Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains-Chapter 578 - 268, Return to Hexi, Siblings in Adversity_2

"Brother Hou, you’re thinking too simply. Do you know how many demons of fifth rank or above have emerged in the middle reaches of the Ancient River in just these past twenty days?"

At that question, Hou Yuxiao’s expression faltered; he definitely couldn’t answer that, but he was quite clear about the "past twenty days"—today was the eighth day of the second month, and eighteen days ago marks the time of Great Yu’s downfall.

He knew that the downfall of Great Yu would lead to the resurgence of demons across the world.

But as for how extensive the resurgence was, he really had no idea.

"A total of thirty-six, among them twenty-eight are fifth rank, seven are fourth rank, and there is even a third rank Indestructible Realm demon!"

...

Hou Yuxiao’s entire expression froze, then his face was covered in shock. Thirty-six demons of fifth rank and above, including an Indestructible Realm demon comparable to Maiden Hong at the peak of her strength—that was just in the short span of eighteen days. How many more would resurface in the days to come!

"How can there be so many demons appearing at the same time?"

Lu Yuanfu shook his head slightly and sighed, "The Divine Dynasty’s seals have failed, and all the demons suppressed by Great Yu in the past have made their return. Some were originally suppressed in the river, while others came from other provinces through waterways. If we were just dealing with this poisonous serpent, it would have been quite easy, but the troubles my Lu Family now faces in the river are not just one or two. The third rank Indestructible Realm demon is the biggest headache."

A third rank Indestructible Realm demon was equivalent to a Sub-Saint Realm martial artist—Hou Yuxiao was well aware of how troublesome that was.

Thinking back to the overwhelming might of Maiden Hong in Tongling, Hou Yuxiao couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for the Lu Family. The middle reaches of the Ancient River were the Lu Family’s territory, and having such a big problem emerge there was like a ticking time bomb bound to cause headaches.

"Brother Lu worries too much—the Lu Family has been renowned for a thousand years and must surely have no lack of strong individuals. Although an Indestructible Realm demon is troublesome, there must be others to take care of it. Brother Lu need not worry too much."

However, knowing was one thing, but Hou Yuxiao was still quite confident in the strength of the Lu Family. The fact that Lu Yuanfu could share this information openly was a sign of confidence, proving that the Lu Family believed they could resolve this trouble.

"I accept your kind words, Brother Hou!"

Lu Yuanfu made a bow, then suddenly remembering something, turned his head with a strange expression and said softly, "By the way, I have some news here that is relevant to you, Brother Hou."

Hou Yuxiao looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"The River Lord of the Tongtian River has also awakened!"

...

Hou Yuxiao, who hadn’t yet reacted, was momentarily startled and then quickly realized the significance of the words "River Lord of the Tongtian River," his face turning pale as he asked, "Isn’t the River Lord of the Tongtian River long dead..."

He didn’t finish the sentence, for he had already understood that those rumors of dead demons were actually about them being suppressed, not dead. The Tongtian River happened to be the largest tributary of the Yunlan Ancient River in the Western Frontier of Yongzhou, housing a well-regarded deity.

"The River Lord of the Tongtian River was a divine spirit personally conferred by Great Yu. Rumor has it that he had even assisted Jing Tianyu, the Commandant of the Monster Hunting Bureau at the time, in slaying numerous traitorous rebels to relieve the common people. This should be a demon with a decent disposition, right? Could he also become a scourge?"

Lu Yuanfu shook his head and said, "Brother Hou is thinking too simply. You should know where demons come from—they are formed from the accumulation of countless resentful spirits combined with wild spirits and monsters. Such a way of coming into being ensures that they can never be inherently good. Even if there were any, it would be due to forced circumstances. I’m not very familiar with the River Lord of the Tongtian River, but I’ve heard about the affairs of Lord Fengtian. The elders in my family say that the actual events of those years were different from what was later recorded, though I’m not clear on the specifics."

The most important records concerning the River Lord of the Tongtian River would certainly be about that section when Jing Tianyu became a marquis:

In the 152nd year of Wuzong, one million Red Turban rebels cut off the flow of the Yunlan Ancient River at the intersection of Yong and Xu, vainly attempting to use the force of the water to break through the gates of Xuzhou. Jing Tianyu, the Commandant of the Monster Hunting Bureau of the Divine Dynasty and in charge of Xuzhou, single-handedly wielded his sword and slaughtered two generals of the rebels who were in the Shattered Realm. He then received assistance from the River Lord of Tongtian River and annihilated the rebel forces in one fell swoop. Wuzong personally issued an Imperial Edict, bestowing upon him the title of Lord Fengtian and from there on, he was known as the Heavenly Sword Venerable.

