Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

His expression changed abruptly as he hurriedly sensed the situation in the neighboring room, aware that Zhao QingXue was still there. Although he let out a great sigh of relief, what followed was worry for the journey after reaching Hexi Prefecture tomorrow.

......

New Yu Era 1327, early June 7th

At Longxiang Ferry, the well-prepared thirty thousand soldiers of Hou Clan's Red Flame Army had been waiting for quite some time. Three hundred White Feather Guards, along with the carriage of Zhao QingXue, were escorted ashore, and the Red Flame Army, mounted on their war horses, immediately split into two, surrounding the carriage in the middle.

In the front line of the army, a towering brawny man clad in black armor galloped forward on his war horse and bowed to Hou Yuxiao, saying, "Family Head, shall we start the journey immediately?"

"Changlong, it's you who came this time?"

Seeing that Hou Yuxiao recognized him, the brawny man lifted his head and smiled, "Fifth Young Master arranged for the three of us brothers to come together this time. Family Head, rest assured, we will ensure the lady arrives safely at the Prefectural City without fail!"

The Gao brothers were originally from the Tongling Prefecture Army and had followed Hou Yuxiao during the Tongling uprising. Now, the eldest brother, Gao Changlong, is a Great Grandmaster of the Fourth Realm, while Gao Changhu and Gao Changbao, both Third Realm Grandmasters, serve as Commanders in Hou Clan's Red Flame Army, each leading ten thousand soldiers and considered the backbone of the Hexi military.

With these three present, Hou Yuxiao of course felt much more at ease.

However, to ensure absolute safety, relying on only these thirty thousand soldiers was definitely not enough...

Although this was what he thought, Hou Yuxiao, of course, wouldn't say it out loud to undercut Changlong's confidence. He looked up at the Official Road to the west of the ferry and nodded, "That's good then, let's move out!"

Gao Changlong nodded, turned around, and with his True Yuan, shouted at the army:

"The army departs, move out..."

The thirty thousand soldiers, along with three hundred White Feather Guards, escorting the carriage of Zhao QingXue, as well as the dowry attendants and supplies she brought with her, set off en masse.

Longxiang County was over three hundred li away from Wanyang County, and factoring in the distance to Hexi Prefectural City, the total distance was nearly five hundred li. An ordinary army would have taken six to seven days to travel this distance, but this time they were accompanied by the elite Red Flame Army, equipped with top-grade war horses, making their speed tens of times faster. According to the original plan, they should arrive at Wanglong Mountain by noon and reach Hexi Prefectural City by the Xu hour.

Throughout the journey, Hou Yuxiao's nerves were on edge, all due to the middle-aged man's words. The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it felt, and he increasingly believed that the situation might spiral out of his control, prompting him to become even more vigilant.

When they reached the boundary between Longxiang and Wanyang counties, particularly the Wanglong Mountain stretch where Leiyin Temple was most likely to make a move, he didn't dare to step away from Zhao QingXue's carriage for even a moment.

Leaving Longxiang County and just entering the territory of Wanyang County, that is, the western part of Wanglong Mountain.

The troops continued to advance swiftly, and although Hou Yuxiao was on horseback, his right hand was always resting on the carriage, never ceasing to sense the aura of his surroundings for a moment.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from beneath...

Hou Yuxiao's expression shifted and his pupils contracted sharply. Turning his head toward the carriage, his right hand swooped through the air, flipping the carriage cover open without a moment's hesitation. He lunged into the carriage, scooped up Zhao QingXue around her waist, and swiftly retreated.

Boom...

A powerful wave of Qi Force burst from beneath the ground and soared into the sky; the carriage, which had just been intact except for the cover flipped by Hou Yuxiao, disintegrated into ash in an instant.

Zhao QingXue's bridal attendants, the White Feather Guards, and the stopped Red Flame Army, still stunned by Hou Yuxiao's sudden outburst, watched as the carriage disintegrated. They quickly came to their senses, unleashed their cultivation, and loud shouts pierced the air.

"Assassins! There are assassins!"

"Quickly protect the Family Head and the lady."

"Change the central army to the front army, the front and rear armies to watch the Official Road, protect the lady!"

......

In contrast to the chaos among Zhao QingXue's bridal attendants, the three hundred White Feather Guards, and the thirty thousand Red Flame soldiers, were much more orderly.

The three hundred White Feather Guards immediately surrounded Hou Yuxiao.

Under the directions of the Gao brothers, the Red Flame Army swiftly altered their formation, enclosing the former position of the carriage in multiple layers inside and out.

After the destruction of the carriage, the dust billowing in the air took a while to settle; yet all Red Flame soldiers had already drawn their weapons, summoning their vitality, and faced that spot, ready for battle.