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

Chapter 073 Level 3 Water Vein Diagram, Ancestor of the Li Family!

now,

Lin Xuan was completely immersed in enlightenment.

The water-based spiritual energy within the water vein diagram continuously cleansed his meridians.

Strands of pale blue Daoist Qi flowed slowly along the meridians, and wherever they passed, flesh and blood and meridians were tinged with a warm blue light.

Water is the softest of all, yet also the most resilient!

It may appear weak and powerless, but in reality it can penetrate stone, split mountains, carry boats, and capsize them.

Nourished by the water-based magic, Lin Xuan's meridians became even more resilient.

The Dao Qi within the body flows continuously along the special paths recorded in the water vein diagram.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

……

With each complete cycle of the Dao, the Dao Qi within Lin Xuan's body becomes more refined.

At the same time, system notifications kept ringing in my mind.

[Completing one effective visualization increases your "Water Vein Diagram" proficiency by 10.]

……

[With the required proficiency, the "Water Vein Map" has been upgraded to Lv2 (gray).]

boom!

A flood of insights related to water veins, terrain, and feng shui kept pouring into Lin Xuan's mind.

The originally intricate landscape gradually became clear in his eyes.

Mountains are the bones, water is the blood.

Springs are like orifices, rivers are like veins.

Creating a unique feng shui arrangement is not simply a matter of digging canals to bring in water or piling up earth to form mountains.

Instead, we should follow the original flow of heaven and earth, leverage and nurture the momentum, and finally gather the scattered spiritual energy into one place.

In Lin Xuan's mind, the scene of the backyard of the mortuary gradually emerged.

The old well, the spirit field, the water vat, the statue of the well god, the blood lotus platform, and the many spirit plants planted in the backyard all turned into tiny specks of light.

An old well connects to underground water veins and can serve as the focal point of a feng shui layout.

The statue of the Well God can regulate water vapor and suppress water veins, and can be used as a talisman.

The blood lotus platform contains vital energy and blood, which perfectly neutralizes the coldness caused by excessive moisture.

As for the Moonlit Lotus, the Blood Lotus of Different Species, the Dendrobium of Cold Spring, and the Water Vein Spirit Herbs brought back from Lingxi Village, they can be scattered on the nodes of the water veins to further regulate the spiritual energy through their root systems.

If we were to dig another pond to connect the well water to the spirit field...

A simple yet complete water vein feng shui arrangement gradually took shape in Lin Xuan's mind.

[Completing one deep visualization session increases your proficiency in the "Water Vein Diagram" skill by 20.]

[Proficiency level met, Water Vein Map upgraded to Lv3.]

After an unknown amount of time, the water droplets surrounding Lin Xuan slowly fell, and the Dao Qi flowing within his body gradually returned to calm.

Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a wisp of pale blue light flashing across his eyes.

He looked down at the water vein diagram on the table.

Compared to before, the mountains and rivers in the picture seem to have become more vivid.

With a mere thought, he can quickly determine where the water flows converge and the most suitable point in the water vein to place a feng shui talisman.

However, his understanding of feng shui is still limited to the concept of water veins.

However, if he could personally observe more naturally formed sacred sites and feng shui wonders, and verify them with each other, the layout he created would inevitably be more complete.

Upon thinking of the spirit cave, Lin Xuan immediately pictured Ren Weiyong's tomb.

Dragonfly skimming the water's surface!

That's a rare and auspicious burial site near Renjia Town!

If one could observe it carefully, it would be of great benefit to him in setting up the ingenious plan for the backyard.

"how?"

When Uncle Nine saw that he had woken up, he immediately asked.

Lin Xuan didn't hide anything and spoke up.

"From the diagram, I have comprehended a method for circulating Qi through water veins."

"By practicing this method, one can regard the meridians of the human body as mountains and rivers, using the spiritual energy of water to cleanse the meridians and condense the Dao Qi."

"If one is in a place with abundant water, such as a river, spring, or underground river, the speed of cultivation should be even faster."

Uncle Nine's expression shifted slightly.

The method of circulating qi, which can condense the qi of the Dao and nourish the meridians, is already enough to be considered a legitimate lineage.

Before he could speak, Lin Xuan continued,

"In addition, the disciple also deduced a simplified water vein feng shui pattern from the water vein map of the Dragon King Temple."

"Using the old well in the mortuary as the main feature, the statue of the well god as a talisman, a pond is dug to connect to the spiritual field, a blood lotus platform is used to harmonize yin and yang, and water veins and spiritual herbs are used to regulate the earth's energy..."

"If the setup is completed, it will be able to gather spiritual energy and nourish all the spiritual plants at the same time."

Uncle Nine was secretly astonished after hearing his apprentice's words.

One sudden enlightenment brought so many benefits; he truly deserves to be my eldest disciple, a prodigy indeed!

