Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

From Lingyuan Governor's City to Hexi Prefectural City, one must first head west to Longguan Ferry, cross the Tongtian River by boat to reach Longxiang Ferry, then continue west through Wanyang County City, and finally arrive at Hexi Prefectural City.

Hou Yuxiao had arrived with three hundred and one people, but when returning, they were not alone; besides Zhao Qingxue, the new bride, the dowry provided by the Ziqing Holy Sect alone filled five horse-drawn carriages.

In addition, there were a total of two hundred servants and maids, fortunately, all of them possessed Cultivation, with more than half being in the Gang Qi Realm, capable of withstanding the rigors of travel, which did not overly delay the return journey.

The five horse-drawn carriages still caused some delay. They departed from Lingyuan Governor's City on the fifth of June, and it was not until the evening of the sixth that Hou Yuxiao and his group boarded the ship at Longguan Ferry and began crossing the river to return to Hexi.

"Son-in-law, before the ceremony of honoring heaven and earth, the bride's red veil must not be lifted, and for the next two days, you must also avoid impropriety by not staying in the same cabin as the young mistress. Once we arrive at Hexi Prefectural City and have performed the ceremony, and the young mistress officially leaves her maiden home, then the two of you can meet."

The warship had already set sail from Longguan Ferry for over an hour when Hou Yuxiao, on a whim, wanted to see Zhao Qingxue. However, he hadn't even reached Zhao Qingxue's cabin when he was stopped at the door.

The one who stopped him was Qingliu, the leader of Zhao Qingxue's maids, who possessed the Cultivation of a Second Realm Grandmaster. Though in her forties or fifties, she looked younger due to her Cultivation, and had a quite fiery personality, with only a few daring to stop Hou Yuxiao, given his current fame.

"We have been traveling for two days, and I just wanted to ask if Qingxue needs anything or if she feels unwell. Sister Qing, please don't misunderstand, Mr. Hou is not that impatient!"

Qingliu was one of the two hundred dowry members accompanying Zhao Qingxue, and after Zhao Qingxue would marry, they would be family. Hou Yuxiao naturally wasn't offended, but he explained with a slightly awkward expression.

However, this explanation, seemingly hiding more than it revealed, immediately caused Qingliu and the other maids behind her to giggle at his embarrassed demeanor.

Qingliu also covered her face and chuckled softly, whispering, "Son-in-law, rest assured, I will take good care of the young mistress. Before we reach Hexi, I assure you she will be completely safe. If any issue arises, you can hold me accountable, but for now, entering the young mistress's room is forbidden!"

"Well, fine. I'll be in the next cabin. If Qingxue needs anything, just let me know."

"We'll have to continue our journey early tomorrow; son-in-law, you better rest early."

Hou Yuxiao nodded and could only turn away.

Qingliu softly chuckled a few more times, then turned and walked back into the cabin, seeing Zhao Qingxue standing by the doorway's window sill, secretly lifting her veil to watch Hou Yuxiao walk away, which made her giggle again.

"I thought it was the son-in-law who was impatient. It seems, young mistress, that the truly impatient one is you."

"Sister Qing, don't talk nonsense..."

The already slightly guilty Zhao Qingxue blushed fiercely at the teasing, turned back to look at Qingliu with an expression that was half-smiling, half-serious, and stamped her foot in a little show of anger.

...

Hou Yuxiao sat quietly in his cabin with a solemn expression. He wanted to check on Zhao Qingxue, but not out of impatience—merely to ensure her safety. From the moment they left Lingyuan Governor's City, despite no apparent disturbances, he dared not relax his guard.

With such a significant matter as the Hexi Alliance, how could there not be any ripples? The number of people opposed to Hexi's success was legion.

Initially, he expected that once they left Lingyuan Governor's City, they would likely be followed, and possibly even confronted. But now, already aboard the ship and crossing the Tongtian River, there had been neither pursuit nor attack…

This not only failed to comfort Hou Yuxiao, but it made him even more vigilant.

The quieter things were, the more it proved something was off.

"With the River Lord here, crossing the river should not be a problem. If no one acts from Hedong and the Tongtian River remains calm, then my initial suspicion was likely correct—that place must be it!"

Hou Yuxiao inwardly muttered, not resting but instead releasing his Cultivation to envelop the entire warship, focusing especially on the cabin next to Zhao Qingxue's. Better safe than sorry, and after all, ensuring Zhao Qingxue's safety was his top priority.

With the highest Cultivation on the ship, even though Zhao Qingxue had the Cultivation of a Saint-grade Grandmaster, she could not detect his awareness. He could act unrestrainedly.

"Don't worry!"

As Hou Yuxiao prepared to close his eyes and nourish his spirit, suddenly a steady middle-aged man's voice rang by his ear. He jerked sharply, almost bouncing off the couch, and turned to look at the man sitting at the desk on the right side of the cabin, his pupils filled with shock.

It was a man in a dark gold armor, stout in build, and with his back to him. From Hou Yuxiao's perspective, the man seemed like a small mountain—solid and weighty. Even though the man didn't emit any aura, the pressure Hou Yuxiao felt exceeded any opponent he had faced before.

Entering his room silently, less than five meters away from him, and even starting to speak before he noticed?

Hou Yuxiao knew very well what this implied.

He was now in the Qiányáng Realm, and with the Divine Lotus-sensed Saint-grade Martial Arts he cultivated, even a Shattered Realm master could not approach him soundlessly.