Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains-Chapter 629 - 287, Splitting the Earth to Establish Boundaries, Fame Spreads in All Directions (10)

The establishment of the Hexi Prefecture has an influence that isn't great but also isn't small. Compared to the 8 prefectures and 64 counties of Yongzhou which consist of three roads, Hexi's total jurisdiction over just four counties really doesn't amount to much;

However, from another perspective, with the addition of the Hexi Prefecture to the total eight prefectures in Yongzhou, and the entire process not involving the Rakshasa Holy Sect, this becomes somewhat noteworthy.

What's more crucial is Hexi's location, which just happens to border Xuzhou, with only the Tongtian River separating them. Over the past three years, many battles between the states of Yong and Xu have concentrated here.

Especially now, with no news coming from the Rakshasa Holy Sect Headquarters, the situation is unclear. The Wuwei King of Great Jin, Hou Jing, and the three major holy lands of The Righteous Path are still entangled in Hedong.

Hexi happens to be situated in the middle of the states of Yong and Xu. With Great Yu on the verge of collapse and chaos looming in The World, many clear-sighted individuals realize the strategic importance of this juncture, leading to even more attention being directed towards Hexi.

As the establishment of the Hexi Prefecture drew to a close, the participating forces from the four different prefectures each departed, spreading word about the Hou Clan throughout Yongzhou.

What can be anticipated is that the three battles at the Shengxin Residence involving the five people from the Hou Clan will, through these individuals, spread throughout north and south of the great river. The most stunning of these bouts between Hou Yuxiao and Shen Gufan will, even more so, stir a fervor of retellings.

It's important to note that it was only two short years ago that Hou Yuxiao ascended to the Demon Path's New Star Ranking. To lose by just a single move to Shen Gufan at his peak during the Yuan Dan Second Realm, and not even with his preferred staff weapon, led some at the banquet to assert that Hou Yuxiao was sure to climb onto the list of great Demon Path masters.

The previously little-known Second Elder Hou Yucheng and Third Elder Hou Yuling, thanks to this fight, also rose to fame. Their spots on the next Demon Path New Star Ranking can be said to be reserved in advance.

This means that all five siblings from the Hou Clan will appear on Great Jin's Demon Path New Star Ranking. In the centuries since the ranking's establishment, such an occurrence—a single power having five individuals on the list—has never happened. The Hou Clan, indeed, made history.

At the banquet, Shen Gufan deliberately stirred up trouble with the nickname "Five Tigers of Hou Clan." Although Hou Yuxiao softly and gently defused the situation, with the Hou Clan successfully defending its claim over Hexi, the term "Five Tigers of One Clan" spread far and wide among the people.

Of course, these events would ferment over time. To all members of the Hou Clan, the changes they could feel were still not significant. They only knew that the moment the banquet ended and the guests from the four prefectures all left Hexi, the land truly belonged to the Hou Clan.

Everyone in the Hou Clan was ecstatic...

In just a short span of six years, they went from an insignificant clan on a small street in Zhaoyang to dominating Zhaoyang, taking over Tongling, marching into Wanyang, waging war in Xuzhou, and now becoming the lords of Hexi.

It was too fast, indeed far too fast...

So quick that everyone in the Hou Clan still found it somewhat unbelievable, especially Hou Fei, Hou Ying, Hou Cun—those elders of the clan who'd been there since the beginning. It took them at least three to five days to adjust.

It was only when they walked the streets, and when they visited Wanyang, Longxiang, Yangping, as well as the many counties under Hou Clan's rule, seeing the admiring, reverent, and even obsequious looks people gave to the Lotus symbol on their chests, that they truly confirmed it.

The Hou Clan had indeed become the true masters of Hexi!

...

Inside the main hall of the Hou Mansion.

Hou Yuxiao sat alone in contemplation when suddenly, a series of footsteps came from outside the door. He opened his eyes to see Hou Yucheng and the other three walk in. After gesturing for them to sit down, he asked, "Have they all been sent away?"

"They've all left. Wan Renjue and Shen Gufan left the quickest, obviously wary of each other. It seems, elder brother, that you were right; the Shen Clan and the Xiong Yun Gang are indeed starting to contend for Xingnan Prefecture!"

Hou Yucheng's tone held an unexplained excitement, especially when mentioning the strife over Xingnan Prefecture, his eyes sparkled. Seeing this expression, Hou Yuxiao immediately knew what he was thinking.

"Second brother, don't get too excited. We are not suited to intervene in the Xingnan Prefecture conflict for the time being. Elder brother's intention to feign modesty yesterday and accept the overtures of goodwill from Shen Gufan and Wan Renjue was to lull the two houses, so that our Hou Clan may stay out of it."

Hearing Hou Yuduan's words, Hou Yucheng paused, but he wasn't foolish. After thinking for a short while, he understood Old Fifth's point. Turning to Hou Yuxiao, he asked in confusion, "Elder brother, don't you want to compete for Xingnan Prefecture?"

Seeing the expressions on Hou Yuling and Hou Yujie, Hou Yuxiao realized that only Old Fifth had grasped his intentions. After pondering for a moment, he asked Hou Yucheng, "Tell me, who owns Xingnan Prefecture?"

Hou Yucheng replied without hesitating, "It's the Rakshasa Holy Sect's, of course. But isn't the Yongdu Main Altar currently in turmoil? The Holy Church masters from the Xiayuan realm have all gone to Yongdu; isn't it because of this situation that the Shen Clan and Xiong Yun Gang dare to set their sights on Xingnan Prefecture?"

"The Rakshasa Holy Sect is only in turmoil, not annihilated. The Xiayuan masters have merely gone to Yongdu, not died. The Xiong Yun Gang and the Shen Clan are fighting enthusiastically now, but once the Headquarters catches its breath and the internal strife ends, consider what will become of these two houses?"

Hou Yucheng's face revealed a moment of deep contemplation.

"With the situation at the Headquarters unclear, we mustn't act rashly. With our Hou Clan's current strength, offending the Holy Land would mean certain death!"

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