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

Shitie Town is built along the Wushui River and is the closest town to Linjiawu. It is connected to the fortified village by waterway and by land.

The town's name comes from two main local resources: stone and iron.

The nearby hills are rich in stone, which can be used for construction and tools.

It also contains iron ore deposits, and most of the townspeople make a living by mining, iron smelting, and crafting agricultural tools and simple weapons. Some people also supplement their livelihoods by waterway transportation and fishing.

"Alright, we're at Shitie Town ahead. It's getting late, so let's rest there for now. Leave two guards on each boat, plus two captains. The rest of you, come ashore with me," Lin Qiang ordered.

"Lin Tie, you two come ashore with us too. As per the young master's arrangement, you'll be in charge of this town from now on." He nodded to Lin Tie beside him.

Everyone disembarked, the boatmen stowed the anchor, and the guards who stayed behind stood at the bow, with the crossbow still mounted on its frame.

The dozen or so people standing on the wall had been silently watching the fleet until it stopped, the people disembarked, and they began to whisper among themselves.

A group of over a hundred people slowly walked along the riverbank toward Shitie Town.

Lin Qiang walked in the middle of the group, his eyes habitually scanning the surroundings.

The closer he got to the town, the more obvious the strange feeling in his heart became. Outside the town, large tracts of fields were withered and overgrown with weeds and rice stubble that grew taller than a person. The field ridges had collapsed and the ditches were dry and cracked, clearly indicating that they had been abandoned for a long time.

Arriving at a point about 300 meters from the city wall, the group stood in neat rows, the sound of their footsteps rubbing against their armor particularly clear on the empty wasteland.

A lowly member of the guard stepped out of the line; it was none other than Zhao Sanpao, the former leader of the Kitchen Knife Gang.

Although his cultivation level was not high, he had been wandering around the county town for a long time and had a loud voice. At this moment, his face showed a bit of ferocity as he shouted loudly at the people on the city wall:

"We are the guard of Baron Lin of Xiang County. Today, we are ordered by the Baron to clear the river. It is getting late, and we hope to stay in the town for the night to recover our strength before continuing our journey!"

A man leaned out from the city wall, his tone filled with obvious suspicion and wariness: "You say you're the Lin family's guard, but do you have any proof? Besides, the town is small; I'm afraid it can't accommodate so many people."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Sanpao's voice suddenly rose, "Xiang County is the fiefdom of my Lin family. We are acting on the orders of our lord. Why do we need any additional proof to enter the town to rest? If you dare to refuse again, don't blame us for attacking the city—then we'll make sure you all perish!"

After a while, the city gate creaked open and the group of people who had been standing on the city wall came down.

The leader was a country gentleman dressed in a brocade robe and wearing a square scarf, followed by seven or eight guards armed with knives and guns.

Upon seeing Zhao Sanpao, the man immediately broke into a wide smile, repeatedly bowing and saying, "Oh dear, it's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! These past few days have been chaotic outside, and our Shitie Town is small and short-handed, so we have to be on guard. My name is Liu Wenli, and I'm currently in charge of Shitie Town. So you're from the Lin family! Please, please come in!"

When Zhao Sanpao heard Liu Wenli mention "the Lin family" in person, he frowned slightly. However, seeing the other party's respectful attitude, he didn't say anything more, just nodded and turned back to report to Lin Qiang.

Lin Qiang saw Liu Li bowing to him from afar.

"Leave twenty men to guard the city gate; the rest of you come with me into the town."

Twenty guards ran toward the city gate tower and both sides, ready to take over the city gate.

The guards around Liu Li and the original guards looked at Liu Li but did not move. They even picked up their weapons, seemingly not intending to hand over the city's defenses to the Lin family.

Lin Qiang looked at Liu Li, his eyes smiling.

Liu Li looked at the guards with a gloomy expression, and finally waved his hand to signal them to move aside.

Lin Qiang didn't say anything and led everyone through the gate.

