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

During a break that day, Tian Han approached three mediocre martial artists from the guard team, saying he wanted to "learn from them."

These three men weren't exactly top-tier members of the guard team, but they were all quite competitive. When Tian Han took the initiative to challenge them, they readily accepted.

I want to see just how capable this old acquaintance from the sword sect, who has been challenging the guards and following Lin Ye around lately, really is.

At first, Tian Han held back a bit, just testing his opponent's attacking habits and response methods.

But after a few moves, the pent-up energy in his heart surged up. Since he had decided to continue practicing martial arts, he could no longer be timid and hesitant.

His eyes narrowed, and his attack suddenly became fierce. His footwork was faster, and his punches and kicks were heavier, forcing his opponent to defend with all his might with every strike.

Inspired by his aura, the three martial artists also unleashed their true skills, taking turns attacking him.

Tian Han dodged and weaved amidst the attack of three men, using his fists, elbows, knees, and legs in alternation, occasionally borrowing and deflecting their force to redirect their attacks before counterattacking.

Sweat quickly soaked his clothes, and his breathing became heavy, but he did not back down. Instead, he became more and more excited as he fought. The exhilarating feeling of being completely immersed in the fight was something that accounting and business negotiations could never provide.

During a three-man encirclement and forced retreat, Tian Han suddenly exerted force with his feet, his body springing up like a bowstring, a side kick that forced back his opponent on the right, and then he spun around and used his elbow to strike another person's shoulder, forcing the opponent to retreat.

Taking advantage of the opening, he slashed his right palm straight at the third man's chest, the force penetrating his clothes and flesh, causing the man to groan and stagger back. In a flash, he completed a brilliant counterattack.

At that very moment, Tian Han felt a sudden surge of energy within his body, as if a barrier had been broken through. His dantian heated up, his blood and qi surged, and his limbs and bones were filled with unprecedented power.

The bottleneck in his cultivation level that had been holding him back for so long quietly loosened and disintegrated after these few rounds of fierce battles.

He clearly felt that he had crossed that line and officially joined the ranks of third-rate martial artists.

Lin Ye was resting with his eyes closed in the carriage when he was suddenly awakened by bursts of congratulations coming from outside.

He lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, only to see a crowd surrounding Tian Han, all smiles and offering their congratulations.

Lin Ye was also happy for Tian Han. This kid, with his tenacity, had broken through his realm and entered the third rank in just a few challenges.

"What are your plans now?" Lin Ye took a moment to call Tian Han over to the carriage and asked in a low voice.

Tian Han lowered his head and answered somewhat sullenly, "My uncle wants me to help him build the town, but I'm not interested in those things. I still want to work with the young master."

Lin Ye sighed softly, his eyes filled with a touch of emotion.

"Sigh, it's been almost a year since you all came back to Xiang County with me last year. You've now reached the strength of a third-rate martial artist; if you were in the Sword Sect, you'd be an inner disciple."

Seeing that Tian Han was still somewhat hesitant, Lin Ye softened his tone, "Since you want to continue following me, I can't treat you unfairly."

Once we return to our territory, I plan to carve out a small squad from the guard team and, like Yun County, establish a river patrol garrison.

Firstly, to assist in clearing the river channel; secondly, to be specifically responsible for patrolling the river and driving away monsters.

He paused, his gaze fixed on Tian Han's face, "Why don't you become the captain of this river patrol?"

Considering your youth, I'll make Zhao Sanpao your deputy. As for the other personnel, you can choose from the guards yourself in the meantime.

"Thank you, young master!" Tian Han still habitually addressed Lin Ye as "young master."

He knew in his heart that being the captain of the river patrol was different from being the captain of a regular guard team. This was a job that required him to be able to work independently, and there was much more room for advancement in the future than in the guard team.

Lin Ye made this arrangement after careful consideration.

The waterway connects the county seat with various towns, and is related to the transportation and security of the entire territory; this position is extremely important.

