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

After sending the town officials away from the fortified village, Lin Ye had no time to pay much attention to their development.

Firstly, these managers were either the original heads of small families or the former capable managers of the Lin family. In addition, during their trip to Yun County, they had many exchanges and learning opportunities with the managers in Yun County, which broadened their horizons and improved their skills.

On the return journey, they also assisted in managing the migration of tens of thousands of people. The coordination was orderly, and Lin Ye knew that these people were capable of managing their own towns.

Secondly, Lin Ye himself was indeed extremely busy because he was getting married—taking Zhang Ruozhu as his second wife.

According to his mother, Li, Lin Ye should not marry a wife yet. It would be best to take a concubine first, and let Zhang Ruozhu enter the family as a concubine. This way, the clan rules would not be disrupted, and it would be easier to make arrangements when the wife enters the family later.

But Lin Ye had already accepted Ruozhu's feelings for him and insisted on giving her the status of a secondary wife.

Seeing his resolute attitude and considering that Ruozhu was indeed outstanding, Li finally agreed, but still instructed him: "Since she is a secondary wife, the proper etiquette for the visit cannot be omitted, and the rules must be followed to avoid giving others cause for gossip."

Therefore, the marriage was conducted according to the rites for a concubine.

Although Lin Ye did not want to be too extravagant, as a newly promoted baronial family, they could not afford to give others cause for criticism regarding these formalities.

First came the "asking the name" and "betrothal," with the Lin family sending a matchmaker and gifts to the Zhang family to formally propose marriage.

Next came the "Naji" and "Nazheng" ceremonies, where the families exchanged birth dates and times and presented betrothal gift lists. The Zhang family reciprocated with a dowry gift list.

The next step is "setting the date," which involves informing relatives and friends of the chosen wedding date.

Finally comes the "welcoming the bride" ceremony and the wedding ceremony itself.

Although the wedding of a concubine does not have to be as elaborate as the "three letters and six rites" of the principal wife, all the necessary steps are included: ancestral worship, welcoming the bride with a procession, bowing to heaven and earth and the elders in front of the hall, the couple bowing to each other, and then entering the bridal chamber.

Because it involves the status of the secondary wife, the elders in the clan paid special attention. The order of the wedding ceremony, the standing positions, and the color of the dress were all carefully considered to show respect for the secondary wife while not overstepping the rules of the principal wife.

The preparations and arrangements took a full month before the grand finale.

On the wedding day, the fortress was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. The guards took turns on duty, the servants were divided up to receive the guests, and the officials from various towns also came to celebrate.

As the auspicious hour approached, the sound of drums and music began, and Lin Ye, dressed in a red brocade robe and with a jade belt around his waist, steadily stepped into the hall.

Following closely behind was Zhang Ruozhu, her skirt trailing on the ground, who was slowly escorted into the hall by two maids. Although there was shyness in her eyes, she exuded a dignified and composed air.

Lin Ye's mother, Madam Li, sat upright in the main seat, dressed in a dark dress, her expression both kind and stern, yet gratified.

When the two arrived in the hall, the master of ceremonies loudly proclaimed, "First bow to Heaven and Earth—" Lin Ye and Ruozhu stood side by side and bowed deeply outside the hall.

"Second bow to our parents—" The two turned to face Madam Li, knelt down, and Madam Li nodded slightly, tears welling in her eyes.

"Husband and wife bow to each other—" Lin Ye and Ruozhu bowed to each other, their eyes meeting. A faint blush rose on Ruozhu's cheeks, and Lin Ye also concealed his usual sharpness, leaving only a gentle smile.

After the ceremony, the master of ceremonies led the couple to their feet. Madam Li raised her hand to indicate that she was to offer them two cups of nuptial wine. Lin Ye and Ruozhu accepted the cups, crossed their arms, and drank them down, symbolizing their unity and shared destiny.

Then, amidst drums and celebratory music, the two were led into the bridal chamber. Red candles were lit, the wedding curtains were drawn, and the laughter and chatter of guests could be faintly heard from outside the window.

