Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

The crowd surrounded Cheng Yue as they walked down the official road directly back to Zhaoyang County Town.

Along the way, every time Ren Feng tried to join the conversation, he was unintentionally or intentionally dismissed by Hou Yuling. Cheng Yue was so focused on Hou Yuling that he had no time to talk to him.

Ren Feng could only follow behind, watching Hou Yuxiao and Hou Yuling, his eyes growing colder and colder, especially when he thought of Hou Yuxiao's recent words, his urge to kill was almost uncontrollable.

"With this little wretch here, Cheng Yue definitely won't act against Hou Yuxiao. No wonder... No wonder the little beast is so brazen; he must have been prepared all along!

The little beast knows about the gold mine within the Green Wolf Gang's mining site; it has been..."

Realizing this all at once, Ren Feng looked forward at Cheng Yue, who was talking with Hou Yuling, and his face suddenly showed concern.

The group returned to the county town and directly headed to Shengxin Residence. Naturally, Cheng Yue, having just taken office, needed to be greeted and have the dust washed off his journey, which should have been arranged by Ren Feng. Now, naturally, it was all up to Hou Yuling to handle.

"The Rakshasa shall never perish, the Holy Church shall last forever, sect member Yuan Fu pays respects to Protector Cheng!"

The Shopkeeper, Yuan Fu from Shengxin Residence, had come to meet them from afar, kneeling down to perform a ritual to Cheng Yue. He is a peripheral disciple of the Holy Church and is extremely respectful to formal disciples like Cheng Yue.

Indeed, the might of the Rakshasa Holy Sect is not insignificant!

Hou Yuxiao felt a slight tremor in his heart beside him. The eight-character motto of the Rakshasa Sect, when combined, is: "The Rakshasa Holy Sect shall last forever."

"Stand up!" However, Cheng Yue was clearly familiar with the scene and merely raised his hand slightly.

At that moment, Yuan Fu took a step forward and said, "Protector Cheng, please go to the second floor."

Everyone suddenly showed a hint of discomfort; they were supposed to treat Cheng Yue with the utmost standards today, but the problem was that only warriors of the Gang Qi Realm could go to the second floor of Shengxin Residence.

At the moment, only Ren Feng was a warrior of the Gang Qi Realm. He felt an opportunity coming and hurriedly took a step forward with a smile, about to speak.

"Ling Er, Big Brother Cheng will go up and take care of some matters first and will come down right away!"

Unexpectedly, Cheng Yue had no intention of inviting him upstairs and only explained to Hou Yuling first; then he turned to him and the others and said, "My esteemed company, please wait a moment. I'll come down immediately after handling matters upstairs and then join you all for a good drink."

Everyone naturally agreed continuously, watching him go upstairs with Yuan Fu, their eyes filled with envy.

After all, that was a place only accessible to Gang Qi warriors. Every person who practices martial arts has a dream of reaching the Gang Qi Realm, not even Hou Yuxiao was exempt from this desire.

As Hou Yuxiao retracted his gaze, he wanted to talk to his third wife, but he noticed a murderous look directed at him. He deliberately ignored it, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.

"You little mongrel, if you dare to go to the Green Wolf Gang's mining site and lay your hands on that pile of gold, I will ensure your entire Hou Family dies without a place to be buried!"

The voiceless transmission reached his ears, and Hou Yuxiao's smile thickened on his face.

That was a method of secret communication exclusive to Gang Qi warriors. It looked like Ren Feng was really desperate, resorting to provocation like this.

He was worried that Hou Yuxiao would tell Cheng Yue about the gold mine and deliberately provoked him like this, hoping to bait him into going to the Green Wolf Gang mining site. This old fox was not stupid.

But this was exactly what I wanted!

"I'll go tonight!"

Hou Yuxiao turned to Ren Feng, his lips moved subtly, emitting no sound, indicating his response, then he turned his head back, no longer paying attention to him.

Ren Feng read the message from Hou Yuxiao's lip movement and was instantly furious, but deep in his pupils, he hid a hint of covert joy.

