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

After staying in Yang County for several days, most of the convoy remained to continue their investigation and negotiations.

Lin Ye and his guards regrouped and set off again, preparing to travel to Anhua County and Zhenning County to meet with the Su family and the Gao family respectively.

Finally, he visited the Wang family in the prefectural city and paid respects to all the lords of Qingyang Prefecture.

Inside the carriage, Lin Ye sat side by side with his uncle, Li Fuyun, chatting about what they had seen and heard over the past few days.

After communicating with the Wei family, the Li family finally decided to leave Yang County.

The rift between them already exists. Staying under the Wei family's rule would limit their room for development, not to mention that being on someone else's territory is never as secure as being on their own nephew's land.

Now that Lin Ye has established a foothold in both Xiang County and Qinghe County, as long as his family goes there, how could his nephew not treat him well? Good positions and good jobs are always sure to come to the Li family.

Lin Ye was actually happy to see it happen.

Firstly, if the Li family continues to stay in Yang County, they will become ready-made hostages in the event of a future conflict, and any conflict could have far-reaching consequences.

Secondly, the Lin family is still in its early stages and its population is not large. The development of the two counties to this day has largely relied on the assistance of various smaller families. Although these families are loyal and capable, they are ultimately not as reliable as one's maternal uncle.

As for the Wei family, they secretly hoped that the Li family would move away.

Currently, the Lin and Wei families are on good terms, so Wei Yuan cannot put too much pressure on the Li family. He still has to arrange an official position for Li Fuyun according to the rules, but this is tantamount to placing an informant in his own territory who can pass on information to Lin Ye at any time.

Since the three parties were of one mind, things progressed very quickly.

Within two days, the Li family had sold off all their properties and shops at high prices, leaving only their ancestral home and a few guards. Under the escort of the guards sent by Lin Ye, they set off to return to Xiang County.

Lin Ye then relayed the message to his mother, Li, through the communications officer, leaving the subsequent arrangements and coordination entirely to her.

He believed that with his mother's meticulousness and skill, she would be able to properly integrate the Li family into the Xiang County system.

As for why Li Fuyun did not go directly to Xiang County with the caravan, but instead stayed with Lin Ye to continue the journey, there was another reason for this.

Since starting his own family, he has served as the head of the household, working tirelessly day and night to handle all matters, big and small, within the clan, rarely having a chance to catch his breath.

Now that he finally has a real backer, he can finally put down his burdens and let his true nature take flight.

According to him, he stayed by Lin Ye's side to protect his nephew. After all, he was a seasoned second-rate martial artist who had even participated in the border war with the Northern Xiongnu.

Inside the carriage, Lin Ye and his uncle Li Fuyun were chatting about what they had seen and heard over the past few days, inquiring about the Wei family. Their voices were unhurried, carrying a sense of leisure from the journey.

However, deep in the woods not far ahead, a fierce battle was nearing its end.

A burly man dressed in civilian clothes, covered in blood and in a sorry state, still gripped a sword tightly and fought against more than a dozen constables in government uniforms.

Several constables were lying on the ground, clearly indicating that a fierce battle had taken place earlier.

At this moment, the big man was trying to break through the encirclement, but new constables kept arriving from all sides. These people were agile and steady, and it was clear at a glance that they were at least third-rate martial artists. They cooperated well and their attacks were fierce.

The big man's swordsmanship was extremely exquisite. His figure moved like the wind, and every time he struck, he took a life.

However, there were too many constables surrounding him, and a middle-aged leader was constantly fighting him head-on. This person was also a second-rate martial artist with steady energy and shrewd moves.

As the burly man struggled to hold on, the besieging constables continued to harass him from different angles, inflicting wound after wound on his body. His breathing became increasingly erratic, and he was at his last gasp.

Just then, the slow but clear sound of horses' hooves came from afar; it was the Lin family's scouts.

To ensure Lin Ye's safety, Lin Ye had made arrangements in advance, with two guards forming a group to scout ahead and keep watch.

