Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

New Yu Era 1325, the first day of the eleventh month

At the gate of Hexi Prefectural City, two dust-covered young men in white dismounted and looked up at the city walls, faces alight with intense curiosity.

The one on the left, with a gentle demeanor and wearing a Confucian robe, exclaimed, "In just four short years, the Hou Clan has risen from an obscure small family to the respected rulers of a prefecture. I fear it would be hard to find another example like this in all thirteen provinces of The World."

The man on the right, with a longsword at his waist and sharp, handsome features, nodded in agreement, then chuckled softly and responded, "The Hou Clan does have some extraordinary aspects, but Brother Xiao needn't hold them in too high regard. As far as I know, their rise has been propelled by the pretty faces of a couple of young men."

"You mean the so-called Double Dragons of the Hou Family rumored outside?"

"Exactly, their Family Head, the Thousand-Faced Handsome Man Hou Yuxiao, first ingratiated himself with Sikong Yue, then later clung to the coattails of Fanyin Jialan Zhan Taiqing. With a Family Head like this, entangled with two generations of Demon Sect enchantresses, naturally no one in Yongzhou dares to offend the Hou Clan. In the recent conflict in Hedong, the Hou Clan played the part of a willing accomplice, leading a large army alongside the Rakshasa Holy Sect to invade Hedong. Delighted by their actions, Zhan Taiqing actually rewarded them with all four counties of Hexi."

As for that Zhao Yang Mo Ru Hou Yuduan..."

"The misfortune that befell Master Ji in Tongling a few years ago is rumored to have been closely linked to that Lord Hou, the Fifth Son, who was entangled with the third-rank Indestructible Realm demoness known as Maiden Hong, right?"

"I had forgotten that Master Ji was Brother Xiao's childhood mentor; I shouldn't have mentioned..."

"It's alright, I've heard from the elders at the academy and Brother Tian that though my teacher felt guilty towards his sister, in the end, he could face his own heart without shame, dying unblemished by the Confucian Sect. Although the path to Sub-saint was broken, in his dying moments he managed to eliminate a third-rank Indestructible Realm demon for the sake of all living beings. His was a death of martyrdom, and he died a noble death!"

The young man named Xiao, with a soft and gentle expression, did not show any sorrow for his late mentor. After speaking, he looked up at the gate of Hexi Prefecture with a hint of interest and continued, "However, according to Brother Tian, Master Ji seemed to hold that Lord Hou, the Fifth Son, in high regard. I know my mentor well, and there are very few Confucian Scholars in The World whom Master Ji 'esteemed' in such a way. During this trip to Hexi, I must make sure to pay a visit to this... Brother Hou!"

The other youth with a sword nodded and said, "I've come to Hexi this time to investigate the cause of Gu Chenfeng's death, and I fear I can't get around involving the Hou Clan."

"Does Brother Gu suspect someone from the Hou Clan did it?"

"Not necessarily. Gu Chenfeng died three years ago on the eve of the demon chaos in Tongling. At that time, there weren't a few in Tongling capable of killing him—the Haoran Holy Sect, Ziqing Holy Sect, Great Yu, Rakshasa Demon Religion, not to mention demons themselves. Back then, the strength of the Hou Clan's Master Hou Yuxiao was only at the first or second stage of Grandmaster; by all accounts, it shouldn't have been the work of the Hou Clan!"

Brother Gu paused for a moment, his eyes flashing with a chill as he said, "However, once I started investigating the Hou Clan, I discovered many irregularities. Zhaoyang, Tongling, Hexi, and then the chaos in Hedong; with each of the four major upheavals, the entrenched powers of Hexi Four Counties suffered losses to varying degrees, or even faced total annihilation, yet the Hou Clan emerged unscathed every time. Moreover, after each calamity, their power began to inflate rapidly. The entire family's rise has been so swift that it's become somewhat uncanny, and no longer conforms to the norm!"

Under normal circumstances, he shouldn't suspect that Gu Chenfeng was killed by the Hou Clan, but the very existence of the Hou Clan itself was not normal, which made suspicion inevitable...

"Before Gu Chenfeng's death, the Holy Blood Seal on his body was erased, making it impossible to find the murderer. But a great power of my sect managed to obtain a Restoring Spirit Talisman from the Taoist Ancestor, Shen Daoling. As long as I can get within ten meters of the murderer, that Holy Blood Seal will reappear. I want to see if it really was the Hou Clan that killed Gu Chenfeng!"

As they conversed, they had reached the city gate where a long line of people was waiting to enter the city. Without making a scene, they obediently lined up at the end of the queue. When their turn approached, they heard the exchanges between the city guards and those entering the city.

"Name?"

"Ge Yuan."

"Place of origin?"

"A resident of Lingyuan County, Longxiang County."

"Are you registered in the Martial Registry?"

"Yes, I am."

"Show me your badge, pay up one tael of Silver for entry, next!"

"Name?"

"Zhou Cheng."

"Place of origin?"

"A resident of Jinchuan County, Wanyang County."

"Are you registered in the Martial Registry?"

"No, I'm not."

"With Cultivation but no registration in the Martial Registry, pay five taels of Silver to enter the city!"

"Ah, my lord, isn't that a bit expensive?"

"What's with all the backtalk? If you want to go in, just pay up. There are registration sites all over Hexi Four Counties. You dare not register in the Martial Registry even though you have Cultivation; who else should be expensive if not you?"

......

"Martial Registry?"

A trace of curiosity immediately surfaced in Xiao Renfeng's eyes. Gu Nianqiu next to him wore a similar expression. Both, being quite worldly, had never heard of this "Martial Registry" before.

"The two young masters, you're from out of town, aren't you?"

"What gave it away, so obvious?"

Xiao Renfeng turned around, smiling at the elderly man behind him who had struck up conversation, sensing no Cultivation in the man, just an ordinary citizen. His curiosity intensified instantly, considering the state of The World was far from peaceful. Even within the territories of The Righteous Path's five states, such Cultivation-less elderly individuals would mostly avoid venturing outdoors, especially here in Hexi Prefecture, which belonged to Yongzhou, a place considered part of Demon Path territory.

"Of course, the quality of clothes on the two young masters and their fine horses gave it away. Moreover, not knowing about the Martial Registry nowadays is exceedingly rare."

The two young men were not surprised upon hearing this; their attire was of pure white, contrasting with the darker ways of Yongzhou.