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

The armies of the Lin and Chen families slowly entered Lulong City amidst the sound of bugles. The city gates were already wide open, and dust filled the streets inside the city. Led by the city's defense soldiers, the army proceeded in an orderly manner to their designated encampment areas.

What came into view was a scene of broken walls and ruins.

Before the Northern Xiongnu cavalry withdrew last year, they set fire to the city, burning almost all the houses in Lulong City to the ground. Now, only charred beams and broken walls remain, swaying precariously in the autumn wind.

If the city walls had not been constructed from massive bluestone blocks, making them impregnable and able to withstand the combined onslaught of fire and battering rams, this fortress, which had resisted the Xiongnu for many years, would likely have been completely abandoned long ago.

Fortunately, the imperial court spent more than half a year repairing the main body of the city wall, filling the gaps between the stones with molten iron, and rebuilding the battlements and arrow towers.

However, the heavy machinery on the city walls, such as catapults and repeating crossbows, has not yet been fully deployed due to a shortage of timber and mechanical parts, and must be temporarily shelved.

As for the residential houses and barracks within the city, the repair work was put on hold later.

Currently, only a few key courtyards have been renovated for the residence of lords and officers of the rank of lieutenant general and above, while ordinary soldiers can only set up tents in open areas within the city to keep warm.

As the autumn wind swept through, carrying sand and dust, the soldiers set up camp beneath the unfinished stone wall. Their tents stretched out in a continuous line, contrasting sharply with the distant ruins and broken walls, creating a particularly desolate scene.

With the assistance of Lin Qiang and Zhang Yuan, the army quickly set up camp. Tents were arranged in a row, and supplies and soldiers were put in their places, creating a neat and orderly military appearance.

After settling in, Lin Ye led Liu Yun, Lin Hu, and others to the garrison general's mansion in Lulong Prefecture to meet the commander-in-chief.

He was received by the garrison general, General Zhenwei, Nangong Wan, who also came from the illustrious Nangong family and had been transferred to Beiyuan along with the newly appointed General Zhenbei, Nangong Ao.

Nangong Wan was about forty years old, with a tall and robust build and a rugged face.

At that moment, he was discussing defense matters with several advisors in the hall. When he saw Lin Ye arrive, he simply raised his hand slightly to signal him and then had his personal guards lead him to a seat.

The conversation between the two was very brief, consisting of nothing more than platitudes like "obeying military orders" and "defending the city." Nangong Wan's tone was indifferent, one could even say she had little interest.

After all, Lin Ye was just a minor lord who was granted control of two counties, and he was far inferior to the Nangong family, who controlled an entire prefecture.

His four thousand soldiers were but a speck of dust among the two hundred thousand defenders of Lulong City.

Moreover, there are more than twenty lord-led armies in the city alone, and a force like the Lin family is hardly worth the attention of this superior.

The only thing that made Nangong Wan take a second look was Lin Ye's age.

In his early twenties, he was already the ruler of two counties and could personally lead troops to the front lines. Such courage and experience were rare in the military.

He casually praised him as "young and promising," and then said nothing more.

Lin Ye has lived in this world for more than three years. Through the trials of the Thunder Swamp and the affairs of the lord, his ability to read people has become second nature.

He keenly sensed that the general from the Nangong family had little interest in him, so he said no more, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then got up to take his leave.

Accompanied by a civil official, Lin Ye was taken to demarcate the defense zone.

As Lin Ye walked out of the general's mansion, he shook his head slightly and sighed inwardly.

"I originally thought that as a lord, I would be valued on the battlefield and able to make a name for myself. Now it seems that I am just a nobody after all. If I want to stand out, I still have to keep working hard."

Still harboring resentment from being snubbed at the General's Mansion, Lin Ye rode his Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard, leading Liu Yun and the others, and slowly strolled around Lulong City, following behind the officers of the General's Mansion.

The main purpose of this trip is to familiarize myself with the city's defense layout, so that I won't be lost when I need to provide reinforcements across districts in the future, which would be a huge embarrassment.

Along the way, passing soldiers who saw the group from afar would instinctively move to the side of the road.

Leading the group was the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard with bloodshot eyes, followed by several others riding Cracked-Claw Wolf Kings, their ferocious appearances clearly indicating they were not to be trifled with.

As we were walking, cheers suddenly came from ahead, the sound growing louder and louder.

"What's ahead?" Lin Ye asked, looking up.

The official leading the way pointed ahead, "That's the Great Parade Ground. There are four parade grounds in Lulong City, this is the East Parade Ground."

The armies of various lords will gather here for training and practice coordination. The lord has just entered the city, and tomorrow, according to military orders, he must also bring his troops here for drills.

Lin Ye nodded, activated the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard, and led everyone into the training ground.

In the center of the training ground, two martial artists were engaged in fierce combat, their fists and kicks flashing, drawing cheers from the onlookers.

"Several lords' armies usually gather in the training ground, and the soldiers' skill levels are not apparent during regular training."

"So martial artists would spar with each other, just for fun, and also to establish their authority," the guiding official casually explained.

At this point, the competition in the arena was nearing its end.

It appeared to be a contest between two second-rate martial artists. The winner delivered a powerful blow, knocking his opponent to the ground. He then stood with his hands on his hips, chest puffed out, and arrogantly accepted the cheers of the crowd.

"I wonder if Your Excellency would be interested in sending some men to fight a couple of battles? Newly arrived troops usually participate in one or two battles to make a name for themselves and avoid being looked down upon, so as to reduce misunderstandings in the future."

"After all, with two hundred thousand troops crammed together, collisions are inevitable." The official leading the way suddenly spoke, his tone seemingly casual, but his words carried a deeper meaning.

This was actually at the behest of General Nangong Wan, who was in charge of the garrison.

Although he didn't care much about Lin Ye, the minor lord of two counties, the fact that Lin Ye rode the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard and led the Cracked-Claw Wolf King made it impossible for him to figure out his true strength, so he wanted to use the martial arts competition to find out his true strength.

Lin Ye looked at Liu Yun, who understood and nodded, then whispered, "There is indeed such a case. When we first arrived in Yulin Prefecture last year, Captain Chen Hai participated in the competition and won twice."

Liu Yun's face darkened, and he sighed, "The scene of Brother Chen Hai's two consecutive victories is still vivid in my mind, but I never expected that he would die in the battle of Zhenbei City."

"Master, let me go!" Liu Yun clasped his hands in a gesture of request.

Lin Ye waved his hand, then squeezed the tiger's belly. The Crimson-Eyed Tiger Guard let out a low growl and carried him straight to the center of the training ground.

He knew very well that the official's suggestion was both a routine matter and a test.

Having just suffered a cold reception at the General's Mansion, and looking for a place to vent his anger, this is the perfect opportunity.

He wanted to take action himself and silence those who looked down on him with his strength.

After all, he came here with the aim of making a great contribution and gaining experience.

If you can't even save face, how will you gain a foothold in the military in the future?

Only by demonstrating formidable power and earning the respect of the Nangong family and the generals of the entire Lulong Prefecture can one be entrusted with important responsibilities.

Only by gaining enough military merits, along with his contracted second-rate lair, the Fiery Lion, can he be granted the fiefdom of three counties by the imperial court.