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

The front yard of the mortuary.

"It seems that your son Shuanzi has indeed been bewitched by a female ghost."

Uncle Nine's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a muffled thunderclap, striking the middle-aged couple's hearts and making their faces turn pale at the same time.

The woman, in particular, who had initially held onto a sliver of hope that her son might have simply been possessed by an evil spirit or caught a chill, lost most of her light upon hearing this.

"A lot of his vital energy has been drained, which is why he looks like this."

Upon hearing this, the woman's face turned deathly pale again, and then her legs went weak, and she was about to kneel down once more.

"Uncle Nine!"

Tears streamed down her face as she pounded her forehead against the flagstones. "Please, please save my Shuanzi! He's our only son. If he's gone, I can't go on living!"

Uncle Nine reacted quickly, stepping forward to support the woman's arm and preventing her from kneeling down.

"Get up first," Uncle Nine said in a deep voice. "Now that I've seen it, I naturally won't ignore it."

The woman choked back tears as she looked up, a glimmer of hope appearing in her eyes amidst her panic.

Uncle Nine looked at Shuanzi and continued, "I've already dispelled most of the evil energy from him. However, his vital energy is severely depleted, so he'll need to take good care of himself."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Wencai.

"Wencai, go to the kitchen, use the soybeans from the front yard, and take two blood lotus leaves to make him a bowl of qi-tonifying soup."

Wen Cai was standing to the side with his neck hunched over. When he heard Uncle Jiu's instructions, he nodded quickly.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

After saying that, he dashed off to the kitchen.

Lin Xuan stood behind Uncle Jiu, his gaze also falling on Shuanzi.

With the help of his affinity with plants, he could faintly sense a strange floral fragrance emanating from Shuanzi.

The fragrance was faint, yet it could disturb one's mind.

"Does it smell sweet? Could there be some kind of bewitching flower in the cemetery behind the mountain?"

Lin Xuan's mind raced.

After comforting the woman, Uncle Nine continued, "As for the female ghost, I will send my disciple to deal with her tonight."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Lin Xuan, "Ah Xuan."

Lin Xuan stepped forward. "Master."

Uncle Nine said, "Take Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai and go to the back mountain tonight. After finding that female ghost, if you can help her pass on, send her to the underworld. If she remains obstinate, then suppress her."

"Yes."

Lin Xuan nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing this, the woman seemed to have finally grasped a lifeline and hurriedly bowed repeatedly to Uncle Jiu and Lin Xuan.

"Thank you, Uncle Jiu! Thank you, Master Lin! Thank you, Master Lin!"

The farmer, his eyes red-rimmed, clenched his rough hands together and said in a hoarse voice, "Uncle Jiu, Master Lin, we'll do anything to save my son Shuanzi!"

Uncle Nine waved his hand, "Help them inside first."

"Ah Xuan, Qiu Sheng."

"exist."

Lin Xuan and Qiu Sheng stepped forward, each supporting Shuanzi on either side, and carried him into the guest room, placing him on the wooden bed.

Before long, Wencai came in carrying a steaming bowl of soybean and lotus leaf soup.

The soup is pale yellow-green, and the steam carries the rich aroma of soybeans and the lingering refreshing scent of blood lotus leaves.

These soybeans contain nourishing properties, which, when combined with the blood-purifying and moisturizing power of the exotic blood lotus leaves, create a gentle and long-lasting remedy that is perfect for people like Shuanzi who are deficient in vital energy and cannot tolerate strong tonics.

The woman took the bowl and carefully fed Shuanzi the drink.

After finishing a bowl of soup, Shuanzi's originally pale face finally regained some color, and his breathing became much more steady.

"The Qi-tonifying soup can only temporarily stabilize the deficit; you still need to rest and recuperate properly after you get back."

Uncle Nine looked at his expression and nodded slightly.

The woman quickly replied, "Yes, yes, we will definitely listen to Uncle Jiu."

However, at that moment, Shuanzi on the bed suddenly struggled to sit up, and then knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Uncle Nine!"

The woman was startled and quickly went to help him up, "Shuanzi, what are you doing? You're still weak!"

