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

After dealing with the henchmen, the two sword-winged mantises immediately turned their attention to the three third-rate martial artists who were surrounded. Just as one of them raised his sword to parry, a mantis closed in, its sharp blade slicing across his wrist, sending the short sword flying from his hand to the ground.

Another person tried to flank from behind, but was hit by a mantis's wing membrane, lost his balance, and was stabbed in a vital spot by the guards, falling to the ground.

Seeing his companions fall one after another, the third third-rate martial artist immediately threw down his sword and knelt down: "I surrender! We're not fighting anymore!"

The guards quickly stepped forward and tied his and another injured third-rate martial artist's arms behind their backs.

At this moment, the battle between the two second-rate disciples and the second-rate martial artist had reached a fever pitch.

The second-rate martial artist's punches and kicks were fierce and powerful, each strike accompanied by the sound of wind breaking through the air, forcing the two true disciples to move around and look for openings.

Seeing this, the sword-winged mantis quietly stepped forward. Its azure light concealed its killing intent, but it blocked the second-rate martial artist's retreat and evasion angles with even greater speed.

The arrival of the mantis instantly shifted the tide of the battle—just as the second-rate martial artist was about to dodge the sword strike, a mantis thrust out its sharp blade from the side, slicing towards the tendon of his supporting leg.

He lost his balance, and another disciple seized the opportunity, his long sword flashing like a dragon, aiming straight for his vulnerable ribs.

The second-rate martial artist crossed his arms to block the sword's edge, but the sword energy and the mantis's blade force caused his blood and qi to surge, making his movements noticeably sluggish.

In the blink of an eye, the two disciples closed in simultaneously, their swords flashing and forming a net. In the end, one sword sealed the throat, and the other pierced the heart.

The second-rate martial artist's eyes widened, and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

The fighting in front of the wooden house has completely subsided.

The torches illuminated the corpses and bloodstains scattered on the ground. The guards quickly brought the scene under control, and the sword-winged mantis returned to Sun Qian's side, its blue light fading away.

Sun Qian's gaze swept over the two captured men and the mess on the ground. "Block the news, take the bodies away and bury them, and send the injured to the hospital."

The next morning, Lin Ye noticed that Zhang Ruozhu still looked tired and walked with unsteady steps, so he couldn't help but chuckle: "Looks like you were exhausted last night."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruozhu's cheeks flushed red, and she playfully punched him, saying, "It's all your fault..." Lin Ye smiled, took her hand, and said softly, "It's my fault. Today, I'll help you slowly complete the rest of the ceremony."

The two first went to pay their respects to Madam Li.

Upon entering the courtyard, they encountered Sun Qian, who seemed to have been waiting for them for some time.

Sun Qian nodded slightly to Lin Ye upon seeing them.

Lin Ye didn't say anything, but helped Zhang Ruozhu continue walking forward.

Madam Li was already waiting in front of the hall. When she saw them coming, her gaze fell on Ruozhu's slightly flushed face and her slightly unsteady steps.

He immediately understood about 70-80% of it, but didn't point it out. He just smiled gently and said, "You've arrived? Please sit down and rest." He then instructed the servants to bring warm ginseng tea, saying, "Let's keep the formalities simple today; the sentiment is what matters."

Zhang Ruozhu was so embarrassed that she almost buried her head in her chest, but Lin Ye calmly helped her sit down next to Madam Li and said softly, "Mother, don't worry, I will take good care of her."

Several more days passed, and Lin Ye spent every day with Zhang Ruozhu, becoming so engrossed in the relationship that he even forgot about practicing martial arts in the mornings and spent all his time holed up in the warm pavilion in the backyard of the fortress, much like a "king who neglects his morning court."

That day, Lin Ye finally abandoned his comfortable home, changed into casual clothes, and came to the main hall of the fortress. He sat in the main seat and said, "Someone, go and call Sun Qian."

Before long, Sun Qian hurried into the hall.

He looked up and saw that Lin Ye's eyes still held a hint of spring, and her lips held a lazy smile.

