Uncle Jiu

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Lin Jiu 11
Alias(es)	Uncle Jiu; Ninth Uncle; Daoist Lin Jiu; Daoist Lin 8 23 31
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Jiang City Mortuary; Yin-Yang Master lineage 21 23
Occupation/Role	Yin-Yang Master, feng shui master, exorcist, and Mortuary manager 21 37 42
Status	Alive; resumed working after recovering from severe Blood Essence depletion 44
First Appearance	Chapter 8

Background / History

Lin Jiu was already a recognized Yin-Yang Master when Bai Yu entered the Jiang City Mortuary. After hearing Bai Yu perform the suona, he identified its soul-soothing quality and considered Bai Yu naturally suited to funeral work. He also recognized the signs of Bai Yu's martial training from his Blood Essence. 8

He warned Bai Yu that the Five Elements Fist depleted Blood Essence because it contained combat methods but lacked proper cultivation methods. He urged Bai Yu to stop practicing it before it damaged his foundation and recommended the Five Spirits Fist as a compatible replacement. 11

Following Mangzi's departure from the Mortuary, Lin Jiu began taking Bai Yu on difficult funerary assignments as an assistant. He relied on Bai Yu's vigorous Blood Essence and suona to suppress evil during the burial of the Black Wolf Gang's Iron Wolf Protector. 21 23

Lin Jiu formally accepted Bai Yu as his disciple without the customary years-long assessment. He cited Bai Yu's talent, kindness, and habit of secretly returning money taken from the dead as reasons for his trust, then passed him a volume of the Zhu You Yin Fu Jing. 24

As Baleful Corpses became increasingly common in Jiang City, Lin Jiu accelerated Bai Yu's training and gradually entrusted him with more Mortuary work. During Golden Dragon Abbot's Sha Qi Grand Formation attack, Lin Jiu stayed behind to contain the crisis, expending vital essence to protect the Mortuary and Jiang City's feng shui. 28 36 37

Golden Dragon Abbot knocked Lin Jiu unconscious and intended to use him as blood food for the newly created Bronze Armor Corpse. Bai Yu and Old Mo rescued him; afterward, Lin Jiu and Bai Yu maintained the cover story that an unknown masked expert had defeated the Abbot. The prefecture governor later promoted Lin Jiu to Mortuary manager. 37 39 42

Appearance

Lin Jiu was originally described as having jet-black hair. After drawing nine Blood Talismans with his vital essence to suppress the Mortuary's Sha Qi, his hair turned white overnight and his face became pallid. 37

• Carries yellow talismans for suppression, exorcism, and corpse control. 22 37
• Uses a peach wood sword during Yin-Yang rituals. 21
• Keeps a wine gourd at his waist. 39
• Conceals a copy of White Fox Erotic Tales beneath his pillow. 32

Personality

Lin Jiu is practical, knowledgeable, and strongly committed to his trade. He treats Yin-Yang work as a means of resolving disasters for ordinary people rather than a path to immortality or martial prestige. His rules for disciples forbid betraying one's master or ancestors and using Zhu You techniques for evil. 24

He is protective of Bai Yu and quickly comes to regard him as a closed-door disciple. He shares food and tonic soup with Bai Yu, gives him successive volumes of the Zhu You Yin Fu Jing, and entrusts him with work when his own obligations become too extensive. 32 36 44

Despite his reputation, Lin Jiu has a humorous and somewhat theatrical side. Some of his self-igniting talisman demonstrations use white phosphorus, though he also possesses genuine fire-starting talismans and authentic Blood Talisman techniques. 22 23 24

Abilities & Skills

Yin-Yang and Feng Shui Arts

Lin Jiu is regarded as a Grandmaster-level Yin-Yang Master despite being only a Third-Rank martial artist. His lineage combines methods descended from ancient Yin-Yang practitioners, Immortal Talisman traditions, witchcraft, and Ancient Body Refiners. 23

• Performs rites to appease Sha Qi, settle funerals, suppress evil, and prevent corpses from transforming. 21 23
• Identifies the Mortuary as a feng shui node capable of suppressing Sha Qi and understands the consequences of its conversion into an ominous Yin site. 37
• Is frequently summoned for difficult cases involving suicide victims, lingering resentment, disturbed households, and corpse transformations. 21
• His Yin-Yang expertise does not directly equal superior combat power against martial opponents. 37

Talisman Crafting

Lin Jiu draws and uses various talismans from the Zhu You Yin Fu Jing. 23 24

• Evil-Suppressing Talismans — reduce Sha Qi and protect people fleeing dangerous areas. 22 36 37
• Corpse Control Talismans — immobilize Baleful Corpses when affixed to their foreheads. 37
• Fire-Starting Talismans — produce fire without a tinderbox. 24
• Blood Talismans — use the caster's Blood Essence as ink and possess stronger suppressive effects than ordinary yellow talismans. 23
• Excessive Blood Talisman use severely drains his vital essence and Blood Essence. 23 37