Shuanzi stared intently at Uncle Jiu, his eyes reddening. "Uncle Jiu, please... please... don't kill Xiaoyu!"

The room immediately fell silent.

Uncle Nine frowned slightly.

Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai were also stunned.

Wencai, in particular, was holding an empty bowl in his hand, his eyes wide open.

They've been sucked dry like this, and they're still pleading for the female ghost?

Is he bewitched, or has his brain really been drained?

Shuanzi knelt on the ground, his voice trembling.

"Xiaoyu isn't a bad person, she's a very good person! She didn't hurt me, she really didn't hurt me!"

The farmer, who had been silent all along, turned bright red upon hearing this. "You dare to speak up for her?!"

He took a sudden step forward and shouted angrily, "She's practically drained you dry! You're neither human nor ghost now, and you still say she's a good person? Have you lost your mind?!"

Shuanzi shrank back instinctively as his father yelled at him.

Lin Xuan noticed the fearful look on her face, and his gaze flickered slightly.

The woman quickly stepped in front of the farmer, tugging at his sleeve and saying, "Husband, don't be angry. The child has been bewitched by that female ghost. He'll be fine once he recovers."

He'll be alright, don't be angry.

The farmer's chest heaved violently, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Shuanzi, however, acted as if he hadn't heard these words.

His mind was filled with images of Xiaoyu.

Under the moonlight on the back hill, the woman, dressed in red, stood under the locust tree, her head bowed and a gentle smile on her face, her voice as soft as water.

She will listen to him.

They would praise him for being honest.

He would say that there are people in this world who care about him.

Those few days were like a beautiful dream that Shuanzi had never experienced before.

He suddenly scrambled up to Uncle Nine and grabbed his leg.

"Uncle Jiu, we truly love each other!"

"Please, please don't hurt Xiaoyu!"

He looked up, his eyes filled with an almost morbid longing.

"Uncle Jiu, I know you have extraordinary abilities. Can you... can you find a way to bring Xiaoyu back to life?"

"I...I want to marry her."

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room completely changed.

Qiu Sheng rubbed his head and sighed, "ε=(´ο｀*))) Sigh, hopeless, hopeless..."

Upon hearing Qiu Sheng's words, Wen Cai glanced at him with a puzzled expression.

"Are you crazy?!"

The farmer's face instantly erupted with anger.

He pointed at Shuanzi, his voice trembling with anger, "She's a ghost! A ghost! You still want to marry her? Do you want to die?!"

Uncle Jiu glanced at the farmer, then looked down at Shuanzi, who was clinging to his leg.

After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke.

"My abilities are limited."

"I can't bring a female ghost back to life."

The light in Shuanzi's eyes suddenly went out.

He released Uncle Jiu's leg and collapsed to the ground, completely disoriented.

"Is that not allowed?"

"Is it really not going to work?"

He kept muttering to himself, as if his soul had been taken away.

Seeing his pathetic state, the farmer's anger flared up again.

"You unfilial son! You've truly gone too far!"

He spat as he roared, "I'll kill you if I want! Don't stop me!"

The woman clung tightly to his waist, crying and pleading, "Husband! Don't hit him!! The child is still weak!"

Seeing that things were not going well, Qiu Sheng quickly went to stop him.

"Uncle, don't be angry. Shuanzi is confused right now. He'll be fine once the evil spirits dissipate."

The farmer's eyes were red, and he wouldn't listen to a word.

Just then, Shuanzi, who was slumped on the ground, suddenly raised his head.

He heard the word "death".

A glimmer of light reappeared in his previously dull eyes.

Shuanzi first glanced at his father, who was furious like a lion, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

But soon, as if he had thought of something, he gritted his teeth and looked at Uncle Nine again.

"Uncle Nine!"

All eyes in the room were on him.

Shuanzi's voice trembled, yet it carried a stubbornness born of desperation.

"Since you can't bring her back to life, could you at least let me go down and stay with her?"

"Even if... even if I become a ghost, I'm willing."

The farmer was startled.

Immediately afterwards, he became so angry that he started trembling.