...

On the second floor of Shengxin Residence, Cheng Yue followed Yuan Fu and slowly came to the only private room, where they both stopped.

The door of the private room was half-open, and a faint scent wafted out. Cheng Yue looked at Yuan Fu questioningly, and after receiving an affirmative look, his expression instantly became fervent.

After Yuan Fu left, Cheng Yue carefully adjusted his clothes for a good ten breaths before he slowly entered the room and upon seeing the three black-robed maids, he immediately became respectful. He then turned his gaze toward the blue silhouette near the window and without a second thought, he suddenly dropped to his knees, his forehead hitting the floor with a crisp sound.

"The Rakshasa shall never perish, the Holy Church shall last forever, Cheng Yue, the protector of the Tianling County branch of the Holy Church, pays his respects to the Holy Maiden!"

At that moment, Cheng Yue's posture as he knelt on the ground showed not a shred of arrogance. It was the complete opposite of his earlier demeanor with Ren Feng and the others, abjectly humble to the extreme.

The young lady in blue still held her scripture in her left hand and her sword in her right. Even as Cheng Yue displayed such grand courtesy, her expression remained unchanged, and she merely turned her head slightly, speaking indifferently: "Warden Chief Ding Dian praised you before me for your cleverness and potential worth; your only flaw is a fondness for horses, an ugly vice. Today, seeing you, your cultivation is barely passable!"

Cheng Yue, not yet thirty and with a cultivation of the Gang Qi Second Realm, Gathering Evil Phase, was eligible to enter the Demon Path's New Star Ranking and could be a True Disciple in a first-class force. Yet this existence merited only a barely passable evaluation of his cultivation from the lips of the young lady in blue...

Let alone others; the 25-year-old Hou Yuxiao and the 132-year-old Ren Feng, had they been there, would have most likely wished they could bury themselves in a hole.

If such a genius as Cheng Yue was barely passable, what were they worth?

Yet Cheng Yue, upon hearing the evaluation of the girl in the blue dress, beamed with joy as if he had tasted honey, and kowtowed deeply once again.

"Disciple is of dull aptitude, yet receiving such encouragement from the Holy Maiden, I am endlessly grateful. I shall diligently practice my cultivation in the future, not to disappoint the nurturing efforts of the Holy Church."

The girl in the blue dress suddenly looked up at the window, and tied downstairs was the very same fierce-maned horse she'd seen just moments ago, her gaze flickering slightly.

"Playing with others is immoral; playing with objects leads to distraction. Knowing that the name of your fine horse is renowned throughout the three counties of Tongling, you should be more cautious.

As far as I know, the exporting of fierce-maned horses from the Jizhou Qinjian Villa is strictly prohibited, with only a few circulating outside. Haven't you ever questioned the origins of this horse?"

Even though rebuked by the woman in blue, Cheng Yue showed no displeasure on his face. Instead, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he nodded lightly and replied, "Thank you, Holy Maiden, for the advice. Although I appreciate good horses, I am by no means inattentive.

This fierce-maned beast was a gift to me from Hou Yuling of the Zhaoyang Hou Family, and it appears that the Hou clan has become too arrogant recently, attracting the antagonism of County Lord Ren Feng and three other insignificant forces. Giving me the horse was nothing more than an attempt to seek my protection.

No sooner had I received the horse than I started an investigation. There's not a single fierce-maned horse throughout the entire Tongling County. The closest one to Zhaoyang County that has appeared is in Tianling County to the east, so it's likely this horse came from that direction!"

Upon hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed the face of the girl in the blue dress; clearly, Cheng Yue was not as simple as she had first thought.

The subtle change in the girl's expression didn't escape Cheng Yue's notice. A trace of joy rose in his heart, and he continued, "I have investigated the Hou clan; they have no significant background. All four members of that family are of the 'Ten Layers of Body Openings' cultivation level. I suspect they wouldn't dare to collude with the Righteous Path, so it must have been a stroke of serendipity that brought them this fierce-maned horse."

