Hou Yuxiao's appearance underwent a transformation, and his entire aura shifted dramatically as a result.
His black, glossy hair fell straight down, his sharp eyebrows soared diagonally, and his starry eyes were slender yet carried a piercing sharpness. Coupled with his handsome face, he looked like a transcendent, unworldly sword. It was only due to the green garment draping his figure and the occasional faint smile on his lips that some of his sharpness was softened, adding a touch of gentleness.
If a stranger were present, they would surely exclaim in admiration that the title Thousand-Faced Handsome Man truly was not mistaken.
This face of Hou Yuxiao did indeed live up to the name.
Even though Hou Yucheng had witnessed his elder brother Hou Yuxiao transform many times, he still revealed a look of surprise in his eyes. If facial transformation techniques were as magical as the rumors suggested, then the world would have been in chaos long ago.
"What was the reaction of the other three families during the month I've been away?"
Hearing Hou Yuxiao's question, Hou Yucheng pondered for a moment then replied, "The Green Wolf Gang and Happy Forest people have started targeting our people in the Nanling mining area. The Flying Eagle Sect people are doing the same in the medicine harvesting areas. In this past month, the Hou Clan has lost more than thirty brothers!"
Hou Yuxiao's brows furrowed, and he asked, "Did it start the day I left?"
"That's correct. The news of your departure was known only to the four of us. Logically, it shouldn't have leaked out, but for some reason, the three families knew right away. I've thought it over and there can only be one reason!"
Hou Yuxiao sneered, looking up and saying, "Ren Feng?"
Hou Yucheng nodded, his face showing a trace of indignation as he said, "Big brother left Zhaoyang in disguise. The four of us could not have leaked the news. It could only be that the county government found out through the guide records. That old geezer Ren Feng, after taking so much money from our Hou Clan, has the audacity to join forces with the other three families against us!"
Indeed, Ren Feng had been the County Lord of Zhaoyang for almost twenty years. While their father, Hou Tong, was the Family Head, Ren Feng was already in Zhaoyang County. Over those twenty years, the money the Hou Clan had given him amounted to no less than one hundred thousand taels, not to mention the time two years ago when Hou Tong died and Hou Yuxiao, in his quest for a lifeline, nearly handed over all of the clan's wealth.
Despite having accepted these benefits, and the fact that Hou Yuxiao was at least his sworn son, Ren Feng offered no help after Hou Tong's death, and nearly kicked them while they were down. If Hou Yuxiao hadn't made a desperate move, using the Hou Clan's accumulated wealth to bribe him, Ren Feng might have already joined the three families in opposing him.
Now, only two years had passed and the Hou Clan was just beginning to recover, yet Ren Feng had already teamed up with the three families. It was no wonder Hou Yucheng was so indignant.
Hou Yuxiao, however, showed no surprise, only sneering, "If he can take money from our Hou Clan, he can naturally take it from the other three. Such a true villain doesn't frighten me. Whatever he's taken from me, someday I'll make him spit it all out, with interest!"
Although he said this, Hou Yuxiao still felt considerable pressure.
Two years ago, after Hou Tong's death, he had constantly meddled in the affairs of the three families to ensure the survival of the Hou Clan. At the core of it all was the support of County Lord Ren Feng. Now that Ren Feng had joined with the three families, the Hou Clan was indeed in peril.
Despite the improvements in the clan's strength over the past two years, including the development of clan industries and establishment of Hou Clan's armed forces, facing the combined might of the three families plus County Lord Ren Feng, victory was outright impossible.
"What is the current strength of the Hou Clan?"
Hou Yucheng shook his head and said, "The time is too short; the Upper Hou Gate has only established the Kui Sector. Besides the Dragon Head, Hou Fei, there are only thirty people."
"The Lower Hou Sect is also lacking a lot. Although the twelve factions have all been established, there are not so many people underneath. Currently, only the Zishu Faction is fully staffed, and the remaining eleven factions all have their commanders, but not as many people."
"Although the total number of people in the Hou Clan has exceeded a thousand, there are only 198 martial artists. To fully staff the Hou Clan's organization structure, I'm afraid that even if all the martial artists from Zhaoyang County were recruited, it still wouldn't be enough."
These situations were probably what Hou Yuxiao had guessed, so he didn't find them surprising when he heard about them.
The Hou Clan was founded by him a year ago. When Hou Tong was the family head, the Hou Clan's armed forces were relatively loose, and there was no exact number for martial arts provisions. After taking over as the family head, he took the opportunity to establish the Hou Clan.
The Hou Clan is divided into an upper and a lower sect, categorized according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
The Upper Hou Sect is divided into ten parts based on the ten Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui; each part has a Dragon Head leading fifty people.
The Lower Hou Sect, on the other hand, is divided into twelve factions based on the twelve Earthly Branches: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig; each faction has one hundred people, led by a commander.
According to his initial expectations, as the strongest martial force of the family, the Hou Clan would recruit martial artists with a minimum cultivation of five levels of body refinement. However, Zhaoyang County is still a small place after all, and even if he gathered all the martial artists, he wouldn't find enough people, so he had to lower the standards.
The current requirement for the ten Dragon Heads of the Upper Hou Sect is to have eight levels of body-opening cultivation or above, while the ordinary members should have at least three levels of body-opening cultivation. As for the commanders of the Lower Hou Sect's twelve branches, they should have a cultivation of at least six levels of body-opening, with ordinary members only requiring the first level.
However, unexpectedly, even with such low standards, the Upper Hou Sect has only managed to establish one Kui Sector, and even that sector isn't fully staffed yet. The Lower Hou Sect has only one fully staffed faction, and although the other eleven commanders are in place, there aren't enough people amongst their subordinates."
Seeing the frustration on Hou Yucheng's face, Hou Yuxiao laughed and asked, "What's the matter? Weren't you solemnly swearing to build up the Hou Clan before? Now you find it challenging?"
"It is indeed difficult; the key issue is that Zhaoyang County is too small, there aren't that many martial artists!"
"That's for now. What if in the future, our Hou Clan's influence expands into the county seat, or even into the prefecture? Then, will you still think there are too few martial artists?"
Upon hearing this, Hou Yucheng's face slightly brightened.
"It's understandable to feel defeated by an incomplete structure for now, but you shouldn't belittle yourself. Just compare us to the Green Wolf Gang, Happy Forest, and Flying Eagle Sect, those ragtag bands, and you'll see how strong we are!"
Only then did Hou Yucheng really nod his head and smile, "The three families currently have less than three hundred martial artists combined, and our Hou Clan alone nearly has two hundred. It's no wonder Ren Feng has joined forces with those three families now; after all, he fears our strength."
"Go on and keep busy. I'll be in seclusion in the coming days to comprehend the Yuan Gang Beads. If someone challenges us again, don't hold back. The more we tolerate, the further these jackals will go. That old fool Ren Feng has been loafing around Zhaoyang for over twenty years, and even on his deathbed, he wants to stir up trouble. Don't worry... he won't be jumping around for much longer!"
Hearing Hou Yuxiao mention his intention to comprehend the Yuan Gang Beads, Hou Yucheng's face brightened with excitement. He respectfully stood up, bid farewell, and left to attend to his own matters.