Uncle Nine: You were supposed to drive corpses, so you summoned the Monkey King!

Lin Chen did not bargain.

Based on his current senses, he could tell that the roast chicken was made with high-quality ingredients.

The meat is firm and has no fishy smell, making it a presentable offering to the heavenly soldiers.

"Boss, pick out the two fattest ones for me."

"Don't cut it, wrap it up the whole thing."

Lin Chen took out two silver dollars from his pocket and slapped them on the chopping board.

The portly shopkeeper pocketed the silver dollars, deftly picked out two large roast chickens, wrapped them tightly in oil paper, and tied a handle with hemp rope.

"The young Taoist priest is truly a straightforward person."

"Come again next time, I'll give you a discount!"

Jiale was carrying two heavy roast chickens, still feeling the pinch of the cost.

"Junior brother, you're being way too wasteful."

"Two silver dollars! That could buy so many kilograms of brown rice."

Lin Chen walked ahead without looking back.

"Senior brother, this is called social etiquette."

"If you ask a deity for a favor and they give you two skinny, sickly chickens as a reward, do you think they'll even bother with you next time?"

Jiale scratched his head and agreed.

After buying the roast chicken, Lin Chen went to the incense and candle shop and picked out some top-quality sandalwood and a stack of gold foil paper money.

These are all supporting services prepared for the celestial soldiers.

I passed by a winery.

Lin Chen went inside and filled a gourd with sorghum wine. Although the food in Heaven was good, it probably wasn't as strong as the liquor in the mortal world.

After buying everything, the two found a breakfast stall selling tofu pudding and sat down.

One person ordered a large bowl of tofu pudding, plus two freshly fried dough sticks.

Lin Chen ate heartily.

After his body was strengthened, his appetite also increased, and he finished a bowl of tofu pudding in just a few bites.

Jiale ate a fried dough stick and watched the people coming and going on the street.

Several porters were sitting at a nearby table, drinking tea and chatting.

Lin Chen's ears twitched as he overheard their conversation.

"Have you heard? Something happened in Renjia Town."

"A porter with a scar on his face said in a low voice."

"What happened? Didn't Master Ren just move the old master's grave?"

Scarface shook his head repeatedly.

"The grave has been moved, but I heard there's something wrong with the feng shui there."

"The old man's body hasn't rotted in twenty years, and his fingernails have even grown out."

"Uncle Jiu said it was about to turn into a zombie and suggested burning it, but Master Ren absolutely refused and insisted on keeping it in the mortuary first."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen paused, his hand holding the chopsticks still.

Renjia Town? Uncle Nine? Mortuary?

Lin Chen was all too familiar with these words when they were put together.

Isn't this the start of a classic plot?

Lin Chen was making plans in his mind.

Qingshan Town is not far from Renjia Town.

If you catch the train, it will take at most half a day to get there.

That zombie that Old Master Ren turned into is a troublesome fellow.

Scarface continued speaking.

"My cousin works as a security guard in Renjia Town. He said there have been some disturbances at the mortuary at night these past two days."

"Uncle Nine's two apprentices, Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, wander around the streets every night, supposedly to prevent zombies from escaping."

After hearing this, the porters shrank back.

"In these times of war and chaos, even the dead cannot rest in peace."

"We'll have to be careful at night from now on, since we're involved in escorting goods and driving carts."

The porters settled their bills, packed their belongings, and left.

Lin Chen finished the last mouthful of tofu pudding in his bowl and wiped his mouth.

This Nine-Uncle universe is indeed interconnected.

Just as Master Qianhe eliminated the royal zombies, the zombies in Renjia Town are about to be released again.

I don't know how my current strength compares to Uncle Nine's.

"Junior brother, what are you daydreaming about?"

Jiale waved his hand in front of Lin Chen's eyes.

"Hearing them talk about zombies makes your hands itch again?"

Lin Chen stood up and placed the copper coin on the table.

"It's not that I'm itching to do it, it's just that the world is getting more and more exciting."

"Let's go back to the dojo."

"The heavenly soldiers are still waiting to eat roast chicken."

The two of them, carrying large and small bags, left Qingshan Town.

Follow the original path up the mountain.

On the way back, Jiale walked slowly, carrying things in his hands, and was quite tired.

Lin Chen didn't rush him, and walked along while looking at the trees in the mountains.

As noon approached, the two saw the courtyard wall of the dojo.

The sound of sawing wood came from the yard.

Master Simu was directing the four Manchu guards to repair the hole in the main hall.

