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

Several thoughts flashed through Lin Xuan's mind.

Judging from what happened in Lingxi Village that night, the Li family and Huang Tianjiao were clearly not on the same side.

The leader of the Yellow Heaven Sect referred to the four strange infants as "Li Family Water Seeds," his tone devoid of any intimacy, but rather carrying a hint of apprehension.

If the young master of the Li family were truly a disciple of the Yellow Heaven Sect, the two sides should not have reacted that way.

Unless the so-called "joining a cult" was a message deliberately released by the Li family.

They wanted to pin the blame for raising water ghosts and cultivating aquatic creatures on a non-existent cult.

In this way, even if the matter is exposed, the Li family can be exonerated.

"And then?"

Lin Xuan continued to ask.

"Later, the truth came out."

Zhang Nan said, "I heard from the locals that Young Master Li's actions angered the mountain god. A few days ago, a sudden downpour in the mountains caused a flash flood that buried his villa."

"Young Master Li disappeared without a trace, and the water ghosts he kept also vanished without a trace."

"However, the people of Huaiyuan Town are still worried, fearing that the water ghosts may still be hiding in the nearby rivers."

"Boss Li has spent a lot of money to hire Taoist priests to search along the waters around Huaiyuan Town and completely eliminate the remaining water ghosts."

Lin Xuan frowned even more deeply after hearing this.

Just as they found a clue about the Li family, they disappeared.

On the surface, this seems perfectly reasonable.

The young master of the Li family mistakenly joined a cult and secretly raised ghosts to harm people.

After their scheme was exposed, they were caught in a flash flood, and the entire village and its inhabitants disappeared.

His father, Boss Li, put aside his own family for the greater good and even paid a Taoist priest to cleanse the water ghost.

But things are perhaps too clean.

That young master Li kept a water ghost in his home, which killed many people. Did Boss Li really know nothing about it?

Lin Xuan suddenly remembered the four strange infants from two days ago.

When Uncle Nine was tracking them, they deliberately scattered and took detours, leading Uncle Nine on a long drive through the mountains all night.

Even after Uncle Nine lifted the seal on the water vein map, they didn't turn back to snatch it; instead, they fled even further away.

This shows that the person controlling the monster baby is extremely cautious!

Once they sense something is wrong, they will immediately discard their pieces, leaving no clues that can be traced.

The Li family in Qingmu Town did the same; they hastily sold their house and then disappeared.

The Li family in Huaiyuan Town is now pinning all the blame on their missing son.

The two things were done in almost identical ways.

Lin Xuan's gaze gradually darkened.

Could the so-called Young Master Li be nothing more than a puppet pushed out by the Li family to take the blame?

The flood that buried the village might not have been due to the wrath of the mountain god; it could have been a way for the Li family to cover up their tracks.

If that's the case, then this matter must be thoroughly investigated.

Lin Xuan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you very much, Boss Zhang, for coming all this way to inform me. This news is very important to me!"

"Master Lin, you're too kind." Zhang Nan quickly waved his hand. "If it weren't for your help last time, my family would probably be dead already. I was just asking for some information; it's nothing."

At this point, he seemed to suddenly remember something, and a smile reappeared on his face.

"By the way, Master Lin, this is a piece of agarwood of good quality that I saw when I was buying goods these past two days. I noticed that its color is warm and its aroma is refreshing, and I thought that Master Lin might find it useful when he meditates and chants scriptures, so I brought it to you."

As Zhang Nan spoke, she turned to look at the butler beside her.

The butler stepped forward respectfully and opened the mahogany gift box.

Inside the gift box, a piece of agarwood carving with a deep color and fine wood grain lay quietly on a soft cloth.

The wood carving is shaped like a small mountain peak, with overlapping cloud patterns between the peaks, and the bottom still retains the dark resin naturally formed by the agarwood.

The moment the gift box was opened, a serene and subtle fragrance slowly wafted out.

Lin Xuan's gaze fell on the ornament, and the system panel appeared.

Agarwood Ornament

[Quality: White]

[Trait: Focus and Tranquility]

[Can be used as a material for enhancing spiritual plants]

......

White quality agarwood, of very high quality!

Whether used to purify the last of the Concentration Grass or as a raw material for incense, it is the best choice!

Lin Xuan remained expressionless and closed the gift box.

"Boss Zhang is very kind."

"Of course, of course."

Zhang Nan smiled, exchanged a few more words with Lin Xuan, and then got up to take his leave.

Lin Xuan escorted him to the gate of the mortuary.

He didn't close the gate again until the carriage disappeared at the end of the road.

He then went straight to the main hall and told Uncle Jiu the news he had just received.

Uncle Jiu narrowed his eyes slightly after hearing this. "The Li family of Huaiyuan Town?"

"The son who kept a water ghost has gone missing, and the villa just happened to be buried by a flash flood?"

Uncle Nine stood up from his chair. "Now that we have news, let's go and see. I want to see what the Li family is up to."

Looking at Uncle Nine's slightly unfriendly face, Lin Xuan immediately understood.

Last night, those four strange babies led Uncle Nine around in the mountains all night.

Uncle Nine clearly hadn't forgotten about this.

Of course, this is only one of the reasons.

What truly convinced Uncle Nine to go to Huaiyuan Town were the water ghost, the strange baby, and the victims.

If the Li family is truly involved in evil magic, Uncle Nine will never stand idly by.

The master and apprentice quickly began packing their things.

