rate Taoist soldiers in their ancestral home, and the "Angry Claw Lynx" that it bred is considered the best among third-rate combat Taoist soldiers. It moves silently like a shadow, has an extremely fast burst speed, and is good at solo assassination and tracking fleeing enemies.

Five years ago, the Northern Xiongnu army launched a surprise attack on Xiang County. Caught off guard, the city gates unexpectedly fell, and the county was quickly besieged. The Wang family fought to the death to protect their stronghold, but in the end, the stronghold was destroyed, and the clansmen were massacred. Their decades-long foundation collapsed in a single day.

Now, Xiang County no longer has a lord with a stronghold, and the imperial court has appointed a county magistrate to govern it, who wields the most power. Below him are the five major families: Zhang, Liu, Chen, Li, and Yang.

Although they are called "large families", they are incomparable to the royal family of the past. When the Northern Xiongnu attacked five years ago, these five families were the fastest to escape and were almost unharmed. Relying on their population advantage, they slowly grew stronger, which is somewhat like "when the tiger is not at home, the monkey becomes king".

When the Tian family moved away from the county town, it was just "another family leaving" in the eyes of the neighbors, but for the five major families, it was a completely different story.

There are not many families in Xiang County that can be called "families". The Tian family is a well-off family that runs a restaurant. Their departure immediately attracted the attention of the Zhang family.

Zhang's servants inquired everywhere and learned that the Tian family had actually sought refuge in Linjiawu outside the city.

After informing the family head Zhang Yuan, Zhang Yuan initially found it strange. Although the Lin family had fields and fortified villages, they were, after all, a declining old clan. What could they possibly attract?

After two days of careful investigation, a major piece of news was uncovered: Lin Ye, the eldest son of the Lin family, has returned from studying at the Qingyuan Sword Sect and has even become an outer sect steward!

Zhang Yuan could no longer sit still and immediately summoned the heads of the other four families—the Liu family, the Chen family, the Li family, and the Yang family.

Inside the hall, before the four heads of the Liu, Chen, Li, and Yang families could even sit down, Zhang Yuan paced back and forth anxiously, his voice filled with panic.

"Disaster! Disaster! The eldest young master of Linjiawu has returned from Qingyuan Sword Sect and has even become an outer sect steward! I said the horse farm was a hot potato, but you insisted that the Lin family had declined and took it over, so what are we going to do now?!"

Chen Wen, the head of the Chen family, frowned deeply. "The Lin family brat is really back? And he's even become an outer sect steward? That means he's at least a third-rate martial artist! Doesn't that mean the Lin family has three third-rate martial artists now? We only have two each!"

The head of the Liu family stroked his goatee and said, "I heard from a merchant caravan that came back from Yun County a couple of days ago that an outer sect steward from our county has returned to his hometown. I heard he's a butcher."

"He teamed up with the young master of the Li family to wipe out a band of over twenty bandits—a band of horse bandits including three third-rate martial artists and two third-rate combat-type Dao soldiers! Could he be referring to that kid from the Lin family?"

Zhang Yuan slapped his thigh, regretting it so much he kept hitting his forehead. "I told you not to take over the horse farm! Back then you all insisted that we could ride horses again when the Northern Xiongnu came, and what happened?"

Monsters roam outside the city, and the horse ransacks can't even keep up with the fodder; they've been languishing half-dead ever since! Now the Lin family is back, and we haven't gotten any meat, plus we've gotten ourselves into a mess!

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

At this moment, the usually composed head of the Yang family slowly said, "I think things might not be hopeless."

Everyone looked at him, and he continued, "We took over the horse ranch because the Lin family's population dwindled and there was no one to take care of it, so we took over its management. To put it bluntly, we are temporarily managing it, not seizing it, and the Lin family has never come to argue with us."

He paused for a moment, then said, "We can ask the county magistrate to mediate and return the horse farm to the Lin family. Anyway, the horse farm is losing money now, so we might as well do them a favor. We can also give the Lin family a rental fee, saying it's for the rent they've paid for the horse farm over the past few years."

This way, the horse ranch wasn't seized by us; it was rented to us by the Lin family. The Lin family saves face, and out of respect for the county magistrate, they can't afford to completely sever ties. It's better than a bloody fight!

Zhang Yuan's eyes lit up. "Old Yang, continue!"

The head of the Yang family lowered his voice: "A lesson from the past! How tough was the Wang family back then? When the Northern Xiongnu came, they insisted on defending their nest and fighting to the death. And what was the result? Their nest was destroyed, and their clansmen were slaughtered!"

