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

Early that morning, a brand-new wooden notice board was erected in the middle of the newly built cluster of small wooden houses outside the fortified village.

The railing was polished smooth, with crack-resistant iron plates at the four corners, giving it a warm luster in the morning light.

Lin Yi, along with several young clansmen, was posting the red paper notices they had written one by one on the bulletin board.

Once the last strip was firmly affixed, he stepped back, put his hands on his hips, and waited for the crowd to gather.

Before long, clansmen living outside the fortress and relocated households came in twos and threes. Seeing that there were people gathered here, they slowed down and gradually formed a circle around the notice board.

Seeing Lin Yi, who was now in charge of the gathering place outside the fortified village, standing to the side, more people slowly gathered and surrounded the area in several layers.

Seeing that most people had arrived, Lin Yi cleared his throat, took two steps forward, stood directly in front of the notice board, raised his voice, and announced loudly:

"Dear fellow villagers and clansmen, from now on, all tasks and policies of the Lin family, big and small, will be posted on this notice board. Please pay attention to them in a timely manner."

This concerns everyone's vital interests, so don't miss it.

His voice carried clearly in the morning air, eliciting a low murmur of agreement from the crowd. Some whispered among themselves, "The Lin family is going to post notices too?" "Looks like we won't have to rely solely on word of mouth anymore."

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on him, Lin Yi pointed to the red paper on the railing:

"The first announcement is being released today."

Due to the increasing complexity of family affairs, and the urgent need for manpower to ensure the safety of the territory and the smooth operation of trade routes, we are now publicly recruiting guards.

condition:

1. Cultivation level must be at least at the level of a low-level martial artist, proficient in using swords, spears, and clubs, with preference given to those with practical combat experience.

Second- or third-rate martial artists can serve as squad leaders, but they must possess command and adaptability skills.

Third, applicants must undergo family vetting and be of good character, loyalty, and reliability.

Duties:

1. Clear out the monsters entrenched in the territory to ensure the safety of villages, towns, and roads.

Second, protect trade routes and ensure that caravans can travel freely within my territory, free from the harassment of bandits and monsters.

Third, protect the local area. If bandits or thugs disturb the people, take immediate action to maintain order and protect the people's peaceful lives.

Fourth, if foreign enemies invade in the future, such as the Northern Xiongnu, the guards will be uniformly ordered to participate in the resistance and defend their homeland and fiefdom.

Benefits: Once hired, in addition to the regular monthly salary and rations, you will receive spiritual plants, as well as rewards for meritorious service and opportunities for promotion; outstanding individuals may join the fortified guard and even accompany the young master on training expeditions.

After Lin Yi finished reading, he didn't leave but stood aside to observe everyone's reactions.

A stir ran through the crowd. Several middle-aged men, clearly martial artists, their eyes gleaming, couldn't help but shove each other: "Let me see if I can do it!" "This is a golden opportunity to join the Lin family! Give it a shot, and we might even have a chance to break through to the third rank later!"

Someone in the crowd, without showing their face, asked in a low voice, "What is this censorship?"

Lin Yi raised his hand to signal for silence: "The review will be fair and impartial, without favoritism. The main focus will be on whether there are any past misdeeds. My Lin family will not accept anyone who has committed crimes."

If a third-rate martial artist is to be appointed as a squad leader, he must pass a practical combat test and a military strategy quiz; those who fail the test cannot be appointed without proper qualifications.

The Lin family employs people based solely on loyalty and ability.

After saying that, he stepped back and saw that everyone was discussing enthusiastically, especially the martial artists who were eager to try. He smiled and said, "There will be more announcements like this in the future. Everyone should come and check back often, so don't miss any news that concerns your livelihood and future."

At the same time, at the entrance of the county town's main gate, a third-rate constable also led his men to post the same notice.

In a side alley south of the county town, several low-lying tile-roofed houses surround a vacant lot overgrown with weeds.

This is the stronghold of Zhao Sanpao, the leader of a small gang, in the county town.

In the open space, seven or eight men were playing dice around a wooden table with a missing leg, their shouts revealing a lazy attitude.

