Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

In Yongzhou, comprising three circuits, eight prefectures, sixty-four counties, and over two hundred districts, there are about a thousand third-tier powers. For the Hou Clan, to be counted among such groups is of little significance when viewed across the whole state, let alone the entire world. However, for the Hou Clan itself, it is a matter of utmost importance.

The promotion document and the third-tier copper seal must first be confirmed by the headquarters of the Yongdu Holy Church before they are sent to Xingnan Prefecture. Only after that can Peng Yuhu send someone to deliver them to the county, and finally, they will reach Hou Yuxiao in Zhaoyang.

The capital of Yongzhou is located in the center of the Xingye Path, over thirty thousand li from Tongling County. Even if one were to be furnished with the nine top-quality horses of Shenzhou that can travel three thousand li per day, and they journeyed day and night without stopping, the round trip would take at least twenty days, nearly a month.

During this month, Hou Yuxiao, of course, wouldn't just foolishly wait in the prefectural city. Since the promotion into the ranks had been confirmed, and all the affairs in the prefectural city had been settled, he needed to hurry back to Zhaoyang, which was truly the Hou Clan's stronghold.

Five days later, on the thirtieth of the second month of the New Yu Era 1322,

Marquis's Mansion.

Hou Yuxiao, upon his return from outside, gathered everyone from this trip to the prefectural city for the last time, including over a hundred warriors from the Upper Hou Gate, who were all waiting outside the door, quietly awaiting the Family Head's announcement of the rules and date.

Inside the great hall of the mansion, Hou Yuxiao sat at the highest seat, with people split and seated on both sides. Hou Yuling was speaking,

"I have already negotiated with more than twenty small powers from the county that have businesses in Zhaoyang. Going forward, the business in Zhaoyang County will remain unchanged. The Hou Clan will not interfere. The condition is that they pay an additional thirty percent of profits and all material transportation must be through our Zhaoyang Escort Agency.

I've calculated it, the profits from these businesses are not high, but they cover a broad scope and affect a sufficient number of people. The larger ones, such as the Tongling Chamber of Commerce and Longxing Horse Farm, provide over thirty thousand taels of silver yearly at thirty percent; smaller ones like the clothing industry earn roughly three thousand taels a year. Adding up the profits from these twenty-plus powers, the total comes to between one hundred thousand and one hundred and twenty thousand taels, which is very substantial!"

When the surrounding people heard this number, they couldn't help but inhale sharply...

Over one hundred thousand taels of silver per year, when broken down monthly, amounts to about ten thousand taels. This was not just substantial; it was a windfall. The key point was that the Hou Family had to do nothing to earn this money...

"The transportation of goods for these twenty-plus powers must be through our Zhaoyang Escort Agency. Following the old rule of taking one-tenth and adding on the transportation fee, it will amount to over thirty thousand taels per year!"

Wang Gong, who had mostly recovered, chimed in with a hint of excitement in his expression. The name Zhaoyang Escort Agency had been given by Hou Yuling just yesterday. He had already purchased a property in the county to establish the agency. They hadn't even opened for business yet and had already secured so many fixed orders, so naturally, he, the Escort Leader, was very happy.

"In the past, we would work ourselves to the bone and still not make this much money. Now, without doing anything, we will have an income of 150,000 taels each year..."

Hearing Hou Yucheng's sigh, Hou Yuxiao smiled faintly, shaking his head and saying, "Since ancient times, fame and profit have been inseparable. The reputation and position of the Hou Clan are the very foundations of our right to take this money without qualms!"

The others, upon hearing this, nodded thoughtfully.

Hou Yuxiao didn't intend to elaborate further, pondering briefly before continuing,

"The largest businesses of our Hou Family are the iron mine and medical herbs, as well as the newly established escort business, which will require Escort Leader Wang's earnest efforts. Manpower, material resources, financial resources—whenever there's a need, you can ask the clan. The key is to expand the business!

