Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

New Yu Era, Year 1336, February 5th

It has been over a month since the recovery of Pengkang and Xiapi's two prefectures. With the eradication of demons above the fourth rank throughout Jianye Prefecture, although the five counties under its jurisdiction are not yet a land of peace and prosperity, the people's hearts are stable, and people from all directions can freely move within the five counties of the prefecture.

Although the five counties and six cities of the prefecture are all in a state of reviving from ruin, compared to other places in Shenzhou, it's already commendable. After all, most of Shenzhou is still occupied by demons, and the only ones who have recovered more than a prefecture's territory are Great Jin, Divine Sect, Ziqing Holy Sect, and Bailu Academy, if you count the Hou Clan, that makes barely five families.

At the beginning of the demons' emergence, Jianye Prefecture City had a total population of over thirteen million ordinary people. Over these two years, although there have been casualties among the citizens due to intermittent wars, as the Hou Clan recovered more and more lost territories, people have been replenishing in time, hence the population is still on the rise. As of last month, not including the Hou Clan's grand army, the population of the entire prefecture city is over twenty million.

It should be known, the Hou Clan's army now numbers nearly twenty million.

Since the end of last month, after Hou Yucheng's final batch of troops returned, the Hou Clan only has a military presence of five million stationed separately in Fuyang, Jiuchi, Yeyun, Xiapi, and Pengkang's five counties, the remaining fifteen million strong army has all returned to the prefectural city.

This also means that including the Hou Clan's army, the prefecture city currently gathers a full thirty-five million people, far more than two years ago.

Fortunately, although Hou Yuduan has been in seclusion these past two years, he hasn't let go of Jianye Prefecture City's internal affairs one bit. As the emergence of demons shattered the original system of Shenzhou, Hou Yuduan's previously promulgated Hexi New Deal suddenly operated more smoothly.

The expansion of the prefecture city, the martial registry system, the abolition of martial artist forces... a series of measures, as long as they were orders from the Hou Clan, met with virtually no obstacles; the people almost unconditionally complied.

At first, the people of the Hou Clan couldn't quite understand it, but later realized the main reason was indeed the demons.

Whether in the past two years or at this time, the people and martial artists are well aware that their reliance is only on the Hou Clan. At this critical juncture, the only ones that can protect them from demon attacks are the Hou Clan, so they can only unconditionally follow the Hou Clan's orders, even higher cultivation martial artists can't help it.

Even if you're powerful, can you be stronger than a Saint?

Currently, second-rank demons could appear at any time, even Saints don't dare claim they're one hundred percent safe, let alone you.

Thus, on this basis, an enhanced version of the Hexi New Deal emerged as the times demanded, with tightened martial registry, stricter martial artist civilian area control, compilation and banning of martial arts texts, harsh penal laws on martial artists, all kinds of new policies, all came from Hou Yuduan.

The entire Jianye Prefecture City is increasingly moving in the direction initially envisioned by Hou Yuduan. During this period, Hou Yuxiao rather peacefully assumed the role of a hands-off shopkeeper, unless the grand army encounters demons it can't handle. Under normal circumstances, he remains in Zhaoyang Palace in the prefectural city to cultivate, with less presence than the always secluded Hou Yuduan.

However, today is different.

On the morning of February 5th, the whole city was discussing Hou Yuxiao. People voluntarily walked along the streets towards Zhaoyang Palace, all with brisk steps, jubilant faces, and happy smiles.

"Dazhao Holy Dynasty, our Jianye Prefecture City will be the Holy Capital from now on!"

"Hahaha, I've lived in Jianye for most of my life, never thought I would actually see this place become the capital of a dynasty, it's so worthwhile."

"Not necessarily, right? After reclaiming Hexi in the future, the Masters of Hou Clan will build the capital in Tao City, then Jianye at most is just the place where the empire began."

"Fool, haven't you seen the expansion of Jianye Prefecture City by the Hou Clan in the past two years? A city of forty million people, looking across the world, even the capitals of the thirteen provinces are only this big. Currently, demons are rampant everywhere, wars continue in various places, where can you find such a big city, Jianye Prefecture City is surely the Dazhao Holy Capital, there won't be any change."

"So, does this mean we will all be citizens of the Holy Capital in the future?"

"Hahahaha, then the land I own will be worth a lot of money."

...…

Indeed, today is the day when the Hou Clan establishes the Holy Dynasty, and the Family Head Hou Yuxiao ascends to the position of Great Emperor. The people voluntarily walking to Zhaoyang Palace is also to celebrate this joyous day, which is enough to be recorded in history.

From the early morning, the main roads of the prefectural city were already filled with the solemn Red Flame Army. Although their faces also carried a strong sense of joy, they strictly maintained the order of the streets, preventing anything negative from happening at such an important time today.

With over thirty-five million people squeezed into one city, even if nothing major happens, it's crowded, let alone such an important day today, where almost the entire city's people will gather near Zhaoyang Palace. Zhaoyang Palace is only so big, destined to be surrounded tightly. If no one maintains order, a small disturbance alone could result in a particularly large accident, so Hou Yucheng had made arrangements early on.

In the inner court of Zhaoyang Palace, on a square five or six li in radius, high-level martial artists of the Hou Clan were already standing. Outside the palace gates were top martial artists of the Hou Clan in plain clothes, with Hou Yucheng, Hou Yuling, Hou Yujie, and Hou Yuduan standing at the forefront.

Behind them were many Sub-Saints of Martial Dao led by Chu Kuangren and Lu Kangping; further back were leaders of some Earth Level forces, as well as Bai Yunfan, Liu Jianghong, Nie Xinchuan, Shen Gu Yun, Wan Xingyun... a series of martial artists who joined the Hou Clan early on, they now, basically all have reached the Broken Realm in cultivation,