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

at the same time,

In the Western-style teahouse on West Street in Renjia Town.

Ren Fa sat by the window, forcing a smile. Opposite him sat three wealthy-looking middle-aged men.

Opposite him sat three richly dressed middle-aged men.

All three were prominent figures in the local chambers of commerce near Renjia Town, and had cooperated with the Ren family for many years. They always addressed each other as brothers when they met.

But today, the three of them seemed unusually distant.

"Mr. Ren, it's not that we don't cherish our past friendship."

The chamber of commerce president, sitting in the middle, picked up his coffee and stirred it slowly with a silver spoon. His tone was polite, but his words left no room for negotiation.

"The Ren family's goods have been plagued by problems lately; they've either gotten damp and moldy, or they've been lost at the docks!"

"The batch of fabric that was delivered a few days ago was mostly soaked by the rain. Many pieces of fabric looked fine on the surface, but when you opened them up, they were already covered with mold inside."

A cloth merchant standing nearby also sighed.

"Mr. Ren, we are also in business."

"There's a whole family waiting to eat downstairs at the shop. We can't neglect our own business just for the sake of friendship."

"We returned 30% of the last batch of goods."

"The remaining items can barely be sold, but the price can only be driven down to below cost."

The other person didn't say anything, but simply pushed a stack of neatly arranged account books in front of Ren Famian.

The attitude is already very clear.

Ren Fa's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but he still suppressed his emotions and spoke.

"The damage to the goods is indeed the Ren family's problem."

"Don't worry, everyone. I can lower the price by another 10%, and the Ren family will bear all the losses during transportation."

The three of them exchanged a glance, then shook their heads simultaneously.

"Mr. Ren, to be honest, we have found a new partner."

"I'm here today simply to settle the previous accounts."

"As for the future..."

He drew out his words slightly, and a seemingly polite smile appeared on his face.

"Let's work together again if there's an opportunity in the future."

After saying that, the three of them stood up one after another.

Ren Fa tried to persuade them to stay, but the other party was clearly determined and didn't give him any further chance to negotiate.

He could only force a smile as he escorted the three of them to the entrance of the teahouse.

Only after the three figures disappeared at the end of the street did Ren Fa's smile completely vanish.

"well……"

Ren Fa let out a long sigh, as if he had aged considerably in an instant.

Back in his seat, he looked at the settled accounts on the table and felt increasingly frustrated.

Ever since the water ghost appeared in Beiqing River, the Ren family's business has been declining day by day.

At first, it was just that the kitchen in my house suddenly caught fire.

Even though the stove fire had been extinguished long ago, a fire inexplicably broke out near the woodshed.

If the servants hadn't discovered it in time, half of the Ren family mansion would probably have been burned down.

Immediately afterwards, the dock warehouse was infested with rats.

The rats were like madmen, not only gnawing away at a lot of goods, but also chewing several holes in the warehouse beams and roof.

Ren Fa had people spray poison and set mousetraps.

But after one night, few rats died, and another batch of goods spoiled.

Then a sudden downpour came.

Rainwater poured into the warehouse through the holes in the roof, ruining most of the medicinal herbs and cloth stored inside.

Unfortunately, none of the other merchants' warehouses were damaged, only the Ren family's warehouse was destroyed.

Later on, cargo was lost at the dock, axles broke, and crew members were injured in falls—a series of accidents, both big and small, occurred one after another.

With repeated problems with the goods, merchants who had been cooperating with them for many years began to look for other supply channels.

In just a few days, the Ren family's losses had reached several hundred silver dollars.

If this continues, no matter how wealthy the Ren family is, it will eventually be drained dry.

Just as Ren was frowning in worry, a waiter walked over quickly.

"Master Ren."

"Master Yimei and Master Xiaolin have arrived."

"They said they have something important to discuss with you."

Ren Fa's expression brightened. "Quickly, invite them in."

Not long after, Uncle Nine and Lin Xuan entered the coffee shop, led by a waiter.

"Uncle Jiu, Master Lin." Ren Fa immediately stood up, his face regaining its warm smile. "Please, have a seat!"

After they were seated, Ren Fa waved to the waiter to bring the menu.

"What would you two like to drink?"

Just then, a crisp sound came from outside the coffee shop.

"dad."

Ren Tingting walked in quickly, came to Ren Fa's side, and affectionately took his arm.

Lin Xuan looked up.

Ren Tingting wore a light pink dress, and her long hair was carefully styled and fell over her shoulders.

She had delicate features and fair skin.

Compared to the traditional women in the town, she had a more sophisticated air about her, having lived in the provincial capital.

