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

The group traveled swiftly, covering a distance of over thirty li, and returned to Linjiawu in just one hour.

Along the way, the hurried figures of the Lin family members attracted sidelong glances and murmurs from passersby. The rapid sound of hooves and the fluttering of clothes clearly indicated that something significant was happening.

As soon as Lin Ye stepped into the fortified village, he ordered his men to summon all the stewards to the main hall for a meeting, citing "urgent business."

Before long, the clan leaders arrived one after another.

Lin Ye sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the people below: his mother, Li, who was in charge of the spiritual plants; Lin Qiang, who was in charge of guarding the fortified village; Tian Liang, the head of the Tian family, and his sister Tian Han; Lin Yi and more than a dozen others.

Except for Lin Tie, who works at the blacksmith shop in the county town, all the family members have arrived.

"I just signed a contract for a Daoist soldier's lair at the horse farm." Lin Ye stared at everyone, his tone low and solemn.

The hall was deathly silent for a moment, then erupted into an unbelievable jubilation and uproar.

"The nest of Dao soldiers?" Lin Qiang was the first to recover from his shock and asked, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion.

"Indeed, a third-rate production-type Taoist soldier's lair. I have moved it and placed it inside the fortified village." Lin Ye said confidently.

Upon hearing this affirmative answer, tears welled up in the eyes of Lin Qiang, Lin Yi, and other direct descendants of the Lin family, while the three members of the Tian family exchanged shocked glances, their faces filled with horror and ecstasy.

For a moment, the noise in the hall was suppressed by the huge impact, and a breathless silence fell.

"Heaven has eyes, Brother Sheng, you saw it from heaven, right? There's hope for the family's revival!" Lin Qiang raised his hand to wipe away his tears haphazardly, his voice choked with emotion.

Since that bloody night five years ago, he has lost his parents forever, his family has lost its patriarch (Grandpa Lin Ye), and even his brother Lin Sheng, who had always stood in front of him and was as reliable as a mountain, could not escape.

People always say "strong, strong," but after that catastrophe, the once-great Lin family was left with only Lin Qiang struggling to survive.

He originally thought that by the time the young master grew up, it would be a pipe dream to revive the family.

But not only did the young master become an outer sect steward of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, but now, only half a year later, he has also been forced to enter the Daoist Soldier's Nest for the family's contract!

The Daoist army's lair! That's the foundation upon which they can petition the imperial court for titles and territories, a guarantee that will ensure the family's prosperity for at least two hundred years! He usually only dreamed of restoring the Lin family to its former glory five years ago, never daring to imagine such an incredible opportunity today.

Lin Qiang's heart was churning, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. He stared fixedly at Lin Ye in the main seat, his lips trembling.

The others were also beaming with joy, their expressions varied.

Lin Yi's eyes suddenly lit up, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, he lowered his head to suppress his tears, his shoulders trembling slightly, overwhelmed by the excitement of his long-awaited dream finally coming true.

Lin Hu was so shocked that his mouth dropped open. He was stunned for a few moments before he murmured, "Really? Young Master, is this not a dream?" His hands clenched into fists at his sides, veins bulging, his face full of joy and awe.

Tian Liang, the patriarch of the Tian clan, was initially shocked. His lips trembled slightly, his stubble quivered, and he could not hide his astonishment. He murmured to himself, "We made the right choice, we made the right choice..."

Tian Han's eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up, which he quickly suppressed, revealing a calm mix of surprise and delight. Tian Yu covered her mouth with her small hand, her eyes glistening with tears, filled with adoration.

Lin Ye looked at everyone quietly until their emotions gradually calmed down before speaking again: "I've gathered everyone here to discuss what to do next."

"What else is there to say? Report to the imperial court immediately and obtain a fiefdom!" Lin Hu shouted enthusiastically, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

The others nodded in agreement—they had been suppressed for too long for the past five years, and now that the hard times were finally over, everyone wanted to put this honor into practice as soon as possible.

Li's lips twitched slightly, as if she had something to say, but thinking of Lin Ye's previous arrangements and Liu Zhenghua whom she had seen last night, she ultimately remained silent.

