Legendary Son-in-Law: The Man with Poison Talismans

So he didn't register, and none of the crumpled papers had his name written on them.

The crowd thronged around the lucky, dark-faced man to the entrance of the secret passage, pushing him roughly towards it. The torchlight flickered a few times at the entrance, and then…

The person disappeared; they really went inside.

The noise at the doorway stopped abruptly.

They only felt a chill creeping up their spines from the doorway.

The people who were just moments before eager to try, pounding their chests in frustration, and filled with envy and jealousy suddenly fell silent, as if someone had grabbed them by the neck.

Only the torchlight remained, burning silently and crackling.

Yang Xiong looked in the direction where the man had disappeared and sighed softly.

The Demon Soul Palace leads to a deeper part of the Demon Sealing Realm, where the seal is relatively more secure.

The secret passage was a shortcut back to the Hall of the Overlord, so its unsealing was within his expectations.

It seems that the master in plain clothes is in this secret passage.

Zonghengdao survived, which is incredibly lucky. To be alive and still dare to enter the secret passage shows he truly is a master.

He stood with his hands behind his back for a while, then opened the ancient map given to him by the imperial court and stared at the section on the secret passage for a long time.

The secret passage is narrow and the terrain is cramped, so it can't accommodate too many people fighting at the same time. It's likely that there aren't too many monsters.

If that person was truly a master, having stayed inside for so many days, the monsters should have been mostly eliminated by now.

That person might still be alive.

Even if it were necessary to breach the secret passage, such heavy casualties wouldn't be necessary.

But now that we have a lead, we can't just sit and wait; we have to take action, as we only have one day left.

He closed the map and summoned everyone again.

"Next, attack the secret passage."

This time, Yang Xiong didn't offer any big rewards; instead, he focused his attention directly on the newly promoted miners.

"You have just become subordinates, now is the time for you to prove yourselves."

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone could hear him clearly: "After this matter is over, I will remember every single contribution that went into my career. In the future, promotions and wealth will be based on these contributions."

The miners looked at each other, silent. Some had their heads down, some gritted their teeth, and some clenched their fists, their knuckles cracking.

Why? I just fought a battle on Zongheng Road, and I haven't even had a chance to warm up the subordinate badge, and now I'm being pushed into that hellhole again?

Why is it that the Imperial Guards and the old subordinates stand still, while it is this group of people who have just climbed out of the mine who are sent to their deaths?

Discontent spread through the crowd, like a damp, smoldering fire—it wouldn't burn brightly, but it couldn't be extinguished either. Someone furtively glanced up at the Imperial Guards and old subordinates beside them, then quickly lowered their gaze again.

Their eyes were cold and sharp, like knives slicing through you. No one spoke, but the expressions on everyone's faces conveyed the same meaning.

If you're not going, are we supposed to go?

Yang Xiong's trusted lieutenant slammed the verdict to the ground, the dull thud echoing through the empty corridor, making everyone's chest feel tight.

His voice wasn't loud, but every word pierced the ears of everyone present like nails: "This is a military order. Anyone who disobeys will be executed, and their family members will be punished as well."

Silence. Deathly silence. Someone made a gurgling sound in their throat and swallowed.

Some clenched fists slowly loosened. No one hesitated anymore, and no one complained. The ranks were silently formed, the torchlight flickering on everyone's faces, illuminating their pale skin.

The Imperial Guards and their old subordinates stood to the side, arms crossed, watching this side with faint smiles on their lips.

The team began moving towards the secret passage.

Qin Zhengchuan stood at the back of the crowd, sighed, and was about to follow when Yang Xiong's voice came from the side: "You stay."

Qin Zhengchuan was taken aback and stopped in his tracks.

Yang Xiong glanced at him and said in a nonchalant tone, "You've already done your dues. From now on, you can follow me."

Qin Zhengchuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but then swallowed it back. He stood there, watching his old brothers, who used to clear monsters, distribute equipment, drink and brag together on the second floor of Woma, walk past him one by one.

Old Ma walked in the middle of the group. When he passed by him, he stopped for a moment, patted him on the shoulder, grinned, said nothing, and continued walking forward.

Qin Zhengchuan lowered his head, not daring to look at them.

It wasn't fear, it was shame.

He was relieved that he wouldn't have to go through that ordeal again, but it was precisely this relief that made him feel ashamed.

They were once brothers side by side, sharing the same identity and the same circumstances. Together they rushed through that stone gate and escaped death together from the white boar's chain hammer.

But now he was standing outside, and they went inside. Two worlds now.

He didn't know how long he had been standing there when a strong hand patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't overthink it." Yang Xiong's trusted lieutenant had appeared beside him at some point, his voice low but warm, "The lords have all seen your performance. They like people like you, and from now on we're all brothers."

Qin Zhengchuan looked up at him, nodded, and said nothing. Brother. He mentally processed those two words, then swallowed them.

What brother? He's just someone I have a weakness with, someone I can use easily. When it comes time to risk my life, I'll be the next one pushed through the door. He sees it all clearly, but he doesn't say it.

He knew that this was a necessary sacrifice to protect Qin Yumo. His life, in exchange for Yumo's future, was worth it.

The group gathered at the entrance to the secret passage, the torchlight illuminating the entrance. The miners stood in a line, clutching random teleportation scrolls, their faces pale, but not one of them retreated. The Imperial Guards and old subordinates stood behind, whispering amongst themselves; some pointed and gossiped, while others watched with their arms crossed.

The lead miner took a deep breath and was about to take a step...

"stop!"

Yang Xiong's voice came from behind, urgent and sharp, as if he had been pricked by something.

