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

Two days later, at dawn, the gates of Linjiawu Fortress were opened early, and a series of loud neighing sounds came from within.

More than twenty able-bodied men from the Lin family, along with more than ten capable young men from the Tian family, were already fully prepared in front of the fortress. This was almost half of the able-bodied men that the family could mobilize. The other half had to stay behind to guard the fortress, after all, in the current chaotic world, monsters were running rampant, and they could not give away all their resources.

Just in case, Lin Ye also left the two Daoist soldiers, the Rock Toad Guards, at the fortress and handed them over to his mother to command.

Everyone brought their own tools; some carried guns, the tips of which gleamed coldly in the morning light; some carried longbows and short arrows, their quivers bulging; and others carried thick-backed machetes or short-handled axes, with ropes and insect-repelling herbs wrapped around their waists.

Some women and children came to see him off, their eyes filled with worry.

Actually, this trip was just to clear out the monsters at the horse farm thirty miles away. It would only take two days to go back and forth. If each person had a horse, they could make a round trip and come back to rest on the same day. But there weren't enough horses, and we were afraid that the back-and-forth trip would cause us trouble.

Lin Ye rode a sleek warhorse, standing steadily at the head of the procession, with the composed Lin Qiang beside him. The two watched as everyone bid farewell to their families.

Lin Ye looked at the crowd and saw that even the head of the Tian family, Tian Liang, and his eldest son, Tian Mao, had come. Tian Liang had even changed into a clean set of shorts, clearly determined to make a statement in this operation and let the Lin family see the sincerity of the Tian family.

"Let's go!" Lin Ye shouted as everyone arrived.

The Tian family's group consciously stepped forward to clear the way, while Lin Ye rode back to the middle of the group, which made it easier to command and keep an eye on the front and back.

The group slowly passed by the newly cultivated spiritual plant field outside the fortified village.

Lin Ye glanced subconsciously at the crops in the field. The third-rate jade sprout rice and iron wire grass were growing well and could be harvested in two months. Everyone in the clan who practiced martial arts could get a share and improve their strength with the help of the spiritual plants.

After traveling for about half a day, they encountered several caravans along the way. Upon seeing their formation, with weapons in hand and wary expressions, the caravans avoided them from a distance, fearing they might get into trouble.

After rounding a lush hill, the terrain suddenly opened up, revealing a valley surrounded by mountains. At the valley entrance stood a faded cloth flag with the four large characters "Lin Family Horse Ranch" written on it; its color had long since faded, clearly indicating that it had been neglected for a long time.

The valley is filled with boundless grasslands, and several clear streams meander through the grass like silver ribbons.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that tall wooden fences still remained around the perimeter, with some sections having collapsed due to years of disrepair, leaving gaps that allowed people and livestock to pass through.

The air was filled with a mixture of grass and the stench of wild beasts. As soon as the group stepped into the valley, they could faintly hear the howls of monsters coming from afar.

"Ladies and gentlemen, based on our recent reconnaissance, there are two main groups of monsters in the horse farm. One group consists of Iron-Toothed Wild Boars, numbering over twenty, most of which are of low quality, with the leader being a third-rate beast."

There is another group of Black Wind Wolves, about a dozen of them, and the leader is only of third-rate strength. You should pay special attention to these two groups of monsters.

The others are just ordinary ferocious beasts. Our main task this time is to deal with these two groups of monsters. We can deal with the other ferocious beasts later.

Lin Qiang stood at the front of the group, holding a sharpened twig in his hand, and drew a simple topographical map on the ground, marking the approximate locations of the wild boars and wolf packs.

After he finished speaking, he looked at everyone and, seeing that they were all listening attentively, said, "Remember, monsters are not easy to deal with. Don't charge in alone; you have to cooperate."

Several tribesmen skilled in hunting led the way, accompanied by trained hunting dogs. The dogs had keen noses and could detect the scent of predators beforehand.

Halfway there, the lead hound suddenly stopped and growled softly at the direction ahead. The group immediately became alert, gripping their weapons tightly and slowing their pace.

A moment later, the sound of snapping branches came from the forest, and a fierce tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead slowly walked out. Its fur was yellow and black, and its muscles were clearly defined. Its eyes were fixed on the group of people, clearly regarding them as intruders.

Upon seeing the tiger, Lin Qiang realized its thick skin and abundant flesh meant that killing it would not only establish his authority but also yield a considerable amount of goods from its pelt. He whispered, "Surround it, don't let it escape!"

The group immediately spread out in a fan shape, tacitly trapping the tiger in the middle, leaving it no way out.

Lin Qiang gripped his spear tightly and stepped forward to provoke the tiger, deliberately brandishing the spear shaft in front of it to enrage it. The tiger roared and charged at Lin Qiang with all its might.

Lin Qiang was, after all, a third-rate martial artist, whose speed and strength far exceeded those of ordinary people. He slightly shifted his body to the side and avoided the gaping maw.

At the same time, he channeled his inner strength into the spear, thrusting the spear tip fiercely into the tiger's abdomen. He stabbed several times, each time accurately targeting the gaps in the muscles, with great force and weight, deeply piercing the tiger's body.

