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

After speaking with Uncle Jiu, Lin Xuan returned to the backyard.

He first sat cross-legged on the futon to replenish the Dao Qi he had consumed in refining the weapon pots.

Once his internal energy had recovered by more than half, Lin Xuan took out the exotic gourd vine seeds he had just collected.

Those seeds that could fully inherit the Dharma's meaning were selected by him individually, and Lin Xuan enlightened them one by one with his own Dao Qi.

Strands of Dao Qi flowed from his fingertips into the seed, causing a pale yellow glow to emanate from its surface. The seed's previously faint vitality gradually stabilized.

[Enlightenment successful!]

[Special Feature: Absorbs Qi and Nurtures the Gourd, with a slight improvement in effect.]

[Trait: Nourishes the soul and preserves the spirit; effect slightly enhanced.]

[Dao Fruit: Spirit Absorption Technique, effect slightly improved.]

Looking at the prompt on the system panel, Lin Xuan smiled with satisfaction.

Since the [Basic Cultivation Technique] was upgraded to the white [Yellow Sprout Spirit Cultivation Technique], the foundation of the enlightenment has obviously been greatly enhanced.

Even now, without using any enhancement materials and relying solely on the basic cultivation of one's own Dao Qi, the effect is already much stronger than before.

After the initiation was completed, Lin Xuan replanted the seeds into the incense-scented spiritual soil in the Seven Star Pill Furnace.

The pulp that was taken out of the gourd earlier was not wasted.

He chopped up the gourd pulp and buried it evenly in the soil to serve as fertilizer for the gourd vine seedlings.

After doing all this, Qiusheng and Wencai had also put away the magical artifacts.

The two stood at the backyard gate, carrying magic bags on their backs and holding peach wood swords in their hands, looking at Lin Xuan with expectant expressions.

"Senior Brother, everything is ready!"

Lin Xuan nodded. He went to the water tank where the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine was planted and scooped the vine out of the water.

Golden patterns lit up along the green vine, wrapped around Lin Xuan's arm, and were then put into the system's inventory.

Afterwards, Lin Xuan walked to the medicine pot, reached out and patted Xiao Jin, who was lying on the water spirit stone, awake. "Xiao Jin, time to go out and work!"

Gugua—

Little Jin called out in a daze.

Upon recognizing Lin Xuan, it skillfully climbed up his arm to his shoulder and lay down beside his neck.

After the group had made all the preparations, they left the mortuary with Chen Nan and Tan Baiwan and took a carriage to Tanjia Town.

......

Tanjia Town, in front of the Tan Family Mansion.

A middle-aged Taoist priest wearing a gray robe and sporting a mustache was standing at the bottom of the steps.

He wore a Taoist headscarf, carried a bulging bag of Buddhist scriptures on his shoulder, and had two oil-paper umbrellas tucked diagonally behind him.

The two umbrellas, one on the left and one on the right, with their handles protruding from above the shoulders, looked quite conspicuous.

This person is none other than Maoshan Ming!

The young man standing in front of him was Tan Hao, Tan Baiwan's son.

Tan Hao looked exhausted and kept looking back at the courtyard behind him.

"Master Ming, can the problems in this house really be resolved?"

"I've already hired several people over the past few days. Those guys, they all boasted more and more than the last! But every night they still have to be carried off the bed."

"Even... the place I woke up in last night was changed from the yard to next to the outhouse! I almost fell sideways into the latrine..."

Upon hearing this, Maoshan Ming stroked his mustache and waved his hand dismissively.

"Young Master Tan, please put your mind at ease!"

"I've roamed the world for decades; what kind of demons, monsters, and evil spirits haven't I seen?"

"I have fought against the man-eating mountain demons in the south, the blood-sucking zombies in the north, the water ghosts that claim lives in the water, and the red-clothed old ghosts who have cultivated for hundreds of years in desolate graves."

"A mere haunted house is nothing more than a minor ailment in my eyes, easily eradicated with a flick of my wrist!"

As Tan Hao listened to Mao Shanming's description of his glorious achievements, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. "Master Ming even dealt with a century-old ghost?"

"That's natural."

Maoshan Ming raised his chin high, his eyes revealing a hint of disdain amidst their world-weariness.

"Back then, that old devil occupied a deserted village and killed countless passersby."

"I, a humble Taoist priest, single-handedly performed rituals and battled it for three days and three nights. In the end, risking the backlash, I summoned a bolt of lightning from the heavens, instantly obliterating its soul!"

"The ghosts in your house are nothing compared to that old ghost."

Tan Hao's confidence immediately increased.

"Then I'm relieved!"

He couldn't help but complain to Maoshan Ming.

"Master Ming, you may not know this, but none of the people I invited before were reliable at all."

