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

Market street.

Lin Xuan carried a speckled chicken in one hand and a piece of pork belly in the other, walking along the street towards the mortuary.

now,

The hybrid blood lotus has been harvested. The lotus seeds and lotus roots are all useful, and the remaining large lotus leaves should not be wasted!

After all, those lotus leaves were nurtured by the residual essence of the Blood Soul Stone and possessed their own spirituality.

It would be such a waste to throw it away!

But if you make it into lotus leaf chicken, lotus leaf steamed pork, lotus leaf porridge, lotus leaf tea...

That's still a delicious treat!

Thinking of this, Lin Xuan looked at the speckled chicken in his hand, and another thought struck him: "Once the farmland in the backyard is expanded further, we really need to build a chicken coop."

The rooster is the king of the five birds, crowing at dawn, and is born with a pure yang energy.

Especially the big red rooster, which has more yang energy.

Taoists often rely on rooster blood when drawing talismans and setting up altars to ward off evil spirits.

In the past, mortuaries did not raise chickens because it was troublesome to manage them. Chickens eat grain and it was easy to make a mess of chicken droppings and feathers all over the yard.

Add to that Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, those two troublesome fellows who can't even take care of themselves. If you let them raise chickens, they'll probably starve to death in three days, lose them in five days, and end up eating them all in a month.

But things are different now.

The spiritual field in the backyard is beginning to take shape.

Soybeans, glutinous rice... various spiritual plants took root one after another.

As long as we can refine the Field Protector Soldiers or create a sufficiently reliable Herb and Wood Soldier, we can definitely clear out a plot of land to raise chickens.

Linggu feeds chickens, uses chicken blood to draw talismans, and uses chicken manure to fertilize the fields.

As for chicken, it can satisfy one's appetite, which is of course the most important thing!

In this way, all resources are used perfectly!

Then, Lin Xuan thought of the eleven blood lotus seeds he had just harvested.

Three of them were offered to Uncle Jiu.

Uncle Nine has been running around these days, searching for spiritual seeds and materials for him, and even went so far as to "borrow" favors from his fellow disciples. Naturally, Lin Xuan should repay him in kind.

As for Qiusheng and Wencai, they each received one.

Although these two junior brothers are usually unreliable, they have indeed become much more diligent recently.

Give them a blood lotus seed to replenish their qi and blood as an encouragement.

The remaining six were kept for his own use to cultivate the "Blood Lotus Horizontal Training Technique".

Just as I was pondering this, a familiar figure appeared at the intersection.

The man, carrying a bundle and with a ritual bell and horn hanging from his waist, was none other than Chen Bingwen, a Taoist priest of the Lushan School.

The red headscarf on the other person's body had been removed, and he looked less flamboyant and more disheveled than he had a few days ago.

Chen Bingwen paused slightly when he saw Lin Xuan.

Immediately, a smile appeared on his face, and he cupped his hands in greeting, "Fellow Daoist Lin."

"Fellow Daoist Chen," Lin Xuan also cupped his hands in greeting.

Chen Bingwen's gaze fell on the chicken and pork in Lin Xuan's hands, and his tense expression relaxed slightly. "Fellow Daoist Lin, are you preparing to go back and cook?"

Lin Xuan nodded and then extended an invitation, "I just collected some lotus leaves and am preparing to cook some dishes. If Fellow Daoist Chen doesn't mind, why don't we go to the mortuary for a meal?"

For the past two days, he has been staying in the mortuary as instructed by his Ninth Uncle, focusing on reciting scriptures and cultivating himself.

Chen Bingwen came twice, but didn't see anyone.

I rarely go out to buy some groceries today, and I didn't expect to run into this as soon as I stepped out the door.

Upon hearing this, Chen Bingwen quickly waved his hand, "No, no, I won't bother you this time."

Then, he straightened his expression and said in a somewhat desolate tone, "Actually, I came to say goodbye to you. I was planning to go to the mortuary to say goodbye in person, but I didn't expect to run into you here, which saved me the trouble of traveling."

