Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains-Chapter 72 - 059, Holy Church New Moon Division [Request for Adoption!]

"In the thirteen provinces under Heaven, any family that wishes to be considered first-rate must have a recommendation co-signed by the County Magistrate and Deputy Magistrate of the higher-level jurisdiction, and then the Prefectural Governor must make the final determination, enter their name in the official register, and issue a formal ascension edict. Only then can they truly be counted among the elite."

By that time, you would enjoy the privileges afforded to third-rate forces, such as tax reductions, recommendation spots, and travel permits..."

Tax reduction, recommendation spots, and travel permits—Sikong Yue spoke these three terms easily, and Hou Yuxiao's eyes immediately revealed a hint of longing.

As for tax reduction, a non-ranked force like the Hou Family is required to pay forty percent of the taxes to the local county government. Once considered third-rate, the taxes can be reduced by ten percent, and first-rate forces need only pay ten percent.

The second privilege—recommendation spots—refers to the selection and recommendation of officials across the provinces and counties.

The Holy Church primarily relies on two channels to govern the provinces: the county system and the Prison Admin Department, with the latter being strictly under surveillance by the Church, leaving no room for others to intervene. However, it's different with the counties.

Even though martial artists of the day wield great power and personal martial strength is key no matter the position, issues such as the livelihoods of the people, trade, and local safety must also be taken into account. The administrative chief not only needs to have capability and prestige, but also the support of the people. Merely having martial strength is, of course, insufficient!

Therefore, when appointing county administrative chiefs, the Holy Church opts for selection rather than direct appointment.

This selection process takes into account not just martial strength but also wisdom, reputation, and even managerial capabilities. A selection is held every five years at the prefectural level, and the candidates who partake in the selection are those who have been granted these so-called recommendation spots.

Third-rate forces have one spot for recommendation each time, second-rate have three, Earth Level major forces have five, and Heavenly Level major forces have seven.

Just think about that old bastard Ren Feng and how much he has embezzled from Zhaoyang County over the past twenty years, and you'll understand how important these recommendation spots are.

And the third term, travel permits, is even more crucial!

The largest means by which the provinces oversee personnel movement is through travel permits issued across the regions. That is to say, permits not only serve as proof of travel but can also be used for positioning. Besides being issued by official bodies in various places, ranked forces are also authorized to issue them.

Of course, there are limitations, for example, third-rate issued permits allow for unobstructed passage through a county, second-rate one through a prefecture, and first-rate through one circuit, while Earth Level travel permits allow passage through an entire province. As for Heavenly Level forces, they can virtually travel through any state, provided the relationship isn't too hostile.

Tax reduction influences interests, recommendation spots signify the leap in social strata, while the issuance of travel permits represents the authority of freedom. These three principal terms are the foundational structure of the five-tier force system and the core reason why forces throughout The World break their heads trying to get ranked or even advanced.

The five-tier force system is not merely empty talk; it is an established system recognized by the ten great saintly forces and has been tested over a millennium!

You may say this system is unfair or that it's a tool used by the ten great Holy Lands to rule The World, but the fact is, no matter which force you belong to, as long as you are not at the level of the ten great Holy Lands, you must adhere to this system.

All martial world characters are obsessed with being ranked, and Hou Yuxiao, who has already become part of this world, is no exception!

The threshold for third-rate forces is not too high, as long as you have a Warrior of the Gang Qi Realm in place. The Hou Clan has Hou Yuxiao, a Gathering Evil Phase Warrior who defeated Tian Linong, and with the unification of Zhaoyang County this round, the number of Martial Sect Disciples can easily reach a thousand. It's safe to say the threshold has already been touched!

The problem now is that to be formally promoted into the ranks, you must secure a joint recommendation from the County Magistrate and Deputy Magistrate of Tongling County, followed by a final decision from the Prefectural Governor of Xingnan Prefecture.

This hard-and-fast rule is something that Hou Yuxiao cannot avoid.

Hou Yuxiao had long been aware of this, and he also fully understood what Sikong Yue meant when he said, "It is almost impossible for the Hou Clan to become a ranked force."

The County Magistrate of Tongling County is named Fan Longhe, while the Deputy Magistrate from the Prison Admin Department is named Ding Dian. Ding Dian has three disciples, with the youngest named Cheng Yue...

