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

One man and three horses, changing mounts at breakneck speed, their marching pace far exceeding their arrival. Passing through several small towns along the way, the scenery that came into view was completely different each time.

Some cities still stand tall, their walls damaged, but the soldiers and civilians have begun to work together to repair them. Though mournful music still echoes in the cities, it reveals the resilience of those who have survived a catastrophe.

Some cities were already devastated, with their gates wide open and the roads leading to them littered with corpses—civilians who had been chased and killed by the Northern Xiongnu cavalry during their escape from the city's fall.

Amidst the ruins, a few emaciated old people, women, and children could be vaguely seen, their bodies hunched over as they rummaged through the rubble for anything that could feed them.

They escaped the slaughter of the Northern Xiongnu, but they didn't know if they could survive the coming, even more brutal winter.

Fortunately, after the Northern Xiongnu retreated, the imperial court would inevitably relocate people from the rear to fill the gap in the northern defense line.

After all, as long as the city remains intact and the lair still exists, this land will still have value in resisting monsters and protecting the southern prefectures.

However, for those homes that have been reduced to ashes and the survivors, the road to reconstruction is destined to be long and arduous.

Lin Ye watched all this with a heavy heart, feeling powerless to do anything about it.

He was currently leading his army on a rapid march and could not stop to provide assistance. He even dared not approach these cities easily, lest he cause panic and be mistaken for another raiding cavalry force.

His territory, Xiang County, is thousands of miles away, so even if he wanted to, he couldn't quench his immediate thirst with water from afar.

The closer one gets to Lulong Prefecture, the more cities along the way are affected by the war.

Fortunately, the vast majority of cities were defended, with only a few weakly defended county towns ultimately falling to the ground.

The cruelty and unpredictability of war are vividly displayed in the scenes along the way.

Two days later, Lin Ye led his army to Lulong City. When he left, his cavalry was no different from others, one man and one horse, inconspicuous.

However, on the way back, the magnificent sight of "one man and three horses" caused a huge uproar in the city.

From the city gate to the camp, soldiers and civilians along the way couldn't help but stare, and the discussions were deafening.

"One man, three horses! How many warhorses must he have captured?!"

"Judging by this momentum, the Lin family army has likely defeated at least twice the size of the Northern Xiongnu army! This is no small victory; it's a major triumph!"

"No wonder they're so spirited! Look at the other lords' armies that have returned these past few days—they're either dejected or have suffered heavy losses, looking utterly defeated. The Lin family army's morale is truly outstanding!"

The remarkable achievements of the Lin family army on this trip, especially Lin Ye's heroic feat of entering the enemy camp alone in the rainy night and assassinating the Northern Xiongnu commander, quickly spread throughout the city in the "casual" chatter of Sun Qian's subordinates.

In just half a day, Lin Ye's name resounded throughout Lulong once again.

This young lord not only possesses unparalleled lightness skills and the strength of a first-class martial artist, but also the courage and strategy to venture into danger alone.

The Lin family army, in the glory of this great victory, once again became the most dazzling star on the Northern Plains battlefield.

On the third day after the Lin family army returned to Lulong City, the Zhenwei General's Mansion formally convened a meeting of all the lords and army leaders.

In the vast council hall, generals gathered, and the atmosphere was solemn. After everyone was seated, Nangong Wan rose, looked around, and said in a deep voice.

"Your troops have achieved remarkable results in garrisoning various regions, successfully thwarting the Northern Xiongnu's plot to divide their forces and plunder, thus sparing countless people in my Beiyuan County from calamity."

"You have all worked hard and made great contributions. I, Nangong Wan, would like to express my gratitude to you all on behalf of the people of Beiyuan."

He paused slightly, his gaze first falling on a composed middle-aged general sitting in the front row.

"The Yang family of Pingliang assisted the garrison of Yulin Prefecture in defeating tens of thousands of invading Northern Xiongnu cavalrymen at the city gates."

The General of Yulin Prefecture sent a letter praising the Yang Family Army for rescuing countless people from suffering, calling it a great achievement.

The Yang family is the only aristocratic family among the lords of Lulong City who possesses a first-class lair. They are based in Pingliang Prefecture of Wuwei County and have considerable strength.

Upon hearing this, the Yang family generals rose, clasped their hands in greeting, and remained calm, showing no arrogance.

