Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains-Chapter 531 - 249, North of the River Gujiang_2

"As soon as he said that, the faces of those who had been asking questions immediately changed, and their expressions became more focused, eagerly anticipating the continued story from the storyteller."

...

"Your subordinate pays respects to the Family Head!"

Hou Yuxiao had been listening so intently that he was startled when interrupted, only to find that it was Hou Ying who had come over.

"I was wondering why I hadn’t seen you all come out these days; turns out there’s a hidden world beneath this ship with storytelling, gambling houses, markets, restaurants... truly, it has everything!"

Only upon witnessing the scene below the ship’s cabin did Hou Yuxiao realize why so many vigorous martial artists packed together hadn’t caused any trouble; it turned out there was a small town below, no wonder.

"I didn’t know at first either, it was Hou Fei who told me. All these facilities below the cabin seem to have been set up by the Lu Clan, all we need to do is register with them to use them. They do not charge rent, but they take twenty percent of the profits as a trade tax."

"This Lu Clan really knows how to run a business."

Martial artists capable of long-distance travel, regardless of whether they were loose cultivators or from powerful groups, generally had considerable wealth and were known to spend generously. With these facilities, not only did the Lu Clan alleviate the monotony of the long time spent at sea and prevent fights from breaking out on board, but they also made money on the side—to kill two birds with one stone.

The fact that they did not charge rent was very appealing, and although taking twenty percent in trade taxes might seem large for the operators, with so many people together, that was definitely a considerable sum.

"May I ask if the Master of the Hou Family is present?"

Just as Hou Yuxiao was about to speak to Hou Ying, a young voice suddenly came from the side. He turned to see a young man of similar age, smiling kindly at him. The young man’s clothes were embroidered with a symbol of three water drops.

Three drops of water, the family emblem of the GuJiang Lu Clan, similar to Hou Clan’s black and white dual-colored lotus.

Hou Yuxiao, recognizing the identity of the visitor, immediately felt a chill in his heart and hurriedly returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, "Indeed, it is I. May I ask which son of the Lu Clan you are?"

"I am the second son of the Lu Clan, Lu Yuanfu. I heard from the servants that since boarding the ship, the Master of the Hou Family has been in secluded cultivation in his cabin. Counting the days, it has been twenty days now. No wonder the Master of the Hou Family possesses such cultivation and diligence; it truly makes Lu feel somewhat ashamed!"

Hou Yuxiao had a certain understanding of the Lu Clan, knowing that the Lu Clan currently had eight generations active outside, named Saint Kong, Ji Zu, Ming Dian, and Kai Yuan, belonging to the Yuan generation. This must be from the youngest generation of the Lu Clan, active outside.

The youngest generation, and already having the cultivation of a Second Realm Grandmaster...

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

A flicker of surprise crossed Hou Yuxiao’s eyes, not only because of Lu Yuanfu’s cultivation, but also his attitude at the moment.

The GuJiang Lu Clan, one of the top Earth-Level great powers in the world. If Lu Yuanfu claimed to be the second son, then he must definitely be of the direct line of the Lu Clan. A direct descendant of such a powerful family being so courteous to him was clearly extraordinary.

What he did not know was that at this moment, Lu Yuanfu, looking at Hou Yuxiao, felt not just shock, but already deep astonishment.

"Twenty days, continuously in seclusion for twenty days. Hou Yuxiao seems not yet thirty, yet to have such a mindset is truly staggering."

Although Hou Yuxiao wasn’t aware of the situation on the ship, Lu Yuanfu had it clear. Those who could continuously stay in seclusion for ten days on a ship were essentially Great Grandmasters of the Saint Realm, and the strongest among them, those of the Martial Arts Experts of the Yin Yang Holy Realm, might last up to half a month. To stay secluded for twenty days without leaving the cabin, in his experience, seemed... only something that the experts of the Shattered Realm could achieve.

And Hou Yuxiao, according to his recent inquiry among the seniors on the ship, seemed to only be of the Grandmaster Realm.

Incorrect, what does "only of the Grandmaster Realm" imply? By comparing the length of seclusion with cultivation level, a grandmaster under thirty is rare throughout the world; in the thousand-year heritage of the Lu Clan, such geniuses appeared only three to four times per generation.

It should be said, to actually possess the cultivation of the Grandmaster Realm.

No wonder, no wonder he, still so young, had managed to stir up both Xuzhou and Yongzhou; perhaps the Hou Family, having risen to become a major clan within just three years, owed much to this Family Head.

"Young Master Lu is too kind; this is my first time navigating such waters, and I am unfamiliar with many things. For instance, without coming down to see for myself today out of sheer boredom, I might not even know about this hidden gem until we disembarked," Hou Yuxiao replied.

"That was my oversight. I should have informed the Master of the Hou Family as soon as we boarded earlier; later, I thought to inform you, but I was worried it might disturb your cultivation."

"This formal address as Master of the Hou Family seems a bit awkward between us, given we are of similar age. If Young Master Lu doesn’t mind, we could address each other as brothers; how about that?" Hou Yuxiao spoke with a tentative tone, although his cultivation surpassed Lu Yuanfu’s, by birth, Lu was much higher. However, since Lu Yuanfu’s attitude was indeed friendly, he too harbored thoughts of making an acquaintance.

The GuJiang Lu Clan, while being the weakest of the three great maritime powers, was still one of the twenty-two Earth-Level great powers in the world, formidable enough to dominate a province, and stronger—not weaker—than the Hou Family. Additionally, considering the Lu Clan’s maritime sphere of influence centered around the middle course, precisely between Yongzhou and Xuzhou, making ties with such a person was naturally highly beneficial.

It was only a question of whether the other party saw him in the same light...

It might seem a bit humble, but Hou Yuxiao was quite clear about his own position, even if the actual strength of the Hou Family at present was at most, merely first-class, standing no comparison to Earth-Level powers, let alone a maritime hegemon like the Lu Clan.