Uncle Nine: Scattering beans to create soldiers? I'm using plants and trees to create soldiers.

Smoke filled the security team's barracks.

Awei was sitting with his legs crossed, exchanging pleasantries with Boss Wang next to him.

Just as the two were chatting happily...

A security guard walked quickly in and announced loudly.

"Captain! Uncle Nine's eldest disciple, that young Taoist priest named Lin Xuan, has arrived. He says he has something important to discuss with you."

"Lin Xuan?" Awei's brows furrowed instantly, and he muttered to himself.

Why isn't this kid guarding his broken coffins at the mortuary? What's he doing here at the security team so early in the morning?

Could it be... because of the unidentified body that was pulled from the Beiqing River?

With that thought in mind, Awei casually waved his hand and said, "Let him in."

A moment later, steady footsteps came from outside the door.

Lin Xuan, dressed in a tall and straight blue Taoist robe, strode into the barracks with a posture as upright as a pine tree.

His face was calm, and his eyes were as cold as an abyss.

The otherworldly aura he exuded, cultivated through years of Taoist practice and chanting, instantly brought a sense of solemnity to the previously chaotic security team hall.

"Captain Awei, I've come today because of the unidentified corpse in Beiqinghe last night."

Lin Xuan nodded slightly, and without further ado, went straight to the point, saying, "At the bottom of the Beiqing River, there lurks a water ghost with considerable power!"

The water corpse from last night was almost raised in the mortuary because it was corrupted by its yin energy!

To prevent innocent civilians from losing their lives, I suggest that the security team immediately block the lower reaches of the Beiqing River and strictly prohibit anyone from approaching!

Upon hearing this, Boss Wang, who had been all smiles, froze instantly.

His sparse eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes glanced cryptically at Awei in the main seat.

He has a shipment of "heavy goods" to transport by water tonight. If the river is blocked, how will he sell it to his employer?!

Upon hearing that the river was to be sealed off, Awei immediately straightened his face and refused in an official tone: "Sealing off the river? Lin Xuan, are you kidding me!"

The Beiqing River is a vital waterway connecting our Renjia Town to the provincial capital. How many boats travel back and forth every day?!

If this waterway is blocked, how will the merchants in town do business? Will you compensate for the economic losses? Absolutely not!

Upon hearing this, Boss Wang breathed a sigh of relief and immediately chimed in obsequiously, "Yes, young Taoist priest, you cultivators can't just believe everything you hear. If the waterway stops, how are we honest merchants supposed to survive?"

Lin Xuan's gaze shifted slightly, landing on the portly Boss Wang.

With his refined Dao Qi perception, Lin Xuan keenly sensed that although Boss Wang was dressed in gold and silver, his forehead was dark and he was surrounded by a lingering, cold, earthy smell.

"A chilling aura clings to me, the earthy smell seeps into my bones..."

Lin Xuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he understood.

Is this still considered legitimate business?

This person is most likely involved in shady dealings such as tomb raiding, grave robbing, and smuggling funerary objects.

Lin Xuan glanced at the other party coldly, but did not say anything, and then looked away.

He knew that Awei had some truth to what he said.

The Beiqing River is a vital waterway leading to the provincial capital. During the day, the yang energy is abundant, so a direct, sweeping closure would indeed face too much resistance.

So he took a step back, his tone slightly somber: "During the day, the yang energy is strong, so boats can still navigate. But after nightfall, the yin energy becomes overwhelming, and the filthy creatures at the bottom of the water will surely come out looking for scapegoats. Tonight, the river must be blocked off!"

"Not even at night!"

Without a second thought, Awei decisively refused again.

He had just received money from Boss Wang and promised to release a batch of "shady" goods tonight.

If they collect the money one minute and then block the river the next, where will I, as the security captain, put my face?

Who would dare to give him money in the future?

Having thought it through,

Awei stood up, pushed up his glasses, and retorted, "Lin Xuan, aren't you a Taoist priest from Maoshan?"

Since you keep saying there's something dirty in the water, why don't you just go and catch it yourself? Why come to my security team?

Could it be... that your Maoshan Sect is a fraud, lacking the actual ability to exorcise demons?!

Faced with Awei's provocation and mockery, Lin Xuan not only did not get angry, but instead curled up a smile that was not quite a smile.

Awei's vehement opposition to his suggestion, even disregarding the lives of the townspeople, suggests he might be involved in some shady dealings.

Even his collaborators might be people right next to him!

Lin Xuan stared directly at Awei's oily face and spoke in a low, eerie tone, "Captain Awei is absolutely right. Exorcising demons and protecting the righteous path is naturally the duty of us cultivators. However, that water ghost is very cunning, hiding in the deepest, most yin places of the water, and rarely showing itself. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

Awei felt a chill run down his spine under Lin Xuan's deep gaze and subconsciously swallowed.

"Unless there is human blood to feed them, they will be willing to go into the water as bait."

Lin Xuan slowly dusted off the cuffs of his Taoist robe, looking at him with a half-smile, "I've heard that Captain Awei has always been brave and fearless, loves the people like his own children, and often 'mingles' with the common people."

How about we trouble Captain Awei to personally board the boat tonight and act as bait in the middle of the river?

"If that water ghost dares to show its face, Lin guarantees to execute it on the spot and not let the captain lose a single hair!"

"ah?!"

Awei's face turned pale instantly, and like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he stumbled back two steps, his back slamming into the armchair with a thud.

