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

As night deepened, lights twinkled within the fortified village, creating a scene that blended solemnity and warmth.

The injured and the uninjured mingled together, the air filled with the aroma of herbs and wine, mixed with a faint smell of blood, while children surrounded the injured uncles and aunts, asking them all sorts of questions.

When Lin Ye returned to his courtyard, it was already late at night. At the gate, a "Stone Toad Guardian" stood motionless as a stone, its grayish-brown scales gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Another one is on the wall of the fortified city, assisting with patrols. This was specially arranged by Lin Ye a few days ago.

He raised his hand to look at the faint nest pattern on his arm, the mark of the contract.

After a moment's thought, he decided to play it safe: first, he would set up his nest inside the fortified village, and then go to the sect to report and seek support.

There have been similar precedents in the past. If disciples outside the sect discover the lair of Dao soldiers, they can hand it over to the sect in exchange for status and resources, or be granted territory to strengthen their family.

A nest cannot be stolen, and the owner can voluntarily terminate the contract and allow someone else to join.

However, it can only be dissolved twice, and can go through a maximum of three masters, enough to ensure the family's wealth and prosperity for two hundred years. The premise is that the master must actively dissolve the contract before death, otherwise the nest will perish along with the master.

Furthermore, it takes a year for the nest to breed Dao soldiers after it is moved. Also, during this year, a new contract cannot be signed, possibly because the nest has not yet taken root.

With this in mind, Lin Ye no longer hesitated. He moved the bed aside and, using his mind, activated the power of the nest under the bed. A hole about the width of a person silently cracked open in the ground, emanating a faint, eerie aura.

He then put the bed back in place, covering the opening perfectly. Without moving the bed, it would be impossible to discover the secret.

The Rock Toad Guard remained outside the gate. Lin Ye gave a few words of advice and then turned to walk towards his mother's courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet. He looked around to make sure no one was there before knocking on the door: "Mother, are you asleep? I need to talk to you about something."

"You're still awake? Come in." Li's voice was gentle and steady.

Lin Ye pushed open the door and entered. He intended to say that he was going into seclusion for a few days before secretly going to the sect, but the words he said changed his mind: "Mother, this time I contracted a Dao Soldier's Nest at the horse farm, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li's expression changed drastically. She quickly reached out and gently covered his mouth, urgently asking, "What are you going to do next?"

Lin Ye lowered his voice: "Return to the sect and obtain its support. The sect is our backing, and there have been precedents for this; it is trustworthy."

After a moment's thought, Li nodded and said, "Alright, since you've made up your mind, set off immediately. I'll tell everyone that you're in seclusion to practice martial arts, and have the Taoist soldiers guard you for a few days."

"Go through the fortified village tunnels. Your Uncle Lin Qiang secretly dug them two years ago, just in case what happened five years ago. Only he and I know about them. Go through the tunnels; it's the family's escape route. Leave immediately."

Lin Ye felt a warmth in his heart, bowed solemnly, and turned to enter the tunnel in the next room.

The tunnel was narrow and low, so he walked quickly with his back bent, and soon found an exit covered with wooden planks and loose soil.

He removed the camouflage and found himself outside the fortified village. He restored the exit to its original state, then used his footwork to run swiftly, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

Before dawn, he arrived at a small town on the border of Yun County, bought two strong horses, saddled them, and galloped towards the sect.

When he passed through Gongchang Prefecture, he was on guard, fearing he might encounter bandits. But he was safe and sound the whole way.

Perhaps those people saw that he was alone but carried a knife and weapons, so they assumed he was not someone to be trifled with and probably didn't offer much profit, and were unwilling to risk provoking him.

Five days later, Lin Ye, covered in dust from his journey, finally stood before the gates of the Sword Sect.

"Please inform Elder Liu Zhenghua of the inner sect that Lin Ye, the outer sect steward, has urgent business to discuss." Lin Ye handed his identity token to the disciple on duty at the mountain gate, his tone calm and collected.

The disciple took the token and examined it, not daring to be negligent, and hurriedly went inside to report. Lin Ye waited quietly at the door. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the mountain breeze carried the fragrance of grass and trees, but he had no heart to appreciate it, feeling that this hour was exceptionally long.

Finally, footsteps could be heard in the distance, and Elder Liu Zhenghua appeared at the end of the mountain path, accompanied by a young woman, his daughter Liu Yingping.

Liu Yingping spotted Lin Ye from afar, her eyes lit up, and she immediately waved her hand. With a burst of light footwork, she darted across the bluestone pavement like a swallow and arrived in front of Lin Ye in the blink of an eye.

She grabbed Lin Ye's arm, her face beaming with undisguised joy, her voice bright and clear: "Brother Lin, why are you back? What did you want to see my father about? You didn't even come to me before returning to the Sword Sect!"

Just as Lin Ye was about to speak, he caught a glimpse of Liu Zhenghua approaching, his gaze fixed on the way his daughter was holding his arm. His heart tightened, and he immediately and discreetly pulled his arm away from Liu Yingping's embrace.

Liu Yingping noticed her father's expression, her pretty face flushed, and she obediently stepped aside, but still quietly moved closer to Lin Ye, unwilling to distance herself.

"What's the emergency? Why did you suddenly come back?" Liu Zhenghua walked closer, his expression serious, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"Uncle Liu, I have something important to report to you and the sect." Lin Ye said, glancing at the disciples guarding the gate not far away, indicating that the matter was of great importance and should not be leaked.

Liu Zhenghua understood and nodded, saying, "Let's talk as we walk. Your aunt has been talking about you for a long time. Before I came, I made sure she prepared a meal so you could come to her house for dinner when you get back."

The three walked side by side into the sect. On the way, Liu Zhenghua asked Lin Ye about his situation over the past six months and learned that he had not only reclaimed the horse farm but also led a team to clear out the demonic beasts, and the spiritual plants were about to be harvested.

He stroked his beard and praised, "Well done! You've shown great responsibility to the family. I'm pleased to hear that."

After walking for a while, they were surrounded by trees and no one else was around. Liu Zhenghua noticed Lin Ye's travel-worn clothes and stopped smiling, asking seriously, "What's wrong that you're in such a hurry?"

Lin Ye took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I have contracted a nest."

"Let's go to Wangchuan Peak to find the sect leader!" Liu Zhenghua hadn't finished speaking when Liu Yingping's surprised expression hadn't fully appeared.

He then used his lightness skill, grabbing Lin Ye with one hand and holding his daughter's hand with the other, walking on the bluestone as if on flat ground, and carrying the two of them towards Wangchuan Peak.

The wind whistled in their ears, and the three figures quickly transformed into three streaks of light, disappearing at the end of the mountain path.