Chapter 140 The Emergence of the Overlord

Everyone froze. The whispers of the guards abruptly ceased, and the miners all turned around, the torchlight flickering on their faces, illuminating blank expressions.

Yang Xiong stood at the back of the crowd, his eyes fixed on the entrance to the secret passage. His face was expressionless, but his knuckles were white as he gripped the map, and his knuckles cracked.

-

Let's turn back time a bit.

Inside the Demon Sealing Hall, Lin Mu proceeded steadily, luring the monsters one by one until the remaining monsters were completely wiped out.

We didn't spare a single one, including the Wedge Moth, the Zuma Archer, the mini-boss blocking the door, and the top-tier Zuma monsters.

The skeleton, carrying a dragon slayer, led the way, its dark red cloak fluttering in the demonic energy. With a single slash, a burst of white light, tinged with blood, erupted.

Lin Mu followed behind, disappearing into the shadows, replenishing poison and healing, occasionally bending down to pick up items, as relaxed as if he were on a picnic.

During this time, Lin Mu also tried to combine with the other body once.

The moment he had that thought, the skeleton transformed into silvery-white specks of light and surged toward him, scaring Lin Mu so much that his soul almost flew away.

It turned out to be the skeleton's equipment: the Rainbow Demon Necklace, bracelet, ring, Dragon Slayer Sword, and Heavenly Demon Armor fell out of the void where the skeleton had just been.

Clang, clang, clang, one item after another, gleaming with a dark red light in the eerie green firelight, as if someone had casually tossed a pile of valuables on the ground.

He squatted down and frantically stuffed the items into his storage bag. Luckily, there weren't many monsters around, and he reacted quickly enough. If he had lost even one item, he would have had no one to blame but himself.

Forget about the Dragon Slayer and the Heavenly Demon, even the Rainbow Demon Necklace and Bracelet are treasures that were hard to obtain and that resonated with the aura of the skeleton. Who would compensate for them if they were lost?

He tried it several times and finally figured out the pattern.

When they merge, the skeleton transforms from a "solid" state into silver-white specks of light, and its external possessions, namely its equipment, fall to the ground with a clattering sound.

The same applies when the skeleton is resummoned, and when it is destroyed. Whenever the skeleton disappears, turning into a silvery-white dot or debris, all equipment drops, without exception.

From then on, he never dared to let the skeleton wear good equipment to merge again. He would take off the equipment and put it away before merging, and then put it back on after merging.

Although it's troublesome, it's better than losing it.

I can't let the skeletons roam around recklessly while they're wearing equipment. Skeletons can break, but equipment can't be lost. If they break, I can just summon more, but if the equipment is lost, it's truly gone.

However, there were some benefits as well. The cleanup of the Demon Sealing Hall was quite fruitful.

I've reached level 27.

I also managed to get a few pieces of equipment.

The first item is a bracelet.

The antique-style, wide, red gold bracelet was thick and warm to the touch, its surface engraved with delicate cloud patterns, while the inside gleamed with a matte finish from the passage of time. Three deep blue gemstones were set in the center of the bracelet, their lustrous translucence gleaming with a faint, cold light, like three silent, watching eyes. He picked it up and examined it; his hand trembled.

【Three-Eyed Bracelet, Defense 1-1, Taoist Magic 1-5, Requires 22 Taoist Magic】

A normal three-eyed bracelet has a Taoist skill level of 1-3, but this one has 2 more points. Excellent. Without a word, he took off the Taoist bracelet with a Taoist skill level of 0-3 and put on the three-eyed bracelet. His Taoist skill level increased again, reaching a maximum of 10-52 for the highest-level Taoist.

The second item is a helmet.

The overall design is a light brown fox head, seemingly tanned from a single animal hide, with a natural fur texture and soft sheen. A pair of pointed, triangular ears stand upright on its head, resembling small horns or some ancient totem. A wisp of fabric hangs down on each cheek, swaying gently with movement. The piece is small and delicate, with a feminine style, appearing to be a woman's adornment.

[Taoist Helmet, Defense 1-2, Magic Defense 2-3, Taoist Magic 0-3, Requires Level 24]

It has three more points of Taoist magic, and it also has significantly more defense and magic resistance than his bronze helmet.

Lin Mu immediately put it on. The bronze helmet had been with him for so long, it was time for it to retire. He put the bronze helmet into his Qiankun bag as a keepsake.

There's also a Ghost Armor, but unfortunately, it only adds 1 point to Taoist magic, so it's not as good as his Soul Armor.

Two skill books also dropped.

[Group Healing Spell, requires level 33]

He can't learn it yet, so he'll save it for later. Once he reaches level 33, this will be his first area-of-effect healing skill.

[Assassination Sword Technique, requires level 25]

A warrior's skill book. Lin Mu handed the book to the skeleton, who took it, held it in its two bony hands, and examined it several times, turning the pages over and over, but the pages remained untouched. The flames in its eye sockets dimmed, as if in a sigh.

I can't learn it.

Lin Mu sighed and put the book into his Qiankun bag.

Looks like I'll need to find a teacher. The map shows there's a martial arts school in Beach City that teaches the principles and usage of skills for all three professions, and there are sparring instructors there. I wonder if they accept skeleton students. I'll go back and inquire.

Including the time spent soaking skeletons and sealing demons, more than three months have passed, and I don't know if the Woma turmoil has subsided.

The rest are just some minor upgrades of +1 or +2, or ordinary Zuma and Woma equipment. They're useless to him, so he'll just leave them in his storage bag to gather dust, and he'll deal with them when he gets back to Bichon.

At this point, Lin Mu had 6107 gold coins, 37 silver coins, and 94 copper coins. He also had countless potions.