"I've heard of this Fan Longhe; his character is decent. As long as you take care of what needs to be managed according to the rules, he should not make things difficult for you.

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The problem lies with Ding Dian. You've offended Cheng Yue to this extent, do you think it's possible for him to give a joint recommendation with Fan Longhe for your Hou Clan to become a ranked force?"

Thud...

"The Holy Maiden sees clearly, Mr. Hou's heart is filled with loyalty to the Holy Church and to Yongzhou, which heaven and Earth can witness. Mr. Hou today boldly requests the Holy Maiden to give him a chance to serve the Holy Church. From now on, should the Holy Church command, whether to ascend a mountain of swords or plunge into a sea of flames, Mr. Hou shall never refuse!"

Watching Hou Yuxiao's expression feign sincerity, as he spoke such unbelievable words, a hint of amusement flashed in Sikong Yue's eyes.

"Talking to someone smart really saves trouble. I can help you with the issue of Ding Dian, and even with the Prefectural Governor of Xingnan Prefecture, Peng Yuhu, I can put in a word or two. However, what can you do for me?

As a smart man, you surely don't think that mere lip service can earn you such a big favor, right?"

Hou Yuxiao, of course, didn't expect Sikong Yue to believe his nonsense. He was very clear about what Sikong Yue wanted, and that was the reason he had the confidence to turn to Sikong Yue for backing.

"Mr. Hou pledges his life to guarantee that as long as the Hou Clan exists, we will ensure that not an inch of Zhaoyang County's territory is lost. If there's any negligence, the Holy Maiden is free to take my life!"

He found that whether it was Cheng Yue or the present Sikong Yue, or even the three maids by her side, these people bore absolute loyalty to the Rakshasa Holy Sect!

Take Cheng Yue, for instance. On that night at the county government, despite being toyed with to that extent by him when activating the barrier, Cheng Yue still prioritized it as his foremost duty, choosing to entangle Lu Fangweng even though he knew he had been played by him.

Then there were the three maids who, to protect Zhaoyang, faced off against Tian Linong, Tong Hu, and Helian Wuji—three masters from the Tiger List—at the risk of their own lives.

And Sikong Yue, a person who was nearly at the pinnacle of the world in terms of background and talent—money, martial arts, treasures, elixirs; Hou Yuxiao was certain that she could have whatever she desired.

Even if Hou Yuxiao were to offer the entire Hou Clan, Sikong Yue would not likely be interested. What she wanted was either Zhaoyang County, or rather, ensuring that the Holy Church's territory remained intact.

Conveniently, Hou Yuxiao also had no desire to lose Zhaoyang County!

On this issue, the two of them were indeed in agreement, so the pledge Hou Yuxiao made was sincere and genuinely without any negligence.

But after waiting for a while, he heard nothing from Sikong Yue. Just as he couldn't help wanting to look up to see what was happening, Sikong Yue suddenly spoke.

"Two years ago, during the martial meeting in the Great Jin Divine Capital at the Holy Land, I sensed that the Holy Lands of various states were making moves. After returning to the Yongzhou Main Altar, I established the Holy Church New Moon Division to monitor the movements of each state and maintain the stability within our territories of Yongzhou!"

Sikong Yue's words seemed a bit abrupt, but understanding the subtext, Hou Yuxiao's face already wore an excited smile.

"Hou Yuxiao, I now formally accept you into our Holy Church New Moon Division and appoint you as the Zhaoyang Division Chief. Your duty is to monitor the borders with Xuzhou, and report any anomalies immediately to your superiors and to me."

While speaking, Sikong Yue conjured two objects out of thin air, one a golden paper and the other a copper token.

"Mr. Hou gives thanks for the Holy Maiden's favor!"

A gleam shone in Hou Yuxiao's eyes as he respectfully stepped forward to receive the two items, not even looking at them, and he bowed deeply to Sikong Yue, with a tone filled with utmost respect.

"Rakshasa shall never perish, the Holy Church eternal. Zhaoyang Division Chief Hou Yuxiao greets the Holy Maiden!"

It was with this bow that a great weight finally settled in Hou Yuxiao's heart.

From the moment he uttered these words, Sikong Yue became a firm and truly stable support for him; forget about being second-rate, as long as the Hou Family had sufficient strength, rising to become a first-class power in the future shouldn't pose much of a problem...