Moreover, the assassination business of Gao Cheng, you, Gao Hu, Wang Gong, and Hou Fei, will not return with us this time. Firstly, consider it as the Hou Clan's eyes and representation in the county. Secondly, manage these two businesses well. Once there's success, come back to the clan and report to me.

Also, the Kui Sector under Hou Fei and the Si Division under Gao Hu will continue to stay in the county for your dispatch. If you encounter any difficulties, you can send them back to Zhaoyang to report any time. Should you face any insolvable troubles, you can temporarily abandon the operation for the sake of safety!"

All four were listening seriously to Hou Yuxiao's arrangements. When they heard the last part, telling them to prioritize their lives, they were visibly moved and bowed respectfully to Hou Yuxiao, saying, "We will follow the Family Head's orders diligently!"

"The Bai Clan has sold us the land surrounding this mansion. From now on, the Hou Clan's station in the county will be set here. Hou Fei, you are in charge of rebuilding this site. Next time we come to the county, we shouldn't be without a place to stay. When I leave this time, I'll leave fifty thousand taels of silver here for you to manage the affairs. If it's not enough, send someone back to Zhaoyang to inform me," Hou Yuxiao directed Hou Fei, passing the silver note into his hands.

To the side, Hou Yucheng hesitantly said, "Elder brother, Official Peng has already returned to the Prefectural City. With Hou Fei and the others staying here, and considering Ding Dian's situation..."

At the mention of Ding Dian's name, everyone looked up at Hou Yuxiao, their eyes filled with worry.

Hou Yuxiao smiled at the concern on everyone's faces and said, "Don't worry. That day, in front of everyone in the county, I made clear my relationship with the Holy Maiden. Unless Ding Dian is a fool, he won't personally take action against me for quite some time!"

Relieved by his words, everyone relaxed a bit, but Hou Yuxiao soon added in a grave tone, "Of course, that doesn't mean he won't use someone else to go against us..."

Ding Dian was still the number-one expert in Tongling County. Among the seven families and third-rate powers in Tongling County, the Qijue Gate, Lonely Moon Sect, and Ling Cheng Escort Agency were all affiliated with him. Leaving the latter two aside, the Qijue Gate alone, I believe, would be very willing to be used by Ding Dian to deal with the Hou Family.

Hou Yuxiao did not hide these matters, and after everyone came to their senses, their expressions still turned somewhat grave.

"Although Official Peng has returned to the Prefectural City, until my promotion document arrives, he will still pay some attention to Tongling County. I don't think Ding Dian will make any rash moves, so you should all still be safe for the time being. But once the promotion is over, Official Peng will probably have no concerns about this place, since under the jurisdiction of Xingnan Prefecture, there are six counties. He can't possibly watch over this area all the time..."

Hou Yuxiao paused at this point and then continued, "So, as soon as I return this time, I will immediately send someone else who can guarantee your safety while also keeping the situation under control. Even if Ding Dian sends the Qijue Gate after you, you needn't be afraid."

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately realized that the Hou Clan had not just Hou Yuxiao as a Gang Qi Realm warrior, but also Hou Yuduan and Hou Yujie, who was already at the Half-Step Gang Qi stage and could break through at any moment...

The Qijue Gate's headquarters were in Baiye County, and in the Prefectural City, they only had a temporary station. A Gang Qi Realm warrior was definitely enough to ensure safety. With this in mind, everyone finally put their worries to rest.

"If the Lonely Moon Sect and Ling Cheng Escort Agency come looking for trouble and try to bully you by using their numbers or their size against you, you can directly seek out the Bai Clan or even Ding Peng of the Great Luo Sect. I've already given them a heads up. If Ding Dian truly loses all sense of shame and personally troubles you, Lord Fan won't just sit by and do nothing. So during this time, you can rest easy!"

Hou Yuxiao sighed inwardly, as his hopes for these people were not high. For ordinary matters, if they just needed to offer a small favor through words, they should still be willing to help.

