Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

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"Head Escort Lu, are you troubled by something?"

At the entrance of the Ling Cheng Escort Agency, Chief Escort Tong Long noticed that Lu Gui's brows were furrowed and immediately asked with a concerned expression.

The Escort Agency had taken a big cross-county escort job that day, requiring him as Chief Escort to personally lead the team, which was why he had called together three of the agency's most experienced escort leaders to discuss the route at the tavern first.

Lu Gui was a veteran at the Ling Cheng Escort Agency, having loyally served for over twenty years and being one of the few experienced escort leaders as well as one of the mere seven warriors capable of the Ten Layers of Body Opening at the agency. Tong Yun naturally cared about his welfare.

Before Lu Gui could respond, another escort leader standing nearby who had a good relationship with Lu Gui, Zhang Nanhe answered on his behalf, "Brother Lu is worried about the Hou Family, isn't he?"

Only then did Tong Long recall the incident a few days prior when Lu Gui had hit someone from the Hou Family. Frowning, he said to Lu Gui, "Head Escort Lu, there's no need to take it to heart. The Hou Clan's rise to fame is true, but in the end, they're just a small family that has recently moved up to second-rate. Our Ling Cheng Escort Agency has been established in the prefectural city for many years, why should we fear them?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Gui's expression improved slightly, but after thinking for a moment, he still said hesitantly, "With the Family Head around, we are not afraid if they come to us, but after all, I still have to frequently carry out escorts in the future, and I also go to Zhaoyang County from time to time. Hou Yuxiao doesn't follow any rules and is ruthless and heartless. If he really makes a move himself, I'm worried that..."

Including Tong Long, when hearing about Hou Yuxiao's disregard for rules and ruthless behavior, everyone naturally pictured the scene in their minds of Hou Yuxiao killing Cheng Yue at the Shengxin Residence, and an unnaturally uneasy look appeared on their faces.

After all, Hou Yuxiao had killed Cheng Yue right in front of Ding Dian. The Family Head Tong Yun was formidable, but could he really be more formidable than Ding Dian? In an instant, the three men's understanding of Lu Gui's fear deepened.

"How about this, I'll go back and speak to my elder brother. From now on, any route that goes through Zhaoyang County, we won't let you take it. That should ensure nothing happens."

Lu Gui immediately bowed excitedly to Tong Long with gratitude, "That would be perfect. Lu Gui thanks Chief Escort a lot!"

"Brother Lu, take it easy. Hou Yuxiao has already left with his people yesterday. As long as you don't go to Zhaoyang, no matter how strong the Hou Clan is, they can't do anything to you."

With Zhang Nanhe and Tong Long saying this, Lu Gui felt much better, his brow gradually relaxed, and he followed the three men to the tavern.

Around the corner, Gao Cheng was hiding his presence, waiting until he could no longer see the backs of Lu Gui and his group before he started to relax. At that moment, Gao Wenwen came up to him.

"I found out. Lu Gui's home is over three hundred meters from the Escort Agency. When he is not on escort duty, he usually stays there at night."

Gao Cheng's eyes lit up at this news. Assassination was all about striking from the shadows, catching the target off guard.

If Lu Gui were living in the Escort Agency, they would find it difficult to find an opportunity to act, but if he were staying at home, that would be much easier to manage.

"Dad, should we wait a while before we make our move?"

"You're afraid that the Ling Cheng Escort Agency will suspect our family."

Gao Wenwen nodded and said, "Didn't the Family Head say that we should sever all ties with the Qinglong Association? It's only been a few days since Lu Gui beat up Head Escort Wang, and if he's killed so soon thereafter, they will definitely suspect our family."

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Gao Cheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Although this assassination is indeed meant as revenge for Wang Gong, what's more important is to publicize the Qinglong Token. Whether they suspect us or not isn't much of a concern.

Even if they become suspicious, as the Qinglong Association's notoriety grows, they won't associate it with the family.

Moreover, even if they suspect it was the family's doing, what could they possibly do about it?"

Upon hearing this last sentence, Gao Wenwen's face revealed a touch of realization, and she nodded in agreement.