"I will not go into detail about the achievements of the others here," Nangong Wan continued, his voice gradually becoming louder. "Once the Northern Xiongnu retreat, I will personally recommend each of you for credit in the memorial I will submit to the court this time."

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze suddenly falling on Lin Ye, his tone unusually impassioned.

"But today, I want to mention one person in particular, Lord Lin of Xiang County."

I'm sure you've all heard about the great victory at Jingbian these past two days.

The Lin family's two thousand cavalrymen decisively defeated the Northern Xiongnu's five thousand iron cavalrymen at the foot of Jingbian City! This can be considered a remarkable achievement.

Lord Lin himself, disregarding his own safety, infiltrated the enemy camp alone in the rainy night and successfully assassinated the son of the Left Grand Commandant of the Northern Xiongnu, the junior commander who led this army!

Nangong Wan became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

"As you all know, the Eastern Tuqi King of the Northern Xiongnu has repeatedly invaded our borders in recent years, and his Left Grand Commandant is his sharpest claws and teeth."

I don't know how many fine sons of my Northern Han were slaughtered, how many parents, wives and children were heartbroken, and how many families were destroyed!

Leaving aside distant past events, just last year, this very man led his army to breach the walls of Lulong City, where 150,000 soldiers and civilians perished at his hands! This is a blood feud, an irreconcilable enmity!

"Now, the Left Grand Commandant still has troops stationed outside the city, watching us intently, ready to attack and kill us again at any time."

"Now, Lord Lin, a mere first-rate martial artist, risked great danger to venture into the tiger's den, finally making him taste the heart-wrenching pain of losing his loved ones!"

This act not only avenged the deaths of the soldiers and civilians of Beiyuan, but also greatly boosted the prestige of our Northern Han army!

"Come!" Nangong Wan suddenly raised her wine cup, her gaze fixed intently on Lin Ye, and then on all the generals in the hall. "I propose we drink this cup to the brim, to Lord Lin!"

"Lord Jinglin!"

All the generals in the hall, regardless of their background or achievements, stood up solemnly, shouted in unison, and drank their wine in one gulp. Countless gazes were focused on Lin Ye, some with admiration, some with envy, and some with deep thought.

Lin Ye picked up his glass and downed the slightly bitter liquor in one gulp.

A surge of hot, warm current flowed down his throat, followed by an indescribable feeling of exhilaration.

The tension and excitement of assassinating the junior captain had long since faded.

What stirred his heart at this moment was the genuine recognition and respect he saw in the eyes of these lords who might not have taken him seriously in the past, and even the high and mighty General Nangong Wan.

The atmosphere in the hall was lively, with everyone clinking glasses and exchanging toasts.

It is late autumn, and the harsh winter is approaching in the northern border region. The Northern Xiongnu always withdraw their troops before winter, and this war that has lasted for several months is nearing its end.

Now that General Zhenwei had publicly promised to submit a memorial requesting commendation, the generals' tense nerves finally relaxed, and they all drank heartily and visited each other.

Lin Ye became the most popular focus of attention, surrounded by a crowd of people, with congratulations ringing out incessantly.

At this rare moment of celebration, a military advisor from the general's mansion staggered in, looking flustered.

"What's the matter that you're so panicked?" Nangong Wan frowned, put down her wine cup, and asked in a deep voice, "Could it be that the Northern Xiongnu outside the city are challenging us again?"

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped drinking and looked at the newcomer with suspicion. Logically speaking, the Northern Xiongnu should be preparing to retreat at this moment, and there shouldn't be any more major battles.

The soldier's face turned pale, his lips trembled a few times, and he finally shouted in a trembling voice.

"General! Something terrible has happened! Communication with the two border cities of Zhenbei and Shuofang has been cut off for several days, and none of the messengers sent to deliver the communications have returned."

Just now, a flying soldier from Zhenbei City risked his life to break through the encirclement and flew over with a seriously wounded captain!

According to his report, the cities of Zhenbei and Shuofang were captured by the Northern Xiongnu army at midnight yesterday!

The defending armies of both cities... were completely annihilated!

"What?!"

These words shocked everyone present.

The once noisy and festive council chamber fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The wine in the glass seemed to have turned into cold poison at that moment.