Nine Yang Evil-Suppressing Talisman

To counter the Sha Qi Grand Formation, Lin Jiu created nine specialized Blood Talismans and deployed them as the Nine Yang Evil-Suppressing Talisman. 37

• Temporarily dispersed the Sha Qi vortex surrounding the Mortuary. 37
• Prevented a wider feng shui disaster that could have harmed Jiang City for generations. 37
• Turned his hair white overnight and left him barely able to stand. 37

Martial Ability

Lin Jiu is a Third-Rank Martial Artist. His martial cultivation is below Bai Yu's later level, but he remains capable of evading and subduing ordinary Baleful Corpses through movement and talismans. 22 37

• Dodged the attacks of two Baleful Corpses before immobilizing both with Corpse Control Talismans. 37
• Uses Taoist steps and a peach wood sword as part of ritual performance. 21
• His Third-Rank Blood Essence was considered suitable blood food for the Bronze Armor Corpse. 37

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Peach Wood Sword — used in funerary and Yin-Yang rituals. 21
• Yellow Talismans — includes Evil-Suppressing, Corpse Control, and fire-starting talismans. 22 24 37
• Blood Talisman materials — uses his own Blood Essence to draw powerful talismans. 23 37
• Zhu You Yin Fu Jing — the foundational text of his lineage; he gives its volumes to Bai Yu. 23 24 32
• Wine gourd — carried at his waist. 39

Relationships

• Bai Yu — disciple and trusted successor. Lin Jiu advises him on cultivation, teaches him Zhu You arts, and entrusts him with leading others to safety during the Mortuary crisis. Bai Yu later returns to rescue him from Golden Dragon Abbot. 11 24 36 37 39
• Mangzi — former Mortuary worker whom Lin Jiu had considered taking as a disciple during an observation period; Mangzi left before this could happen. 21
• Zhu Tong, Old Zhang, and Little Wang — fellow Mortuary workers whom Lin Jiu orders to evacuate when the Sha Qi Grand Formation endangers the Mortuary. 36
• Golden Dragon Abbot — enemy whose scheme threatens the Mortuary. Golden Dragon acknowledges Lin Jiu's mastery of Yin-Yang feng shui but defeats him physically and attempts to sacrifice him. 37
• Prefecture Governor — rewards Lin Jiu's service in the Mortuary crisis by promoting him to manager. 42

Story Role / Major Arcs

Bai Yu's Mentor

Lin Jiu first recognizes Bai Yu's potential as a funeral worker and martial artist. His warning about the Five Elements Fist's Blood Essence consumption drives Bai Yu to seek a safer, more complete cultivation method. 8 11

Iron Wolf Protector Funeral

Lin Jiu leads the rites for Qi Yong, the Black Wolf Gang's Iron Wolf Protector. When Sha Qi resurges, he spends vital essence on a Blood Talisman while Bai Yu's soul-suppressing suona creates the opening needed to complete it. 21 22 23

Passing Down the Zhu You Lineage

Concerned that his skills may not be inherited, Lin Jiu accepts Bai Yu immediately rather than waiting through the usual apprenticeship process. He gives Bai Yu the Zhu You Yin Fu Jing and intensifies his training as Baleful Corpse incidents increase. 24 28 32

Mortuary Crisis

When Golden Dragon Abbot's formation floods the Mortuary with Sha Qi, Lin Jiu sends the others away and remains behind. He subdues Baleful Corpses, deploys the Nine Yang Evil-Suppressing Talisman, and sacrifices much of his vitality to protect the city. 36 37

Aftermath and Promotion

After Bai Yu saves him and Golden Dragon Abbot is eliminated, Lin Jiu supports the masked-expert cover story. The prefecture governor promotes him to Mortuary manager, though he subsequently recuperates from his depleted Blood Essence and transfers many duties to Bai Yu. 42 43 44

Notable Quotes

“As a feng shui master, I should protect the peace of this city.” 37

“Having taken this job, I must bear this responsibility. It's my duty, and I cannot shirk it.” 37

“Do not deceive your master or betray your ancestors; do not use the Zhu You techniques you have learned to do evil.” 24

Trivia

• Lin Jiu publicly maintains the demeanor of an expert during talisman performances, even when his fingers are burned by the heat used to ignite them. 23
• He claims that reading White Fox Erotic Tales is a method of “tempering” his mind and cultivating himself. 32