"You've rebelled! You've rebelled! You've rebelled!!!"

His hand trembled as he pointed at Shuanzi, his eyes filled with both anger and pain.

"You son of a bitch, you're actually willing to die for a female ghost?!"

"well!!!"

He lunged forward, yelling, "You want to die? I'll grant your wish today! I'll beat you to death, you unfilial son!"

The woman clung tightly to his waist, refusing to let go.

"Get out of my way!"

Enraged, the farmer grabbed the woman's shoulder and shoved her aside.

The woman screamed, lost her balance, and fell heavily to the ground.

boom!

The muffled thud ended, and the room fell silent.

The furious farmer was as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head.

"Woman!"

The flush on his face faded quickly, turning deathly pale in an instant.

The farmer rushed over and helped the woman up.

"Are you alright? Did you fall? Where are you hurt?"

His voice was full of panic, and the fierceness he had shown earlier vanished completely in an instant.

The woman grabbed his hand and shook her head repeatedly.

But she couldn't care less about herself; with red eyes, she repeatedly pleaded, "Husband, don't blame the child."

"He's truly bewitched by that female ghost."

"He'll be alright, he'll be alright... he definitely will..."

The woman's fingers were clenched tightly as she kept talking.

The farmer's chest heaved as he took several deep breaths.

He turned to look at Shuanzi, who was still kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Distressed.

Guilt.

Worry.

And also, I'm so disappointed in you!

Finally, the farmer closed his eyes and whispered, "I understand."

Uncle Nine watched the scene calmly.

Only after the anger inside the house subsided did he turn his gaze back to Shuanzi.

Shuanzi remained kneeling there, looking at him with an almost pleading gaze.

Uncle Nine sighed deeply, "Shuanzi—"

Shuanzi raised his head.

Uncle Nine said slowly, "Do you know why ghosts stay in the human world?"

Shuanzi didn't say anything.

Uncle Nine continued, "Many ghosts are those whose obsessions are too deep, and who are unwilling to leave after death."

"The Xiaoyu you mentioned likely died because of marriage issues during her lifetime. That's why she keeps repeating similar things after death."

"She approached you, not necessarily because she truly loves you."

"Perhaps it's just because her obsession hasn't faded, and she wants to make up for what she didn't get in her life through you."

These words struck Shuanzi's mind like a heavy hammer blow.

A fleeting moment of clarity crossed his eyes, but the next instant, it was overwhelmed by pain and struggle.

Looking at Shuanzi's appearance, Uncle Jiu's tone became more serious.

As the saying goes, humans and ghosts are on different paths—

"If a person stays with a ghost for a long time, even if the ghost doesn't actively drain your life force, you will still be invaded by its evil energy. At best, you will fall seriously ill; at worst, your lifespan will be shortened."

"Moreover, the way you look now clearly means that too much of your energy and spirit has been drained away."

Uncle Nine stared into Shuanzi's eyes and said, word by word, "If your parents hadn't found you in time and brought you to the mortuary, you would have only lasted a day or two before being drained of your life force and dying."

"Shuanzi, if she truly loved you, how could she have hurt you to this extent?"

Do you still believe that you two are truly in love?

The color drained from Shuanzi's face little by little.

He collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide open, staring blankly at Uncle Nine's feet.

Seeing his son like this, the farmer standing nearby moved his lips, but in the end, he could only let out a heavy sigh.

The woman lowered her head and kept wiping away tears.

Lin Xuan stood to the side, remaining silent.

He had seen this kind of scene countless times since he was a child, following his uncle Jiu in performing rituals.

People who are bewitched by ghosts often believe that they have encountered true love.

Whether it's true love or obsession, as long as humans and ghosts are entangled, in the end, it's mostly the living who suffer.

And this guy will probably make more demands.

Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the peasants before returning to Shuanzi.

Moreover, Shuanzi's obsession with the female ghost was not simply due to being bewitched.

From the moment they entered the mortuary, the farmer remained silent, offering little concern even when Shuanzi woke up.

He only truly snapped when Shuanzi said something rebellious, and he would threaten to beat his son to death at the drop of a hat.