The scouts quickly discovered the battle in the woods and immediately blew their specially made whistles, one after another, sharp and urgent, relaying the message along the way.

The constables noticed the signal, and one of them quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said loudly, "We are constables from the Gongchang Prefectural Government. We are here on orders to apprehend a notorious bandit. Please do not interfere!"

Upon hearing this, the two scouts immediately stopped in their tracks and did not act rashly.

However, the Lin family guards who were guarding the surrounding area had already arrived upon hearing the commotion, and the sound of horses' hooves approached like raindrops. Among them was Li Fuyun.

He was feeling bored in the car, but when he heard that there was a situation ahead, he volunteered to go and check it out.

After all, apart from Liu Zhenghua, a first-rate martial artist, he was the only other second-rate martial artist on this trip.

When everyone arrived, they remained still, merely watching coldly as the burly man was forced to retreat under heavy attack, his injuries worsening, his breathing becoming erratic, and his swordplay losing its previous agility.

"I am a military officer in Lulong Prefecture, and they are spies from the Northern Xiongnu—" The burly man took a deep breath and was about to explain his identity when the constables who were attacking him seized the opportunity to catch his breath and slashed his thigh hard with their scalpels. The flesh rolled back and blood gushed out.

The burly man grunted, his body stiffened, and he could no longer move nimbly. His defeat was only a matter of time.

The Lin family guards, seeing that these constables were clearly martial artists and hearing the burly man claim to be a spy from the Northern Xiongnu, felt a stirring in their hearts, but still maintained their composure.

Their primary task is to protect the lord and avoid any unforeseen complications. For now, all they need to do is ensure that these constables leave and do not approach Lin Ye's carriage.

However, Li Fuyun, standing in front, kept his eyes fixed on the big man.

As the distance closed, the burly man's figure, features, and even his swordsmanship gradually overlapped with a figure from his memory. He felt a jolt, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Quick! Save him! He's General Lü Fang!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Fuyun spurred his horse and charged into the battle like an arrow.

Seeing their uncle, the lord, take the lead, the Lin family guards did not hesitate and drew their swords to attack the besieging constables.

Those dozen or so constables showed no intention of backing down when facing the Lin family's dozen or so guards.

They looked at each other, neither willing to back down.

These people were all martial artists, and the leader was even at the second-rate level. Since their numbers were roughly equal, they didn't think they would lose to a guard team that just happened to be passing by.

The constables quickly split up; a few continued to besiege the heavily wounded man, their blades flashing fiercely, while the rest confronted the Lin family guards.

Seeing Li Fuyun charging towards them on horseback, the leading constable did not retreat but advanced. He suddenly pushed off the ground, his body shooting out like a bowstring, and he leaped into the air. His long sword, imbued with the powerful internal force of a second-rate martial artist, slashed straight at Li Fuyun's face.

Li Fuyun remained motionless on horseback, his sword held horizontally, and with a crisp clang, the blade precisely blocked the blade.

The horse's momentum combined with his internal energy caused the constable to freeze for a moment, and he was thrown back, crashing heavily into a pile of fallen leaves a few steps away.

He quickly got up. Although he was not seriously injured, the attack made his heart sink. The force of the blade had been easily neutralized by the opponent, who even used the force to counterattack.

Only now did he truly see that all the passing guards were martial artists, and the leader was even of the same second-rate caliber as him. Meanwhile, his proud subordinates were currently locked in combat with the Lin family guards and were gradually falling into a disadvantageous position.

Several Lin family guards broke through the battle circle and rushed to the big man's side. With a flash of their swords, they forced back the remaining constables and protected him in the center.

Although the great man was no longer able to fight, he was still breathing, and the blood had not spread further.

At the same time, a guard blew a whistle, and a short, urgent signal was carried on the wind to the rear.

Dust billowed in the distance as more Lin family guards rode up, their hooves thundering like drums.

The sounds of horses' hooves and clashing swords suddenly intertwined, and the Lin family, who were merely passing by, were abruptly drawn into this unexpected turmoil.