Five years ago, we survived not by fighting head-on. The Lin family now has three third-rate martial artists and Dao soldiers; we won't come out on top in a direct confrontation.

"It would be better to return the horse farm, pay a little more money, and save face without offending anyone."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yuan said, "Let's do as Lao Yang says! Tomorrow morning, I'll take some men to invite the county magistrate, and then go to Linjiawu to deliver a message, saying that we have been leasing the horse farm for many years, and now we are returning it, and we will pay some rent as a token of our gratitude."

Having said that, the four family heads, each with their own thoughts, bowed and took their leave. Zhang Yuan's gaze followed the four figures until they disappeared at the alley entrance, before he let out a soft sigh.

Before my eyes, the flames of the city's fall five years ago seemed to flash again, thick smoke billowing, the deafening roar of the collapsing lair, and Wang family members falling into pools of blood, the shouts of killing and screams of agony mingling together.

That was their shared nightmare, and it's the reason they made this "concession" decision today.

"Conflicts break out here today, conflicts break out there tomorrow..." Zhang Yuan muttered to himself, "How can a small family like ours withstand such turmoil? Survival is the only thing that matters."

They all remembered that five years ago, when the Northern Xiongnu cavalry breached the city gates, it was the Wang family that fought to the death, ultimately resulting in the annihilation of their homeland and the slaughter of their entire clan. Their five families, however, only managed to survive by virtue of their speed.

This is a lesson learned through the blood and tears of countless families—a head-on confrontation leads to certain death; only by retreating and holding on can we wait for the day when "the green hills remain."

He withdrew his gaze, turned to the steward, and said in a deep voice, "Prepare the gifts tomorrow. Say what needs to be said, and yield where necessary. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the Wang family."

On this day, Lin Ye was sitting cross-legged in his room, closing his eyes and practicing the Gentle Breathing Technique.

Thanks to the nourishment of the Peiyuan Pill these past few days, the flow of vital energy in my body is several times smoother than usual, and my cultivation technique is progressing by leaps and bounds every day.

In addition, after repeated practice with his cousins ​​Lin Hu and others, he has mastered the art of connecting moves and controlling his power. Last night, he even mentally rehearsed the moves and confirmed that he could reliably defeat the four rotten soil ant servants.

At this moment, he felt his energy surging like a river, and he wished he could immerse himself in cultivation to realize a third-rate lair as soon as possible, so that the Lin family would have another trump card to rely on for survival.

I don't want to pay any attention to the outside disturbances; I only want to focus on improving our combat strength.

Just as he was engrossed in his work, he heard footsteps outside and respectfully reported through the door: "Young master, someone from the county magistrate's office has come. They say they have something to discuss with you and request that you come to the county office."

Lin Ye didn't even lift his eyelids; he only pondered for a moment before making a plan.

I am currently in a critical period of reflection before making a breakthrough, so it is better to avoid trouble and make a hasty appearance, which may cause unnecessary complications.

He slowly opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Go and tell them that I am currently in seclusion for cultivation and will not be going out for the time being. If the magistrate has any matters to attend to, my mother and Uncle Lin Qiang can handle them on his behalf."

The servant acknowledged and withdrew, then quickly and lightly went to deliver the message.

In the afternoon, Lin Qiang followed the county officials into the county town and didn't return until evening. As soon as he stepped through the gates of the fortified village, his face beaming, he walked briskly towards Lin Ye's courtyard, his voice brimming with joy: "Young Master, great news!"

Lin Ye was sitting at the stone table in the courtyard, his eyes closed as he savored the flow of qi he had experienced during his breathing exercises earlier that day. Upon hearing this, he opened his eyes and gestured for Lin Qiang to continue.

Lin Qiang plopped down, picked up the iced tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp. "Today, the people from the county government took me to a banquet. Not only were there people from the county magistrate's office there, but also the heads of the five major families in the county: Zhang, Liu, Chen, Li, and Yang!"

It turns out they had agreed to return the horse farm to us, and would even pay an extra rental fee, which would cover the rent for the horse farm over the years.

He paused for a moment, "During the meal, they specifically mentioned that they knew you were in seclusion, and that the heads of the five major families would personally visit the fortified village in a couple of days after you emerged from seclusion to show their sincerity."

The county magistrate also sent someone to witness the event, expressing his hope that we could coexist peacefully, stabilize the situation in Xiang County, and achieve common development.

"I think they know that you've become an outer sect steward, young master, and they're scared. Otherwise, why would they be so easy to talk to, so readily returning the horse farm to us and paying the rent?"