"Oh?!" Lin Xuan's expression shifted slightly, and he raised an eyebrow. "Is Fellow Daoist Chen leaving?"

"Hmm." Chen Bingwen nodded heavily, let out a long sigh, and said frankly, "The incident involving the water ghost of Beiqing River has caused too much of a stir and almost led to a disaster. After the news spread, I'm afraid that people in Renjia Town and the surrounding villages will no longer dare to come to me for religious ceremonies."

He gave a wry smile and continued, "Staying here shamelessly will only make things more awkward. We Taoists rely on our reputation to make a living in the martial world. Now that our reputation is ruined, if we keep lingering, we'll only be talked about behind our backs. It's better to be decisive and go back to reflect on our mistakes."

Lin Xuan listened quietly, not saying anything to expose his embarrassment, but simply nodded slightly to show his understanding, "Then I wish Fellow Daoist Chen a safe journey and continued progress in his Daoist arts."

"If I'm still here next time you come to Renjia Town, I'll definitely treat you well."

Hearing Lin Xuan's words, which contained no hint of contempt or mockery, Chen Bingwen's expression softened, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He could tell that although Lin Xuan was young, he was broad-minded and truly did not look down on him in the slightest.

The more this happened, the more uncomfortable he felt.

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, then solemnly cupped his hands and said, "Definitely!"

"If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Lin's intervention in the Beiqinghe incident, I'm afraid I would have also perished there."

"After returning, I should go into seclusion for a while to avoid disgracing the Lushan Sect again."

Lin Xuan said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Chen knows when to advance and when to retreat, and is willing to take responsibility, which already surpasses many others."

Upon hearing this, Chen Bingwen nodded emphatically, "Fellow Daoist Lin's heartfelt words will be remembered by this humble Daoist. Then this humble Daoist will take his leave!"

After saying that, Chen Bingwen turned around and prepared to leave.

At this moment, Lin Xuan's eyes flashed, and he suddenly called out to him, "By the way, Fellow Daoist Chen, there's something I need to remind you of."

"Fellow Daoist Lin, please speak." Chen Bingwen's expression turned slightly serious.

Lin Xuan said, "The water ghost behind the North Qing River that day was a wicked cultivator who used strange methods to seize the Dharma essence in the water-suppressing stone. This person's methods are strange, and his schemes are not small. He also has arrangements in other places."

"If you encounter a similar situation while traveling, be careful and it's best to avoid getting involved."

Upon hearing this, Chen Bingwen's expression turned serious. "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Lin. I'll remember it."

After saying that, he cupped his hands again and said, "Fellow Daoist Lin, until we meet again."

"Until we meet again," Lin Xuan replied.

The two then parted ways.

Lin Xuan continued walking along the street and soon returned to the mortuary.

After that, they got busy.

Wash the lotus leaves, cut the pork, and prepare the Luhua chicken.

Soak soybeans in advance and blanch pork ribs to remove any unpleasant odor.

He is always decisive and efficient in his work. Although his knife skills are not at the chef level, they are steady and accurate.

Even after the thin blood lotus leaves are spread out, they still carry a faint fragrance.

Lin Xuan coated the marinated pork belly with rice flour and soybean flour, and then placed it in a lotus leaf.

The whole Luhua chicken is rubbed with salt, stuffed with scallions and ginger, then wrapped tightly in lotus leaves and tied with string.

Soybean and pork rib congee simmers slowly in a clay pot, releasing a rich aroma of soybeans as the steam rises.

Half an hour later, white smoke rose from the kitchen.

Three dishes were served on the wooden table in the main hall.

Chicken wrapped in lotus leaves!

Steamed Pork with Lotus Leaf!

Soybean and pork rib congee!

As soon as the dishes were served, their aroma wafted out as if it were free.

The aroma of lotus leaves mingles with the fragrance of meat, creating a flavor that is neither greasy nor lacking in warmth and nourishment.

"Dinner's ready!"

Lin Xuan took off his apron and called out to the courtyard.

In less than three breaths, the four of them, master and disciples, were already sitting neatly around the table.

"Wow! Senior Brother's cooking is absolutely amazing! It looks and smells delicious! It makes my mouth water just looking at it!"