The death of one person is not a big deal, and with the Qinglong Association backing them up, at most, Ling Cheng Escort Agency would suspect that the Hou Clan had hired someone to commit the murder. But as Gao Cheng pointed out, even if the Hou Clan is confirmed to have paid for the murder, what could they do.

After all, Ling Cheng Escort Agency is merely a third-rate force, and they are on equal footing with the Hou Family now. Given the tension between the two due to their different affiliations, hiring someone to commit murder is not out of the ordinary. Surely they wouldn't dare to trouble the family in Zhaoyang.

And to retreat a step further, if it really came to a fight, it's still uncertain who would win and who would lose!

The two of them discussed the details further, and after concluding, Gao Wenwen led the way, taking her father to find Lu Gui's residence. Reaching the corner of the yard, they took advantage of a moment when no one was around to sneak into Lu Gui's home.

At night, Lu Gui returned home, reeking of alcohol. His body trembled, and the sleepiness in his eyes instantly became lucid.

After all, he was a Warrior of the Tenth Level of Body Opening, and ordinary alcohol could not get him drunk.

Ever since Hou Yuxiao's fame skyrocketed, he had not had many good nights of sleep for several consecutive days. The words of Tong Long today were like a Steady Heart pill for him, and in his improved mood, he couldn't help but drink a few extra cups.

The moment he returned to his room, Lu Gui glanced at the soil beside his bed plank and immediately furrowed his brows. Then his pupils constricted slightly, and he slowly drew the sword at his waist without making a sound, carefully advancing toward the direction of the bed plank.

Living alone, there was no chance for someone else to enter his room. Although the traces of soil beside the bed plank were faint, his vigilance honed by years of being an escort far exceeded that of ordinary people, allowing him to catch sight of them at a glance.

When he was less than three meters away from the bed plank, confident he could strike a lethal blow, a fierce light flashed in Lu Gui's pupils as he swelled with vigor. His sword suddenly chopped down...

With the force of the Nine Tigers from the tenth level of body opening bursting forth in an instant, the bed plank split apart, stirring up dust. At the same time, the sensation of the blade cutting through flesh transmitted to his hand, Lu Gui knew that he had struck true, and a sinister smile spread across his face.

However, as the dust cleared and he saw that under the bed plank, there was not a person but a piece of flesh the size of an adult, Lu Gui's expression tightened. Then his back hairs stood on end, and he lunged forward.

Taking advantage of this gap, Lu Gui abruptly turned his head just in time to see two extreme flashes of light rapidly falling from the roof beam, which caught his eyes. Only then did he realize that the marks on the bed plank were deliberately left for him to see, the real purpose being to draw his attention away from the roof beam.

He sensed two presences, one with the cultivation of the Open Body Ten Layers Peak, no weaker than himself, and the other, of only the eightfold rank. Lu Gui's mind flashed, and he immediately made the best choice, attempting to escape towards the direction of the eightfold martial artist.

However, they were too fast.

Both black-clad figures were too fast.

They had the high ground, and with the element of surprise on their side, the cold glint of the daggers was like two falling meteors streaking past Lu Gui's pupils.

A stream of blood spurted from his throat, and the intense pain caused Lu Gui's pupils to shrink in terror. As a feeling of weakness surged toward his brain, his pupils began to scatter, until eventually, he collapsed without a trace of life....

With a clang,

Two men in black, with icy expressions, tossed something onto Lu Gui's body. After exchanging a glance, they turned and walked out of the room, leaping out of the courtyard toward the Marquis's mansion in the northeastern corner of the prefectural city.

The next day, in the main hall of Ling Cheng Escort Agency.

Lu Gui's body lay peacefully in the center, with the head of the agency, Tong Yun, second head Tong Long, Zhang Nanhe — who had gone out for drinks with Lu Gui the day before — along with seven or eight senior members, all sitting around looking somber.

"After drinking with me last night, Head Escort Lu went back alone, no one else. When I saw he hadn't shown up this morning, I asked Head Escort Zhang to go to his house to call him, but who would've thought... when Zhang got there, all he found was Lu Gui's body lying beside the bed, and a broken token next to him like the one in Big Brother's hand!"

