Living In Another World With A Farm Chapter 8587: Variable (1)

Yu Qing went back to his room and summoned Uncle Yi there. As soon as Uncle Yi showed up, Yu Qing stared at him solemnly and declared in a grave tone, "Uncle Yi, I have something crucial to inform you about. Once you return, reach out to all our men and instruct them to stay alert. The moment I order a withdrawal, they must act without a second thought."

Uncle Yi gazed at Yu Qing with bewilderment. "Young master, are we pulling back? Where to? And how exactly?" As his foster uncle, he remained in the dark about this, sparking intense curiosity over Yu Qing's instructions. He knew little of Zhao Hai and his companions, nor the hidden underground realm, which led to his probing questions.

Yu Qing shook his head and replied, "No need to fret over the details. Just keep this in mind: when I command evacuation, hesitate not. If someone arrives to fetch you, offer no resistance. Things here might shift dramatically." Yu Qing understood clearly that the circumstances had likely altered. This was no longer merely a clash between two elders; mishandled, it could ensnare the entire Dark Ghost Sect.

Having been raised within the Dark Ghost Sect, Yu Qing—despite his Yu family roots—had arrived young and grown deeply acquainted with its operations. He grasped the sect's inner workings perfectly: the sect leader wielded hidden weakness, while the elders brimmed with overwhelming might, each pursuing their own agendas. On the surface, the Dark Ghost Sect appeared stable, yet fierce undercurrents of strife raged among the elders.

This incident saw Cheng Wanchun claim the Law Enforcement Hall disciples hailed from the authentic hall, dispatched by elder orders. Yet the sect master had granted no approval, twisting the affair's nature. Firstly, those Law Enforcement Hall disciples were genuine; Yu Qing's unauthorized slaying of them spelled serious trouble, far beyond mere error.

"Secondly, the Elders Guild erred too. Mobilizing Law Enforcement Hall forces without notifying or gaining the sect master's consent was inherently unlawful. But that paled in comparison. The true crux lay in the Elders Guild's stance on the issue.

Among the Dark Ghost Sect's eight great elders, Lin Dong would never endorse this—likely uninformed entirely. Had he known, he'd have barred those men from Yu Qing's island. Thus, the remaining elders had consented, at minimum five uniting in agreement. For Lin Dong, this spelled dire peril.

Lin Dong might remain oblivious still, unaware those Law Enforcement Hall elders were legitimate. This could well be Third Elder Jing Changtian's trap for him, sacrificing those elders to arm themselves against Lin Dong.

They had succeeded now: Gu Ming slew those men, and Lin Dong would stand by Gu Ming unwaveringly, pinning the blame squarely on him. Should the Elders Guild seize this pretext to target Lin Dong, his position would crumble perilously.

What followed hinged on unfolding events. Lin Dong held a disadvantaged edge, yet retained counterstrike potential. Overlook not the wildcard: the sect master. Though covertly frail, his grasped authority loomed large, with the Law Enforcement Hall ever under his dominion. Even Elders Guild summons required sect master clearance first. Yet they bypassed it, acting swiftly—a blatant defiance of the sect leader. Moreover, united elders might strip his remaining clout, an outrage he'd never abide.

This rendered the sect leader the pivotal uncertainty. Jing Changtian held advantage against Lin Dong, but at the cost of provoking the sect master. Should the sect leader back Lin Dong, the scheme might fizzle into nothingness.

Myriad schemes swirled through Yu Qing's thoughts, yet joy eluded him. While the sect master loomed as a wildcard here, a grander one overshadowed the entire saga: the Yin Yang Sect.

Yu Qing belonged to the Yu Clan of the Yin-Yang Sect, a lineage that had been utterly wiped out. Whatever the cause, the Yu Clan faced total extermination. Though the Tang Clan, chief architects of the Yu Clan's downfall, had itself been destroyed, plenty of their allies in that massacre lingered on. Learning of Yu Qing's survival, those foes would surely plot her demise. She posed a lurking threat, poised to exact revenge whenever possible. They refused to let her seize that chance, so they'd eliminate her without fail. Should Jing Changtian link up with them, their alliance would render Yu Qing's position far more precarious.

That said, Yu Qing held some hidden aces. Zhao Hai and his group formed her secret weapons. No one suspected she still had Zhao Hai and the others in her corner. These could prove decisive in the end. Yu Qing now placed full trust in Zhao Hai and his allies. They wouldn't abandon him. Hence, worry no longer plagued him.

