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Chapter 436: 214, it's still the Holy Land after all!_3
Chapter 436: 214, it's still the Holy Land after all!_3
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At the entrance of the Hou Mansion in Wanyang County, Hou Family Warriors watched as Hou Yujie and Hou Yuduan led a teeming procession, their gaze focusing entirely on the six hundred war horses. Anyone involved in the martial world has a natural affinity for such steeds.
For the martial artists of the Zhaoyang Army within the clan, that was especially true. They flocked to the war horses to pat and inspect them, their eyes almost gleaming with envy. Hou Yucheng, the Commander of the Zhaoyang Army, went so far as to mount a top-tier war horse, riding it back and forth in front of the mansion, his face alight with excitement and a clear reluctance to part with it.
"Big brother, mission accomplished. One hundred top-tier and five hundred good breeds, making it a total of six hundred war horses, as well as the Blood Fiend Grass supplied by the Xiong Yun Gang, enough for a month, and a combined thirty thousand pieces of standard weaponry such as swords, bows, and crossbows, along with twenty thousand pieces of ordinary and exquisite battle armor. We've brought back all three items," Hou Yujie reported.
The cost of these supplies totaled thirty-nine million, five hundred thousand taels. We've negotiated with the Xiong Yun Gang, prepaid twenty million taels, with the remainder to be settled before June of next year," Hou Yuduan added.
Hou Yuxiao, following Hou Yujie and Hou Yuduan's lead, inspected all of the cargo on the wagons. Hearing the price mentioned by the brothers, he couldn't help but show a pained expression, but the sight of so much equipment piling up before him mostly left him quite satisfied.
"Big brother, about the Xiong Yun Gang..." Hou Yujie began.
"Enough, let's have people move the supplies inside first, and we can discuss the details back at the mansion!" Hou Yuxiao interjected, raising his hand slightly to stop Hou Yuduan from continuing. Just as he asked for the items to be moved, Hou Yucheng, who had just returned from testing the war horses, immediately answered with enthusiasm.
"Leave it to me, big brother!" he exclaimed.
Watching him excitedly direct the Zhaoyang Army troops to transport the materials into the mansion, Hou Yuxiao nodded and then, accompanying Hou Yujie and Hou Yuduan, walked towards the main hall of the mansion.
By the time they arrived at the main hall, Hou Yuduan had almost finished explaining everything that had happened on the way there. Hou Yuxiao signaled for the two to sit down and took the main seat himself, looking sideways at Zhu Qing and Zhu Lan standing behind Hou Yujie, then bowing his head in contemplation for a moment.
"You guessed correctly. Someone from the Rakshasa Holy Sect has indeed made contact with Wan Renjue of Xiong Yun Gang. That's why your journey went so smoothly. As for Shen Gufan, he's clever enough to deduce your intent from mere hints and traces. We certainly should beware of him in the future, but there's no need to overly concern ourselves. Given Shen Gufan was humiliated without daring to retaliate, even if he fears the Shen Clan will attract disaster, it just proves he is timid despite his cleverness. Just a little shrewdness, nothing more.
Now that he has bowed his head to our Hou Clan this time, he's destined to bow every time from now on!" Hou Yuxiao said.
Hou Yuduan didn't pay much attention to the latter part of the speech but caught the significance of the former part immediately, asking, "Big brother, how did you know someone from the Rakshasa Holy Sect made contact with Wan Renjue? Could it be..."
A dark look flashed in Hou Yuxiao's eyes as he nodded and said, "Just under a quarter of an hour ago, Zhan Taiqing's individuals came to urge us to hurry up and deploy our twenty thousand troops."
At these words, Hou Yuduan's expression changed. A quarter of an hour ago was precisely when they had just arrived at the gate of Wanyang County City. The fact that they'd been informed upon arrival meant that Zhan Taiqing was keenly aware of every move made by the Hou Mansion in Wanyang.
"Not just in Wanyang County, they must have been well informed about everything that happened on your way here, including the annihilation of the Zhu Clan on Golden House Mountain in Jinling County," Hou Yuxiao stated with a slightly heavy tone. He paused for a moment, then with a grave face and low voice, said, "It's the Holy Land after all!"