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

The next day, reinforcements from various territories arrived in Xiang County one after another.

Lin Ye learned from news from various sources that the lords Wei, Su, and Gao had already sent troops to Qing County.

The army is marching there, about to launch a general offensive against the Wang family, determined to utterly destroy them.

Upon learning this news, and after Zhang Yuan reminded him of the importance of participating in the post-war division of Wang family resources, coupled with Lin Qiang and Lin Yi's repeated requests and urging, Lin Ye realized that he could no longer delay.

He had no choice but to put aside the many matters to be dealt with after the battle in Xiang County and, together with the elders and true disciples of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, once again boarded a flying Taoist soldier and headed to Qing County.

This time, Chen Cheng also went along.

At this time, because the Wang family had committed all their main forces and actively retreated, the two other county towns they controlled had been occupied by the three lords without much fighting, and the towns changed hands.

Meanwhile, Qing County was now completely surrounded by the large armies of the Wei, Gao, and Su families, with banners flying everywhere, making the entire city impenetrable.

Below the city, the shouts from the three families had been going on for a quarter of an hour, echoing repeatedly on the city walls, completely throwing the morale of the Qing County garrison into chaos.

Originally, most of the Wang family's military force had been transferred to Xiang County, leaving only a small number of troops in Qing County. Furthermore, the main officers were not in the city, leaving only some collateral relatives, who were unable to organize an effective defense.

Now, the defending troops were even more terrified when they heard shouts from below the city about the royal family's defection to the Northern Xiongnu.

These people were not originally loyal to the Wang family; they were just soldiers trying to make a living. As a result, morale plummeted, and no one was willing to risk their lives for the Wang family's legacy anymore.

On the city wall, some people quietly loosened their grip on their swords, while others whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with fear and confusion.

The Wang family compound is no longer the orderly and dignified place it once was.

The courtyard was in a mess, with boxes overturned, cabinet doors wide open, and spiritual plants, silver ingots, and jewelry scattered all over the ground.

The Wang family members, who were usually dignified and well-mannered, were now all blinded by rage and were frantically robbing for valuables.

Some people carried boxes full of gold and silver out, some tore down paintings and calligraphy from the wall and stuffed them into their pockets, and some went directly to the storeroom and moved the spiritual plants away.

Several young disciples got into a fight over a box of spiritual plants. One of them was pushed to the ground, his forehead hitting the corner of the table, bleeding profusely. But he ignored the pain, got up and continued to snatch it.

The maids and servants were also busy.

They had suffered oppression all the time, and now that they saw that their master's power was gone, they all joined in the looting.

A cook snatched several jars of fine wine from the kitchen and was about to slip away when she was stopped by the head maid. The two women wrestled, the wine jars shattered, and the aroma of wine mixed with the smell of blood filled the air.

The courtyard was in complete chaos.

Those who had grudges against each other seized the opportunity to take revenge, unleashing years of pent-up resentment in the apocalyptic chaos.

"Stop! The army is besieging the city. We should unite against them and defend Yang County!" An elder of the clan shouted hoarsely, leaning on his cane.

His voice was drowned out by the cacophony of looting, and almost no one paid him any attention.

Someone sneered: "External forces? What can we use to fight external forces? All the loyalists have already fled, and the main army has gone to Xiang County. There isn't even a decent martial artist here!"

"If the Wei and Su families storm in, we'll all die! We need to take care of ourselves first, grab whatever we can!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last shred of reason.

Fear ultimately triumphed over the so-called greater good of the family.

In the final moments before the ship capsized, everyone just wanted to grab as many spiritual plants as possible, steal as many valuable items as possible, and then flee for their lives without looking back.

Even if it means stepping on one's relatives, even if it means overthrowing one's elders, one is willing to do it.

When the courtyard gate was smashed open a crack, the cries, curses, and sounds of fighting inside mingled together, much like the final lament of this century-old family.

Just as the chaos reached its peak, the city gates of Qing County were finally opened completely.

The defending troops had long lost their will to fight, and with their morale collapsing, some took the lead in throwing down their weapons, and the others followed suit.

The armies of Wei, Gao, and Su marched straight in and took over the city without bloodshed.

There was no fierce street fighting, no tenacious resistance, only a group of defeated soldiers abandoning their armor and weapons, and the city in ruins.

Without pausing for a moment, the three armies immediately dispatched a group of elite troops straight to the Wang family compound.

When the gate was smashed open, the Wang family members inside, who were still fighting bloody battles over a few boxes of treasure, were surrounded by ravenous soldiers before they could even react and were all captured.