Wen Cai's eyes lit up, and he was practically drooling as he spoke.

"Smells delicious!! I'm going to eat three big bowls today! Nobody stop me!"

Qiu Sheng, holding a washbasin, uttered some bold and ambitious words.

"It really smells delicious~~" Uncle Nine twitched his nose slightly and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Alright, stop staring, Master, let's start eating," Lin Xuan said with a slight smile.

"Hmm—" Uncle Jiu nodded, and just as he picked up his chopsticks to pick up a piece, Qiu Sheng's voice came from the side.

"I'm so hungry, I'm going to start eating!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Sheng picked up a piece of steamed pork and stuffed it into his mouth.

The meat is soft and tender, melting in your mouth.

The fragrance of lotus leaves mingled with the warm flow of blood and qi, sliding down the throat and into the abdomen.

Qiu Sheng felt a sudden warmth in his stomach, as if his limbs and bones had been soaked in hot water.

"Hiss!!!!" His eyes widened instantly. "It smells so good! It tastes so delicious!!"

Seeing this, Wencai quickly picked up a piece of pork rib and put it in his mouth.

The soybean and pork rib congee is thick and flavorful, with a rich soybean aroma and delicious bone broth. Unlike ordinary meat congee, it has a light and refreshing taste.

bang bang bang! ! !

Wen Cai was so excited that he slammed his hand on the table, muttering indistinctly, "These ribs are so delicious!"

The two of them kept their heads down, their chopsticks moving up and down, making indistinct swallowing sounds.

"It smells so good!! It smells amazing!"

"I want to eat three big bowls!!"

Seeing Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai's appearance, Uncle Jiu frowned immediately. "How can you wolf down your food like this!"

"Are you two reincarnations of starving ghosts?! A cultivator should have composure. Even eating should be done properly."

Faced with Uncle Nine's reprimand, Qiu Shengwen gave a vague reply and continued to wolf down his food.

Uncle Nine shook his head, looking disappointed in him.

He slowly and deliberately picked up the small bowl, elegantly picked up a piece of steamed pork with rice flour, and put it in his mouth.

Chew twice.

Suddenly, Uncle Nine froze in his tracks.

Then, his eyes suddenly widened.

next second!

Suddenly, a sharp "whoosh" sound pierced the air!

With a flick of his right wrist, Uncle Nine's two wooden chopsticks transformed into an afterimage barely perceptible to the naked eye, as if he were performing some supreme Maoshan sword technique.

In the blink of an eye!

All that could be heard was a soft "swish swish swish" sound.

A whole plate of steamed pork with rice flour, which was very generous in portion, was reduced by two-thirds in an instant. It was all piled up in Uncle Jiu's bowl, looking like a small pyramid!

Not only that,

The lotus leaf chicken that had been cut open had its two plump chicken legs nowhere to be found, lying steadily beside Uncle Jiu's bowl.

Qiu Sheng's chopsticks froze in mid-air: "..."

Wen Cai's mouth, which had just opened, was now agape: "..."

The two looked up at their master, who had just been emphasizing that "those who cultivate the Tao must have tranquility," and their minds went completely blank for a moment.

Did Master just use magic?!

They even used magic to grab the meat?!

Uncle Nine remained calm and composed, holding the bowl of "meat mountain," and said indifferently, "What are you looking at? You two are so young, with weak spleens and stomachs. Eating too much of this kind of highly nourishing food can easily cause your bodies to be unable to handle the nourishment, leading to internal heat attacking your heart. I'm just sharing the risk for you."

Qiu Sheng's lips twitched violently: "..."

Wen Cai was on the verge of tears: "..."

Lin Xuan almost burst out laughing while watching from the side.

Seeing that the group had almost licked the plate clean, he didn't hesitate any longer and decisively filled his own bowl to the brim.

Soon, the plates on the table were spotless, not a single drop of soup left.

And each of their bowls was overflowing.

The four exchanged glances, said no more nonsense, and began to eat heartily.

As the spiritual food entered his stomach, a warm sensation gradually spread along his meridians.