Still, the path ahead rested on Yu Qing and her companions. Yu Qing exhaled deeply and declared in a grave tone, "Then let’s see. I want to see what you all want to do!" With those words, Yu Qing shut his eyes and settled into meditation. He knew full well that strength alone would shield him and compel others to value him more, ensuring they wouldn't cast him aside lightly.

Truth be told, Yu Qing's fears went beyond Gu Ming and his lot. He fretted over Zhao Hai and the others too. Yet his confidence in Zhao Hai's side outstripped that in Gu Ming's. Even so, he dreaded they might forsake him in a pinch. Such betrayal would leave him truly exposed. He recognized this cultivation yielded no breakthroughs, yet with no better options, he persisted in training.

As Yu Qing cultivated, Gu Ming rushed to Lin Dong, spilling every detail from Yu Qing Island. Lin Dong held his temper upon hearing it all. Instead, he pondered aloud, "Are you sure that they are Jing Changtian’s men?"

Gu Ming nodded. "It shouldn’t be wrong. Although I haven’t seen their identity token, I can tell from their behavior that it’s true. They ran away as soon as they saw me. We stopped them, and after they were caught by us, they took poison and committed suicide."

Lin Dong snorted coldly. "Why didn’t you check their identity cards? Don’t you know? Even in the sect’s Law Enforcement Hall, there were Jing Changtian’s men. If Jing Changtian had sent those people this time, wouldn’t it be more troublesome? You said that they committed suicide by taking poison, but they died here. Can we clear things up when the time comes?"

Gu Ming froze at Lin Dong’s words, his face shifting as he replied, "Yes, it’s this subordinate’s fault for not considering this properly. Elder, what do you think we should do about this matter?" He grasped now that if the foes had dispatched Law Enforcement Hall cultivators, dire trouble loomed.

Lin Dong paused briefly before intoning deeply, "You go back first. I’ll go see the Sect Leader right away and ask if he knows about this. If he knows about this, it means that he has agreed, and that’ll be even more difficult to deal with. If the Sect Leader doesn’t know about this, then there may be a glimmer of hope for the situation to turn around." Then Lin Dong rose and strode out, vanishing from the room in an instant.

Gu Ming trailed him swiftly, but Lin Dong had already vanished outside. Lin Dong's urgency was plain, forcing Gu Ming back to Ghost Bone Island. He hadn't overlooked the identity cards back then—he simply found none on the bodies. The poison they ingested was fierce, dissolving even their souls and leaving zero clues. Regret gnawed at him now, though nothing could change it. The deed was done, a blatant snare by the enemy. Acceptance was their only path.

Leaving the distressed Gu Ming behind, Lin Dong quitted his island and sped toward the Dark Ghost Sect's core territory, Dark Ghost Island. He sought the Sect Leader at once. As one of the eight great Elders, Lin Dong merited no slight; the Sect Leader welcomed him straight to the study.

Upon entering the sect master’s study, Lin Dong saw just a single figure present, one he recognized well. This individual ranked among the sect master’s most trusted aides, with power matching or exceeding Lin Dong’s own. Named Mogg, he stood right behind Yama Ling, the sect master. Lin Dong offered a deep bow to Yama Ling and declared, "Lin Dong greets the Sect Leader."

Yama Ling gave a slight nod and spoke in a grave tone, "Elder Lin, there’s no need for such courtesy. Please, sit down. What matter brings Elder Lin here today?" Yama Ling showed no hint of frailty. Before outsiders, the sect master projected a commanding aura, yet he understood his own situation all too well. In his role as sect master, contentment eluded him completely.

Yet he could do little about it. His plight stemmed not from personal frailty, but from the overwhelming might of the eight elders. Even back when his master ruled, those eight had already risen to dominance. He suspected their hand in his master’s death, though hard proof remained absent. His senior brother’s demise, however, tied directly to the eight elders—he had uncovered their role in assassinating him. That discovery forced Yama Ling into a low-key stance, pretending utter weakness. As the eight great elders grew stronger, he watched closely without idling; instead, he subtly stirred tensions among them. Their lack of harmony predated this, owing much to his hidden efforts. Of course, he’d never utter such truths aloud, much less betray them through actions.