Originally, he wanted Lin Yi to take the position, but some time ago he discovered that Lin Yi had a lot of ideas about building the new county town. Moreover, Lin Yi was almost thirty years old and had children. It would be inconvenient for the patrol guards to be out and about day and night.

However, the task must be entrusted to a trustworthy person, who must be a third-rate martial artist, and there are not many suitable candidates at present.

Although Tian Han is young and somewhat dull, his sister Tian Yu is very shrewd and capable. In addition, he has appointed Zhao Sanpao, who can keep things in check, as his deputy. There should be no problem with their cooperation.

As the procession moved forward, more and more people from Xiang County who had been stranded in Yun County joined them, and the crowd grew larger and larger. By the time they entered Xiang County and arrived at the former site of Dulang Village, more than 20,000 people had already begun their return journey.

Fortunately, the Chen family sent a 500-strong army to escort them throughout the journey. Food and lodging were arranged in advance in various places along the way, and the route was planned. The relocated people themselves also made corresponding preparations.

In addition, the convoy included future leaders from various towns, who had some management experience, which helped to organize the large group of people in an orderly manner; otherwise, it would have been a complete mess long ago.

Seeing the ruins of Lone Wolf Village, Lin Ye recalled that the third-rate bandit leader had reported that a group of bandits had entered Xiang County, including a second-rate martial artist.

He immediately sent someone back to Xiang County to report. In addition, Liu Zhenghua and his true disciples and inner disciples were stationed in the fortified village, so there should have been no major problems.

But he still felt uneasy. This was the downside of poor communication; once someone left home, contact was lost.

Because of the existence of Taoist soldiers, people mostly use them for long-distance communication, and carrier pigeons have not been developed.

Lin Ye had considered raising homing pigeons as an emergency measure, but this was not something that could be done in a short time.

After passing Lone Wolf Village, we officially entered Xiang County. Monsters began to appear intermittently around the group.

The relocated villagers immediately recalled their trip to Yun County, where monsters often roamed the area and people would disappear every night. The fear was deeply etched in their memories.

Many people are having second thoughts: Is it too early to come back? Should we wait until Xiangxian is more stable before coming back? But they are also afraid of missing out on the current wave of returning residents and losing future development opportunities.

However, after walking for a while, everyone gradually realized that this time was different from the last time.

Although there were monsters lurking nearby, they were swiftly killed by the guards as soon as they showed themselves.

Although fear remained, their lives were no longer in danger. The tense atmosphere in the crowd gradually eased, their steps became steady, and they were no longer as panicked and helpless as before.

They were approaching Linjiawu. No longer worried about safety, Lin Ye and some of his guards broke away from the main force and headed towards the fortified village.

Lin Ye lifted the carriage curtain and looked into the distance, and was momentarily stunned.

The once spacious gathering place has now changed dramatically.

A new city wall has been built around the perimeter. It is not high but thick, and the wall is made of rammed earth and stone. The city gate tower is already taking shape, and the gate opening is square. It can be seen that it was built with the idea of ​​combining defense and passage.

Inside the city walls, one can vaguely see dense scaffolding and busy figures, with countless pieces of timber and bricks piled up on the open ground.

The craftsmen chanted as they carried materials, the bricklayers built the foundation, and the carpenters sawed and planed the wood with a clanging sound. The whole scene was bustling with activity, exuding a sense of vitality and energy as they created something from nothing.

Lin Ye glanced around and quickly found that familiar figure.

Lin Yizheng stood on a temporary wooden platform on a high place, gesturing from time to time to direct the division of labor and cooperation among the groups.

His loud voice cut through the noise of the construction site as he clearly assigned tasks. Several men who looked like foremen surrounded him, nodding frequently, and then turned to shout and give instructions to their respective teams.

Looking at Lin Yi's calm and capable demeanor, Lin Ye nodded inwardly. The fact that the settlement was able to erect city walls and start building houses in such a short time was entirely due to his planning and supervision.

Lin Yi is indeed skilled in managing affairs.

Compared to the desolate place when I left, this place now has the beginnings of a town.