Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Chapter 426: 211. Successful trip to Prefectural City_2

"The gang leader of Xiong Yun Gang, Wan Renjue, who wields the Fierce Wind Palm, is 391 years old this year. He is ranked 93rd on the Demon Path masters list and is a peak martial artist in the Yuan Dan Second Realm Divine Skills, rumored to be just one step away from reaching the Great Perfection. It is said that he does not get along with the Prefectural Governor Peng Yuhu; the two even clashed a few years ago, only settling down thanks to the intervention of Master Fanyin. Like other places in Yongzhou, local forces usually do not get along with officials sent by the Holy Church; it's hardly anything new!"

"With this as a backdrop, by sending troops to assist Zhan Taiqing in attacking Hedong County, under normal circumstances, Wan Renjue should have blocked us from purchasing these supplies or at least raised the price if he dared not directly offend the Holy Church. Yet the price Wan Xingyun just quoted is even cheaper than what we looked into yesterday."

"That's strange; could the Xiong Yun Gang also have grievances with the Wanjian Holy Sect?"

Hou Yuduan always believed in planning before acting. Even before arriving in the Prefectural City, he had thoroughly investigated, casually bringing up information about Wan Renjue.

"Unfortunately, big brother had originally anticipated that when we come to the Prefectural City to purchase these supplies, whether it be the Xiong Yun Gang or other local forces, they would all interfere. If the prices were outrageous, we would immediately send a message back; he could use it as an excuse to approach Zhan Taiqing!"

Hearing Hou Yuduan's words, the expressions of Hou Yujie and another person stiffened.

"Use it as an excuse to approach Zhan Taiqing?"

Hou Yuduan nodded slightly, a mysterious light flickering in his eyes.

The two pondered for a moment and immediately understood his meaning.

For the Hou Clan, not getting involved in the Hedong conflict was the best course of action...

As long as someone in the Prefectural City caused trouble, the Hou Clan could immediately use this as an excuse to delay sending troops. Ideally, by the time fighting broke out in Hedong, or even after it had ended, the Hou Clan would not need to send troops at all, and all would be good.

"It's possible someone notified Wan Renjue, or maybe our cautious thoughts were already seen through by the Holy Church, making this trip to the Prefectural City go so smoothly."

"Even so, Wan Renjue is still a figure of high standing in the prefecture. With Peng Yuhu and Zhan Taiqing not in the Prefectural City, he is undoubtedly the top figure there. To put it bluntly, if he were to lead the Xiong Yun Gang in a rebellion now, unless forces from Tao City or Yongdu intervened, no one else could do much about him."

"A man of his caliber, who could be instructing him? With Zhan Taiqing and his troops stationed in Longxiang County and Peng Yuhu lacking the capability, could it be someone from Tao City or the Headquarters?"

Hou Yuduan nodded slightly, saying, "Aside from the Eight Great Jialan, the Holy Church has Left and Right Protectors, and above them is the Sect Hierarch Sikong Xingzhou. These are all we are aware of for now. Surely there are other experts at the Yongzhou Main Altar, but it's hard to say who exactly might have come!"

Hou Yujie's eyes gleamed with perplexity, "What puzzles me is that, considering the current situation in Hedong where hundreds of thousands of troops are about to engage, even if our Hou Clan sends only ten thousand men, why would high-ranking members of the Rakshasa Holy Sect personally notify Wan Renjue to ensure our smooth dealings..."

He sighed, adding, "Not to mention ten thousand, even fifty or a hundred thousand troops would not have much impact in the upcoming grand battle in Hedong. After all, this is a war between two Holy Lands; once the battle starts, not just hundreds of thousands, but millions could easily be involved as the Holy Lands are the pinnacle powers of The World today."

"Old Fifth, have you noticed how oddly calm the current situation is? Big brother predicted that once the great battle between the two states began, the Rakshasa Holy Sect, already beset on all sides, would surely face a period of disarray, including both internal and external issues, all erupting at once."

"Yet, looking at Xingnan Prefectural City, there hasn't been a hint of change. Forces like Xiong Yun Gang, far from troubling the Holy Church, even seemed to assist during this transaction. With Xingnan so close to Hedong, if no chaos has ensued here, other places must be even more tranquil. This does not match the outside rumors of the Rakshasa Holy Sect's weakness..."

As Hou Yujie finished speaking, Li Sanyun also nodded, his expression serious, "I've heard that even in Guangling Prefecture's Hedong Six Prefectures area, many are fleeing deep into Xu. That's the normal reaction expected with the impending battle. Thinking about it now, Xingnan Prefecture seems eerily calm, even in our Tongling County, where only a large number of people fled due to demons, the panic about the war didn't affect many!"

"Given this situation, I see two possible reasons:",

"One is that the Rakshasa Holy Sect's control over Xingnan Prefecture, including the entire Xiayuan, is extremely solid. Even if some harbored ill intentions, they couldn't stir much trouble. Peng Yuhu took seventeen thousand of the Mansion Army, leaving less than fifty thousand in the vast Prefectural City, yet order remains undisturbed; this is irrefutable proof!"

"The second reason is that, so far, the great war between the two states has not affected Yongzhou at all, neither civilians nor martial artists have been impacted, thus the prevailing calm..."

Hou Yuduan quickly grasped the implications of Hou Yujie's words and nodded slightly.

With nearly eighty percent of Xingnan Prefectural Army taken by Peng Yuhu, yet the city remaining peaceful, not even the forces like Xiong Yun Gang daring to mess around with the affairs of the two states, it shows the majesty Rakshasa Holy Sect holds over Xingnan."

"However, this contrasts starkly with the Holy Sect's reputation outside..."

Labeled as the weakest Holy Land, surrounded by enemies on all sides, plagued internally and externally, besieged from all directions, about to be expelled from the ranks of the other nine major Holy Lands...