"Should we tell the clansmen?" Lin Ye slapped his forehead and said with annoyance, "I brought the people from the horse farm back without explaining, and the clansmen will definitely have something to say. Besides, I didn't conceal my whereabouts along the way, and I'm afraid it will arouse suspicion from other families."

"Oh, it's all my fault. I was blinded by joy."

"I think we shouldn't tell the clansmen." Lin Qiang had recovered from his euphoria. "Even if other clans become suspicious, they won't think of the lair. This is too incredible. As long as we keep things under control internally and keep a low profile externally, we can secretly send someone to the county magistrate to report and apply for a fiefdom."

"Alright, let's do as Uncle Lin Qiang says." Lin Ye nodded. "Don't reveal anything yet, everything will remain the same. Lin Yi, go to the county town and report to the magistrate to apply for a fiefdom."

He then instructed, "Everyone, disperse. Tell everyone that Lin Hu is about to break through to the third rank, so he and I rushed back."

Suppressing their joy, everyone left the hall one after another.

Lin Ye watched their retreating figures, about to turn around, when suddenly a leisurely voice drifted over—

"You did a pretty good job of acting. The sect leader was worried you couldn't act."

Liu Zhenghua slowly emerged from the shadows, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

Following Lin Ye's instructions, Lin Yi walked out of the hall, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the county town.

Upon arriving in the county town, he first went to Lin's blacksmith shop in the east of the town. Inside the shop, Lin Tie was forging weapons with a Taoist priest and several apprentices. The furnace was roaring and the hammers were clanging.

Upon seeing Lin Yi enter, Lin Tie immediately handed the unfinished sword in his hand to the patrolling craftsman and turned to greet him.

"Lin Yi, what brings you here? Is everything alright at home? I just heard from passersby that they saw the young master and you riding all the way back to Linjiawu from the horse farm." Lin Tie frowned slightly, his tone filled with concern.

Lin Yi's heart tightened—as expected, it had attracted attention. The families in the county town had probably noticed the young master's unusual behavior, and he had to hurry.

Without making a sound, he pulled Lin Tie to a secluded spot behind the shop and whispered, "Uncle Lin Tie, there's an emergency at home that needs to be reported to the magistrate immediately. You know the county well, so please take me to see the magistrate quickly."

Lin Tie glanced at him, but though he didn't know the details, he didn't ask any further questions. He simply gave a few instructions to the shop assistant and then led Lin Yi straight to the county government office.

Upon arriving at the county government office, Lin Tie exchanged a few words in hushed tones with the constable at the entrance, and shortly afterward, someone went in to announce their arrival. Soon, the county magistrate's servant came out and led the two inside.

The two followed the servants through the front hall to the back courtyard.

The magistrate was standing by the pond, leisurely scattering fish food. Seeing them enter, he said without turning his head, "I heard your Lin family needs to see me?"

"Reporting to the magistrate, my young master has today signed a contract with a third-rate Taoist priest's lair at the Lin family's horse farm." Lin Yi bowed, his tone solemn.

"The Daoist soldiers' lair?" The magistrate paused, turned around abruptly, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes as the fish food slipped from his fingers into the water.

Lin Tie also stood there, stunned, staring blankly at Lin Yi, unable to say a word for a moment.

"Are you sure? Your young master has made a contract with the Daoist soldier's lair? This matter cannot be faked. If there is any falsehood, the imperial court will punish him severely!" The magistrate's face turned solemn, and his tone suddenly became stern.

"Absolutely true." Lin Yi did not back down. "Young Master has made a contract with a third-rate Taoist priest's lair. I have come here to ask the magistrate to report to the prefecture and apply for a fiefdom for the Lin family."

The magistrate was taken aback for a moment, then his face lit up with joy, and he said repeatedly, "Oh dear, this is only right! I will immediately send a message by carrier pigeon to the prefecture to request an official title for the Lin family."

"Quickly, please, gentlemen, don't stand there. Come and sit down in the inner room. After I finish sending the message, have the cook prepare a feast, and we can eat and chat. I have long admired your Lin family!"

As he spoke, he turned around and eagerly went to the pigeon house to deliver the message.