Zhao Sanpao was in his early thirties, with a stocky build and a shallow scar on his left cheek. His cultivation level was at the level of a low-level martial artist, but he was daring and willing to fight, and he was the leader of this group.

A few years ago, he formed a gang of cleavers and made a living on the outskirts of the county town.

Because the Black Tiger Gang still wields influence in the county, they have never dared to commit any real evil deeds in recent years.

He wouldn't even dare to think about murder and robbery. Even when collecting protection money, he would only target small vendors with no connections, and he would be extremely careful, for fear of offending Sun Qian.

In reality, they mostly work as bouncers and deliverymen, earning a meager living through hard work.

Early that morning, Zhao Sanpao, with a blade of grass in his mouth, strolled out of his house and overheard two neighbors talking at the alley entrance:

"The Lin family has posted notices outside their fortified village, recruiting a guard team and offering spiritual plants as a reward!"

"They also said that protection fees will no longer be allowed in the Lin family's territory, and caravans, farmers, and workshops will all be under the Lin family's protection. Our good days are coming!"

Zhao Sanpao paused, spat the grass root into the corner, and squinted, asking, "What notice? The Lin family is recruiting guards?"

The neighbors were startled when he asked them a question, and stammered.

"The Lin family posted a notice saying they're forming a guard team to clear out monsters and protect the area, and they even said there would be spiritual plants as a reward. I don't know the specifics; I just heard it from others. The notice is still at the city gate."

Zhao Sanpao sent one of his underlings, who was throwing dice, to the city gate to take a closer look. After the underling returned and reported everything in detail, Zhao Sanpao sat alone in his chair, deep in thought.

"Before, with the Black Tiger Gang around, we didn't dare to do evil deeds. If our hands were clean, we would definitely pass the investigation."

The Lin family wants someone who is loyal and capable in combat. While he may not be a model of virtue, he has no bad records either, so it shouldn't be difficult to deal with him.

The key issue is that the Lin family is now prohibited from collecting protection fees, which is tantamount to cutting off our main source of income in the county.

The days of running brothels and taking a cut of the profits are over. The brothers can't just sit around doing nothing. Rather than breaking up and finding their own way, they should take a gamble.

He recalled that for the past seven or eight years he had been stuck at the bottom, unable to break through to the third tier.

Isn't it because of a lack of spiritual plants? Otherwise, with his talent, he should have advanced long ago.

Zhao Sanpao was confident in his martial arts talent.

A poor boy from a county town became a second-rate martial artist by secretly learning martial arts, and even formed a gang of kitchen knives. He became an idol in the eyes of many poor children in the area.

"Go!" He slammed his fist on the table, making the dice jump. "We should sign up too! The Lin family needs to clear out the monsters and protect the trade routes; this is a legitimate way to make a living, much better than just loafing around here waiting to die!"

The brothers looked at each other, and one hesitated: "But we haven't fought in any big battles. Can we handle it?"

Zhao Sanpao snorted: "It's okay to report something if you're not even a big shot. You're not even a big shot to begin with, so what's there to be afraid of?"

If we really encounter a monster, we should fight it out with all our might, and we might even be able to make a name for ourselves.

We haven't committed any wrongdoings over the years, so the investigation has definitely been conducted. The Lin family is currently short-staffed, so they won't be too picky.

He turned to his younger brothers who hadn't yet entered the martial arts world and instructed them: "Third Brother, you guys need to hurry up and practice, and strive to become second-rate martial artists as soon as possible."

The three of us will sign up first, and we'll get you some spiritual plants later. I heard that the Lin family's iron wire vine is suitable for breaking through the mediocre level.

If we all join the guard team together, we can look out for each other.

If I break through to the third-rate level and can still be your captain, we'll all still be together!

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and quickly tidied themselves up. Zhao Sanpao, along with his two other low-level brothers, headed towards Linjiawu.

Even if you lose your livelihood, you can still survive by changing your identity. In fact, this identity might be more secure and offer more prospects than being a small-time helper in the county town.