Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains-Chapter 488 - 233, The World Trembles
"You first go to Long Guan County and pass on the Holy Army Code to Yucheng. After that, teach it to Third Sister and the Fourth Elder. Then select a portion of loyal Warriors of the Tenth Level of Body Opening from our clan and personally instruct them. Begin to secretly train them, and remember, you must choose reliable Sect Members. It’s better not to train them at all than to risk any leak of this information!"
After reciting the updated Chiyang Holy Army Code to Old Fifth without omitting a single word, Hou Yuxiao gave him another solemn instruction.
Though Hou Yuduan was excited, he knew the matter was of great importance. After slightly adjusting his emotions, he nodded emphatically to him.
The innocent man is not guilty, but possessing a jade makes him so.
In all of The World, there are only ten Holy Army Codes, and the one Hou Yuxiao brought out was the eleventh. If outsiders were to learn of this, their family would immediately become the target of all arrows. With the current strength of the Hou Clan, any leakage of this information would be nothing short of a disaster, leaving no room for even a slight error.
After the two finished discussing, Hou Yuduan also prepared to take his leave and head to Long Guan to find Hou Yucheng. Just as he was about to part, he seemed to remember something important, his expression speculative as he spoke to Hou Yuxiao:
"Right, big brother, I estimate there will soon be news from the north!"
"What do you mean?"
"Since the end of last year, there have been many refugees fleeing from the north along the Tongtian River, among them quite a few Martial Artists with families in tow. I have inquired a bit, and they have all run away from the Zhongzhou Lincang Path. The war there started last year. Counting the days, it’s just about time, and lately, I’ve noticed that the number of refugees coming from that area has been doubling!"
Hearing Hou Yuduan’s last words, Hou Yuxiao’s pupils immediately constricted.
Lincang Path is to the north of Yunlan Ancient River, the warfare between Great Jin and Zhongzhou is bound to affect the civilians and even some martial factions. The fact that refugees are increasing by multiples means that the war there is becoming increasingly brutal.
When Holy Lands fight, the most gruesome moments often signify the approach of the end!
A sense of urgency suddenly arose in Hou Yuxiao’s heart. After a brief moment of contemplation, he quickly raised his head and said, "After you return to Wanyang County, make sure to keep an eye on news from Zhongzhou. The moment there is any disturbance, send someone to notify me immediately. I estimate that figures like Zhan Taiqing from the high echelons of Sacred Lands must know more than we do. If it’s as you said, and the warfare in Zhongzhou is nearing its end, then the conflict here in Hedong should erupt very soon. Prepare the clan swiftly to be ready to respond at any moment. I will continue to stay here with the Second Elder. Zhan Taiqing surely won’t let us leave before Hedong settles down. We’ll see how it all ends here."
How it ends will still depend on the situation in Zhongzhou!
After sending Hou Yuduan off with a heavy heart, Hou Yuxiao returned to his tent and pondered for a long time. By his calculations, the current combat power of the Hou Clan just about reached the threshold of a First-Class power. If the family were given one to two more years to cultivate an army of approximately ten thousand using the Holy Army Code, they would have a firm standing among the First-Class forces. Even against major forces like the Xiong Yun Gang of Xingnan Prefecture, the Hou Clan would be able to hold their own.
The achievements of the Hou Clan, if placed in any other power, would be more than enough to be proud of. However, for the Hou Clan, or rather the five siblings with Hou Yuxiao as the eldest, it was far from sufficient. To remain firm in the forthcoming chaos, the Hou Clan must possess the strength of at least Earth Level and even Heavenly Level major powers.
"The standard for an Earth Level major power is to have combat strength in the Yin Yang Holy Realm, with Sect Member numbers exceeding two hundred thousand. A Heavenly Level major power, on the other hand, must have Grandmaster level Warriors capable of breaking through ordinary bounds, with Sect Member numbers exceeding five hundred thousand, and a hundred thousand soldiers trained in the heavenly army code to resist those in the Great Power Realm. Hou Clan is still tens of thousands of miles away from reaching these requirements!"
A sense of urgency flashed in Hou Yuxiao’s eyes. Having been restricted from moving freely in Hedong for half a year, he wasn’t worried about the clan with Old Fifth and the others there. But to continue idling without being able to do anything was torture for him.
Zhan Taiqing told him to serve as a military advisor for Zhang Zhenwei’s army, but the sole purpose of those hundred thousand Brahman World Purifying Army coming to the Prefectural City was to contain the hundred thousand Monastic Soldiers from Leiyin Temple. They didn’t really need him, and Zhang Zhenwei never took him seriously. It was only later that Hou Yuxiao realized he had been played by Zhan Taiqing.
At first, he thought Zhan Taiqing truly appreciated his strategic insight, which was why she granted him this duty. However, from the battle at Guanlong Pass, the woman’s displayed strategic capability was clearly no less than his own, and there was no need to use him for such planning. Reflecting on it now, Zhan Taiqing either deliberately played with him or had other purposes for keeping him away. Considering Zhang Zhenwei’s subtle hints and intimidation over the past half-year, it was obviously the latter.
In name, he was meant to serve as a military advisor, but in reality, it was to allow Zhang Zhenwei to watch him while also deterring him, ensuring he obediently served the Holy Church.
"Old Devout Woman, one day I’ll make you pay back everything!"
After coming to terms with her intentions, he bore a grudge against her. Zhan Taiqing always wore a white dress, topped with a Vairocana Hat—’Old Devout Woman’ was a nickname he coined to vent his frustration.
Of course, he could only vent when alone. He dared not address her as such to her face.
"The Monastic Soldiers in the Prefectural City remain behind closed doors. Ever since I killed Ding Buhai, the Grandmasters from Leiyin Temple flee like rabbits at the sight of me. Over half a year, my Cultivation still stagnates at Master Third Realm. The pace is too slow if I depend solely on my own cultivation. I must find a chance to leave this place, even if just to go to Long Guan, the opportunities would be greater than here!"
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