"Hmm...not bad!"

"Ah Xuan, your comprehension is indeed exceptional! At your rate of progress, you'll soon catch up with your master!"

Although Uncle Nine was secretly overjoyed, he still tried his best to remain calm on the surface.

"Disciple will heed Master's teachings!" Lin Xuan nodded in agreement, but then added, "By the way, Master, we were delayed yesterday because of the matter in Lingxi Village, so we didn't have a proper chance to inspect Old Master Ren's grave. Now that we have time, why don't we go take a look together?"

"Oh right, I almost forgot about that! Let's set off now and go take a look together."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Nine slapped his thigh and stood up.

Immediately, Lin Xuan put away the water vein map and followed Uncle Jiu's footsteps to the back mountain of Renjia Town.

......

at the same time.

Dozens of miles away from Renjia Town, there lies a deep mountain shrouded in mist all year round.

Seven or eight horse-drawn carriages were slowly making their way along the muddy mountain road, their wheels creaking as they rolled over gravel and dead branches.

Guards armed with short swords followed on both sides of the carriage.

The guards, dressed in straw raincoats, had somber faces and hardly spoke a word during the journey.

At the very front of the procession sat a slightly overweight, richly dressed middle-aged man on horseback.

As the mountain villa gradually came into view at the end of the mountain road, his expression grew increasingly grim.

The villa is built against the mountain, with tall walls made of black mountain stones and covered with dark green vines.

A guard stood every ten steps or so on the top of the wall.

The guards were all dressed in dark blue outfits, with black wooden plaques resembling fish scales hanging from their waists.

On either side of the main gate of the villa, there is a stone sculpture about half the height of a person.

The stone sculpture resembles neither a fish nor an infant; its bulging eyes stare intently at the mountain path, while its mouth is stretched wide to reveal a dense array of sharp teeth.

As the middle-aged man watched the villa approaching, he seemed to realize something, his face gradually turning pale, and even the palms of his hands holding the reins were sweating profusely.

"master."

The butler rode forward cautiously and asked:

"We've arrived. Should we have someone unload the goods first?"

The middle-aged man nodded with a stern face.

"Unload".

"Be quiet, don't startle the people inside."

The steward quickly dismounted and instructed the guards to lift the curtains of the carriages behind him.

Inside the first few vehicles, there were rows of sealed wooden crates, from which a strong medicinal smell emanated.

The last two carriages, however, were not carrying medicinal herbs.

The curtain was lifted, revealing a dozen young women with black headscarves and their hands bound with hemp rope.

Their clothes were a mix of new and old, clearly from different places.

Some looked like ordinary farm girls, while others wore fine clothes and must have come from wealthy families.

Hearing the commotion outside, the women immediately began to struggle in terror.

The rag stuffed in one of their mouths fell out, and just as she was about to open her mouth to call for help, a guard next to her slapped her across the face.

"Behave yourself!"

The woman let out a muffled groan, and blood immediately seeped from the corner of her mouth.

The others trembled even more violently upon hearing the noise, but dared not utter another sound.

The middle-aged man frowned upon seeing this.

"Don't hurt him."

"These are all things that the ancestor specifically requested."

Upon hearing this, the guards quickly stopped.

Before long, the gates of the villa slowly opened.

Two teams of guards filed out of the villa.

They first carefully examined the medicinal herbs in the wooden box, and then took out a palm-sized bronze mirror, scanning each of the twelve young women.

The bronze mirror has a simple and ancient design, with a strange fish with its head and tail connected carved on the back.

When the mirror swept across the woman, a faint blue light would flash across its surface, and occasionally a blurry black shadow resembling the outline of a fetus would be reflected.

The guard in charge of the inspection looked at the last person before nodding slightly.

"Twelve perfect bodies."

"The birth dates all match."

"The quantity of medicinal herbs is not less."

Upon hearing this, the bound woman struggled even more violently.

The middle-aged man's expression remained unchanged.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time he'd done something like this.

After checking everything, the head guard looked up and his gaze fell on the middle-aged man.

"Li Fuhai".

"Yes." The middle-aged man stiffened and quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

The guard stared at him for a moment, his voice cold, "Not only did you lose four water spirits this time, but the news also got out. The patriarch was very unhappy when he found out."

"This matter...this matter cannot be entirely blamed on me."

"Those four aquatic creatures were fine until, for some reason, they suddenly went out of control on the way, crashed through the water tank, and escaped."

"I already sent people to chase after them, but who knew they would turn out like this..."

Cold sweat streamed down Li Fuhai's temples as he hurriedly tried to explain.

But before he could finish speaking, the guard raised his hand to interrupt him.

"These are things you can't talk to me about."

"The ancestor is inside."

"Go and explain to the patriarch yourself."

The guard casually waved his hand, signaling everyone to take the medicinal herbs and the woman into the manor.