In terms of appearance, she was even more beautiful than the image of Lin Xuan in the movie.

However, Lin Xuan only glanced at it once more before calmly looking away.

Ren Fa introduced with a smile: "Tingting, this is Master Yimei. People in Renjia Town call him Ninth Uncle."

"The man next to me is Uncle Nine's eldest disciple, Lin Xuan, also known as Master Lin."

"The water ghost in Beiqing River a few days ago was personally eliminated by Master Lin."

Ren Tingting had obviously heard about the Beiqinghe incident as well. She glanced at Lin Xuan curiously and nodded politely in greeting.

"Greetings, Uncle Jiu. Greetings, Master Lin."

Uncle Nine nodded slightly.

Lin Xuan returned the greeting, "Hello, Miss Ren."

Ren Tingting sat down next to her father.

Ren Fa handed her another menu, "Take a look and see what you'd like to drink."

Ren Tingting glanced at it and said skillfully, "Coffee."

Ren Fa nodded, then looked at Uncle Jiu, "Uncle Jiu, what would you like to drink?"

Uncle Nine looked down at the menu filled with dense foreign text, and his expression immediately became somewhat troubled.

He looked at the menu over and over again.

He seemed to recognize each letter, but when put together, he didn't recognize any of them.

Unfortunately, Ren Fa and Ren Tingting were watching, and Uncle Jiu was too embarrassed to admit that he didn't understand foreign languages.

He coughed lightly, subtly lowered the menu a few notches, and glanced at Lin Xuan beside him out of the corner of his eye.

Lin Xuan noticed his master's gaze and found it somewhat amusing, but he didn't expose him.

He calmly glanced at the menu, then said to the waiter beside him:

"A glass of lemonade, please."

Uncle Nine immediately closed the menu, looking calm.

"I'll have a glass of lemonade too."

It was as if he had spent so much time looking through the drinks just to compare which one suited his taste better.

Ren Fa took the menu and handed it back to the waiter.

"Two cups of coffee, two cups of lemonade, and two plates of egg tarts."

"Yes, Mr. Ren."

After the waiter made a note of it, he turned and left.

Ren Fa then looked at Uncle Jiu.

"Uncle Jiu, what brings you here to see me today?"

Uncle Nine didn't beat around the bush and said it directly.

"There's something wrong with Old Master Ren's grave."

"Someone has placed a curse in the coffin, and is using your father's body to continuously drain the Ren family's fortune."

Ren Fa's smile froze instantly. "A curse?! Draining the Ren family's fortune?!"

"Not bad," Uncle Nine said in a deep voice.

"This plan has been in the works for quite some time."

"Has Mr. Ren noticed anything unusual lately regarding the family's business, the fortune of the house, or any family members?"

As he spoke, Uncle Nine cast an inquiring glance at Master Ren.

Ren Fa's face gradually turned pale as he immediately recalled the series of accidents that had recently occurred.

If only one or two things happened, it could be called a coincidence, but when so many things happen in a row, it's hard to explain it as just bad luck.

Ren Fa then recounted all of this in detail.

After listening, Uncle Nine nodded slightly.

"This is a sign that the family's fortunes are being eroded by witchcraft."

"Right now, the only loss is money. If this drags on any longer, the next loss could be lives."

Upon hearing this, Ren Tingting tightened her grip on her father's arm, "Dad..."

"Don't be afraid, Daddy's here." Ren Fa patted his daughter's hand, but his expression grew increasingly grim. "Uncle Jiu, what's your opinion on how to handle this matter?"

"Exhume and rebury the body as soon as possible," Uncle Nine said. "Only by opening the tomb and removing the cursed items can we completely sever the influence of the evil magic on the Ren family."

Ren Fa opened his mouth, intending to agree immediately, but suddenly remembered the words left by the feng shui master twenty years ago.

After a moment's hesitation, he tentatively said,

"Uncle Jiu, um..."

"The feng shui master who chose the burial site for my father once said that after my father was buried, his coffin should be exhumed and reburied twenty years later."

"Now, there are only a few days left until the twenty-year deadline."

"Back then, that gentleman said that if we waited for twenty years, he would bring blessings to future generations and make the Ren family's business even better."

At this point, a hint of conflict appeared on Ren Fa's face.

The Ren family's business has recently suffered setbacks, which is why he is looking forward to the arrival of the 20th anniversary even more.

In his heart, it had almost become the Ren family's last hope to turn their fortunes around.

With only a few days left, wouldn't it be a waste of all our efforts if we were to exhume the coffin now?