Upon entering the town, everyone was stunned by the sight before them.

This place is so dilapidated, it looks like a ruin gnawed by time and suffering.

The low houses are crooked and dilapidated, many with half of their roofs collapsed, revealing dark holes; the walls are cracked, and large patches of mud plaster have peeled off, revealing withered yellow straw underneath.

Most of the townspeople were dressed in tattered, gray clothes, patched upon patched, as if they had been pulled out of the dust.

Many people peeked out of the dilapidated windows or leaned against the door, their cloudy eyes filled with numbness and fear as they stared intently at the suddenly arriving crowd.

Their faces were sallow, their cheekbones were high, and they were so thin that you could almost see the bones under their skin, as if a gust of wind could blow them over.

As you walk along the bumpy dirt road, you can see beggars huddled up everywhere by the roadside.

Some sat with their knees drawn up to their chests, while others lay motionless on their sides in the mud.

Even more shocking were the several corpses lying by the roadside, their bodies bearing bruises and bloodstains, clearly indicating they had been beaten before their deaths.

Occasionally, a living person would drag their weak steps past, their eyes vacant, unresponsive to the surrounding noise.

What's even more unsettling is that there's a group of people in town wielding sticks and hoes, viciously banging on doors and cursing under their breath.

The door panel was smashed with a piercing cracking sound, and the cries and pleas of women and children came from inside the house.

Lin Qiang frowned and turned to look at Liu Li, the leading local gentry, "What's going on here?"

A hint of impatience flashed across Liu Li's face as he said, "Since six years ago, when monsters started appearing outside the town, no one dared to go out to farm, and the fields gradually became abandoned."

The town could only grow grain on the small plot of land in the inner circle, but the yield was limited. The river was also occupied by monsters, cutting off trade routes with other towns, so we reclaimed another piece of land outside the town.

"My Liu family will provide martial artists to guard the land, and the townspeople will rent the land to cultivate, paying rent in return."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the emaciated passersby and the fallen corpses, his tone remaining calm: "These must be just another bunch of troublemakers who refuse to pay rent. If it weren't for my Liu family guarding the town, it would have been finished long ago."

I instructed them to be polite when collecting rent; it must have been someone below who acted without authorization and went too far.

After listening, Lin Qiang slowly said, "Things are different now. My Lin family has already contracted with the Daoist soldiers' nests, so the demonic beasts will gradually retreat, and farming can resume outside the town."

We are acting on the orders of the Baron of Xiang County to dredge the waterways, establish connections throughout the territory, and take over the management of the various towns, overseeing the Lin family's territory.

As he spoke, he turned to Lin Tie beside him and said, "This is Lin Tie, the town steward appointed by the Baron himself. He will be in charge of the affairs of Shitie Town from now on. Patriarch Liu, I hope you can cooperate well with Lin Tie in the future."

Upon hearing the words "take over the town," a flicker of panic crossed Liu Li's face, but he quickly composed himself.

He bowed deeply, his face plastered with a fawning smile: "Certainly, certainly! From now on, I will obey Steward Lin's orders without a second thought!"

As the group walked and talked, a short while later, the view opened up, and a large courtyard with high walls appeared before them.

The courtyard walls were thick and heavy, with traces of recent construction visible between the bricks, indicating that it had been expanded in recent years. Above the main gate hung a black lacquered plaque with gold lettering, bearing two large characters written in a flamboyant style: Liu Mansion.

Two burly guards stood on either side of the entrance.

Liu Wenli quickly stepped forward, still wearing that humble smile, and waved to the gatekeeper: "Open the gate, the Lin family guards have arrived. They will rest in town tonight. These are the Baron's men, so do not neglect them."

Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper deftly opened the heavy wooden door.

Lin Qiang squinted slightly, surveying the large, secluded mansion that seemed out of place in the dilapidated town.

The grandeur of the Liu residence contrasted sharply with the poverty and famine of the townspeople, suggesting that the cause was not simply a matter of demonic beasts.