Li Fuhai's lips moved, but in the end he didn't dare to say anything.

He sighed softly, dismounted, and led his men toward the manor.

As the two passed each other, the guard's voice rang out.

"Li Fuhai, for the sake of my friendship with your father, let me remind you: it's better to cut your own arm than to lose your whole family."

"Remember, the line can only break where you are!"

"Think it through carefully."

Li Fuhai's body trembled slightly.

In that instant, he seemed to have aged more than ten years, and his originally straight back involuntarily hunched over.

After a moment, he took a deep breath, and the struggle on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a ruthless and resolute look.

If a person doesn't look out for themselves, they'll be punished by heaven and earth!

As long as I'm still alive, what does it matter how many people die?

Li Fuhai didn't say anything more and walked into the villa with his head down.

The medicinal herbs were sent to the alchemy room on the left, while the twelve young women were escorted to the back of the manor.

Li Fuhai glanced around, walked through a series of dark corridors, and headed alone towards the deepest part of the villa.

Before he knew it, Li Fuhai arrived in front of a huge ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall is entirely black, with scaleless water snakes carved on the door frame and pillars.

Although the two wooden doors were open, it was as if a giant maw was hidden inside, ready to devour anyone, and not a single ray of light could get through.

Li Fuhai stood outside the door, exhaling a long breath. He straightened his clothes, tried to suppress the fear in his heart, and then walked into the ancestral hall with his head down.

Dozens of offering tables are placed inside the ancestral hall.

On each offering table, countless wooden memorial tablets are neatly arranged.

The candlelight flickered gently, its dim yellow glow illuminating the names on the memorial tablets.

Li Changhe.

Li Xuanshui.

Li Jiangshou.

Li Wanzhe...

All the surnames on the memorial tablets are Li.

Deep inside the ancestral hall, a figure stood with his back to him, offering incense in front of a clay sculpture of a five-clawed dragon.

That clay dragon was over ten feet tall!

The dragon's head was slightly lowered.

The dragon's body coiled amidst black clouds and water, its entire body a bluish-black color, covered with a layer of fine scales.

Five dragon claws pressed down on five clusters of black clouds.

The figure inserted three incense sticks into the bronze incense burner, and the smoke rose upwards, swirling around the clay dragon.

"Fuhai... greets the Ancestor!"

Li Fuhai's knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, his forehead slamming heavily against the cold stone slab.

The figure did not respond immediately.

He slowly turned around only after all three incense sticks had burned down to a certain point.

In the candlelight, a pale face gradually came into view.

This person looks to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

He had handsome features and gentle eyes, but his skin had a bluish-white hue that only the dead possess.

Between the forehead and neck, a few fine scale patterns can still be faintly seen.

"Fuhai."

The Li family patriarch wore a faint smile, his tone as gentle as if he were questioning a junior who had not returned home for a long time.

"What exactly went wrong with this delivery?"

"Why did we lose four water-type fish for no reason?"

The voice was not harsh at all; in fact, it was full of concern.

However, upon hearing this voice, Li Fuhai trembled even more violently.

He pressed his forehead firmly to the ground, not daring to lift it even slightly.

"I'm sorry, Ancestor!"

"It's because Fuhai failed in its duties and didn't protect the aquatic species."

"Fuhai is willing to bear all the losses!"

The Li family patriarch looked at Li Fuhai kneeling on the ground and sighed softly.

"You are a descendant of my Li family."

"Over the years, I have worked tirelessly for the clan. Even if I haven't achieved anything great, I have certainly put in a lot of hard work."

"A mere four aquatic animals, the loss is nothing."

"If we just wait a little longer, we can naturally refine new ones."

The gentler his tone, the stronger Li Fuhai's fear became.

Sure enough, the Li family patriarch quickly changed the subject.

"However, the loss of water is a minor matter."

"The leak of information is the real big deal."

"The reason why our Li family has been able to live a peaceful life all these years has never been because we are better than others, but because we are low-key enough."

Even as he spoke, the smile on the face of the Li family patriarch remained gentle.

However, the temperature inside the ancestral hall suddenly dropped, and the rows of candles on the offering table turned a ghostly blue at the same time.

Li Fuhai's body was stiff, and he didn't even dare to breathe too heavily.

"Fuhai".

The patriarch of the Li family lowered his gaze.

"This matter is now known to the Xuanmen (Taoist sect)."

"You should know what to do next, right?"

Just as these words were spoken, the five-clawed mud dragon behind the Li family patriarch suddenly moved.

Gollum—

The mud dragon's eyes, which were originally looking straight ahead, slowly began to move.

From eye level to looking down.

The two black dots on his eyes stared straight at Li Fuhai.

"I know! Fuhai knows!!"

Li Fuhai's voice trembled, but he dared not hesitate for a moment.