Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8551 8551: Ghostly shadow (1)

Although Yu Qing officially held the rank of Elder within the Yin Ghost Sect, he possessed no genuine authority. His nominal position was merely as an Elder of the Yin Wind Ghost Island. Despite his status, his cultivation had yet to reach the prestigious Island Lord level. He remained stuck in the Refinement Realm, and his true origins were a secret guarded even from his closest peers; he had never once disclosed that he was a descendant of the Yu family from the Yin Yang Sect.

It is likely that no living member of the Yin Yang Sect’s Yu family retains a memory of him today. Had you asked a century ago, however, the answer would have been vastly different. Back then, the Yu family was illustrious, boasting a millennium of history. They counted several powerful Elders among their ranks—not mere minor officials, but formidable figures comparable to the six great elders of the Bloody Murder Sect.

Yet, that era ended two centuries ago. Following the passing of their most influential Elder, the Yu family began a steady descent into obscurity. While they still maintained a few experts at the Island Lord level, their former glory had faded. One hundred years later, with the deaths of those surviving powerhouses, the family crumbled into total decline.

One fateful night, a coalition of experts launched a brutal assault on the Yu family. The entire lineage was wiped out, with only Yu Qing surviving. His survival was purely accidental, as his very existence had been kept hidden. Since birth, Yu Qing had been raised in secret by family retainers on an island belonging to the Yin Ghost Sect, having been sent there to infiltrate the sect and master their forbidden cultivation techniques. The family had hoped that by learning these dark arts, they could reclaim their lost strength, planning to eventually bring Yu Qing home once his training was complete.

Yu Qing served as a clandestine spy, yet this isolation proved to be his salvation. Because his connection to the family was strictly one-way and his existence was unknown to outsiders, the perpetrators of the massacre never considered him a target. Thus, while his kin were slaughtered, he drifted through the disaster entirely untouched.

Though he survived, the annihilation of his clan left him crippled by inner demons. Once a promising talent, his progress stagnated, and he slowly faded into the background as an unremarkable cultivator. Fuelled by a desire for retribution, he spent years investigating the destruction of his home.

Despite his low profile, he utilized lingering connections and resources kept by his remaining servants to piece together the truth. Eventually, he discovered that his family’s ruin had been orchestrated by the Tang family, a rival clan within the Yin Yang Sect.

The Tang family had been a long-standing ally, boasting an equal history. In truth, the master of the Tang family had once been a mere servant to the head of the Yu family. Thanks to his natural talent and the guidance of the Yu elders, he eventually earned his freedom and the right to establish his own branch. For generations, the Tangs positioned themselves as humble retainers, gaining the deepest trust of the Yu family.

No one could have foreseen the depth of their treachery. Fueled by resentment over being perpetually overshadowed, the head of the Tang family conspired with other Yin Yang Sect figures to eliminate the Grand Elder of the Yu family. After clearing the strongest obstacle, they systematically picked off the remaining Island Lord-level experts before finally unleashing the might of the entire Tang Clan to execute a total purge.

By usurping the Yu family’s assets, the Tang family solidified their power. For Yu Qing, this revelation was both a boon and a curse. While he finally identified his enemy, the Tang family had grown formidable, commanding roughly thirty Island Lord-level experts. They stood as one of the most powerful factions in the Yin Yang Sect, rendering vengeance seem like an impossible dream.

Frustration over his inability to strike back against such a behemoth only deepened his stagnation. He remained a minor elder on a remote island; his life was stable, but his cause felt hopeless. His days were spent in a cycle of limited resources and grief.

Fortunately, loyal servants from his former household remained by his side, managing small businesses in the Yin Ghost Sect to sustain him. Despite being a cultivator in the Dharma stage, the weight of his hundred-year life had aged him prematurely; he appeared to be a man in his sixties, rather than the youthful figure a typical cultivator his age should possess.

He usually hid his withered face behind the dark robes common to all Yin Ghost Sect disciples. Only his most loyal servants, the keepers of his secrets, ever saw his true face.

One day, after finishing a session of silent meditation, Yu Qing sat in his modest courtyard. As a low-ranking elder, his living quarters were restricted in size, fitting his quiet, reclusive lifestyle. He rarely interacted with the outside world, his mind perpetually occupied by thoughts of his fallen family.

A sudden, sharp knock at the gate interrupted his thoughts. Sensing the intruder, Yu Qing recognized the aged servant who had raised him. This man was the backbone of his remaining household, the one who had kept his small group of survivors unified after the purge. Treating the man with immense respect as if he were his own uncle, Yu Qing rose quickly to greet him.

Opening the gate, he clasped his hands and frowned with concern. 'Uncle Yi, why are you here? Is something amiss?' He ushered the man inside, noting his breathless, urgent demeanor. After the old servant scanned the area and insisted on moving inside, Yu Qing sealed the courtyard with a restriction barrier.

Once the room was secure, Uncle Yi let out a ragged breath. 'Young Master, I have news. Have you heard of the Ghost Shadow Group?'

Yu Qing blinked, confused. 'The Ghost Shadow Group? I have never heard of such a faction. Are they bandits? Could they be linked to the Ghostwind outlaws?'

Uncle Yi shook his head quickly. 'No, they are a new organization of assassins. I heard they accept all manner of missions at reasonable prices. We have managed to save a significant sum of resources; perhaps we could pay them to eliminate the Tang family.'

Yu Qing scoffed, shaking his head. 'Uncle Yi, that is impossible. We know nothing of this group’s capability. Even the Rahu Sect would tremble at the thought of moving against the Tang family. They have over thirty expert Island Lords; how could a random group of mercenaries accept such a suicide mission?'

Even the prestigious Rahu Sect, famous for their assassinations, avoided tangling with targets as heavily guarded as members of the Tang family. To kill an Island Lord was to risk catastrophic retaliation, and they typically reserved their skills for less protected targets. It was simply not a task an unknown, fledgling group would ever dream of touching.

Uncle Yi persisted, his eyes intense. 'Young Master, I have verified this. I heard they have recently completed contracts on Island Lord-level experts, including one from the Fierce Sword Sect. The target is dead, though the truth has not yet been publicized. I believe they possess the strength to take the job, provided we offer the right compensation.'