Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 351: 185, Brass Sword Formation 2

Hou Yuxiao had also put himself in Hou Yuduan's shoes—if he had faced such a dramatic upheaval, what transformations would his heart undergo? But, he was not the person involved, so no matter how much he empathized, he could never truly experience it first-hand.

The only thing that bothered him was the final act of manipulation by Ji Yanzhi...

All the events in Tongling were orchestrated by Ji Yanzhi behind the scenes, a simple fact that Hou Yuxiao believed. Given Old Fifth's intelligence, he definitely would be able to see it. So, logically speaking, Old Fifth should have also seen through Ji Yanzhi's final act of manipulation.

But the issue was that recognizing it couldn't cover up the crucial role that Hou Yuxiao had played in these matters.

It was he who had brought Tian Honglu back from Tianling to Zhaoyang; he, under the guise of the Qinglong Association, who had colluded with Maiden Hong to trap Martial Artists; and even at the end, it was he who conspired with others against Maiden Hong.

Of course, the turmoil in Tongling was not something Hou Yuxiao could decide, nor could it be said that he caused it, but he at least played a role in exacerbating the situation.

Of course, he had his own legitimate reasons—for self-preservation, for survival, for the growth of the Hou Clan, and even one might say, for Hou Yuduan, Hou Yucheng, and all the members of the Hou Clan...

However, no amount of legitimate reasons could change the death of Maiden Hong, the death of eighty percent of the townspeople, and the great disaster suffered by the millions in Tongling County.

Hou Yuxiao had committed evil acts before, but this event in Tongling was indeed too grave, far surpassing any previous misdeeds. Based on Hou Yuduan's past reactions to the slightest stir, he should have followed Hou Yuxiao around accusing him for a long while; such a major incident in Tongling definitely warranted a fierce berating.

However, strangely enough, Hou Yuduan this time did not utter a single word of blame.

The others had all gone to prepare their respective tasks and leave, and Hou Yuxiao intentionally sent Hou Yucheng, Hou Yu Jie, and Hou Yuling away, leaving only Hou Yuduan with him. The two of them stood quietly in the great hall, silent for dozens of breaths, with neither taking the initiative to speak first.

On the night of the Rakshasa Festival, Hou Yuduan was severely injured and had been in a coma, and Hou Yuxiao had people take care of him day and night. Knowing that he had awakened last night, he thought that Hou Yuduan would come to vent his anger at him, but by morning Hou Yuduan hadn't come, letting Hou Yuxiao know that his brother's attitude had changed.

It's just that he didn't know what exactly had changed!

"Are you feeling alright?"

After a long silence, not knowing how to break the ice, Hou Yuxiao asked this question, then fixed his gaze on Hou Yuduan's face, trying to catch any change in his expression.

Regrettably, Hou Yuduan's face showed no abnormalities—no sadness, no sentimentality, and no anger. He just chuckled lightly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Big Brother. I am no longer seriously ill. This time, I also wish to join the army heading to Xuzhou; I hope for your permission!"

Even if Hou Yuduan hadn't mentioned it, Hou Yuxiao would have taken him on the military expedition to Xuzhou anyway. It wasn't that he lacked confidence, but key to such large-scale battles were the constant new situations and changes requiring decisions. Old Fifth, already strong in this area, and armed with cultivation and strength, would be entirely beneficial to bring along.

"Big brother, I speculate that this great battle will not be confined to two states. Since the end of last year with the Zhaoyang Disturbance, the Great Jin Dynasty has been watching this area too; Leiyin Temple's failure to intervene in Tongling won't end there; with war breaking out in the east of Yongzhou, the west's Blood Spirit Holy Sect and the north's Demon Derivation Holy Sect won't just stand by; we have no news from The Righteous Path, but for such a significant conflict between good and evil, they won't remain idle either.

Surrounded by wolves, Yongzhou certainly wishes to resolve the situation quickly, otherwise, once other forces get involved, the Holy Church would be in a precarious position.

From this view, Wanyang County and even Guangling Prefecture are bound to face a fierce battle, but for us, it's a rare opportunity!

Conquering territories will inevitably result in people being displaced, increasing the number of refugees. As long as the battle does not extend to Yongzhou proper, with our current control over Tongling, seizing this chance to widely shelter refugees and expand the population will be beneficial!"

Hou Yuxiao, whose mind was previously filled with myriad thoughts, relaxed as he saw Hou Yuduan already strategizing how the Hou Clan could profit from this confrontation between the two states.

However, hearing Hou Yuduan talk about the people being displaced and the increase in refugees without a hint of hesitation or compassion, and with no change in his eyes, a trace of unfamiliar emotion flickered across Hou Yuxiao's heart.

Could this be the influence Ji Yanzhi had on Hou Yuduan...?

He seemed to have become less kind-hearted than before!

......

New Yu Era 1322, early August

Guangling Prefecture, Wanyang County

If one were to mention the most famous place within the bounds of Guangling Prefecture, it would surely be the Tongtian River. A tributary of the Yunlan Ancient River, it flows from southwest to northeast, dividing the entirety of Guangling Prefecture into two parts—one part consisting of three counties in the northwest and the other holding six counties in the southeast.

Among them, Wanyang County is situated at the westernmost edge of the western three counties and is the utmost western part of Xuzhou, lying adjacent to Tongling County of Yongzhou, separated only by a boundary marker.

The fame of the Tongtian River is not small. First, as a part of the Yunlan Ancient River, it naturally attracts attention. Second, it is further enhanced by the stories of Heaven-sealing Sword Honorific, Jing Tianyu. With these two aspects combined, the Tongtian River has long been renowned throughout The World, known to everyone, far and wide.