Hearing this, the girl finally showed a trace of satisfaction on her face. She nodded at Cheng Yue and smiled, "It seems that Ding Dian's assessment of you was not wrong; I spoke out of turn. You've been informed about your mission in Tianling County by Ding Dian, haven't you?"

Still kneeling, Cheng Yue replied with a hint of reverence in his voice, "The Wanjian Holy Sect of Xuzhou harbors relentless ambition, coveting the sacred lands of our Holy Church. I am here to fully cooperate with the Holy Maiden in defending the territories of the Holy Church, ensuring not an inch is lost!"

The territories of the Holy Church, not an inch is lost

Upon hearing these four words, a shadow of hidden sorrow appeared in the eyes of the girl in blue. She sighed softly after a few moments.

"Guixin Sword Tian Linong, God Fist Master Tong Hu, Jinyu Hou Helian Wuji... the three of them coming together, to ensure the territory of our Holy Church remains intact is not an easy task..."

As Cheng Yue heard the girl's words, his heart tightened as if gripped harshly, but he looked up resolutely and spoke solemnly, "Although my cultivation may be poor, I am willing to die for the Holy Church. As long as I draw breath, the petty intruders from Xuzhou shall not set foot into Yongzhou!"

The three maids in black kowtowed in unison, their expressions moved as they spoke, "The Rakshasa will never die, the Holy Church is eternal. Though we may not be powerful, miss, just command us, and we shall brave fire and water without hesitation!"

Seeing their pledge, the girl finally breathed a sigh of relief, her face reflecting gratification. After a long moment of contemplation, she spoke, "County Lord Ren Feng is too old and fully preoccupied with amassing wealth, utterly unreliable. Since you have already assumed your position, go and meet with those people below, and start organizing the defense immediately!

"There's no small stir in Tianling County, and some have already infiltrated the town. Since you're a thoughtful person, I need not instruct you on what to do."

"I shall obey your commands!"

Just as Cheng Yue was about to leave the room, the girl in blue, as if compelled by some mysterious force, blurted out a sentence.

"That Hou Yuxiao is no simple character; be extra vigilant!"

Cheng Yue had just met Hou Yuxiao, a man who was merely at the Half-step Gang Qi Realm in cultivation. Despite thinking what could be so extraordinary about him, he held immense respect for the girl in blue and responded with a respectful nod.

"I will bear in mind the instructions of the Holy Maiden, and be extra cautious!"

......

The crowd, having waited for a long time, immediately greeted Cheng Yue as he came down.

Unexpectedly, after merely going upstairs, Cheng Yue seemed to have completely changed, his demeanor had become colder, and he gestured for the others to sit with an extended hand.

The crowd was taken aback, but followed his lead, each taking a seat at the round table that had been prepared in advance.

Cheng Yue walked straight to the head seat, without leaving Ren Feng any face, surveyed the crowd, and made a statement that instantly turned their expressions.

"By the order of the Holy Church, I have come to Zhaoyang County to assume the position of Warden Chief. Now that I have taken office, the affairs of Zhaoyang County can be managed by me.

I know not only the County Lord but also the three of you have some old grudges with the Hou family. But in these troubled times, the town must not suffer any mishaps, and whatever grievances you have must wait until later. Understood?"

...

Nobody expected such a dramatic change in Cheng Yue after just one visit to the second floor, including Hou Yuling who was momentarily startled.

Just as Hou Yuling was about to step forward to plead softly once more, using her usual tactics, she was stopped with a tug by Hou Yuxiao.

Hou Yuxiao shook his head at his sister, a dark glint in his eyes.

This was not according to his plan. He had thought that spending so much would at least ensure that Cheng Yue wouldn't intervene in his disputes with the three families.

Everything had been under his control, but Cheng Yue's change after visiting the second floor was beyond his expectations!

Hou Yuxiao looked up again at the second floor of Shengxin Residence, confusion visible on his face.