Minister Wu sat under the shade of a nearby tree, fanning himself as he supervised the work.

"Oh, you two are finally back."

When Master Simu saw Lin Chen and Jiale, he put down the blueprints in his hand.

"Did you buy the roast chicken? Where's the lime?"

Jiale placed the oil paper package and a bag of lime on the ground.

"Master, I've bought everything."

"This roast chicken smells amazing; I followed the aroma all the way home."

Master Simu leaned over and took a sniff.

"It's good."

"Alright, Lin Chen, hurry up and fulfill this wish."

"The temple has been filled with bad luck these past few days. It's best to send the deities away as soon as possible so we can have some peace."

Lin Chen nodded, picked up the roast chicken and wine gourd, and went into the guest room in the backyard.

I'm going to set up a simple altar and have a good talk with that heavenly soldier at the South Heavenly Gate.

The guest room was fairly clean.

Lin Chen moved the octagonal table to the center of the room.

I found a piece of yellow cloth and spread it on the table to serve as a makeshift altar.

Unwrapping the two roast chickens in oil paper, the golden-brown, oily beggar's chickens were placed on two large porcelain plates, and the aroma filled the room.

Then, the stopper of the sorghum liquor gourd was removed, and three large bowls were filled to the brim, which were then placed in front of the roast chicken.

Light the sandalwood incense and place it in the incense burner.

As the smoke rose, the room gained a more solemn atmosphere.

Master Simu peeked out from outside the door, his hands behind his back.

Having cultivated Taoism for so many years, he had never witnessed the scene of offering sacrifices to heavenly soldiers.

Normally, when people invite gods, they borrow their magical power and then burn some paper money to finish. This is the first time I've seen someone do something like Lin Chen's, which is like inviting someone to dinner.

Jiale peered through the window, swallowing hard.

"Master, do you think immortals can really eat roast chicken?"

Jiale asked in a low voice.

Master Four Eyes glared at him.

"You're making a fuss over nothing."

"Immortals consume incense and vital energy; they don't actually eat flesh."

"Once the ritual is over, the chicken will be used as firewood."

In the room.

Lin Chen straightened up, formed the Maoshan Invitation Seal with his hands, and stepped out with the Seven Star Step, circling the Eight Immortals Table once.

He began chanting incantations to communicate with the heavens.

"Wandering souls, where do they linger?"

"The three souls descend early, and the seven spirits arrive."

"Guards outside the South Heavenly Gate, heed my command and receive my offerings."

"Today, I offer earthly delicacies to repay the gods' grace."

"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"

After reciting the incantation, Lin Chen pointed his sword at the incense burner on the table.

The three sandalwood sticks in the incense burner glowed brighter and burned much faster than usual.

The wisps of smoke didn't drift towards the roof; instead, they gathered straight into a beam and shot out the window, rising into the sky.

heaven.

Outside the South Heavenly Gate.

A celestial soldier in silver armor was leaning against a pillar, yawning, with half a dry celestial cake beside him.

"I can't live like this anymore."

"The Queen Mother of the West didn't even include us gatekeepers in the Peach Banquet."

"I'm eating dry rations here every day, my mouth is so bland."

The soldier complained a couple of times, then prepared to change his position and continue sleeping.

The rich aroma of meat wafted up from the clouds.

The soldier sniffed twice, then opened his eyes and looked around.

"Holy crap! This tastes...like beggar's chicken from the mortal world!"

"It even smells like strong liquor!"

Follow the scent.

A passage formed from a wisp of green smoke outside the South Heavenly Gate, at the end of which were placed two roast chickens and three large bowls of wine.

The heavenly soldiers were overjoyed.

"At least that kid has a conscience; he didn't try to fool me."

The heavenly soldier reached out and grabbed the roast chicken and wine bowl along the incense burner path. He tore off a large chicken leg and chewed it, skin and meat alike, his mouth dripping with oil.

"It smells amazing! It smells fucking amazing!"

"The chefs in this mortal realm are quite skilled."

After swallowing a bite of chicken, Tianbing picked up the large bowl and drank the sorghum liquor in one gulp. The strong liquor flowed down his throat, burning hot.

The heavenly soldier let out a burp and leaned back comfortably against the pillar.

In the guest room in the mortal realm.

Lin Chen looked at the two roast chickens on the table.

The sheen of oil on the surface of the roast chicken was gone, and the plump meat became shriveled.

The wine in the bowl wasn't reduced, but the aroma was completely gone, and it had turned into plain water.