Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

"The Great King summons you."

"Hou Hong obeys the command!"

The Messenger not only called Hou Hong by his name but after finishing, he rode the Xuanhu away without looking back. Hou Hong did not dare to show any emotion and simply lifted his head to gaze at the departing Golden Winged Xuanhu with a trace of envy in his eyes.

"I will return to the main camp first. Continue searching for demons and don't slack off."

"Yes!"

Hou Hong did not ride a horse but transformed into a streak of light, sprinting towards the direction of the Tianwei Army's main camp. The stepfather had sent a Messenger to inform him, indicating that there must be an important matter, so he dared not delay.

At the entrance of the Tianwei Army's main camp, Hou Hong, holding a token, walked unobstructed to the largest tent in the center. Next to the tent, a golden tiger-headed carriage was parked, with three Golden Winged Xuanhu lying on the ground, napping.

Hou Hong first bowed respectfully towards the tent, and upon seeing the three Xuanhu open their eyes briefly, he took a light breath before entering.

"Big brother!"

Upon entering the tent, Hou Hong saw the floor covered with red boxes, which made his eyes light up with a bit of speculation. But when he turned his head and saw his third brother, Hou Fei also present, greeting him with a forced smile, his expression immediately turned somber, and he nodded with a feigned smile.

At the top of the tent, a semi-transparent figure suddenly appeared. Both men hurriedly knelt and bowed, saying in unison, "We pay respects to Father King!"

"You two will take these betrothal gifts and my personal letter to Lingyuan Prefecture, to propose to Moxuzi for his female disciple Zhao Qingxue, who cultivates the 'Taishang Forgetful Way.' Among you, whoever marries her will inherit my throne," said the Wuwei King in a tone that was so calm that Hou Hong and Hou Fei were a bit slow to respond. It took them a good ten breaths, rooted to the spot, to make sure they had not misheard. Then, their faces broke into ecstatic joy, their eyes brimming with exhilaration and emotion.

With the Wuwei King himself offering a proposal, plus these betrothal gifts and the stepfather's personal letter, the marriage was almost certain. Moreover, the stepfather had personally promised that whoever married Zhao Qingxue could inherit the throne...

"Indeed, Guangling has been under siege for a long time, and the stepfather is getting impatient, wanting to seek aid from the Ziqing Holy Sect. The proposal is to solidify our relationship with the Ziqing Holy Sect, and that personal letter is surely for requesting help.

Last year, when the Wuwei King took Lingyuan Prefecture, he introduced the Ziqing Holy Sect. In February of this year, he directly handed Lingyuan Prefecture to Moxuzi before heading north to attack Guangling. Nevertheless, the Ziqing Holy Sect still refuses to publicly acknowledge its relationship with the Wuwei King, maintaining an aloof attitude. The father king must be growing desperate.

Moxuzi is about to succeed as the master of the Taishang Dao Lineage, and although Zhao Qingxue is his disciple, their relationship is like father and daughter. If she can be married, it would bring endless benefits. Now, with the father king maintaining a distant attitude towards Great Jin and being eager to cooperate with the Ziqing Holy Sect, if I have the status of Zhao Qingxue's husband, the father king will surely rely more on me. The inheritance of the throne might really be within reach."

Hou Hong knelt with his head bowed, his thoughts racing, and the joy in his eyes intensifying. Suddenly, thinking of something, he turned his head to glance at Hou Fei next to him, and their expressions both became somewhat sinister.

Clearly, both of them had come to the same conclusion...

"Originally, this opportunity was meant for Hou Zhan; it wasn't your turn. It's just a pity that he proved incompetent. When it comes to dealing with women, using some underhanded tactics is fine if it achieves the goal. I wouldn't mind. However, that fool not only failed to succeed but was also exposed and managed to offend Moxuzi, causing me to lose face. If you two screw up the same way, you needn't me to spell out the consequences, do you?"

Hou Hong and Hou Fei felt a chill in their hearts and prostrated even lower.

Although the six of them were all foster sons of the Wuwei King, there was almost no affection between them. The stepfather had no offspring of his own, so inevitably one of the six would inherit the throne. This was the primary reason for their mutual rivalry and vigilance.

Previously, the Second Elder, Hou Zhan, was indeed the most favored by the stepfather. Last time, he was even specifically sent to manage Yunmeng County, creating an opportunity for Hou Zhan to be alone with Zhao Qingxue.

They all knew what had happened afterward.

"This betrothal gift is not light; you will escort it together. Whoever succeeds will claim it. As for my personal letter, keep it with you. Moxuzi will know what to do when he sees it. Go now!"

"We obey, Father King."

Their voices echoed together as they bowed, took the boxes, and departed. Soon they led a small detachment of the Tianwei Army and set off without any delay.

On the main throne of the main tent, the ephemeral figure flickered twice in its place, watching the backs of the two departing figures. He shook his head and sighed softly.

...…

Lingyuan Governor's City

Originally under the rule of the Wanjian Holy Sect of Xuzhou, the city had changed hands last year after being conquered by the Wuwei King. The flag of the Great King now flew above its walls, and the forces of The Righteous Path within its six counties were either eliminated or had surrendered.

Although they had a new master in the form of Great Jin and now fell under the Demon Path, they were in actuality controlled only by the Wuwei King, Hou Jing. With Hou Jing refraining from any excessive actions over the six prefectures, the citizens, except for a portion affected by the previous wars, lived relatively peacefully.

However, the situation changed again in February of this year when the Wuwei King suddenly pulled together an army of five hundred thousand from the Tianwei Army and an additional three hundred thousand troops hastily assembled in Lingyuan Prefecture to support the campaign against Guangling Prefecture in the north.

This maneuver left everyone in Lingyuan Prefecture astounded.