Wei Yuan, the three leaders of the Gao family and the Su family walked into the Wang family compound side by side.

Looking around, the courtyard was a complete mess.

Overturned chests and cabinets, scattered spiritual plants, dried bloodstains, and messy footprints on the ground. The once neat and solemn courtyard now resembled a ransacked ruin.

Looking at this scene, Wei Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This behemoth that had weighed on his family for a century collapsed just like that.

He recalled that not long ago, he had taken the initiative to befriend the Lin family in order to jointly resist the pressure from the Wang family.

But who could have imagined that in just a few days, the situation would change drastically, and the Wang family would end up like this?

The former prosperity of the Wang family seems to still linger before our eyes: the carriages and horses of the grand mansion, the lights during festivals, and the hustle and bustle of the caravans.

In the blink of an eye, all that remained was a scene of utter devastation and the panicked, defeated survivors trapped in cages.

Looking at the Wang family members before them, arguing heatedly and even killing each other over a few valuables, Wei Yuan, the head of the Gao family, and the head of the Su family all made the same decision in their hearts.

After returning home, we must vigorously rectify our family's rules and customs.

If things continue like this, a real disaster will befall us, and our family might not be much better off than the Wang family.

Seeing the ugly behavior of these people is truly disheartening.

At this moment, several soldiers escorted a trembling middle-aged man forward.

Although the man had his head down and his hands were trembling, his features and demeanor still exuded a certain air of authority.

"Reporting to Your Excellency," the soldier clasped his hands in greeting, "According to the prisoners, he is a steward of a collateral branch of the Wang family, and among the captured members of the Wang family, he holds a relatively high position."

Wei Yuan looked at the man and asked, "Where is the Wang family's lair located?"

The middle-aged man swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "The lair was always behind the ancestral hall. We went to check it before, but it's gone now."

Wei Yuan frowned and immediately led Lords Gao and Su, along with their personal guards, to the ancestral hall.

In the backyard of the ancestral hall, you can see that there used to be a nest here, but it is no longer there. Moreover, there is no unique smell of a nest that has been destroyed, so it must have been moved.

Through further questioning, everyone learned that a group of core members of the Wang family had not appeared at the mansion for two days.

Based on the timeline, they must have quietly withdrawn before launching their attack on the Lin family.

Just as everyone was filled with doubts, the sound of wind breaking came from the sky.

Several enormous flying soldiers slowly descended, and Lin Ye, Chen Cheng, and the Qingyuan Sword Sect members descended from the sky.

Lin Ye dismounted and quickly stepped forward to explain the situation of the Battle of Xiang County to Wei Yuan and the others.

The Lin family defended their stronghold, and the head of the Wang family committed suicide. With the support of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, they finally defeated the Wang family's army.

Lin Ye also introduced the Supreme Elder Liang Feiyu and the four elders to everyone.

When they heard the names of Liang Feiyu, the Supreme Elder of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, and the four first-class elders, Wei Yuan, the Gao family head, and the Su family head all felt a chill run down their spines.

The Qingyuan Sword Sect's involvement in the battle of Qingyang Prefecture is definitely not good news. It's as if they've just seen off the Wang family, and now another vicious tiger has arrived.

Wei Yuan then informed Lin Ye that the Wang family's lair had been lost.

Given the suicide of the Wang family patriarch and the disappearance of nearly a hundred core members, everyone has guessed that the Wang family's lair has most likely been contracted to another person, and that person is among the escaped core members of the Wang family.

In order to investigate the clues, they interrogated some members of the Wang family.

Finally, under severe torture, one of the clansmen recalled an important piece of information.

"A few days ago, a scholar in white robes suddenly moved into the Wang family's residence and stayed in the back garden. I once saw from afar that the head of the family treated him with utmost respect, not even daring to sit at the same level as him."

The white-robed scholar, the respectful head of the family, the relocation of the hideout, and the collusion with the Northern Xiongnu—all the clues connected, and the expressions on everyone's faces grew increasingly solemn.

The Wang family's sudden allegiance to the Northern Xiongnu could not have been voluntary. There are many precedents of Wang family members dying in bloody battles against the Northern Xiongnu, so how could they genuinely submit?

The only explanation is that the Wang family was merely a pawn pushed out by someone else. And the one wielding the pawn was definitely not the Northern Xiongnu.

The Northern Xiongnu must never allow the royal family to so willingly risk their lives.

There must be another powerful force behind them, much larger than the Wang family.