Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 421: 209. The Overly Polite Prefect Zhou_3

Those waiting at the city gate were all martial artists with substantial cultivation; though it was still a few miles away, they could immediately see the riders atop the two steeds—one red, one black.

Atop the red steed sat a young man in white, his demeanor scholarly and refined, his lips curled in a faint smile. His handsome, gentle face easily endeared him to onlookers, radiating an air of a scholar despite the longsword hanging at his waist—as if he had stepped right out of a painting.

The young man riding the black steed wore dark red clothes. Though handsome, he rarely smiled, his somewhat grim gaze lending his visage a softer yet colder aspect. Tall and imposing, his eyes often flashed with a cold light, making those he looked upon feel distinctly uncomfortable.

The two shared a similarity in appearance to about seventy percent, but their auras were worlds apart.

"The elegantly dressed one in white, with a scholarly air and a calm and restrained aura, must be Hou Yuduan, known for his studies; the youth in the dark red attire, with only a Martial Arts Level in the Gang Qi Second Realm, Collecting Evil Phase, and a somewhat sinister temperament, must be the famous Fourth Young Master Hou Yujie, rumored to have been castrated,"

Shen Gufan identified the two men with a remark, and the rest nodded in agreement, looking at Hou Yuduan and Hou Yujie with faces full of curiosity.

"Just two riders, how did they kick up such a commotion on the Official Road?"

No sooner had Li Pingkai voiced his confusion than a thunderous surge of hooves roared from the end of the road, catching everyone present, including Zhou Hong and Shen Gufan, off guard and leaving them momentarily stunned and wide-eyed...

It was a group of about five hundred men in black, each riding a steed, their expressions stoic. In the middle, a long line of carriages was being escorted, following closely behind Hou Yujie and Hou Yuduan, galloping silently.

Five hundred men on horse wouldn't normally shock the crowd, much less make seasoned masters like Zhou Hong and Shen Gufan reveal such expressions; the key was the level of these five hundred men's cultivation.

"All of these five hundred men have a cultivation above the Body Opening Ninth Level; at least a good half are at the Tenth Level of Body Opening, and there are nearly forty warriors of the Gang Qi Realm. The Hou Clan was only promoted to third rate half a year ago, how could they possess... such strength?"

After hearing what Ling Yanyun said next to him, Shen Gufan glanced at the speeding group and then shifted his gaze back to Hou Yujie and Hou Yuduan, a hint of gravity emerging in his eyes.

"Father, our Shen Clan has been based in Jinling for many years, and even now we have no more than a thousand warriors at the Tenth Level of Body Opening; the Hou Clan was promoted to third-rate less than a year ago, this is...,"

The speaker was Shen Feitian, the Young Master of the Shen Family, indeed the son of Shen Gufan. His strong features were almost identical to his father's, and at this moment, while observing the five hundred sect members of the Hou Clan, a hint of wariness flickered across his face.

Shen Gufan turned to look at his son and shook his head: "To evaluate a situation, you can't just look at the surface. It's true that the Hou Clan was only promoted to third-rate less than a year ago, but you have to see what they've accomplished in this short time. They rose to power in Zhaoyang County, set up a base in Tongling County, supported Master Fanyin in conquering the three counties of Hexi, and now are entrenched in Wanyang. I'm afraid that if it weren't for the Holy Church's involvement, the Hou Clan would likely have Longxiang and Yangping counties in their grip too, controlling nearly the territory of a whole prefecture. This level of power is normal!"

Having said that, he paused for a moment, a flicker of light passing through his eyes, before he continued: "However, there's no need to be too concerned. Such rapid expansion weakens the foundation. As far as I know, the Hou Clan's current state is still one of patchwork. It's pleasant to rest in the shade of a big tree, naturally attracting support from all directions, but there's also the saying 'when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.' The reputation of the great Hou Clan currently relies on these Double Dragons; if anything were to happen to this pair, the downfall of the Hou Clan will happen in the blink of an eye."

Shen Feitian nodded slightly, a glimmer of clarity in his eyes, and looked at his father with admiration, softly saying, "I have learned my lesson, father!"

While the two were quietly conversing, the Hou Clan's party had already reached the city gate.

"From afar, I've seen two gentlemen bursting with heroism, followed by five hundred martial cavalry of extraordinary bearing. To think that Xingnan Prefecture would have such outstanding talents and such elite forces, there can't be many other families capable of this. May I ask, are these two the young masters of the Hou Clan?"

Zhou Hong's words left everyone astonished.

All those present, who previously saw the county magistrate as a figure of authority, now found his obsequiously surprised demeanor, clearly flattering the Hou Clan, quite peculiar.

So Prefect Zhou has this side too...

Zhou Hong's attitude, unexpected by the local people of Jinling County and even puzzling to Hou Yujie and Hou Yuduan, was odd considering the Hou Clan's reputation; yet, Zhou Hong's own status and strength made such deference seemingly unnecessary.

Hou Yujie pondered for a moment without understanding, then proceeded to bow first with a modest gesture: "The Hou Clan is but a small third-rate family, unworthy of Prefect Zhou's praise!"

After finishing, he dismounted and bowed with clenched fists: "Fourth Elder of the Hou Clan, Hou Yujie."

Hou Yuduan also dismounted in a timely fashion and stood beside him, bowing with clenched fists: "Fifth Brother Hou Yuduan."

Then together, they both spoke and bowed slightly: "Greetings, Prefect Zhou!"

Zhou Hong's face broke into a broad smile, and with a welcoming hand, he said, "I have already prepared a reception banquet at Shengxin Residence to welcome and clean the dust off for you two young masters, please come in."

A hint of hesitation showed in Hou Yujie's eyes. They were in a hurry, but with Zhou Hong making such a grand gesture, it would be terribly impolite to refuse.

He slightly turned his head and exchanged a look with Hou Yuduan before nodding and saying, "Mr. Hou is honoured by your hospitality, please lead the way, Prefect Zhou!"

"Not at all, not at all, please, this way...