After listening, Lin Ye said, "Of course, it would be best if we could coexist peacefully. Our family has just started to prosper, and our foundation is not yet stable. We have not actually had any direct conflicts with them."

As for the horse farm, let's just say it's a lease, as they say. We don't need it right now anyway, so stability in return is better.

Lin Qiang nodded repeatedly: "That's what I think too! Young Master's seclusion is important. My sister-in-law and I will take care of things outside and won't let you be distracted."

Lin Ye smiled slightly, "Alright, then let's meet them in a few days. After all, they've already shown goodwill, so we can't be too formal."

A few days later, the heads of the five major families—Zhang, Liu, Chen, Li, and Yang—arrived together at Linjiawu Fortress, accompanied by officials from the county magistrate's office.

When the carriage arrived outside the fortress, the group dismounted and could see the newly turned spiritual plant field below the fortress wall in the distance. The seedlings of third-rate spiritual plants had already sprouted from the soil, their leaves tender green, swaying gently in the breeze.

The five people stood on the edge of the field, gazing silently for a long time, none of them speaking first.

That field of spiritual plants represents the future of the Lin family and also signifies the support of the Qingyuan Sword Sect.

Upon entering the hall, Lin Ye was already there to greet us in the main seat. He was dressed in a simple blue robe and certainly had the composed demeanor of an outer sect steward.

The five heads of the family bowed and offered polite words of praise.

"Young Master Lin is a man of exceptional talent and appearance. To possess such martial arts skills at such a young age, and to have rid Gongchang Prefecture of bandits, is truly a young hero!"

"Yes, I've heard that you and the young master of the Li family joined forces to suppress bandits; your methods were swift and effective, truly admirable!"

Lin Ye smiled and responded to each of them, "Your Excellencies are too kind. I have just returned to Xiang County, and I will need to rely on you all to maintain local stability in the future. The five major families have contributed a great deal to the stability of Xiang County over the years, and I admire them greatly."

At this moment, seeing that the atmosphere had eased, Zhang Yuan took the opportunity to speak.

"Young Master Lin, to be honest, when the Northern Xiongnu invaded, the city gates were lost and the horse farm was left unattended. Some scoundrels took advantage of the chaos and attempted to seize it."

The five of us couldn't stand by and watch, so we took over the horse ranch, firstly to prevent it from falling into the hands of bad people, and secondly to look after it for them. Later, when the situation remained unstable, we continued to operate it, treating it as a lease.

Now that Xiang County is gradually at peace, but the threat from the Northern Xiongnu remains, we think it's best to return the property to its rightful owner. Therefore, we have come today to return the horse farm and offer five years' rent as payment for our care of it.

Lin Ye cupped his hands and said, "Thank you all five family heads for driving away the villains back then and for looking after our horse farm. I just returned and we are short-handed. If it weren't for you stabilizing the situation, the horse farm would probably have been abandoned long ago. The Lin family will remember this kindness."

He paused, then said sincerely, "I have just returned to Xiang County and my foundation is not yet stable. I hope that the five family heads will give me more guidance and assistance in the future."

His words were neither arrogant nor humble; he appreciated the gesture but also saved face for the other party.

The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly harmonious, and a banquet was then held to entertain the five heads of the family. After several rounds of drinks, laughter and conversation increased, and the previous secret wariness and calculations seemed to fade away amidst the clinking of glasses.

After all, they now share a common enemy: the Northern Xiongnu. With iron cavalry pressing in from the outside and monsters roaming freely from within, if the various families in Xiang County were to engage in further internal strife, they would only repeat the fate of the Wang family five years ago.

Today, although old grudges may not be completely erased, at least on the surface, a tacit understanding of peaceful coexistence has been reached.

After the banquet ended, the five family heads left, and Lin Ye watched their departing figures.

Am I overthinking things?

"If we're worried about causing unforeseen problems, and we only let them grow spiritual plants and practice martial arts, could we take a bigger step?"

For example, could we contact neighboring villages and towns in advance to establish channels for mutual exchange? Or could we expand the planting area of ​​spiritual plants? Or even try to reconnect with old acquaintances in Yun County and Gongchang Prefecture?

These thoughts flashed through his mind like sparks, but the next moment, he took a deep breath and slowly suppressed those eager thoughts.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now. Taking too big a step might backfire. Right now, the most important thing is to materialize the nest. As for the rest, we can ask the sect for some resources after we have the nest and the fiefdom. For now, let's play it safe."