The room was warm and quiet for a moment, and then the matchmaker whispered a few words of advice. Everyone tactfully withdrew, leaving the space to the newlyweds.

The intimate details of the bridal chamber are not to be discussed with outsiders. (Just kidding, please forgive me.)

Just as the fortress was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and everyone was immersed in the joyous atmosphere of the lord's wedding and the increasing stability of the territory, in the former settlement not far from the fortress...

The open area, where the outline of a county town can now be vaguely discerned, is now shrouded in a completely different atmosphere.

Under the cover of darkness, more than twenty men in black quickly approached a secluded wooden house, clinging to the ruins and remaining old sheds.

This house is an old residence from the original settlement that has not yet been demolished. Most of the residents are construction workers and their families who participated in the construction of the new city. At this moment, most of them have already rested.

Among the group of men in black, the two sword-winged mantises following closely behind them were particularly eye-catching. Their forelimbs resembled two sharp short swords, and their wing membranes gleamed with a cold, hard bluish light in the night.

At the very front of the group stood Sun Qian, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, with a stern expression and a long sword hanging at his waist.

Beside them were two other true disciples of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, standing tall and straight. Behind them were elite guards, each holding a knife and breathing very quietly, clearly well-trained.

The group quickly surrounded the house as planned.

Just then, someone inside seemed to notice something was wrong. With a soft "hiss," the candle inside went out, and darkness instantly engulfed the small house.

The guards quickly lit the prepared torches, which flickered in the night wind, casting an intermittent glow on the open space in front of the wooden house.

Sun Qian raised his hand and waved, and the guards unleashed a barrage of crossbow bolts coated with anesthetic, which rained down on the doors and windows of the wooden house.

"Thud, thud—" With the dull thud of arrows piercing the wooden planks, several short, shrill screams immediately came from inside the house, clearly indicating that someone had been hit by an arrow and fallen to the ground.

However, after the rain of arrows, the house was unusually quiet. No one rushed out again, and there was no further movement.

Sun Qian frowned and signaled to continue firing. Round after round of crossbow bolts rained down, sealing the doors and windows of the wooden house completely.

Those inside initially tried to hide behind the roof beams and furniture, but the arrows outside kept raining down, and casualties continued to rise. Someone couldn't help but mutter curses, "The people outside dare not come in; we can't afford to wait this long!"

Seeing no opportunity and having lost several brothers, someone finally gritted his teeth and shouted, "We can't wait any longer, charge out!"

The back window and the front door of the wooden house were smashed open almost simultaneously, and more than a dozen men in black rushed out in a panic.

The leader was a burly, second-rate martial artist with a deep and steady aura and a firm gait.

Behind him followed three third-rate martial artists, each wielding a short blade and with fierce eyes; the other seven or eight were second-rate martial artists, their clothes disheveled and their faces filled with terror.

Sun Qian had made preparations in advance. Two second-rate disciples of the Qingyuan Sword Sect had already separated and stood in positions, blocking the path of the second-rate martial artist like two sharp swords.

Seeing this, the second-rate martial artist let out a low roar, his fist whistling as he charged straight at one of the true disciples, intending to forcibly tear through the defenses.

At the same time, three third-rate martial artists seized the opportunity to rush towards the flank of the guard team, their blades flashing, attempting to break through the gaps in the encirclement.

However, the guards were prepared and closed in like an iron barrel, their swords clashing, instantly surrounding the three of them.

The three men slashed with all their might, but could only barely parry under the suppression of the net of blades, unable to break through even half a step.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the remaining seven or eight second-rate martial artists turned around and tried to scatter and flee.

But the two sword-winged mantises were already poised to strike. With a flap of their wings, a flash of blue light appeared, like two deadly bolts of lightning streaking across the night. Their front blades were like swords, and their movements were so fast that their trajectories were almost invisible.

Several men in black had only taken a few steps when their necks were severed by sharp blades, their blood splattering on the ground. The others were also killed in a matter of moments, leaving no survivors.