Lin Xuan could clearly feel that the residual qi and blood in the lotus leaf had seeped into his flesh, and combined with the qi-nourishing properties of soybeans, the two were indeed nourishing.

Although it is far inferior to directly consuming blood lotus seeds, it is gentler.

If you could eat like this every day, your qi and blood would be refined to a higher level.

After the meal, the four of them were sweating profusely, and their bellies were all rounder than the last.

After resting for a while, Qiu Shengwen went to a side room to meditate and aid digestion.

Lin Xuan then went to the backyard.

He stood in the open space and slowly assumed a boxing stance.

The methods of the Blood Lotus Horizontal Training Technique flowed through my mind.

The next moment, he mobilized his internal energy and began to hammer and strengthen his muscles, bones, and skin with each punch and movement.

The wind howled from the punch.

With each punch, it felt as if a hot furnace was slowly burning between his chest and abdomen.

The gentle energy and blood brought by the Blood Lotus Leaf Spiritual Food were gradually refined into his flesh and blood.

[Perform an effective body training session; Blood Lotus Horizontal Training proficiency +3]

[Perform an effective body training session; Blood Lotus Horizontal Training proficiency +2]

[Perform an effective body training session; Blood Lotus Horizontal Training proficiency +2]

......

After a period of practice, Lin Xuan slowly withdrew his fist.

He exhaled a breath of stale air and sensed that his vital energy had increased slightly.

Then I opened the panel and looked over.

【Blood Lotus Horizontal Training Lv2 (Gray) 28/200】

"Not bad~~ Although the lotus leaf doesn't contain much qi and blood, it still increased my proficiency by 28!"

"If you consume all the lotus seeds and blood lotus roots, your Qi and blood will increase, and you might be able to reach the threshold of Lv4."

Lin Xuan smiled with satisfaction and then went to the front yard.

The soybean pods in the front yard had dried and were piled up in a heap.

Lin Xuan picked up a wooden stick and began to knock on the bean pods.

The sound of slapping continued.

The dry, cracked pods were cracked open, and plump soybeans rolled out.

After threshing, Lin Xuan put the soybeans into a cloth bag to keep for future planting, grinding into powder, or making medicinal food.

Lin Xuan did not discard the remaining large pile of soybean stalks.

He sat cross-legged, using both hands to fold, interweave, and tie the straw.

Ordinary straws were quickly tied into the shape of a straw man in his hands.

Each time you make a straw effigy, your "Straw Soldier" proficiency increases by 1.

......

Dozens of inferior straw figures were quickly piled up to one side.

These soybean stalks are far less resilient than those of waterweed or glutinous rice stalks, and their spiritual energy is also weaker; they can only be considered practice materials.

Even a small mosquito bite is still meat; if it increases your skill level, it's not a waste.

Lin Xuan glanced at the remaining few thick main stems and a thought suddenly struck him.

He picked out the main stems, tied them together in a crisscross pattern, and filled the shape with thin straw, quickly forming a huge straw man about half the height of a person.

This straw figure was much taller than ordinary straw soldiers, with a broad chest and abdomen, and an internal cavity.

Lin Xuan put the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine and Little Gold inside to test them.

After the vines were hidden inside the straw man's body, they were able to coil around his limbs and torso.

Xiao Jin has enough space to move around, even when it's positioned in the chest and abdomen area.

If it were to be forged into a powerful weapon in the future, this structure would indeed be feasible.

However, Lin Xuan did not add the finishing touch.

The stems of the soybean grass are still too weak.

To truly unleash the power of the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine and Little Gold, one must use better spiritual herbs, vines, and bamboo bones to create the body.

Otherwise, if a battle breaks out, the straw doll itself will be unable to withstand it, resulting in a waste of materials.

Lin Xuan put the large straw doll away for the time being.

He didn't keep the remaining ordinary straw figures; instead, he burned them all to ashes.

After the ashes cooled, he carried the iron bucket and evenly scattered the ashes into the spirit field in the backyard.

Wood ash, though common, can fertilize fields.

