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

As the fleet approached the county town, they could see the city walls brightly lit from afar, the light illuminating the night.

Soldiers stood in neat rows between the battlements and arrow towers, clearly welcoming the returning troops who had fought a bloody battle.

After the fleet slowly passed through the sluice gate and entered the county's inland waterway, the scene before them was even more heartwarming.

The riverbanks were already crowded with people who had come spontaneously, each holding a torch, forming two long ribbons of light that moved slowly as the fleet moved forward.

The crowd cheered for the fleet, some shouting and shedding tears. They followed the fleet all the way to the dock, the firelight and voices making the night both passionate and warm.

Upon reaching the dock, the crowd gradually quieted down, silently watching the scene unfold before them.

The wounded soldiers helped each other off the ship, and the bodies were solemnly carried off the ship one by one.

Some knelt down on the spot and kowtowed to the returning soldiers to express their gratitude, while others covered their faces and choked with sobs.

Ye and Chen Cheng stood on the deck, watching the scene unfold. They had originally wanted to say something encouraging, but looking at the scene, they suddenly found themselves unable to utter any profound words. A thousand words were stuck in their throats, and in the end, they could only sigh.

That evening, the wounded soldiers were settled in the county town, where the conditions were much better than in the previous temporary camp, making it more conducive to their treatment and recuperation.

The remaining soldiers returned to their camp to facilitate unified management and shift duty.

For three consecutive days, Lin Ye and Chen Cheng worked almost non-stop, busy treating the wounded and sorting out the spoils of war.

Although the casualties were heavy and the price paid was high, the amount of property seized was also considerable.

For ordinary soldiers who were killed or wounded, these spoils of war were sufficient for compensation and rewards.

As for the martial artists, the Lin and Chen families would have to foot the bill themselves. After all, martial artists value cultivation resources such as spiritual plants and Dao soldiers more, while the number of spiritual plants in the bandits' spoils was very small, far from enough for rewards and compensation.

As for the few bandits who escaped during the battle, the two were not too worried.

This area is teeming with monsters. If they were to flee alone, their chances of survival would be slim. Even if a few managed to escape, their numbers would be small enough that the county government could handle it without needing to worry about them.

During this time, Lin Ye visited Lin Jing every day. He was out of danger, the bleeding had stopped, and the fever had subsided, but he was still in a coma and had lost an arm forever.

That day, a messenger named Qingyu, a communications soldier, flew from the night sky to the county government office, bringing news from Qingyang Prefecture.

Based on the battle reports submitted by everyone two days ago, the prefectural government determined that the Lin and Chen families had completed their mission and agreed to let them leave Qinghe County.

This is also a form of urging, since it is easy for trouble to arise if the two lords stay with their armies in a territory without a lord for a long time, so it is not advisable for them to stay for too long.

The next day, the army broke camp and left the county town.

After the news spread, the people of the county town mobilized and spontaneously came to the city gate to see him off, their faces filled with gratitude and reluctance.

If the army hadn't departed by boat, preventing the people from getting close to the soldiers, there would likely have been a touching scene of "welcoming the royal army with food and drink."

Today, the army is traveling on more than forty boats, sailing out of Qinghe County along the waterway.

After all, water transport is far more convenient than land transport and is more suitable for transporting large numbers of people and captured supplies.

Along the way, Lin Ye used the excuse of admiring the scenery on both sides of the river to stand alone on the deck and gaze intently at the view, instead of returning to the cabin to rest like Chen Cheng.

His gaze seemed casual, but he was actually carefully examining the terrain and landforms in the distance.

By the afternoon, the fleet was about to leave Qinghe County.

Lin Ye, with his sharp eyes, spotted an inconspicuous little hill on the distant shore and immediately ordered the fleet to stop.

He suggested to the crowd that they lead the army ashore and set up camp, while the fleet returned to the county town first, on the grounds that it was getting late and that sailing at night would be inconvenient and could easily lead to unforeseen events.

Everyone was puzzled when they heard this. They had clearly agreed to take a boat all the way to Qinghe County, so why did they have to change to a land route halfway through?

But Lin Ye then explained that the river conditions became complicated after dark, with frequent activity from monsters, and the fleet's return voyage might be dangerous.

Seeing that the lord had said this, the others could not say anything more and could only follow orders.

The army disembarked and set up camp on the shore, while the fleet turned back and returned to Qinghe County.

After having dinner that night, Lin Ye returned to his tent, sat quietly in thought for a moment, then quietly got up and left, heading towards the area where the wounded were.

Not far away, Liu Zhenghua, who was meditating and adjusting his breathing, seemed to sense something, opened his eyes and noticed his movements, but did not follow.

Firstly, Lin Ye would be visiting Lin Jing every day, and secondly, the army camp was heavily guarded, so there would be no danger.

However, Lin Ye did not go to the wounded area. Instead, he turned a corner, took advantage of the cover of night, carefully avoided the patrolling soldiers, climbed over the camp fence, and sped straight towards the small hill in the distance.

Along the way, he frequently stopped to look back at the road he had come from, listening intently to the sounds behind him. Only after confirming that no one was following him did he quicken his pace again, and his figure soon disappeared into the deep night.

Upon arriving at the hill, Lin Ye slowed down and carefully searched the slope for a while.

He walked slowly around the foot of the mountain, his eyes constantly scanning every rock face and ravine, looking for concealed locations and safe routes to enter and exit.

Before long, he found a suitable spot on the side where there was a natural cave. The entrance was not wide, but looking inside, the deep passage stretched out and seemed to have no end, appearing quiet and secluded.

Lin Ye did not rush to make a move, but waited near the cave entrance for a while longer.

After scanning the surroundings and listening intently to confirm that there were no other traces of anyone else within the vicinity, he communicated with the imprint of his family's lair in his mind and activated his power to materialize the gargoyle's lair.

Pale blue ripples appeared on the cave wall, and the stone texture slowly moved, revealing a brand new cave entrance between the jagged stone teeth.

The cave entrance is rugged and menacing, with stalagmites scattered like fangs, making the entrance both narrow and oppressive.

Inside the cave, shadows loomed, and the light was cut into mottled dark patches by the rugged rock walls. Deep within, in the dim light, the "guardian," whose stone outline was vaguely visible, stood silently, its body heavy, its wings folded and pressed tightly against its back, like a stone slab embedded in the rock.

Without hesitation, Lin Ye immediately established a contract with the nest and, under the guidance of his mind, retrieved the nest's physical form.

The jagged cave entrance and the stone guardians inside shrank together, the stalagmite's fangs transformed into fine lines, and the shadows and the outlines of wings condensed into dark engravings, eventually attaching themselves to the skin of his left arm to form a cave-like tattoo.

Instead of leaving immediately, he retreated to a slope overlooking the camp and quietly gazed into the distance.

Only when the camp gradually brightened, likely due to the soldiers on duty lighting numerous torches and illuminating the camp, did he calm his breathing and quickly run back to the camp along the way he had come.