Though the tiger was fierce, it couldn't withstand the repeated, precise attacks from the spear tip. Its movements gradually slowed, and finally it staggered and knelt on the ground, blood gushing from its abdomen. Upon seeing this, the crowd cheered and swarmed forward to subdue it.

As evening approached, the group finally found the Iron-Toothed Wild Boars wallowing in the mud near a small river, splashing mud and making muffled "splashing" sounds.

Monsters are transformed from ordinary wild animals, just like Taoist soldiers, and can absorb mysterious substances in the air to transform into monsters.

The Iron-Toothed Wild Boar resembles an ordinary wild boar in appearance, but it is much larger. Its two protruding tusks are long and sharp, gleaming coldly in the setting sun.

The lead wild boar king was even more astonishingly large, almost the size of a calf.

Lin Qiang directed the group to dig a pit on the spot, densely insert sharpened wooden stakes into the bottom of the pit, and then cover it with branches and grass to make a hidden spike trap.

Once everything was ready, Lin Qiang picked up his bow and arrow, aimed at a wild boar cub leisurely strolling nearby, and with a soft twang of the bowstring, "whoosh," he struck the cub squarely in the neck.

The piglet screamed and fell to the ground, and the herd of pigs immediately stirred, letting out low grunts as they rushed toward the source of the sound.

Most of the wild boars were so focused on running that they didn't notice the camouflage under their feet and fell into the traps one after another. Their bodies were pierced by sharp spikes, and they struggled violently in the pits in pain, with mud and blood mixed together.

However, eight animals reacted quickly and avoided the trap, including the menacing wild boar king.

Eight wild boars, their eyes red and tusks protruding, charged wildly toward the group, mud and dust mingling with their tusks.

Under Lin Qiang's command, the group quickly took out the large net they had prepared beforehand and shrouded it over the pigs. The net tightened instantly, binding the pigs tightly. Then, several long spears were thrust into the net from the outside, forcing them to become immobile.

Lin Ye had already planned this out, so he deliberately ran to the other side, luring the wild boar king to chase him. The wild boar king's hooves flew, leaving long mud trails behind it.

Lin Ye used the Cloud-Stepping Technique, his figure rising and falling as lightly as a willow catkin as he ran. Each step perfectly avoided the slippery and uneven ground, keeping the Pig King at a slight distance despite his fierce charge.

As he ran, he kept looking back, watching the pig king's movements. Seizing the moment when it suddenly charged forward, he blocked it with his spear shaft, using the "Flowing Cloud Style" from the Shadow Piercing Spear Technique.

The spear thrust was both soft and firm, using the momentum of running to deflect the powerful and heavy ramming of the Pig King, and with a "bang," it blocked the attack in front of his chest.

Lin Ye took the opportunity to sidestep, and with a nimble turn using the Cloud Step, he flashed into the Pig King's inner blind spot. He used the Shadow Piercing Spear Technique "Mountain Collapse" to thrust straight at the Pig King's front leg joint, channeling the force into the spear tip. The intense pain caused the Pig King to lose his footing.

Without hesitation, Lin Ye used the Cloud Step to change position again, circled around to the side of the Pig King, and unleashed a series of Shadow Spear Techniques.

First, he used the "Wind-Sweeping Style" to force it to shift its center of gravity, then switched to the "Point-Breaking Style" to stab its soft abdomen and neck with several consecutive thrusts. Each strike was infused with internal force, powerful and heavy, and so fast that its trajectory was almost invisible.

The pig king roared repeatedly, but due to joint injuries and an unstable center of gravity, it was unable to retaliate. In the end, Lin Ye delivered a "Piercing Rainbow" strike straight to the throat, the spear tip piercing through the body. The pig's body stiffened abruptly, then convulsed a few times before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

"Is everyone alright?" Lin Ye finished the battle and walked towards the group, only to see a member of the Tian clan sitting on the ground with blood all over his legs. It turned out that he had been a step too slow in the battle and had been stabbed in the thigh by a wild boar's tusk. The accompanying doctor was treating him.

After the examination, they said, "The bones aren't broken, but the injury is quite serious. It will take three months to fully recover."

Seeing that the tribesman wasn't seriously injured, Lin Ye offered a few words of comfort, telling him to rest and recover. Then his gaze swept over the dead wild boar herd.

In just a short while, the corpses began to slowly rot, their flesh gradually dissolving, as if they were about to turn into blood and seep into the soil.

He knew in his heart that this was the root cause of why the monsters were so difficult to get rid of.

Monsters are originally ordinary wild animals. They transform into monsters by absorbing mysterious substances in the air. Therefore, like Dao soldiers, they do not leave behind a complete corpse after death. Their flesh, skin, and bones will disintegrate in a short time.

In other words, clearing out monsters not only yields no "harvest" that can be sold or eaten, but may also cost lives, making it a completely unprofitable business.

No wonder the various families are unwilling to actively clear out the demonic beasts. No matter how many they kill, they won't gain any benefits and may even lose manpower.

That's why the kind of plot in novels from my previous life, where you "kill monsters, drink their blood and eat their flesh to improve your cultivation," simply doesn't exist in this world.

That is why the Daoist soldiers' lair, which can suppress demonic beasts without causing human casualties, is so important. Having a lair means having a long-term method of security, without having to risk human lives every time.