Sun Qian dared not be negligent. He stepped forward, bowed, and said loudly, "Congratulations on your marriage, Your Excellency! May you and your wife live a long and happy life together, and may your family prosper!"

Lin Ye waved his hand, interrupting his congratulatory remarks, "Alright, let's put aside these formalities for now. Tell me about that gang of bandits."

Sun Qian abandoned his congratulatory posture, lowered his head and said, "Ever since we learned that a group of bandits had entered our territory in Dulong Village, I have sent people back to investigate."

By the time we returned to our territory from Yun County, our scouts had already located their dwelling—a secluded hut in the settlement outside the fortified village.

"These people must be bandits. They are used to being straightforward, and their movements were quickly discovered by scouts. We have also basically figured out their strength."

Sun Qian paused for a moment, then continued, "On the night of the wedding banquet, as instructed by the Duke, I led the true disciples of the Sword Sect, the Sword-Winged Mantises, and the guards to launch a surprise attack while they were off guard."

They killed one second-rate martial artist, one third-rate martial artist, captured two third-rate martial artists, and wiped out the remaining bandits.

At this point, Sun Qian bowed slightly: "Please forgive me, Your Excellency, for causing bloodshed on your wedding night."

Lin Ye waved his hand: "I gave the orders, so it's not your fault. They can only let their guard down completely on the day of the wedding banquet."

Besides, when in this world does bloodshed happen? I don't care about such things.

"annihilating these Northern Xiongnu bastards on my wedding night would actually comfort the spirits of my father and grandfather in heaven, hahaha."

He changed the subject abruptly, asking, "Did those two speak? Why did they come to Xiang County?"

Sun Qian replied, "According to their confession, they are bandits from Gongchang Prefecture. They came to investigate why the bandits failed recently and why their top-notch martial arts leader disappeared in Xiang County."

Our previous guess was correct; Xiang County itself held little appeal for them. It's likely that the deceased top-tier martial artist held some status in the Northern Xiongnu.

Lin Ye nodded: "That's what we were thinking."

"There's one more thing..." Sun Qian hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Speak," Lin Ye said, looking at Sun Qian.

Sun Qian lowered his voice, "A third-rate martial artist said that he had heard a second-rate martial artist mention that they were eager to find that first-rate martial artist because the other party knew a clue about something."

If they could find this item, they could return to the Northern Xiongnu sooner, without having to work behind enemy lines in the heart of the Northern Han territory and constantly worry about being surrounded and annihilated.

"What clues? What could be so important?"

He sat alone in the hall, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, his thoughts churning.

The Northern Xiongnu, top-tier martial artists, the disappearance in Xiang County, and something that could make them abandon their mission behind enemy lines...

The clues seemed faint, vaguely pointing to some forgotten secret, but he couldn't grasp the key point for a while. After pondering for a long time, he was still full of doubts.

That night, Lin Ye unusually refrained from being intimate with Zhang Ruozhu. He simply held her in his arms on the bed and chatted for a few moments before telling her to rest.

Today is the day he has set to challenge the Dao soldiers, and he must be fully prepared.

Moreover, after all these nights of revelry, I need to rest tonight for the sake of lasting happiness in the future.

He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, but his mind gradually cleared. After a moment of concentration, three gargoyles appeared in his mind.

It's a nest!

His heart skipped a beat, and he instantly grasped the overlooked clue: what the top-tier Northern Xiongnu martial artist had discovered was not an ordinary object, but a nest!

He must have already figured out the location, but due to a lack of manpower, he did not launch an attack for the time being. He only informed his accomplices and planned to gather forces to seize it in one fell swoop.

Just then, the Xiang County incident happened, and they planned to take advantage of this opportunity to destroy the Lin family's stronghold. However, they were tricked and killed by the sect leader.

The location should be within the territory of Gongchang Prefecture, and not too far from Xiang County.

A lair that can attract top-tier martial artists to gather their forces to conquer is definitely not a third-rate lair, but rather a second-rate one.

It couldn't possibly be a first-class nest, since a first-class nest was created in Gongchang Prefecture six years ago, but it was taken by the prince of the Northern Xiongnu.