The entire first floor of Shengxin Residence fell silent in an instant!
Aside from the newly arrived members of the Hou Clan, the first floor held not only the three families of the Flying Eagle Sect and the four groups associated with Ren County Master, but also many other diners. However, no matter who it was, they were all stunned into silence by the extremely arrogant words of Hou Yuxiao.
The strength of the Hou Clan over the past two years was well recognized throughout Zhaoyang County.
But the words just now from Hou Yuxiao, weren't they a bit too brazen?
Who is Ren Feng?
That's the Count of Zhaoyang appointed by the Rakshasa Holy Sect!
True, Zhaoyang County is quite weak, probably ranking at the bottom among over two hundred counties in Yongzhou, but even so, it is still a small county with nearly four hundred thousand inhabitants, and Ren Feng is the County Master in charge of this county.
Even if Hou Yuxiao did not take this into account, at the very least, the man is a Warrior of the Gang Qi Realm!
The sole Warrior of the Gang Qi Realm in Zhaoyang County.
And Hou Yuxiao was openly sneering and cursing him to his face…
All eyes turned to Ren Feng, who was clad in a purple robe. Most of the diners watched the drama with the mentality of enjoying a spectacle without worrying about the consequences, but since it was the County Master who was being openly insulted, they dared not show any disrespect for fear of offending the County Master.
Not to mention them, even Hou Fei, the leader of the Kui Sector, and the thirty people from the Upper Hou Gate's Kui Sector he led, were filled with shock as they watched their own family head Hou Yuxiao.
Tie Budong, Tan Gang, and Gao Cheng, although expressionless, were already delighted inside. Seeing Hou Yuxiao offending Ren Feng like this, they could already imagine the downfall of the Hou Clan.
Meanwhile, Ren Feng, under everyone's gaze, had his old face turn completely the color of a pig's liver, his chest heaving violently, clearly about to explode with rage!
Hou Yuxiao was his sworn son. When he met Hou Tong over twenty years ago, Hou Yuxiao was just weaned. Even if you didn't consider seniority and status, he, as a revered Warrior of the Gang Qi Realm, being cursed like this by Hou Yuxiao in front of so many people, was like being viciously slapped twice in the face, no difference at all.
Ren Feng abruptly stood up, his gaze focused on the seated face of Hou Yuxiao, the intent to kill in his pupils nearly solidifying into substance. A faint yellow luminescence emerged around his body, with sharp edges piercing through it, as if his emotions were so agitated that his aged appearance momentarily seemed a few years younger.
However, the next second, the expression on Ren Feng's face froze completely…
Because a layer of fine black Gang Qi also emerged from Hou Yuxiao's body, lasting for less than two breaths, but he saw it clearly!
That brief black Gang Qi, for less than two breaths, caused Ren Feng's thoughts to twist and turn a thousand times. His boiling rage instantly cooled down.
How is that possible?
Did this boy break through?
He's only twenty-five years old, a Warrior of the Gang Qi Realm!
Right, this boy had gone to Tianling County, could it be that he gained some fortunate opportunity?
No wonder… no wonder he dared to be so arrogant. He had a reliance.
Ren Feng stared at Hou Yuxiao for more than ten breaths, his rage ultimately being washed away by the thoughts swirling in his head.
Ren Feng actually said nothing, snorted coldly, and turned to leave Shengxin Residence.
As a result, everyone who had been waiting for Ren Feng to make a move was stunned!
Tie Budong couldn't help wanting to call out to stop Ren Feng, but seeing his extremely sullen face, he hesitated twice and still didn't speak up.
Hou Yuxiao stood up at his own pace in front of the three men, showing no signs of anxiety from having insulted the County Master; instead, he appeared even more arrogant.
"Thought bringing the old fossil over would intimidate me, did you? From now on, in the iron mines of Nanling Mountain, anyone who dares to cross the line, no matter who, will be killed by the Hou Clan without exception, consider yourselves warned."
With a cold snort, Hou Yuxiao briskly dusted off his sleeves, ignoring the three men behind him raging to the point of madness, and turned to walk towards the doorway.
