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

Unbeknownst to them, a year had passed since Lin Ye contracted the gargoyle's lair and obtained the fiefdom of Qinghe County.

A few days ago, news came from Qinghe County that the stone gargoyle's lair had begun to breed Taoist soldiers, urging Lin Ye to hurry up and collect them.

After all, only the contractor can touch the Dao Soldier Eggs bred in the nest; even if someone else is guarding the nest, they cannot get them.

Lin Ye did not rush to set off, but waited for a while until two Dao soldiers were steadily gestating in the nest before setting off for Qinghe.

The Lin Family Mansion in Qinghe County was built by Lin Qiang and Lin Jing after they moved in, and it was mainly for the Lin clan members of Qinghe to live in.

The gargoyle's lair was placed in a stone cave on the back mountain of the house.

Lin Ye stepped into the cave, where jagged rocks stood like knife edges all around, and the air was filled with the damp, earthy smell.

The nest is suspended in the center, with two gray-black Taoist soldier eggs floating quietly, their surfaces shimmering with faint stone patterns.

He reached out and summoned two Dao Soldier Eggs, which landed steadily in his palm.

As soon as they stepped out of the cave, Lin Qiang, Lin Jing, and the others who were waiting in front of the door immediately came to greet them.

Upon seeing the two eggs in Lin Ye's hand, everyone cheered. Qinghe County had finally produced another Dao Soldier!

Lin Ye publicly cut his fingertip and dripped the blood onto a Taoist soldier egg.

In an instant, the eggshell glowed with a white light, cracks spread like a spider web, and then it shattered with a crack.

A cloud of gray mist surged out and quickly condensed into a small gargoyle. It grew rapidly with the wind and transformed into a Taoist soldier nearly a meter tall in the blink of an eye.

With its sharp snout and fangs, and its ferocious face, it resembled a vengeful ghost crawling out of the underworld.

It has no arms, but instead has a pair of large, thin wings like a bat, thick legs, and three hooked toes, born to grab and strike.

Except for its thin wings, its entire body is made of hard stone, exuding a heavy, menacing aura.

With a gentle flap of its wings, the gargoyle hovered in front of Lin Ye, stone chips falling in a flurry.

At Lin Ye's command, it slowly flew upwards at a moderate speed.

It gradually flew higher, its figure shrinking into a tiny dot, and finally disappeared from everyone's sight. It flew high enough that the arrows on the ground could not reach it at all.

Lin Qiang, a second-rate martial artist, strode into the arena, stood still, gripped his broadsword tightly, and looked calm and composed.

At Lin Ye's command, the gargoyle swooped down from the sky like a falling boulder, creating a whistling sound.

In the blink of an eye, it was already close to Lin Qiang's head, its speed was terrifying.

Lin Qiang reacted extremely quickly, suddenly raising his head, raising his broadsword high, and forcefully blocking the attack with the blade pointing upwards.

"Thump!"

With a dull thud, Lin Qiang's arm sank slightly, managing to withstand the gargoyle's claws.

The stone claws clashed with the steel blade, sparking a dazzling burst of sparks.

After blocking the attack, Lin Qiang did not hesitate to use his lightness skill, his body as swift as a swallow, using the recoil to leap backward.

Before the gargoyle could rise again, he slashed diagonally, striking it squarely on the back.

Lin Qiang had already withdrawn his strength with this strike, but the internal energy of a second-rate martial artist was still poured into it, making it powerful and heavy, almost splitting a deep gash in the stone body of the gargoyle.

He sheathed his sword and stood there. "His combat strength is not bad. If he were to attack from the air, a third-rate martial artist could be seriously injured if he wasn't careful."

Its defense is also quite strong, stronger than a typical third-rate flying soldier. However, its speed is average, and its attack trajectory is easily predictable, making it easy to dodge.

Before he finished speaking, the gargoyle, under Lin Ye's command, flew to a flat boulder to the side, slowly folded its wings, and gradually solidified its body, eventually transforming into a lifelike stone statue that almost blended into the surrounding rocks.

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the stone statue.

Not long after, the stone statue trembled slightly, stretched its limbs again, spread its wings, and flew back to the crowd.

Everyone was stunned when they saw this.

The knife mark that had almost split it in two had completely disappeared, and the stone surface was as smooth as ever, showing no signs of damage.