The talismans, magic sword, compass, incense sticks, and several commonly used magic implements were placed into the Qiankun bag in turn.

Lin Xuan also added several straw doll carriers, the golden-patterned soul-suppressing vine, and the water vein map to his system backpack.

Hearing the commotion, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai quickly ran over from the backyard.

"Master, are you going out? Are you going to catch ghosts?" Qiu Sheng's eyes lit up.

Wencai quickly joined in, a simple smile on his face, "Take us with you, the more people there are, the more strength we'll have."

Uncle Nine stopped what he was doing, glanced at the two of them indifferently, and said, "What are you two doing here? Are you going to hold us back?!"

Qiu Sheng's smile froze instantly.

Wencai retorted, unconvinced, "Master, we can help now too."

"Help?! I think you'll only make things worse!" Uncle Nine sneered. "Are you going to be a target for others, or just wait to be captured?! Taking the two of you will only slow us down, whether we're traveling or running! You'll just be a hindrance!"

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance and lowered their heads.

Uncle Nine fastened the Qiankun Bag to his waist and said, "Keep it safe at the mortuary."

"Keep an eye on Old Master Ren's coffin and offer incense and chant sutras on time every day."

"Take good care of the spirit field in the backyard. If even a single blade of grass is missing when you return, you'll see what I do to you!"

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai could only nod with bitter faces, "Understood, Master."

After checking his belongings, Lin Xuan went to Uncle Jiu's side.

"Master, we can set off now."

Uncle Nine nodded.

The master and apprentice pushed open the gate of the mortuary and quickly left along the road leading to Huaiyuan Town.

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai stood at the door, watching the two figures gradually disappear into the distance, their faces full of envy.

Only after Uncle Nine's figure had completely disappeared did Wen Cai sigh, "There's no share for us again."

Qiu Sheng glanced at him and said, "Enough with the nonsense, go and offer incense to Old Master Ren first."

"If Master really comes back and finds something missing, you won't be the only one who gets a beating."

......

Huaiyuan Town.

The streets were lined with shops, and people came and went, their shouts and the sounds of carts mingling together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Judging from the current scene, no one would imagine that this seemingly prosperous and peaceful town has recently been plagued by panic due to the water ghost incident.

Chen Bingwen and Du Hongying walked side by side on the street.

The two inquired about the location of the Li family along the way, and before they had gone far, they had already passed three temples.

Mountain God Temple, Dragon King Temple, Goddess of Fertility Temple.

The temples are not large in scale, but they are very well maintained.

The blue bricks and red tiles were intact, the incense burner in front of the door was polished to a shine, and the incense, candles, fruits, and pastries on the offering table were all present.

Especially the Dragon King Temple.

Despite the widespread rumors of water ghosts harming people in the vicinity, worshippers continued to flock to the temple.

Three sticks of incense were inserted into the incense burner, and thick smoke swirled upwards, almost obscuring half of the door plaque.

Chen Bingwen looked around the road and couldn't help but sigh.

"I never expected the Li family to be so wealthy."

"They not only have businesses in Huaiyuan Town, but also seem to have quite a few businesses in several other towns."

"And they also funded the construction of several temples."

As he spoke, he pointed to the newly renovated Dragon King Temple on the street corner.

A merit stele stands on one side of the temple gate, with the words "Li Fuhai donated silver for reconstruction" prominently displayed in the most conspicuous position.

"When we asked for directions earlier, the villagers mentioned the Li family and spoke highly of them."

"They repaired bridges and roads, provided disaster relief, and delivered rice and oil to the elderly in the town during festivals."

Chen Bingwen looked away and lowered his voice.

"Senior sister, do you think Li Fuhai genuinely didn't know his son was raising a water ghost, or was he pretending not to know?"

Du Hongying did not answer immediately. Her gaze went beyond the temple gate and landed on the newly gilded Dragon King statue inside the temple.

The statue has a majestic appearance, holds a water-making gesture in its hands, and is draped in a brightly colored dragon robe.

The incense smoke gathered around the statue and did not dissipate, appearing from a distance as if it were shrouded in a hazy mist.

At first glance, everything seems normal.

But Du Hongying always felt that something was wrong.

These temples right now... seem a little too clean!

Most of the statues in ordinary temples are made of clay. Over the years, they accumulate dust and are difficult to clean.

But Huaiyuan Town, inside and out, exudes one word—new!

It looked as if it was cleaned by a specialist.

"The truth cannot be hidden, and the false cannot be made true."

"You'll know when you see Li Fuhai."

Du Hongying said calmly.

Chen Bingwen nodded. He took a few steps and suddenly remembered something he had heard from the townspeople earlier.

"Senior sister, I heard that Li Fuhai has several sons, but not a single daughter."

"The people of Huaiyuan Town only said that the young master of the Li family raised a water ghost, but they didn't say which young master it was."

"Which of his sons is the one who keeps a water ghost?"

Du Hongying said calmly, "Perhaps it wasn't his son raising a water ghost at all."

"Not his son?" Chen Bingwen was slightly taken aback. "Then who is it?"

Du Hongying glanced at him. "It's possible that those water ghosts were originally his sons."

Upon hearing this, Chen Bingwen paused in his tracks.

He was stunned for a moment, then his face gradually darkened.

"It's not impossible."

"The Li family can even raise a monster baby covered in scales; they're definitely not a respectable family."

"Those so-called water ghosts might actually be, just like Senior Sister said, descendants of the Li family..."