Uncle Nine

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Lin Jiu 20
Alias(es)	Uncle Nine
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Maoshan Sect 20 21
Occupation/Role	Maoshan Taoist priest; master of Yang Xuan, Qiu Sheng, and Wen Cai 20 21 25
First Appearance	Chapter 20

Background / History

Yang Xuan seeks out Uncle Nine in Ren Family Town specifically to study Maoshan Taoist arts. Uncle Nine initially questions why a young Hua Jin Grandmaster with exceptional martial ability would need Taoist training, but accepts him after Yang Xuan explains that he wishes to pursue both paths freely and see martial arts’ ultimate heights. Four Eyes serves as witness to the apprenticeship. 20

As Yang Xuan’s master, Uncle Nine passes on the Maoshan True Explanation—including ghost-catching, talismans, Feng Shui, and arrays—along with the Maoshan Qi Cultivation Method. He is pleased by Yang Xuan’s diligence and thoughtful gifts, particularly compared with the laziness of his other disciples. 21

Master Ren hires Uncle Nine to oversee the exhumation and reburial of his father. Uncle Nine immediately recognizes that the grave’s Feng Shui has been maliciously altered into a corpse-breeding site and warns that the corpse’s condition is dangerous. When the Ren family’s dead become zombies, he directs the effort to restrain them and later explains to Ren Tingting that cremation is necessary to free their souls for reincarnation. 24 26

During the Feng Shui Master’s zombie assault, Uncle Nine protects his disciples with a peach wood sword and practical footwork. After Yang Xuan kills the attacker and is shaken by guilt, Uncle Nine counsels him to value self-preservation and not allow compassion to make him vulnerable to ambushes. 27 28

Uncle Nine later accepts Yang Xuan’s offer to teach National Arts, making steady progress despite his age. He also supports Yang Xuan’s relationship with Ren Tingting, advises him to marry before gossip damages her reputation, and gives him the medical text Dan Jing. 29 32

Appearance

Uncle Nine is an elderly man with white hair and a stern expression. He wears Taoist robes, including one bearing a Taiji symbol when performing Feng Shui. 20 37

• White-haired and severe-looking. 20
• Usually carries himself with the reserved bearing of an experienced Taoist master. 20 24
• Wears traditional Maoshan Taoist attire. 37

Personality

Uncle Nine is righteous, traditional, and cautious around supernatural threats. Yang Xuan views him as stubborn and old-fashioned but fundamentally dependable, particularly when zombies or malicious practitioners threaten ordinary people. 20 24

He is compassionate in crises, giving Ren Tingting difficult but honest guidance after her father and grandfather become zombies. He also worries about Yang Xuan’s state of mind following the Feng Shui Master’s death rather than simply praising his victory. 26 28

His pride occasionally surfaces: he initially refuses to learn National Arts from his own disciple despite recognizing their benefits. Nevertheless, he eventually accepts Yang Xuan’s instruction and trains earnestly. 26 29

Abilities & Skills

Maoshan Taoist Arts

Uncle Nine’s principal discipline is Maoshan Taoism. He teaches Yang Xuan the Maoshan True Explanation and its associated cultivation method. 21

• Instructs disciples in ghost-catching, talismans, Feng Shui, and arrays. 21
• Performs protective rituals against corpse energy and zombie outbreaks. 25
• Uses Taoist knowledge to judge whether a corpse, grave, or spiritual phenomenon poses a threat. 24 25

Feng Shui and Funeral Rites

Uncle Nine is highly experienced in funerary customs and Feng Shui. He identifies the Ren family grave as the “Dragonfly Skimming Water” site and recognizes that a skilled geomancer has corrupted it into a corpse-breeding ground. 24

• Advises against disturbing graves when there is no need. 24
• Recognizes abnormal corpse energy and undecomposed bodies as signs of danger. 24
• Directs the use of ink-line rituals and other precautions to contain a corpse. 25
• Presides over the cremation rites for Master Ren and his father. 26

Zombie Combat and Containment

Uncle Nine can fight zombies directly, relying on efficient movement and Maoshan tools rather than flashy techniques. 27

• Uses a peach wood sword against controlled zombies. 27
• Employs short, practical footwork adapted to zombies’ unnatural movements. 27
• Identifies the danger of blood-related zombies, including their tendency to seek close relatives. 26
• Judges when cremation is necessary to prevent further casualties. 26

National Arts Training

Although initially reluctant to learn from Yang Xuan, Uncle Nine begins studying National Arts for health and physical improvement. He progresses faster than Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai, possibly because of his existing spiritual cultivation. 29

• Trains alongside Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai. 29
• Gains increased appetite and a stronger body through the practice. 29 35
• Remains a learner in this discipline rather than presenting himself as its master. 29

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Peach wood sword — Used against the Feng Shui Master’s zombies. 27
• Ink fountain — Used in a corpse-containment ritual around Master Ren’s coffin. 25
• Maoshan ritual supplies — Yellow paper, brush, black ink, knife, and wooden sword prepared for emergency zombie rites. 25
• Dan Jing — A medical text Uncle Nine gives Yang Xuan, containing pill formulas and healing qi-circulation methods. 32

Relationships

• Yang Xuan — His disciple. Uncle Nine accepts Yang after testing his resolve, teaches him Maoshan arts, and offers guidance on both danger and personal responsibility. 20 21 28
• Qiu Sheng — Disciple. Uncle Nine protects him during zombie attacks and is concerned when a female ghost becomes involved with him. 25 27 29
• Wen Cai — Disciple. Uncle Nine frequently reprimands his carelessness but still protects and trains him. 24 25 29
• Four Eyes — Junior martial brother. Four Eyes brings Yang Xuan to Uncle Nine’s attention, while the two maintain a close senior-junior relationship. 20 23
• Ren Tingting — A young woman he guides through the deaths and zombification of her father and grandfather; he offers her practical counsel and spiritual comfort. 26
• Master Ren — Client who hires Uncle Nine for an exhumation despite Uncle Nine’s warning that the grave should not be disturbed. 24
• Yi Xiu — A neighboring monk with whom Uncle Nine has an openly tense but familiar rivalry. 35

Notable Quotes

“In the future, when you walk the martial world, remember to protect your own safety. Many martial arts Grandmasters are not inferior to others, but they die from ambushes.” 28