If it involved interests close to them and even required fighting, getting these people to help would mean nothing but spending money. That was precisely why he had left fifty thousand taels of silver for Hou Fei.

In the final analysis, there was a lack of reliable people. If his clan's warriors in the Gang Qi Realm were sufficient, he could easily send a few over, and without Ding Dian's interference, there would be no trouble at all in the county.

At this thought, Hou Yuxiao cast his gaze towards Hou Yucheng and Hou Yuling. The two clearly understood his meaning and, although they did not speak, their expressions gradually turned resolute.

After arranging all the matters in the county, Hou Yuxiao announced that everyone should pack up what needed to be packed and finish any unfinished business. Those staying behind should get busy with their tasks. The rest, by early the next morning, would start their journey back to Zhaoyang with him.

The next morning, aside from Hou Fei, Gao Cheng, Gao Hu, and Wang Gong, along with a total of sixty people from Kui Division and Si Division, the remaining Hou Yucheng, Hou Yuling, Bai Yujie who came from the Bai Clan, and Su Li with his thirty warriors from Geng Division, totaling thirty-four people, set off on their return journey under the leadership of Hou Yuxiao.

This time the return trip not only had fewer people, but also only one carriage was left. All things considered light and simple, the Hou entourage, under the watchful eyes of many interested parties, thus directly exited the East City Gate and stepped onto the official road back home.

.........

The next day, the second day of the third month in the New Yu Era 1322

On the outskirts of the Prefectural City to the northwest, near the Ling Cheng Escort Agency, in an ordinary tavern sat Gao Cheng and his daughter Gao Wenwen in a private room, their gazes sharp as they watched the entrance of the nearby escort agency.

"Father, that Lu Gui must have been scared. The Family Head's reputation is now soaring, and our Hou Family is at its zenith. He knows he hit one of our people and has stopped escorting valuables recently. Wanting to assassinate him is probably going to be difficult..."

Upon hearing his daughter's words, Gao Cheng shook his head slightly and whispered, "It hasn't been long, not even ten days. A killer's most valuable trait is patience and the ability to keep calm. After all, he's just a Warrior of the Tenth Level of Body Opening. I'm in the shadows while he is in the light. As long as I wait for the right opportunity, killing him is only a matter of time!"

As he spoke, Gao Cheng paused, pulling a token from his sleeve. The token had an azure "Qinglong" character in the center, with a layer of copper on its edge, feeling cool and piercing in the hand.

Looking at the token, a cold light flashed in Gao Cheng's eyes as he murmured, "This is the first mission for our Qinglong Association. If we can't handle a Warrior of the Tenth Level of Body Opening, we won't be able to talk about selling this first batch of Qinglong Tokens..."

Gao Wenwen nodded, her eyes lighting up with excitement at the sight of the Qinglong Token.

Having grown up in the Happy Forest with her father, she was very clear on the business of assassination and knew that with Hou Yuxiao's plans, combined with the backing of the Hou Clan, the Qinglong Association, once established, would certainly become an organization that would strike terror into the hearts of many.

This was why she volunteered to come with her father to operate the Qinglong Association in the county instead of returning with Hou Yuxiao.

Lu Gui was the first target of the Qinglong Association. Although assassinating a Warrior of the Tenth Level of Body Opening wouldn't make a huge impact, it was after all the first mission of the Qinglong Association, or rather the first appearance of the Qinglong Token. Doing it cleanly and neatly was certainly better.

Therefore, from early morning, the father-daughter pair had been monitoring the movements of the Ling Cheng Escort Agency, specifically, trying to track down the recent whereabouts of Lu Gui.

Unfortunately, despite watching all morning, they discovered nothing.

"He's out!"

As Gao Wenwen was growing impatient, Gao Cheng's voice, tinged with joy, suddenly made her jolt. Her gaze shifted to the door of Ling Cheng Escort Agency, where the appearance of a sturdy middle-aged man lit up her face with joy.