He frantically clutched his sidearm at his waist, stammering, "You...you shut up! I'm the security captain! How could I be bait for a water ghost? You...you're clearly using this to settle a personal score and trying to kill me! I think you're just bad at it..."

Before Lin Xuan could respond, a deep and authoritative voice suddenly came from the barracks entrance:

"Awei, how dare you speak to Master Lin like that?!"

Everyone turned around and saw Master Ren, Ren Fa, walking in dressed in expensive silk, holding a walnut in his hand, his face ashen.

Beside Ren Fa was a middle-aged businessman who was also heavily pregnant, but looked somewhat haggard.

The haggard merchant saw Lin Xuan as if he had seen a savior.

He rushed forward, forcing a smile, and cupped his hands, saying, "This must be Master Lin, Uncle Nine's esteemed disciple? I've long admired your name; meeting you today, you truly are a handsome and refined gentleman!"

Lin Xuan nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, and returned the greeting with neither servility nor arrogance: "You're too kind, layman. Hello."

Ren Fa walked up to Awei and said with a stern face, "Awei, Uncle Jiu is a highly accomplished master of the Maoshan Sect, whose supernatural powers are unfathomable!"

Our Renjia Town has been peaceful and safe for so many years, thanks to Uncle Jiu's leadership.

Master Xiaolin is Uncle Nine's top disciple, having inherited all of his true teachings. His skills far surpass those of ordinary people!

You should take Master Lin's advice and block off the river tonight!

Awei was reprimanded in public, his face turning pale and then red, and he was extremely unhappy.

My own uncle-in-law actually sided with an outsider and slapped me in the face!

If we really follow Ren Fa's wishes and seal the river today, not only will we be unable to explain it to Boss Wang, but how will we be able to hold our heads high in front of our subordinates in the future?

But looking back, if it weren't for Ren Fa, I wouldn't have become the captain of this security team!

During his two years in office, he made a lot of money off his position.

After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, Awei gritted his teeth and said, forcing a smile, "Uncle, it's not that I'm being disrespectful. This river... really can't be blocked off!"

So many people rely on river transport for their livelihood! If I were to actually block the river, the people would be furious with me!

Besides, he didn't say how long the lockdown would last! If it's for ten days or eight days, how am I supposed to explain it to my superiors? This isn't my fault; it's Lin Xuan's fault for being incompetent..."

"Awei!"

Ren Fa frowned deeply and immediately interrupted Awei.

Seeing the atmosphere had reached a freezing point, and fearing that the fire at the city gate would spread to the innocent, Boss Wang quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Oh, please calm down, Master Ren. Captain Wei was only thinking about the town's livelihood; it's understandable!"

Boss Wang's eyes lit up, and a plan came to mind. He smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Actually... regarding the dirty things at the bottom of the water, I do know a Taoist priest from the Lushan Sect who is traveling around here."

That Taoist priest is highly skilled in magic. How about I pay for him to go to Beiqinghe to take a look?

As he spoke, Boss Wang cautiously glanced around at everyone.

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into a brief silence.

Mr. Ren and the haggard-looking Boss Zhang did not immediately express their opinions, but instead turned their gazes to Lin Xuan, their expressions full of seeking his opinion.

Seeing this, Awei was so angry he was grinding his teeth!

He was clearly the powerful security captain, so why did everyone defer to this little Taoist priest when it came to crucial moments?!

Despite the stares of the crowd, Lin Xuan remained calm and composed.

"The Lushan Sect?"

He pondered to himself.

The Lushan lineage has a long history, and it is said that its ancestral temple was submerged beneath a water palace. The lineage contains many secret techniques for capturing water ghosts and slaying dragons.

If a legitimate Lushan Taoist priest were to take action, dealing with a vengeful ghost in deep water would indeed be much easier than for him.

Moreover, the two [Yinshui Grass] plants that he planted last night, which have undergone a quality leap to white, still need some time to mature.

He had originally planned to wait for the Yin Water Grass to mature, and then use it as a medium to create water-attribute "Grass Soldiers" to retrieve ghosts from underwater.

Now that someone is willing to act as "free labor" to investigate, he's happy to have some free time.

Thinking of this, Lin Xuan smiled gently, nodded slightly, and said calmly, "The fellow Daoist from the Lushan Sect is proficient in water magic. If we can ask him to help, that would be excellent. Since Boss Wang has this connection, let him give it a try."

Seeing that even Lin Xuan, this "expert," nodded, Boss Wang felt as if he had been granted a pardon and repeatedly clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Alright! Then I'll go and invite that expert over right now!"

After saying that, he slipped out the door as if his feet were greased.

Now that the matter had been settled, Lin Xuan did not intend to linger there any longer. He bowed slightly to Master Ren and prepared to turn and leave.

"Master Lin, please wait!"

Seeing that Lin Xuan was about to leave, Ren Fa quickly stepped forward and called out to him, "Young Daoist Lin, don't be in such a hurry to leave. I've come here this time because I have something to ask of you."

As he spoke, Ren Fa pulled over the haggard-looking Mr. Zhang beside him and sighed, "This Mr. Zhang is a good friend of mine in business. Recently, some evil things have happened in his family, causing unrest in their home. Uncle Jiu isn't here, so I'd like to ask Master Lin to condescend to take a look at Mr. Zhang's house and see if they've encountered any evil spirits."

Boss Zhang stepped forward, his voice trembling, "Master Lin, please lend a hand."