However, after just two steps, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and looked at a young man beside Tie Budong, a wicked smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Your wife Bai Yujie, she's quite luscious!"
"I'll kill you, Hou Yuxiao you bastard... I'll kill you... Ah..."
The young man, driven red-eyed by this single sentence, lunged out desperately trying to strike Hou Yuxiao, but after only taking one step, he was held back by Tie Budong who was beside him.
While Tie Budong was holding back his own son Tie Tucheng, his face was also turning bluish with anger, and his eyes seemed about to shoot fire at Hou Yuxiao.
Bai Yujie was his son Tie Tucheng's wife and his daughter-in-law. With Hou Yuxiao saying such things in front of so many people, it was a complete loss of face for both his Flying Eagle Sect and for him and his son.
If he was certain he could do it, even at the cost of his own life, he would have gone up to kill Hou Yuxiao today.
But just now, the powerful Count of Zhaoyang, a Gang Qi Realm warrior, had been forced to retreat by Hou Yuxiao; what good would it do for him to rush up?
As for his son Tie Tucheng, a Seventh Level of Body Opening cultivator rushing up would be like serving himself on a platter to Hou Yuxiao, and without his interception, it would be certain that a white-haired man would be sending off a man with black hair.
The concerted effort of four parties that had been prepared for a long time ended abruptly amidst Hou Yuxiao's arrogance...
After Hou Yuxiao's departure, the three parties discussed for a while before leaving Shengxin Residence together, heading towards the neighboring county government, clearly planning to consult with Ren Feng for a strategy.
The diners in Shengxin Residence, after everyone had left, burst into a round of discussions.
"Truly befitting of Hou Lao Da, even the County Master was suppressed by him!"
"Tsk, tsk, Tie Tucheng is wearing a green hat so tight that his face turned green with anger, just look at how pissed he was just now, hahaha."
"The number one villain of Zhaoyang, that's not just talk. Now that Hou Lao Da is back, those three families can't kick up any waves."
"Not necessarily, Ren Feng was offended too harshly; he's bound to look for a way to regain face. In my opinion, Hou Lao Da was somewhat unwise. By doing this, the county government will definitely join forces with those three families against him, and the Hou Clan's situation will likely become even more difficult..."
...
On the second floor of Shengxin Residence, three maids in black were covering their mouths with light laughter, seemingly amused by the scene that had just unfolded downstairs.
"That Hou Yuxiao, his face is indeed handsome, but he's too arrogant!"
"According to Manager Yuan, this Hou Yuxiao was once a notorious playboy. To be able to hold up the family business on his own two years after the loss of his father, and now even subtly dominating the other three families, he must indeed be capable. A bit of arrogance is probably warranted."
"However, that comment, 'your wife is quite moisturized,' was just… too crude."
"I just don't know what that 'moisturized' is supposed to mean…"
"Peony Herb surely knows what it means."
"Fu Ling, stop talking nonsense, I don't know at all!"
Amused by what Peony Herb said, the other two maids, Fu Ling and Peony, burst into bell-like laughter, teasing her until her ears turned thoroughly red before they let her be.
"That Hou Yuxiao… is not as simple as you think!"
The gentle and easygoing voice of a girl in blue interrupted the maids' jesting, but she did not elaborate further, as if Hou Yuxiao was not of any significance to her, her gaze fixated on the eastern direction.
......
What is evil?
Hou Yuxiao had pondered this question carefully, although he found no answer.
Having already died once, he still found it difficult to define 'evil' definitively, let alone to ask the myriad of living beings, who each have but one life, to define it, as they would have no answer either.
Just as yin contrasts yang, earth contrasts heaven, cold contrasts heat, all things in the world cannot escape duality, and thus, evil has its corresponding good.
Because there is yang, there is yin; because there is heaven, there is earth; and because there is heat, there is cold. From this, it follows that because there is good, there is evil. This is the truth Hou Yuxiao gleaned from living two lifetimes.
In his previous life, he had been a woefully good man, what others would call a virtuous person. He was not familiar with evil, but when it came to understanding goodness, he had profound insights.
When an elderly lady wanted to cross the street, he helped her.
When someone trembling from hunger wanted a meal, he provided it.