Shuanzi was afraid of him.

This fear doesn't seem to have formed overnight.

Perhaps that's why, after the female ghost only said a few gentle words to him, he grasped at her like a lifeline and refused to let go.

Sure enough, after a few breaths, Shuanzi seemed to finally come to his senses.

"Then...then Uncle Jiu." He looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse, "Could I go and see her off on her final journey?"

"A short pain is worse than a long one." Uncle Nine shook his head without hesitation and said, "Humans and ghosts are different, it's better not to see each other."

Shuanzi's body trembled.

Those words hit him like a bang, leaving him completely disoriented.

Uncle Jiu glanced at him, shook his head inwardly, and turned to walk to the side of the farmer and his wife.

The two quickly stood up.

"Uncle Jiu, this..."

The farmer opened his mouth, his face full of shame and helplessness.

Uncle Jiu said, "Shuanzi drank the qi-tonifying soup, and his body has stabilized a bit, but he is still too weak and needs to recuperate slowly."

"It's best to keep him in bed during this time and avoid heavy physical labor."

"Also, you must keep a close eye on him these next two days."

Uncle Nine's tone hardened, "Don't let him run away again."

"Okay, okay, I understand." The farmer nodded repeatedly. "Thank you, Uncle Jiu, thank you, Uncle Jiu."

After saying that, he walked over to Shuanzi and reached out to help him up.

Shuanzi was like a limp rag, letting his father help him up, his eyes vacant, showing no reaction whatsoever.

The woman followed beside him, chattering on and on.

"Let's go back, sweetie. When we get back, Mom will make you some soup."

"Listen to your Uncle Jiu, get some rest for a few days, and you'll be fine once you recover."

"Shuanzi, don't scare your mother anymore... Mother is scared..."

The three of them helped each other out of the mortuary.

Lin Xuan watched their departing figures, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Uncle Nine stood at the door, his gaze also fixed on the family of three.

He only spoke slowly after they had walked away.

"Ah Xuan".

"You handle that female ghost from tonight."

Uncle Nine paused for a moment, then said, "If she still has a shred of kindness left, we should do our best to help her pass on to the afterlife and send her to the underworld."

"This disciple understands." Lin Xuan nodded.

……

The sky was getting dark.

Lights were lit in the mortuary.

Lin Xuan returned to the house and carefully put away the talismans, peach wood sword, Sanqing bell, and other magical artifacts.

Then he went to the backyard.

The night breeze blew across the field ridges, and the leaves of the spiritual plants swayed gently, making a rustling sound.

Lin Xuan walked to the water vat.

Inside the jar, a dozen or so vines with golden patterns intertwined.

Lin Xuan reached out and swept the Golden-Patterned Soul-Suppressing Vine into his system inventory.

After doing all that, he went to the medicine pot.

At the mouth of the jar, a small, entirely black toad was lying there, its eyes half-closed, as if it were resting.

Lin Xuan raised his hand and tapped the rim of the jar.

"Xiao Jin, come out with me for a bit."

"Croak!"

Little Gold let out a cry, its hind legs suddenly exerted force, and it leaped up as a dark golden shadow, landing steadily on Lin Xuan's shoulder.

Its icy little paws rested on its clothes, and its throat pouch swelled slightly, making a low, soft sound.

Lin Xuan raised his hand to pat its head, then turned and left the backyard.

"Qiu Sheng, a man of literary talent."

In the front yard, Qiu Sheng was leaning against a pillar polishing his peach wood sword, while Wen Cai was holding a stack of yellow talismans, clearly ready to go.

Hearing Lin Xuan call for help, the two quickly responded.

"Senior Brother, you're here!"

"Are you leaving already?"

Lin Xuan glanced at the night outside.

"Walk."

The three of them left the mortuary and headed towards the back of the mountain along the path.

As night fell, a mountain breeze blew through the forest, carrying a cool and damp feeling.

The lights in front of the mortuary gradually faded into the distance behind them.

Shortly after the three left.

A figure appeared beside the once quiet courtyard gate.

Seeing where the group had gone, he paused for a moment and then silently followed.