In particular, these straw figures, having been crafted by Lin Xuan, have absorbed a trace of magical energy, making them even more fertile after being burned to ashes.

[Each effective fertilization increases basic cultivation skill proficiency by 2]

[Each effective fertilization increases basic cultivation skill proficiency by 2]

After finishing his farm work, Lin Xuan washed his hands, burned incense, and sat on a futon to recite the "Huang Ting Jing".

The chanting of sutras slowly rose and drifted throughout the courtyard.

Time passed by, second by second.

Afternoon, around 3 PM.

Suddenly, the gate of the mortuary was smashed.

"Bang bang bang!"

"Bang bang bang!"

The door panel vibrated, and dust fell in clumps.

"Uncle Nine!"

"Is Uncle Nine here?"

Anxious and panicked shouts came from outside.

Wen Cai had just finished meditating and digesting his medicinal diet. He was rubbing his stomach as he walked out when he heard the shout. He slipped on his cloth shoes and ran to open the door.

Lin Xuan stopped chanting the sutra and opened his eyes.

Uncle Nine also came out of the house.

The two of them went into the courtyard together.

The door creaked open.

A middle-aged couple dressed in coarse cloth shorts walked in, half-dragging and half-carrying a young man.

The young man dragged his feet on the ground, his head hung low, and his whole body looked as if his bones had been removed.

His eyes were sunken, his forehead was dark, his cheeks were emaciated, his lips were bluish-purple and cracked, and a faint aura of death emanated from beneath his skin.

He was clearly a young man in his early twenties, but at this moment he looked like a terminally ill, consumptive man, his yang energy so weak that it seemed like a candle that might be extinguished at any moment.

"Uncle Jiu!" The woman's knees buckled at the sight of Uncle Jiu, and she knelt down on the flagstones with a thud. "Please, please save my Shuanzi! You must save him!"

The woman cried until her voice was hoarse, and she kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead soon breaking open.

Uncle Nine frowned and quickly stepped forward to help the man up: "Get up and talk first, don't panic."

The woman cried uncontrollably, trembling all over, and clung to Uncle Jiu's sleeve, refusing to let go. "Uncle Jiu, I'm afraid my Shuanzi has been bewitched by a female ghost."

Upon hearing the words "female ghost," Wen Cai immediately shrank back.

Qiu Sheng also came out of the house. He originally wanted to join in the fun, but when he saw the young man's appearance, his expression became serious.

Uncle Jiu leaned closer and took a look at the young man named Shuanzi.

Shuanzi's eyes were unfocused, his pupils were unfocused, his lips were pale, his yang energy was weak and unstable, and his essence was severely depleted.

Moreover, he carried an eerie aura, as if he had indeed encountered a ghost.

Uncle Nine flicked his finger and a beam of golden light shot out, striking straight into Shuanzi's forehead.

hiss hiss hiss—

In an instant, a plume of black smoke rose, and the yin energy on Shuanzi's body, like snow meeting the warm sun, quickly dissipated.

Shuanzi's complexion visibly regained some color, but he was still weak and listless, with a vacant look in his eyes.

Seeing that Shuanzi's condition had improved, Uncle Jiu asked, "What exactly happened? Don't rush, tell me slowly."

Seeing this, the woman breathed a sigh of relief and said while wiping away her tears, "These past few days, he's been sneaking out at night all the time."

"We can't find them no matter how hard we look."

"At first, I thought he had gone out to have fun, or that he was having a secret rendezvous with some girl in town."

"But when they found the person the next day, they were either near a mass grave or near an abandoned temple."

At this point, the woman's voice changed, revealing a deep sense of lingering fear.

"Every time he was found, his face was terrifyingly dark."

"His body was as limp as a noodle, and he could barely walk."

"When asked where he went, he absolutely refused to say."

"But he kept muttering a name..."

Uncle Nine asked, "What's your name?"

The woman thought for a moment, then said in a tearful voice, "I think her name is something like... Xiaoyu."

Lin Xuan's brows twitched slightly upon hearing this.

Xiaoyu? Dong Xiaoyu?

Is the Mr. Zombie storyline about to begin?!