"Or... should we wait a little longer?"

Uncle Nine's brows furrowed immediately.

Even at this point, Ren Fa still harbored illusions about what the feng shui master had said.

Before Uncle Jiu could speak, Lin Xuan put down the water glass in his hand.

"The tomb where Old Master Ren is located is indeed a rare and auspicious burial site."

Ren Fa immediately looked at Lin Xuan.

"This acupoint is called the Dragonfly Skimming Water Acupoint."

"The cave is 34 feet long, but only 4 feet are usable; the cave is 13 feet wide, but only 3 feet are usable."

"The coffin cannot be buried horizontally; it can only be buried according to the burial rites."

Ren Fa nodded repeatedly.

"good!"

"That's what the feng shui master said back then."

"My father was indeed buried in accordance with the proper burial customs."

Ren Tingting, standing to the side, asked curiously, "Master Lin, what is a Buddhist burial?"

Lin Xuan glanced at her and said calmly, "The so-called legal burial is burial vertically."

Ren Tingting nodded in realization.

Lin Xuan continued,

"If Master Ren was indeed buried according to the complete legal burial standards back then, the 'dragonfly skimming the water' burial site would naturally bring blessings to his descendants."

"But right now, Old Master Ren's coffin hasn't even come into contact with the moisture in the burial site. It's like a dragonfly skimming the water; its head doesn't even touch the water. How can that be called a dragonfly skimming the water?"

"What's more, the people who buried him covered the entire grave with cement! Moisture couldn't get in, and the corpse's odor couldn't dissipate. A perfectly auspicious burial site had long been transformed into a breeding ground for corpses!"

Ren Fa's face grew increasingly grim.

"A corpse-raising ground, a corpse-raising ground..."

He kept repeating those three words, feeling a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

"Could it be that my father has turned into a zombie?"

Lin Xuan shook his head. "If it's just a zombie transformation, it's not that troublesome."

"Even more serious than a zombie outbreak?!" Ren Fa and Ren Tingting's hearts tightened at the same time.

"As for the specifics, Master Ren will naturally see them after the coffin is opened."

"However, I can tell you that the longer this drags on, the more serious the consequences will be!"

Lin Xuan's gaze fell on Ren Fa, and his tone became more serious.

"Mr. Ren, stop hoping for miracles and stop clinging to illusions about what that feng shui master said back then!"

"The Ren family should know better than outsiders how this 'Dragonfly Skimming Water' cave came to be."

Ren Fa's body trembled slightly, and a hint of unease appeared on his face.

Back then, Ren Weiyong did indeed use less-than-honorable means to force the feng shui master to move the ancestral grave when he took a liking to that burial site.

It's not impossible that the feng shui master outwardly agreed but secretly harbored resentment and sought revenge.

Lin Xuan took in Ren Fa's expression.

"Your Ren family forcibly occupied someone else's auspicious burial site; how could they possibly be genuinely willing to arrange a tomb for you?"

"If Master Ren insists on waiting until the so-called twenty-year period, I'm afraid the entire Ren family will have already completely declined before the good fortune arrives."

"Losing all the money is a minor matter; if the contents of Old Master Ren's coffin are fully formed, the entire Ren family will likely face annihilation!"

Silence fell over the tea table.

Although Ren Tingting didn't know what was in the coffin, she could tell how serious the situation was.

She looked at her father and softly advised him.

"Dad, since both Uncle Jiu and Master Lin say there's a problem, let's move the burial as soon as possible."

"A business can be started again if it's lost, but if something happens to a person, you lose everything."

Ren Fa remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a long breath.

The schadenfreude and hesitation on his face vanished completely at that moment.

"Master Kobayashi is right."

He nodded emphatically and looked at Lin Xuan.

"I was too fixated on what the feng shui master left behind."

"Master Lin, when would be the most appropriate time to exhume and rebury my father?"

Lin Xuan did not overstep his bounds, but turned to Uncle Jiu and said, "The matter of choosing a date still needs to be decided by my master."

Ren Fa quickly looked at Uncle Jiu.

After calculating for a moment, Uncle Nine quickly came to a conclusion.

"The sooner the better, tomorrow is the perfect day to break ground and relocate the burial."

"The coffin will be lifted before noon tomorrow!"

"When you get back today, prepare incense, candles, and paper money, and find some strong and healthy workers."

"In addition, all people born in the Year of the Rooster should avoid the procession when the coffin is being lifted."

Ren Fa memorized these requirements.

"it is good."

"I'll have people prepare as soon as I get back."

"I will personally lead a team to the back mountain first thing tomorrow morning!"