"Prepare yourself. We shall depart at late noon!"
Departing at late noon meant they would only arrive in the afternoon. Hou Yuxiao had arranged to go an entire hour later than planned, and Hou Fei, unsurprised, nodded in agreement and went to prepare.
"I had just returned and he invites me to a banquet; no good intentions there!"
Hou Yuxiao scoffed coldly, remembering Ren Feng, and a flash of cold light briefly glinted in his eyes before he resumed his steps toward Fifth Brother Hou Yuduan's residence at Ya Xiang Courtyard.
The Hou Family's large estate was divided into four gardens named Joyful Union, Cold Blade, Xue Yang, and Ya Xiang, which suggested differences between Fifth Brother Hou Yuduan and the other three.
Not only were the people different, but even the decor of their residences was distinct.
At the entrance of Ya Xiang Courtyard, two plum trees were planted, and on either side of the gateway hung a couplet: on the left, "The mountain of books has paths of diligence as its course," and on the right, "The sea of learning is boundless, with hardship as its boat."
It was the months of April and May, and the fragrance of flowers was overwhelming. As Hou Yuxiao approached, the sound of loud reading filled his ears...
"The Master said, 'It is virtuous manners which constitute the excellence of a neighborhood. If one does not possess virtuous manners, how can one be said to be educated?'"
"The Master said, 'One who is not benevolent cannot endure long in straitened circumstances or enjoy long in joyous circumstances. The benevolent finds tranquility in benevolence, and the wise profit from benevolence.'"
"The Master said, 'Only the benevolent are capable of loving or hating others.'"
"The Master said, 'If you set your mind on benevolence, you will be free from evil.'
...
Hou Yuxiao frowned deeply, struggled with himself for a long time, and several times turned around to leave. Yet before he could move, the sound of reading inside halted suddenly.
As soon as the voice paused, Hou Yuxiao's heart shivered. Before he could react, a voice came from just next to him.
"The Master said, 'Riches and honours are what men desire. If they cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Do you understand the meaning of this sentence, eldest brother?'"
Hou Yuxiao turned his head, looking at the young man who spoke, who was expectantly watching him with an awkward smile more pained than tears.
The young man's appearance was somewhat similar to Hou Yuxiao's, his figure more slender in a pale blue long robe. His refined appearance, though gentle, carried a profound sense of righteousness in his eyes.
Unlike the typically hunched-over scholars, his posture was as straight as an unyielding pine, and his hands holding the scrolls were remarkably powerful. Most importantly, his body emitted fluctuations of energy typical of someone who had reached the fifth level of body refinement.
If not Fifth Brother Hou Yuduan, then who else could it be?
Hou Yuxiao, having lived twice as long, had also read some books. When Hou Yuduan spoke these words, he knew they were a veiled reference to him taking money to Tianling County. Knowing Hou Yuduan to be difficult, he could only sincerely apologize: "That comes from the 'Book of Analects', from the section on benevolence. You are right to rebuke me, brother. I took without notifying, causing you much trouble, so here I am, apologizing to you first!"
Upon hearing Hou Yuxiao recite the source, Hou Yuduan's eyes brightened immediately, becoming rather enthusiastic. He thumped his chest and stamped his foot twice, pointing at Hou Yuxiao and saying, "Eldest brother, you ought to be the most talented among us five. Yet you do not venerate Confucius and Mencius, nor follow the Confucian Path, resulting in such a notorious reputation today!"
"Stop leading our kin into wrongdoing, turning Zhaoyang County into a place of despair. In the end, it will only backfire on yourself, just like it did with our father, ending the same way."
Hou Yuxiao: "..."
"Better to follow me on the Path of Confucianism. If we are fortunate to enter Bailu Academy, into Sage Gate, and benefit people, it may become a glorious story!"
Hou Yuxiao: "..."
"Look at Second Elder, who recently killed more than thirty people at Nanling Mountain. Even if those people were at fault, such reckless killings are not the answer. Killing to stop killing only leads to endless feuds, as the saying goes, 'When will retribution ever end…'"
...
"And Sister Three, it was bad enough for a young lady to act so manly, but to actually name her residence 'Joyful Union Pavilion,' it's so vulgar and coarse, showing no regard for feminine virtues. How will she ever marry in the future? A daughter obeys her father at home, but with Father gone, the eldest brother is like our father. Sister Three becoming like this, Elder Brother, you bear an inescapable responsibility."
"And Brother Four..."
"Fifth Brother, aren't you the one who pities those miners on Nanling Mountain and the herbal gatherers of our clan, wanting to improve their lives?"
Listening to Fifth Brother Hou Yuduan talk ceaselessly, Hou Yuxiao felt his head was about to explode. He seized the moment Fifth Brother paused to catch his breath and finally interjected.
Interrupted, a displeased look came over Hou Yuduan's face, but upon hearing Hou Yuxiao mention the miners, a hint of joy instantly appeared in his eyes. He said, "Elder Brother, have you finally come to your senses? Will you agree to let those more than five hundred miners go?"
......
Release those miners, and will our family have to live off the northwest wind?
Hou Yuxiao would never dare say this aloud. He had tried to persuade Fifth Brother before—not once had he succeeded, and each time Hou Yuduan could argue him into complete silence.
This year, Hou Yuduan turned twenty. Unlike other children, who began martial training at the age of two, from a young age he found martial warriors crude and held an extreme disdain for martial arts, shutting himself in to solely read texts by the sages.
At twelve, he was struck by a severe illness. After Hou Yuduan recovered, he began training in martial arts, but for a bizarre reason: he said it was to keep his body healthy so he could live longer and read more books...
All those readings of the sages' books were not in vain, whether it was for him, Hou Yuxiao, the Second Elder, the Third Elder, the Fourth Elder, or anyone in Zhaoyang County, none dared argue with Fifth Brother.
"Releasing them is definitely not possible, as these people indeed carry some crimes against them and still do not respect the Hou Clan. But considering their lives are indeed miserable, Fifth Brother, why don't you take responsibility for improving their lives, make it more comfortable for them, how about that?"
After much thought, Hou Yuxiao came up with this reason. Although Hou Yuduan was still unsatisfied, he felt it was at least a step forward and happily left to handle it.
"Elder Brother understanding their hardships today proves his kindness is not gone. As long as I continue to adhere to the way of the sages, I surely can persuade Elder Brother to embrace goodness, as well as Second Brother, Sister Three, and Brother Four—they all can!"
Watching Hou Yuduan scurry out, Hou Yuxiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. He truly didn't want to come to Ya Xiang Courtyard; each visit meant enduring Fifth Brother's grumbling from start to finish.
Unfortunately, the Hou Family's accounts were managed by Hou Yuduan, so he, as the eldest brother and Family Head, became the prime target of Hou Yuduan's earnest persuasions.
Persuade what?
Persuade him to also study the sages' books, do good deeds, follow The Righteous Path...
Thinking this through, Hou Yuxiao's head grew heavy.
Zhaoyang County is the stronghold of the Demon Path, you could manage to secretly study the sages' books, yet you go around loudly advocating good deeds, following The Righteous Path—what is this all about...
Hou Yuxiao shook his head, then suddenly turned to glance at a wing room on the western side of Ya Xiang Courtyard, a slight curve appearing at the corners of his mouth.
Inside, Tian Honglu and Duan Zhengqi were confined, the ones he had captured and brought back.
After standing nearby Ya Xiang Courtyard for a while longer, Hou Yuxiao walked back to the main hall and called over Hou Fei.
"Hou Fei, get ready, we're heading to Shengxin Tower!"
"I will prepare the horses immediately."