Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains-Chapter 623 - 285, Splitting the Earth to Establish Boundaries, Fame Spreads in All Directions (8)

Xingnan Prefecture, besides the Prefectural City, governs six counties, namely Yuzhao, Jiujun, Yunxiang, Jinling, and Yinling. Among them, Jinling, Yinling, and Tongling are collectively referred to as the Sanling Region because during the Divine Dynasty era, these three counties were united. Only after the Rakshasa Holy Sect occupied Yongzhou were they separated.

The previous ruler of the Sanling Region was the Shen family.

Shen Gufan was not very famous, though he was known as the Swordsman in White. Outside rumors suggested his cultivation level was only that of a Great Grandmaster of the Fourth Realm, enough to intimidate smaller forces, but clearly insufficient to garner the attention of Hou Yuxiao.

What truly made Hou Yuxiao take notice of Shen Gufan and begin to take an interest in the Shen family stemmed from a successful visit to the Prefectural City by Hou Yujie and Hou Yuduan three years ago.

At that time, he captured the Zhu sisters, learned about the Jinling Death Order, and sent Fourth Elder and Old Fifth to deal with this issue while buying supplies at Xiong Yun Gang. Later, after Fourth Elder and Old Fifth successfully exterminated the Zhu family, they informed him of the entire process.

This included the relationship between the Zhu and Shen families, how Shen Gufan watched the elimination of the Zhu family without intervening, and the unusually smooth journey to the Prefectural City. After understanding the details, Hou Yuxiao began to pay attention to the Shen family, previously the rulers of the Sanling Region.

The smooth acquisition of supplies for the Hou family in Prefectural City was certainly influenced by Zhan Taiqing to some extent. However, it was strange that the whole process not only avoided price gouging but also allowed credit.

After all, Xiong Yun Gang was the real ruler of Xingnan Prefecture. Facing a rising force on their own turf, why weren't they suppressed?

There could only be one explanation, they knew that they were not the real rulers of Xingnan Prefecture, or they had concerns.

Fearing the Hou family? Impossible!

At that time, the Hou family had only tens of thousands of martial artists, and Hou Yuxiao's fame was much less than now, hardly enough to cause Xiong Yun Gang any concern. So, who were they afraid of?

Hou Yuxiao then suspected the Shen family...

Without investigation, one remains ignorant; upon investigating, Hou Yuxiao was truly shocked.

Firstly, the Shen family's status in Jinling County was unbelievably stable; five consecutive County Magistrates and Deputy Magistrates were firmly suppressed by the reclusive Shen Gufan.

Secondly, the Zhu family, which had been secretly nurtured by the Shen family as an assassin organization, had survived so many years without being eliminated. Old Fifth once said that had it not been for the Hou family following Zhan Taiqing on a campaign against Hedong at that time, with the Shen family being cautious, and Shen Gufan forcibly held back, he and Hou Yujie might not have managed to exterminate the Zhu family.

Moreover, the presence of the Shen family was incredibly low, which was astonishing. Anyone in the martial world, whether individuals or organizations, seeks either fame or profit. The fact that the Shen family, with such capabilities, rarely interacted with the outside world was even more suspicious.

Lastly, the most important point, the dominant second-rate force in Yunxiang County, a military fabrication family, also bore the surname Shen...

The high reputation of the Shen family in Jinling proved that their family's strength must be exceptional. Under such premises, deliberately reducing interaction with the outside world must mean they were hiding something. Most likely, they were hiding their true strength. Assuming the military fabrication family in Yunxiang County and the Jinling Shen family belong to the same family, then everything makes sense.

The reason Xiong Yun Gang was so cooperative with the Hou family at that time was to see the Hou family, backed by Zhan Taiqing, grow in Tongling to balance the Shen family. And the Shen family, to avoid attracting the attention of Zhan Taiqing or even the Holy Church, could bear letting Fourth Elder and Old Fifth eliminate the Zhu family without intervening. This alone proves the Shen family's schemes are absolutely astonishing.

If previously Hou Yuxiao was only speculating, then the moment Wan Renjue stepped forward trying to get him to spare Yan Sandong, he knew his suspicions were correct.

The real strength of the Shen family must be very strong, so powerful that even Wan Renjue is wary. The previous cooperation with the Hou family in recruiting and purchasing, and now pleading for Yan Sandong, were his ways to use both sides to balance against the Shen family.

At this moment, Shen Gufan's initiative to challenge Hou Yuxiao also undoubtedly indicated that not only had the Shen family hidden their strength, but this head of the Shen family was certainly not just a Great Grandmaster of the Fourth Realm as rumored.

"So what, does the Master of the Hou family dare not accept Mr. Shen's challenge?"

The main hall of Shengxin Residence had already had its roof blown away, and though people were dispersed about a hundred meters away, their gazes were still fixed here. Seeing Shen Gufan using provocation on Hou Yuxiao, their expressions became even more puzzled.

Hou Yuxiao of course would not be easily angered, but seeing the puzzled expressions on the faces of the people around, he unavoidably grew more wary of Shen Gufan, who remained composed and calm in his white attire.

The reason for the crowd's puzzlement, of course, was that they felt Shen Gufan, with only the cultivation of a Great Grandmaster of the Fourth Realm and the Shen family being merely a second-rate force, should not dare to disrespect the Hou family like this. This further proved that the head of the Shen family and the family behind him had disguised themselves extremely well.

Of course, there were some in the crowd who were not puzzled, such as Wan Renjue, who had just about attacked Hou Yuxiao, and the leaders of the first-class forces from the other three prefectures, who clearly knew more about Shen Gufan.

Hou Yuxiao did not respond to Shen Gufan, merely handed Wan Xingyun, whom he was holding in his hand, to Hou Yucheng, then closed his eyes. After a brief silence, he nodded slightly.

Shen Gufan seemed to have anticipated this, a flash of cold light in his eyes. A streak of silver light flew from his head, which he caught in his hand, and then boldly leapt into the air, standing opposite Hou Yuxiao. He clasped his hands and said, "Cold Light Sword, please enlighten me!"

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