When someone down on their luck wanted money, he gave it away.
When someone harboring deep-seated vengeance wanted to exact revenge, he handed them the knife.
...
In the end, being good is satisfying the desires of others, regardless of how significant or trivial. As long as their desires are fulfilled, you are good.
Then, the opposite of good—evil—is easier to understand.
And the reason why Hou Yuxiao wanted to understand good and evil was none other than the Innate Good and Evil Divine Lotus suspended in his mind.
Inside Shengxin Residence, Ren Feng wished to scold him for gain and face, Tie Budong of Flying Eagle Sect, Gao Cheng of Happy Forest, Tan Gang of Green Wolf Gang—the reason these three wanted to suppress Hou Clan was plainly to gain more profits and a higher status.
Even the onlookers, though they had no grievances with Hou Yuxiao, were not exempt from disliking his arrogance, averse to seeing Hou Clan rise in power, hoping Ren Feng would step in to humiliate him, or even better, to behead him.
Do not be surprised; this is human nature, resentful of seeing others powerful, a common malady among folks.
But back in Shengxin Residence, he had severely damaged the pride of the four men, also thwarting all expectations among the onlookers; thus, to them, Hou Yuxiao's actions were a great evil.
Hou Yuxiao sat in the principal seat of the main hall of the Hou Clan, watching strands of black qi flow from the outside world onto the Divine Lotus in his mind, his eyes faintly filled with a trace of worry.
The six black and six white petals of the Divine Lotus still had only the first black petal illuminated. Although the black qi from his many wrongdoings filled it, because the second white petal had not yet lit up, it could not exert any effect.
"Just waiting for Old Fifth's good deeds now, to see if it lights up a white petal for me. The first ability the black petal gave was shapeshifting; the white petal should also be something significant!"
No sooner had Hou Yuxiao pondered to himself, than he heard a soft set of footsteps from outside and looked up.
Footsteps this light could only belong to Hou Fei with his light body.
"Family Head, Fifth Master has already gone to Nanling Mountain to find Fourth Master. He took two carts of supplies, probably to improve the lives of those miners as you mentioned," Hou Fei reported.
Improving the precarious lives of the miners was indeed a great act of kindness. Hou Yuxiao nodded his head and then heard Hou Fei speak again.
"However, Family Head, Fifth Master has taken the woman you locked up in the west wing. She seems to be quite familiar with Fifth Master by now, chatting and laughing all the way. Second Master is worried she'll run away and followed them. He asked me to come back first to report to you!"
Tian Honglu heading out with Hou Yuduan did not surprise Hou Yuxiao at all; he simply nodded quietly and said nothing.
And Hou Fei did not leave immediately, recalling the incident at Shengxin Residence, still worried, and asked softly, "Family Head, weren't we a bit too excessive back at Shengxin Residence? Tie Budong and the other three is one thing, but County Master Ren Feng seemed very angry. If things really escalate to a life-and-death struggle, I'm afraid..."
Hou Yuxiao scoffed coldly, with disdain, "A life-and-death struggle is a young man's game.
That old man is over a hundred years old and barely hanging on to life through his cultivation at the Gang Qi Realm. I purposely showed him a glimpse of Gang Qi to intimidate him.
If he's smart, he'll keep to himself, until my Hou Clan settles the score with the other three. If he still dares to make trouble then, I wouldn't mind personally sending him on his way!"
Despite his words, Hou Yuxiao's eyes held a trace of seriousness.
He was indeed on the verge of grasping the secrets of the Gang Qi Realm, bluffing was not a problem, but if Ren Feng truly became reckless, he wouldn't have much chance of winning.
But Ren Feng had already aligned with the three families, and if Hou Yuxiao showed any sign of weakness now, the opponent's boldness would only grow. That's why he did the opposite, keeping the other side guessing about his true capabilities, all to buy himself some more time.
"The Ferocious Mane should be taking effect, and as long as I don't reveal any flaws, they won't dare act rashly. Once I break through to the Gang Qi Realm, all difficulties will be easily resolved. And furthermore... once the first white petal lights up, I'll have another trick up my sleeve.
By then, Zhaoyang County will be ruled by my Hou Clan!"