"Someone said there were thirty-six evil spirits in the house and told me to prepare thirty-six roosters. In the end, the roosters were killed, the spirits weren't caught, and the person took all the chicken meat..."

"And there was an even more outrageous one. He said he would go into seclusion in the house for three days and forbade anyone to enter. But on the second day, he climbed over the wall and ran away, even stealing the copper coins from the altar!"

Mao Shanming's eyes twitched slightly upon hearing this, but he let out a cold snort.

"Those people are not on the right path; they are not true Taoist priests at all!"

"They just put on a Taoist robe, learn a few incantations, and then go around swindling and cheating people."

He straightened his chest.

"I am different! I am a true disciple of the Maoshan lineage, with a renowned ancestral temple and a well-established lineage. I am far superior to those charlatans."

Upon hearing this, Tan Hao breathed a long sigh of relief.

"That's good... I just want to get things settled at the house as soon as possible."

"My dad has suffered a lot outside during this time. He finally came home, but he was carried off the bed by a ghost to the floor."

"As his son, I feel really guilty..."

Upon hearing this, Mao Shanming's eyes showed a hint of admiration. "Young Master Tan is indeed filial."

Tan Hao smiled shyly, "Filial piety is the most important virtue; it's what a son should do."

The two were talking at the door when they suddenly heard the sound of wheels rolling in the distance.

Two carriages slowly drove along the street and finally stopped in front of the Tan residence.

Tan Hao looked up and a look of joy immediately appeared on his face.

"My dad's back!"

Upon hearing this, Maoshan Ming quickly straightened his clothes and raised his hand to adjust the Taoist headscarf on his head.

The curtain of the first carriage was lifted from the inside.

Tan Baiwan was the first to jump off the carriage.

After he steadied himself, he did not immediately walk towards Tan Hao, but turned around and held the carriage curtain with his hand, his face full of smiles.

"Master Lin, we've arrived. Please take your time getting down."

"Yes, thank you for your help, Mr. Tan."

A gentle and steady young voice came from inside the carriage.

Immediately afterwards, a handsome young man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, dressed in a moon-white Taoist robe, bent down and stepped out of the carriage.

He gracefully leaped down from the carriage, landing silently, exuding an aura of detachment from worldly concerns.

This person—was none other than Lin Xuan.

Subsequently, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, carrying their magical implements, jumped down from the carriage behind.

Seeing this, the smile that had just appeared on Tan Hao's face instantly froze on his lips.

He glanced at the Taoist robes and magic bags on Lin Xuan and the other two, then looked back at Mao Shanming standing beside him, and immediately realized the problem.

broken!

He hired a Taoist priest, and his father actually hired several Taoist priests as well!

Moreover, the two groups of people happened to bump into the gate of the Tan residence!

Tan Hao suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

The worst thing you can do when hiring someone to exorcise a ghost is to belittle each other in the same trade. If both sides are truly skilled, and they start arguing about who should perform the ritual first and how the reward should be divided, he will be caught in the middle and in a difficult position.

Tan Hao quickly stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Father."

Tan Baiwan noticed his son's expression and then followed his gaze to Maoshan Ming, who was standing at the door.

With just one glance, he understood the situation before him.

Tan Baiwan frowned almost imperceptibly; he clearly hadn't expected his son to send someone over as well.

If this is not handled properly, neither Lin Xuan nor the other Taoist priest will likely look good.

Just as Tan Baiwan was pondering how to explain, Lin Xuan's gaze had already fallen on Mao Shanming.

Upon seeing that familiar face, an unexpected smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Master Ming?!"

"I never expected to run into you here!"

Lin Xuan appeared genuinely surprised, but inwardly he wasn't so surprised.

Knowing the plot well, he already knew that Maoshan Ming would come to the Tan family to deal with the ghost problem.

However, the act still needs to be put on.

Maoshan Ming was a fellow disciple of Uncle Nine. Lin Xuan had met him several times when he returned to the Maoshan Ancestral Temple.

At that time, Maoshan Ming stayed at the ancestral temple to recuperate from his injuries.

It is said that he once fought a fierce battle with a heretical cultivator from the White Lotus Sect. Although he eventually succeeded in killing his opponent, he himself was also seriously injured.

He was later rescued by a passing Maoshan disciple and taken back to the ancestral temple, barely managing to save his life.

However, his meridians, internal organs, and foundation were severely damaged, and his cultivation level, originally at the Master realm, continued to decline...

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai also recognized Mao Shanming, and the two quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Master Ming!"

"Greetings, Uncle-Master Ming!"

"Xiao Lin?" Mao Shanming's surprise upon seeing Lin Xuan and the other two didn't seem feigned, unlike Lin Xuan's. "What are you doing here?"

Lin Xuan said with a smile, "Boss Tan deals in bulk medicinal herbs. We came here mainly to see his collection of medicinal herbs and bonsai."