Seeing everyone's shocked expressions, Lin Ye laughed and said, "This is the gargoyle's stone statue form. In this state, it is less likely to be discovered, and it can also absorb surrounding rocks to repair itself and heal its injuries."

As everyone gazed at the gargoyle that had just healed itself and was now hovering in the air again, they couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

Dao soldiers are rare for two reasons: firstly, their nests are scarce, and secondly, their gestation period is long. Even if a third-rate Dao soldier is born, it will take at least a month.

Secondly, Dao soldiers are often lost in battle. A martial artist might painstakingly contract a Dao soldier, only to have it destroyed in a single fierce battle.

However, with this petrified form, gargoyles, under certain conditions, are essentially immortal.

The existence of gargoyles is not only a combat force, but also a nearly sustainable strategic resource. They can fight, repair, and hide, which is extremely rare among Taoist soldiers.

Lin Ye smiled and handed another Dao Soldier Egg to Lin Jing.

Lin Jing was taken aback, then his eyes lit up with barely suppressed joy. He took the Dao Soldier Egg and, just like before, dripped a blood contract on it.

The eggshell shattered, gray mist surged out, and another gargoyle hatched, growing larger as it was exposed to the wind. Its wings spread out, and it circled and soared over Qinghe County.

As night deepened, the lights of the Lin family mansion in Qinghe cast a warm glow in the courtyard.

As soon as the celebratory banquet ended, Lin Ye invited Lin Qiang, Lin Jing, Lin Hu, and Liu Yun to a small room.

Only one oil lamp was lit in the room, its flickering light casting shadows on the faces of the people inside and out.

Lin Ye sat upright in the main seat, his expression more solemn than usual.

"The family is now on the right track, and the strength of the two counties is slowly recovering and increasing. But we cannot be satisfied with just the two counties."

His gaze swept over the four people in turn. "Lin Hu, you're already married. Liu Yun, you should also settle down and start a family in a few years."

If the opportunity arises, I will allow you to manage your own territory, just like Uncle Lin Qiang did.

Lin Hu and Liu Yun were shocked. Being sent out to manage a region meant truly being able to take charge independently.

Lin Ye continued, "To achieve this, we need more nests. Therefore, I plan to form a search team to find new nests for the family."

Although the chances are slim, we must not give up as long as there is even a glimmer of hope.

Lin Qiang and the others exchanged glances, each understanding the situation.

For the sake of their families' longevity, each lord's family had its own search teams, but most of the time, they returned empty-handed.

If nests were so easy to find, how could the Lin family have occupied two counties? The fact that most of Gongchang Prefecture remains unclaimed is the best proof of that.

Lin Ye seemed to see through their thoughts and said in a deep voice, "Our strength is still weak, and we cannot rashly venture into the remote wilderness. Those places are sparsely populated and extremely dangerous. The search team's activity area will be limited to Gongchang Prefecture for now."

"Some places in Gongchang Prefecture have been abandoned for a long time, and the gargoyle's lair was born here. If one can appear, there may be a second one."

When the four first heard the words "search team," they thought they were going to venture deep into the northern border regions, into a desolate area thousands of miles away, and they felt uneasy.

Unexpectedly, Lin Ye actually wanted to search for Gongchang Prefecture.

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Lin Ye said, "Our strength is limited after all. Going to the wasteland right now is beyond our capabilities. Why don't we search around Gongchang Prefecture first, gain experience, and deepen our understanding of the prefecture?"

"Besides, now that I've found a nest in Qinghe County, who can say that another nest won't be born in Gongchang Prefecture?"

Lin Ye knew they had doubts about searching for a nest in Gongchang Prefecture, but he couldn't tell them the information he had received from the Northern Xiongnu that there might be a second-rate nest in Gongchang Prefecture. He could only say this.

Lin Ye stood up, walked to the map hanging in the room, and traced his finger across the abandoned area of ​​Gongchang Prefecture.

"The search team will be led by you. I will give you contracts for any gargoyles that are born in the future, so that you can keep watch from high altitudes and see further."

He paused, then added, "But be careful not to let the gargoyles fly too far, or they'll easily get out of control."

Moreover, there are quite a few aerial monsters outside. Although gargoyles can fight, they would be at risk if attacked by a large group.