Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains-Chapter 511 - 241. The Remaining Prestige of the Divine Dynasty

Last year during the Rakshasa Festival, after the disturbance in Tongling had ceased, Zhan Taiqing requested the Hou Clan send aid to continue the assault on Xuzhou. At that time, Zhan Taiqing was the one in need of him, so Hou Yuxiao just waited calmly for her to offer the Hou Clan a good deal, yet Zhan Taiqing responded with a slap to his face.

This time, he merely didn’t visit her first upon arriving at Huilong Pass, and this woman, without saying a word, gave him another slap-- the second one now!

Though the expression on Hou Yuxiao’s face was one of sincere fright at this moment, his heart was filled with coldness.

This woman, she really doesn’t take him seriously at all!

Since the Hou Clan was part of the Demon Path, Hou Yuxiao’s heart truly adhered to the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest. From the earliest Zhaoyang Disturbance, through Tongling, Wanyang County, and a series of events in Hexi, it wasn’t the first or second time he had bowed his head.

Not to mention the distant past, he had just returned from Yunmeng County, where in front of Wuwei King and Moxuzi, he was as insignificant as an ant. In encountering the powerful, this was the only choice for him and the Hou Clan. There was no other way.

But summing up the previous instances of submission, they were all to people whose strength was overwhelming and who had conflicts of interest with him. However, Zhan Taiqing was different. No matter what, he was a member of the Rakshasa Holy Sect. In Zhaoyang, Tongling, Wanyang, he had sincerely established quite a few merits for the Holy Church regardless of his motives. The gains of the Rakshasa Holy Sect from these events were tangible.

Yet Zhan Taiqing still seemed to look down on him.

He was always cautious around Zhan Taiqing, and he had an inkling as to why. Originally, he thought, with Sikong Yue acting as a connection, Zhan Taiqing would surely not kill him, but that time Peony delivered a message, he realized that Zhan Taiqing’s wariness most likely stemmed from Sikong Yue’s machinations.

Sikong Yue wasn’t protecting him, but rather, she was in cahoots with Zhan Taiqing to set him up!

After coming to terms with this, Hou Yuxiao’s attitude towards Zhan Taiqing changed. From the previous maneuvering, he became utterly obedient, and this was the reason he complied when Zhan Taiqing ordered him to follow Zhang Zhenwei to the Prefectural City.

The reason for such compliance, naturally, was to lessen her targeting of him.

My Hou Clan has established so many merits for the Rakshasa Holy Sect, and I, as the Family Head of the Hou Clan, am so obedient. Even if you find me displeasing to the eye, you can’t just target me, right?

Zhan Taiqing’s slap was a wake-up call for Hou Yuxiao.

If someone truly doesn’t trust you at heart, then no matter what you do, it will not change their opinion of you. Even if you were to give them your heart, they would still harbor doubts.

The fact that he visited the Great Jin Camp must have been reported to Zhan Taiqing by Second Elder and Fourth Elder. Clearly, this woman still didn’t trust him. That slap, along with her words, was both a warning and a threat. Hou Yuxiao was fully aware of what it implied.

Hiding the chill in his heart, Hou Yuxiao lifted his head, his face full of grievance, and spoke, "Master sees clearly, Crown Prince Tuoba personally extended the invitation, and how could Mr. Hou dare to refuse? Not to conceal anything from you, Master, Marquis Qingyang indeed made apparent Great Jin’s intention to recruit us, but my Hou Clan has always been utterly loyal to the Rakshasa Holy Sect. I, Mr. Hou, have nothing but utmost sincerity towards Master. How could I commit such an act of betrayal and defection? I rejected Marquis Qingyang on the spot, making it clear that, alive, I am a person of the Rakshasa Holy Sect, and in death, I’d be a ghost of the Holy Church, never to defect to Great Jin."

Hou Yuxiao’s tone was filled with righteous indignation, and his face bore a willingness to die if she didn’t believe him, as he continued, "Although Mr. Hou is no gentleman, he understands well the principle that a faithful retainer does not serve two masters. Please have complete confidence in my Hou Clan, Master!"

"You had the audacity to reject Marquis Qingyang on the spot?"

Hearing this, Hou Yuxiao’s heart skipped a beat, and as he slightly lifted his head, he saw Zhan Taiqing’s mocking smile, which made cold sweat pour forth from his forehead.

This woman, she couldn’t possibly have the ability to pry into the Great Jin Camp, could she?

"Of course not, but such intelligent individuals as the two lord marquises would naturally understand that Mr. Hou’s lack of refusal is the firmest refusal! To not laugh at my frankness, Master, when I was silent in the camp, my heart was in turmoil, fearing that if the two marquises became enraged, Mr. Hou might never see Master again."

Zhan Taiqing let out a cold laugh. She didn’t mind at all that Hou Yuxiao could see her distrust, and she scorned him with contempt, "You’re slippery with words, and worry about not seeing me again. You must be dreaming of the day when you no longer have to see me, right?"

Of course, he wished Gu Tianyun would kill her right away!

"How dare I? The Holy Church’s immense grace to my Hou Clan is unforgettable, and you, Master, have granted us a second life. Mr. Hou wishes nothing more than for Master’s cultivation to advance, lasting thousands and thousands of years."

As he spoke so, Hou Yuxiao even felt a bit fake himself, but fortunately, his ability to lie with a straight face was getting stronger by the day, allowing him to maintain his composure throughout the speech.

"No wonder the Hou Clan is prospering in Hexi, all thanks to having such a Family Head!"

Great Jin wanting to win over the Hou Clan surely meant someone had spied on the situation there. Given that, Zhan Taiqing would have no reason to be unaware. Hou Yuxiao pretended not to detect her implication, his demeanor unchanged, as he softly inquired, "Master summoned me back from Guangling Prefecture City, surely not just to give me a heads-up. May I ask, Master, do you have other arrangements for your subordinate?"

Zhan Taiqing seemed to have no interest in mocking him further, her expression becoming slightly frosty as she asked in a low voice, "You should be clear about the situation in Zhongzhou, north of the River, right?"

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"Does Master refer to Jizhou and Great Jin each amassing a million troops in Zhongzhou, with swords pointed directly at the Gyeonggi Path, poised to strike at the Capital of Great Yu?"