Hou Yuxiao did not know the accuracy compared to the recorded events, but worry flashed in his eyes, his thoughts already flying to Hexi and his family.

Hexi is named after the Tongtian River, and now all four counties there belong to the Hou Clan. A third-rank demon suddenly emerged in the east, a powerful demon from over a thousand years ago, a concern for anyone.

Furthermore, at present, there is the Rakshasa Holy Sect in Hedong, and the army of the Great Jin Dynasty is confronting The Righteous Path. If the Tongtian River had good relations with Jing Tianyu, would it join forces with Xuzhou to oppose the Demon Path? After defeating the Demon Path, would they then turn their heads to attack Yongzhou? If they attacked, then Hexi would be the first stop...

A third-rank demon is equivalent to the Sub-Saint of Martial Dao!

Hou Yuxiao suddenly introspected his Sea of Consciousness and, seeing the value of more than twenty-five million merits there, felt his excitement from the Mysterious Gold Mine and the Lu Family’s favor immediately replaced by worry and unease, a sense of urgency to increase his strength spontaneously arising.

The news of the fall of the Divine Capital should have already reached the south by now. He wondered if there were any movements from the armies in Hedong.

As demons in Shenzhou revive one after another, are there any new developments in the Hexi Four Counties? Can Hou Yuduan and the others handle it?

And then there’s the River Lord of Tongtian, definitely posing the biggest challenge that the Hou Clan is facing at the moment, with no one in the family able to confront it. Even Hou Yuxiao himself, despite his many merits, felt a bit unsure.

And the Rakshasa Holy Sect, the feud between Zhan Taiqing and Sikong Xingzhou has reached a fever pitch, major changes will also take place at the Headquarters, and the three branches below will surely experience major upheavals as well.

...

With these problems in mind, the anxiety in Hou Yuxiao’s eyes deepened, and he also realized that he must hasten his return to Hexi!

Hou Yuxiao, full of concerns, declined Lu Yuanfu’s invitation to a victory feast and returned to Baiming Ferry, indicating immediately upon his arrival that he wanted to return to Hexi. It would take a month to travel from Baiming Ferry to Hexi, and every second counted. He was in no mood to linger.

Although the Lu Family’s uncle and nephew wanted to keep him, they saw Hou Yuxiao’s eagerness to return to his clan and did not stop him, thoughtfully arranging a boat for him. Seven thousand soldiers of the Brahman World Purifying Army, people of the Hou Clan, and a group of Holy Church experts brought by Hou Yuxiao, all boarded the ship that very night. Just past ’Zishi’, which is the early morning of the ninth day of the second month, they set sail under the cover of darkness.

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Lu Yuanfu wanted to see them off personally but was politely declined by Hou Yuxiao. He knew the Lu Family was also in troubled times, and Lu Yuanfu, a third-rank Mystic Realm Master, was needed everywhere. It made no sense to spend two months on farewells.

Departing on the ninth day of the second month of the year 1325 of the New Yu Era, by his calculations, the earliest he could arrive would be by the ninth day of the third month. As soon as Hou Yuxiao boarded the ship, he instructed the others and immediately began closed-door cultivation, hoping to use this month to further increase his cultivation.

He was currently a heavenly-ranked Great Grandmaster of the fifth realm. Another step forward would bring him to the Yuan Dan Realm. Although reaching the Yuan Dan Realm would not greatly alter the current situation, it would be of no small help to him. The sixth white petal of the Divine Lotus allowed him to exchange merits for a temporary cultivation boost. The higher his own cultivation, the higher the boost he could achieve.

Therefore, any increase in strength he could achieve now might give him a better chance of survival in the near future. He dared not slack off.

At the moment of departure, the Jiang siblings, who were boarding the ship with the members of the Hou Clan, were assigned to an ordinary cabin. After settling in, they looked back through the window at the northern lands they were leaving behind, their expressions gradually relaxing, clearly feeling as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

"Though things were rough and fraught with twists and turns, at least, we are finally leaving!"

After saying this, Jiang Yun seemed to think of something, his brow filled with hostility and murderous intent. Speaking with a tone imbued with deep-seated hatred and ruthlessness, he said, "Now that they’ve let me escape, when I return to the north next time, it won’t be so peaceful. Yuwen Clan, Wanyan Clan, Zhao Clan, Qin Family, Li Family, all these scum, one day, I will exterminate every last descendant from these five families."

His sister, Jiang Li, was much calmer, though the cold light in her eyes and her slight nod indicated that her feelings were not as serene as they appeared.

"Thirty days, just hold on a little longer. Once we step onto the lands of the south, we’ll be like fish in the ocean. Great Jin can be strong, but they won’t be able to kill us anymore!"