Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 237: 143. Qinglong Association (11)_2

Both families were aligned with the County Magistrate, Fan Longhe.

Without mentioning Gui Yutang's realization that something was amiss, at the very front of the Hou Clan troop, Hou Fei squeezed out of the crowd and whispered to Hou Yucheng, "Second Master, there has been no news from the Family Head. Master Fanyin and the five grandmasters have already engaged the Blood Demon. The aftermath of the battle is too terrifying; I can't get anywhere close!"

Upon hearing Hou Fei's report, Hou Yucheng's expression immediately turned sour, and he couldn't help but worry about Hou Yuxiao.

Although the multitude of demons looked intimidating, he was not at all daunted. Thanks to his relationship with Old Fifth, he had no intention of battling these demons. As soon as the demons appeared, he had led the Hou Clan members to retreat to the rear.

Although he was not particularly cunning, he knew well that his family had placed bets on both sides. Without orders from Hou Yuxiao, preserving the family's strength and making no choices was always the safe option; hence his hesitation to respond to Gui Yutang.

Gui Yutang appeared displeased. He gave a reply to the four families with just one sentence, realizing that the largest group, the Great Luo Sect, remained silent. Added to Ding Dian's three families and the Hou Clan, they numbered ten thousand in total, with eight thousand choosing not to take a stance. What did this mean?

Anger flashed in his heart, and he was about to rebuke loudly.

Suddenly, three familiar voices came from the sky, causing everyone's expression to drastically change.

"Gui Yutang, lead the troops back to the Prefectural City, fast, fast…"

"My son, Ding Peng, quickly lead the Great Luo Sect members back to the Prefectural City!"

"Everyone, retreat to the Prefectural City, get ready to activate the barrier."

Fan Longhe, Ding Buhai, and Ding Dian, who were like the ceiling of the county on any regular day, now sounded somewhat panic-stricken, instilling fear in everyone's faces.

Gui Yutang and the others looked up toward the front lines, their pupils shrinking in terror as fear crept onto their faces.

Three daunting demons approached from afar, led by a goat-headed humanoid demon a kilometer tall. To the left was a green plant demon with branches hundreds of meters long, and to the right, an ancient town made of shadows, filled with tens of thousands of howling ghostly figures, as if they could break out of their cage at any moment, utterly terrifying.

In comparison to the thousands of demons on the ground, these three beings cast a shadow over everyone's hearts. Even Gui Yutang began to feel dread.

The thirty thousand Mansion Army soldiers, along with ten thousand miscellaneous troops, could only hold off the enemy for a while. With these three demons, comparable to heavenly-level great grandmasters at the seventh grade peak, a rout was only a matter of time.

"Don't panic, rear troops to the front, back to the Prefectural City, fast, fast, fast!"

Just a second ago, Gui Yutang had been urging the nine martial clans to resist the demons, and the next, he loudly called for retreat, turning those warriors into the forefront of the retreating forces.

Ding Peng, upon hearing his father Ding Buhai's voice, quickly led five thousand members of the Great Luo Sect towards the Prefectural City, with the rest following suit, frantically fleeing toward the city.

It must be said, the quality of the Xingnan Mansion Army far surpassed that of the nine martial clans. Upon receiving Gui Yutang's order, the second battalion led by Fan Zhendong immediately swapped places with the first battalion, which was engaged in the fiercest combat with the demons, to buy time for the first and third battalions to escape.

Having retreated less than half a mile, Peng Ling's third battalion then replaced the second battalion. In this way, they alternately covered each other's retreat, managing to hold off the demons and getting closer to the Prefectural City, soon only three miles away.

As Gui Yutang watched more of his troops fall, and then glanced at the nine clans running faster than rabbits, fire nearly shot from his eyes.

The plan had been for these people to assist the Mansion Army in resisting the demons, but now he was covering their retreat. How could he not be furious...

Meanwhile, Fan Longhe, Ding Dian, and Ding Buhai, facing the pursuit of three formidable demons, Yang Xin, Lv Luo, and Song Yang, dared neither run too fast nor confront them head-on.

Running too fast would lead the demons to catch up to the Mansion Army, causing the loss of Tongling, turning it into a dead city without hope of defense. They would be doomed if the Holy Church blamed them.

Confronting them directly would trap them; if the thousands of demons swarmed them, they too would have no escape. All three were sly old foxes and naturally would not let themselves fall into such peril, thus they tactfully fought while retreating.

Just then, over ten strong auras suddenly streaked from the east. The three turned their heads to see the leader and were momentarily stunned...

Hou Yuxiao?

During this period of demonic disturbance in Tongling, if there was anyone whose presence felt the least noticeable, it was definitely Hou Yuxiao. Before the year's end, Hou Yuxiao had risen to fame, defeated Cheng Yue, and elevated the Hou Clan to upper-class status. At that time, the Hou Clan was gloriously celebrated.

But since then, only Fourth Elder and Old Fifth had been seen in the Prefectural City; it was as if Hou Yuxiao, the Hou Clan leader, had vanished!

Speculations abounded in the city: some said Hou Yuxiao could not escape the fate that brilliance when young does not guarantee a fortunate future; some believed he remained true to his heart, unburdened by fame and focused on cultivation; others even claimed that the head of the Hou Clan had been replaced long ago...

All sorts of guesses were made!

Ding Dian, Ding Buhai, and Fan Longhe, upon seeing Hou Yuxiao, sensed his cultivation and instantly, their expressions changed.