Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Moreover, on the Hedong side, the battle situation between Great Jin's Hou Jing and the Three Righteous Factions remains unclear. If we now get involved in the struggle for Xingnan Prefecture and fight with Xiong Yun Gang and the Shen Clan, even if we win, we'd be severely weakened, and besides, it would firmly establish our sin of betraying the Holy Church.

By then, if Hou Jing turns to attack Hexi, and the Holy Church doesn't help, it would be a disaster for my Hou Clan!

These past few years, thanks to Sikong Yue and Zhan Taiqing, our relationship with the Holy Church has always been good. It is not worth risking the charge of betrayal for a mere Xingnan Prefecture.

We should hold our ground in Hexi, wait for news from the headquarters of the Holy Church, and keep an eye on the changes in the situation to the east and west. Reacting to change with constancy is the Righteous Path!"

Hearing Hou Yuduan's words, the three members of the Hou Yucheng family immediately understood.

Hou Yuxiao looked at Old Fifth, a trace of appreciation in his eyes, and nodded, speaking softly, "Everyone knows how to fish in troubled waters, but we must also be clear about our own strength. Only the Holy Land can afford to be reckless in this world. My Hou Clan doesn't have that kind of capital. The slightest carelessness could lead to total annihilation; we must proceed cautiously!

The more chaotic the situation, the more cautious we must be. Xiong Yun Gang and the Shen Clan are so eager to set their sights on Xingnan Prefecture, little do they know they are pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth, extremely dangerous."

Hou Yuxiao paused, a trace of cold light rising in his eyes.

"Moreover, Xingnan Prefecture is right next to us. We can always be aware of the movements of Xiong Yun Gang and the Shen Clan. They are unclear about the current strength of my Hou Clan, but once the two really start fighting for Xingnan Prefecture, their strength will be completely exposed. Even if the Holy Church truly has no time to deal with them, when they are both severely weakened, we can then openly intervene in Xingnan Prefecture under the banner of eliminating traitors for the Holy Church."

This statement immediately brightened the eyes of the three Hou Yucheng family members!

That's right, the establishment of the prefecture in Hexi showed only the five of them. The true assets of the Hou Clan had not been revealed at all. Even Hou Yuxiao had held back during his fight with Shen Gufan. It could be imagined that both the Shen Clan and Xiong Yun Gang would certainly be more disdainful of the Hou Clan, a notion evident from the overtures made by both towards the Hou Clan successively.

If they truly regarded the Hou Clan as significant, they would not have made friendly overtures but rather become hostile, even joining forces to deal with Hexi first. The simultaneous overtures by both clans to the Hou Clan clearly showed they were worried that the Hou Clan might ally with the other side against them, and Hou Yuxiao's identical response to the overtures from both, was essentially declaring that the Hou Clan would not engage in their conflict.

"This way, we are indeed watching a fight from the hill above. Whether or not we can be the fisherman will depend on the news from the Holy Church Headquarters and movements of Hou Jing in Hedong!"

Hou Yuxiao nodded, his gaze suddenly sharpening, "What I'm most worried about is actually the Shen Clan. Shen Gufan daringly revealed his strength this time, and ambitiously made clear his intent to compete with Xiong Yun Gang for Xingnan Prefecture. He must have learned some news from the Holy Church Headquarters. Third Lady, have you received any news?"

The intelligence organization of the Hou Clan, the Lower Hou Sect, should have already spread throughout Yongzhou. Given that Hou Yuling serves as the commander of the Lower Hou Sect, she should have already received news from Yongdu. However, since Hou Yuling is not speaking, it's certain that there's a problem with the spies in Yongdu. Hou Yuxiao had anticipated this and now just wanted to inquire about the situation.

As expected, Hou Yuling's complexion immediately darkened.

"Since the beginning of March, there has been no news from the people of the Yinhu Division in Yongdu. The contact in Zhongyuan City replied that Yongdu has been completely sealed off, which is to continue until the Rakshasa Festival. Currently, only a few people can enter or exit. The Rakshasa Festival is still a month away, and it's over forty thousand li from here to Yongdu; even the fastest messenger would take half a month. Waiting for news from Yongdu Main Altar, at the earliest, we wouldn't know until mid-August!"

The Lower Hou Sect is divided into twelve divisions, and since Yongzhou is a long-term strategic target for the Hou Clan, it is considered a priority. Hou Yuling directly placed the entire two hundred people of the Yinhu Division around Zhongyuan Road. Any valuable news would be immediately relayed back to Hexi through contacts in the various locations.

"Yongdu's lockdown indicates that the Holy Church's turmoil is not minor!"

A glint of You light flashed in Hou Yuxiao's eyes, and from the depths of his heart, he didn't wish for the downfall of the Rakshasa Holy Sect, or at least not now. After all, at the end of the day, the biggest support for the Hou Clan is still the Holy Church.

If the Holy Church were to falter, it would be disastrous for all the forces in Yongzhou. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; those who manage to pledge allegiance to a new Holy Land would be considered fortunate. If by any chance they attract the attention of powerful outsiders, they could lose their lives within minutes.

"Who is the head of the Yinhu Division?"

"Cheng Yunye, joined the Hou Clan a couple of years ago. Despite his young age, his talent is quite good. In just two years, he broke through from Open Body Eightfold to Gang Qi Second Realm. He previously served in the Zhaoyang Army. I saw that he was clever and handled matters steadily, so I transferred him to the Lower Hou Sect. For half a year, he's been in charge of Yongdu, also sending back quite a few important messages. He should be reliable; there's no problem!"

Hou Yuxiao nodded. Today was the first day of July, and after the Rakshasa Festival on July 30th, Yongdu would lift the lockdown. Indeed, the earliest they could receive news would be mid-August.

"Let's wait for the news. Also, don't forget to keep an eye on Hedong. Currently, only we can use the Tongtian River. Any unusual activity there needs to be reported to me immediately.

"Hexi is now completely under the control of our Hou Clan. Old Fifth, you can act as you see fit, as long as it can enhance the strength of the family; everything will follow your lead. Fourth Elder, you and people from the Upper Hou Gate thoroughly investigate and deal with the demons lurking within. Dealing with those creatures sooner rather than later will save us a lot of trouble. Second Elder, continue to train the troops at Baiye Camp. When the time comes to rely on Baiye Camp, you cannot disappoint me!"