Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 346: 183, Zhan Taiqing's Dominance_3

Zhan Taiqing had a clear idea why he was summoned—it was no doubt that Hou Yuxiao was expected to contribute troops to the imminent large-scale battle between the two states!

When Huangfu Xing had left that day, he had issued a military decree, demanding the capture of Wanyang County within a month. Currently, Hou Yuxiao did not fully understand the battlefield situation and only knew that the army of Xingnan Prefecture had besieged Wanyang County. However, he had no clue about the specifics, including how many troops had been deployed.

The entire army of Xingnan Prefecture numbered two hundred thousand soldiers. To besiege a county, at least fifty thousand would be needed, which by the lowest estimate, meant Zhan Taiqing still had an army of one hundred and fifty thousand at his disposal—a not insubstantial force. However, with states engaging in warfare, who would ever complain of having too many men?

If one prefecture had a force of over two hundred thousand soldiers, the scale of conflict could heighten further, and twenty thousand might not suffice. If Zhan Taiqing wished to fulfill Huangfu Xing's military decree, he would undoubtedly need to rally all available forces immediately to capture Wanyang County in preparation for reporting back to Huangfu Xing, as well as facing the potentially escalating conflict.

Although the Hou Clan only had over three thousand members, including the more than five thousand Mansion Army soldiers that now obeyed Hou Yuxiao's orders, along with various other forces within the city walls, the Hou Clan could muster an army of ten thousand, including over fifty warriors of the Gang Qi Realm. This power, while not comparable to Peng Yuhu's two hundred thousand-strong army, was far from negligible.

"Since you need my assistance, it's time for me to raise my price..." Hou Yuxiao thought to himself. Although he kept his body bowed, he maintained a serene and self-assured demeanor as he waited for Zhan Taiqing to state her terms.

Unfortunately, what he received was not an offer, but a fierce slap of wind.

Slap...

A tremendous force struck him, making Hou Yuxiao feel as if his chest had been harshly hit by a plank of wood, propelling his body over ten meters backward. He suppressed the blood rising to his throat and with great difficulty managed to halt his retreat.

Hou Yuxiao raised his head to look at Master Fanyin, her face cold, and his own countenance turned to one of astonishment as he failed to understand why she had struck him.

"You think, I am here to ask for your troops, am I right?"

"Master of Hou Family, what exactly is this Qinglong Association? How did this demon chaos start, and how did Hou Clan anticipate the demons' invasion of the city, leading people away? You are well aware of all this. Do you want me to spell it out for you!" Zhan Taiqing's cold words instantly turned Hou Yuxiao's face pale...

"If not for the consideration that this turmoil is not something your Hou Clan can manipulate, the things you've done would warrant me killing you ten times over. Now that you've gained some advantage, you wish to bargain with me? How so? Do you really think that grasping this force of slightly more than ten thousand allows you to sit at equal footing with the sovereign?"

Hou Yuxiao's body trembled, and he promptly knelt to the ground.

"If it weren't for our Holy Church's support, with the Left Protector showing up in person, could your little tricks have kept the Hou Clan alive, Master of Hou Family? Once the Xuzhou Army breaches the city, your Hou Clan wouldn't even have the chance to escape. You should be clear about your position and not be blinded by petty profits. Some things come at a price once you overstep!"

Kneeling on the ground, Hou Yuxiao lowered his head, silently reining in any resentment in his eyes.

"By noon tomorrow, I expect to see an assembly of ten thousand soldiers here, plus your Hou Clan must deploy fifty warriors of the Gang Qi Realm, including yourself, Hou Yuxiao. If even one person is missing, you can forget about holding the title of Tongling's lord!"

By the final words, Zhan Taiqing's tone was not only ice-cold to the extreme, but also carried an absolute certainty that allowed for no doubt.

"This subordinate will strictly obey the Master's orders and will arrive on time by noon tomorrow!" Hou Yuxiao said, his voice filled with extreme respect, no longer daring to show the slightest defiance.