Tong Long spoke with a tone of frustration and anger. Lu Gui was a veteran of the Ling Cheng Escort Agency with extensive experience, and his inexplicable death at home was a significant loss to the agency.

"Big Brother, there's no need to think about it, it's surely the work of the Hou Clan. We must settle scores with them; otherwise, how can the escort agency keep its footing in this county?"

Tong Yun shook his head, his eyes clouded with a touch of gloom: "If you can think of it, do you think others can't? Lu Gui's fight with Wang Gong isn't exactly a secret around here. If it was the Hou family's doing, that's still manageable. But if it wasn't the Hou family and someone else is deliberately stirring things up, rushing to trouble the Hous would be falling right into their trap!"

At these words, everyone suddenly nodded thoughtfully.

"First, take a look at this token."

Tong Yun spoke softly, passing the broken token in his hand to Tong Long, who then circulated it for everyone to look at for a while.

"The material is Seven-color Tree Core, is it an assassination?"

"The Azure Dragon Token... I don't seem to have heard of such an assassination organization. Could it be a diversion, intentional confusion?"

"Those who do assassinations in Xingnan Prefecture are the Zhu Family of Jinling County and the Silver Blade Society of the prefectural city. Who would go so far as to hire someone to kill Lu Gui..."

......

The Seven-color Tree Core is a kind of herbal plant that can't be used as a medicine and has certain toxicity. Due to its irreparable nature, it is generally used as proof by assassination organizations.

Therefore, in the martial world, the sight of something made from the Seven-color Tree Core material would naturally suggest an assassination organization.

Thus, upon seeing this token, numerous speculations arose among the crowd.

"Hold your horses. Tong Long, you first take some men to investigate around the county to see where this Azure Dragon Token has appeared. If we can determine who did this, I will take you all to seek justice. Head Escort Lu's death will not be in vain!"

Tong Long stepped forward to bow: "Tong Long obeys!"

On hearing this, the expressions of the crowd finally improved somewhat, as they all went back to await news.

......

On the official road due east of Tongling County.

The Hou Clan party of more than thirty people was less than ten miles from Zhaoyang County. The closer to home they got, the more everyone slightly quickened their pace.

This outing had taken almost twenty days in total, neither long nor short. Homesickness should not be a concern yet.

In the carriage, Hou Yuling felt the speeding up and lifted the curtain to look out. Seeing the excited expressions on the faces of the thirty or so people, she gently lowered the curtain and turned back, covering her mouth with a smile as she looked at Hou Yuxiao in front of her.

"The news of the Hou Clan's fame in the county must have spread by now. They can't wait to return to Zhaoyang to show off!"

Bai Yujie, sitting beside her, also chuckled: "Twenty days ago, the Hou Clan of Zhaoyang was still obscure, but now they are famous throughout the county. After all, they are the witnesses, so it's normal for them to feel a bit excited."

Hou Yuxiao smiled, and as he spread his brows, said, "It's just like the old saying goes, 'Without returning home when wealthy and honored, it is like walking in brocade at night!'"

Just as he was about to continue speaking, Hou Yuxiao suddenly paused, and then a hint of joy appeared in his pupils. He hurriedly closed his eyes and sat in meditation.

He turned his attention inward, focusing on the Divine Lotus between his brows, and opened the Merit Gold Page, looking at his own merits and Karmic Obstacles.

Merit: 3268

Karmic Obstacle: 639

......

Seeing these two numbers, Hou Yuxiao's pupils shrank. The Karmic Obstacle was not too concerning, showing no major fluctuations, but how had his merit value risen so much?

Upgrading the Black Dragon thirteen moves to the second-rate martial art, the Sky-supporting Staff Technique, had cost him a full thousand of merit. In addition, with some Minor Rejuvenation Pills, his remaining merit of just over a thousand had nearly been used up. How could it have suddenly surged by over three thousand...

"It must be Old Fifth, it's always him stirring up something..."

With this thought flashing through his mind, Hou Yuxiao wanted to find Old Fifth urgently to inquire about the situation, and his desire to return home grew even more eager.

Fortunately, they weren't far. In less than half an hour, Zhaoyang City came into view for everyone.