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

Lin Mu closed his eyes and let him rub him, not thinking about anything, only feeling comfortable all over, as if he had been renovated from the inside out.

After rubbing his back, the masseur massaged his shoulders and neck. His technique was skillful and the pressure was just right. Lin Mu was so comfortable that he almost groaned out loud.

After the service was finished, the technician packed up his things, quietly left, and closed the door behind him.

Lin Mu didn't even wipe the water off his body before collapsing onto the large bed.

This bed is so soft, the quilt is fluffy and fluffy, it feels like lying on a cloud. As soon as you touch it, you sink in. The cotton in the quilt is fresh and fluffy enough to bury half a person.

He turned over, pulled the blanket tighter around himself, leaving only his head sticking out, and let out a long breath.

Grinding monsters is too tiring.

Lying on this soft bed, smelling the faint scent of soap on the bedding, he felt as if he had come back to life.

He lay in bed, tossing and turning in his sleep, waking up to eat, then sleeping again.

When he was hungry, he would take out a sesame seed cake from his storage bag and take a couple of bites; when he was thirsty, he would drink half a pot of water. He was too lazy to move, too lazy to think, and didn't even want to lift a finger.

The skeleton stood in the corner, the flames in its eye sockets flickering, as still as a sculpture, occasionally cracking its joints as if to confirm its continued existence.

Outside the window, daylight would break and then darkness would return, then light would return again. The skeleton stood there, motionless, the flame flickering as if keeping watch over time for him.

After sleeping all day, Lin Mu, feeling well-rested, put on a bamboo hat, tied a face towel to cover his face completely, and then dressed the skeleton in a cloak and bamboo hat before leaving the inn.

It was a rare good day in winter; the sunlight was soft and gentle, warming my skin.

Lin Mu squinted and stood there for a while, then took a deep breath of the cool air and felt very comfortable.

The streets were bustling with people, just like a few days ago. Flower vendors, vegetable vendors, and general merchandise vendors were all shouting their wares. An old man selling candied hawthorns walked by carrying a straw target, the bright red hawthorns glistening in the soft sunlight.

He walked along the familiar street, and paused for a moment as he passed "Old Zhang's Restaurant".

A few months ago, he was sitting here eating noodles when Chunxing came in from the doorway, her eyes red and her eyebrows curved as she said to him, "This servant is just happy."

At that time, he was still wearing cloth clothes, holding a wooden sword, and all he could think about was going to the Woma Forest to kill monsters.

In just a few months, everything has changed.

He looked away, sighed, and stopped thinking about it.

It's been eleven days. It's time to go back to the Royal Martial Arts Academy. I wonder if the Jiang family has prepared the compensation.

Lin Mu released the yellow horse from his mount pouch, mounted it, and rode slowly towards the martial arts school.

The skeleton followed behind him, wrapped in a cloak and wearing a straw hat, also riding another yellow horse. From a distance, they looked like two silent merchants, one in front of the other, their hooves crunching softly on the thin snow.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street. Occasionally, someone would look up at them, then lower their head and continue on their way. No one recognized that this person, who was wrapped up tightly, was the master in plain clothes who had made a big splash on the stage a few days ago.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the martial arts school, the Imperial Guards on duty reached out to stop them, saying, "Royal Martial Arts School, no unauthorized personnel allowed."

Lin Mu took out the Royal Martial Arts Academy's token from his Qiankun bag and handed it over.

Jinwuwei took the document, glanced at it, and then looked him over, frowning. There were no student records of absences today. Who was this person? Could it be...? He tentatively asked, "Lin Mu?"

Lin Mu then took off his straw hat, removed his face mask, and revealed his face.

The skeleton behind him also took off its straw hat, and the flames in its two eye sockets were not so dazzling in the pale winter sunlight, and the scales on its bone surface gleamed with a dark luster.

Lin Mu nodded: "It's me."

The guards handed the token back to him and then lowered their voices, saying, "Young Master Lin, you're finally back. The Jiang family has been looking for you for the past few days, asking each of the brothers on duty at the martial arts school entrance if you've returned."

He pulled an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to you. "This was sent to you by someone from the Jiang family. Don't worry, we haven't seen it."

Lin Mu took the envelope, took out ten gold coins from his Qiankun bag, and stuffed them into the hands of the Golden Guards: "Thank you both."

Jinwuwei pushed it, then put it back, a smile appearing on his face. He nodded and said nothing more.

Lin Mu opened the envelope; inside was a piece of paper with just a few lines of writing.

The gist of the message is that the Jiang family has prepared partial compensation and requests that Lin Mu visit the Jiang family after returning to the city to discuss the matter in person.

After reading it, Lin Mu folded the paper and stuffed it into his Qiankun bag, then led the skeleton into the martial arts hall.

Back at the martial arts school, after collecting the Spirit Gathering Pearl, Lin Mu led the skeleton out of the school, turned a few corners, and arrived at an adventurers' guild.

The place doesn't look big from the outside; it has gray bricks and gray tiles, and a black lacquered plaque hangs above the door with five golden characters that read "Adventurers' Guild".

But once inside, you'll find a completely different world. The hall is as spacious as a small square, and the dome is so high that you can see the dust on the beams. Several huge bronze lamps hang down from the beams, with short wicks and steady flames, illuminating the entire hall.

This guild was actually established by the imperial court to regulate folk guilds and awakened individuals, and at the same time, it provided an official window for ordinary people to seek help from awakened individuals.

On the left side of the lobby was a long row of counters, behind which sat several clerks in gray uniforms.

Chapter 179: The Mission Issuance and the Bustling Jiang Mansion

Some people were looking down at booklets, some were using abacuses, and some were chatting with the people next to them while holding teacups.

Several wooden signs hung above the counter, bearing words such as "Task Posting," "Task Handover," "Information Inquiry," and "Guild Registration." The handwriting was neat and tidy, as if it had been printed.

It seems that this is where the guild was created. The process bar next to it doesn't say that a Woma Horn is required, which is normal. Woma Horns are not easy to obtain, and the imperial court wouldn't make the threshold for guild registration so strict.

To the right of the hall was a huge notice board, made of wooden planks, covered with slips of paper of all sizes, some yellow and some white, with slightly curled edges. It was divided into several sections according to categories: monster-hunting teams, requests to buy rare items, missing persons and lost items, and trivial matters of ordinary people, such as whose chickens were missing, whose roofs were leaking, and whose fields were infested with insects.

The hall was filled with long benches and tables, all occupied by people.

Lin Mu stood at the door, glanced around through his straw hat, and found the counter where tasks were posted.

He squeezed through the crowd, walked to the counter, took out twenty gold coins and stacked them on the counter. Pointing to the skeleton in the black robe, he said to the clerk, "I'll give you a quest, twenty gold coins, to hire someone to demonstrate the Crescent Blade for a whole day. Just swing it at the wooden stake, no need to fight monsters or talk to him."

The person in charge glanced at him, then at the tall, bundled-up figure behind him, and without asking any further questions, took the gold coins, wrote the task on a wooden sign, tied it with a rope, and hung it at the top of the notice board.

Lin Mu led the skeleton to a bench and reassured it with his mind: "You stay here and watch. Whoever accepts the mission later, you follow him and let him demonstrate. Watch him swing his sword and try to understand."

The skull-shaped light in his mind flickered, as if to say, "I understand."

Lin Mu added, "I'll pick you up later."

The light flashed again, slower than before, as if it was reluctant, but still agreed.

Lin Mu patted the skull's shoulder blade, then turned and left.

After leaving the guild, Lin Mu followed the address written in the letter and inquired his way to the Jiang residence.

The sunlight on the street was soft and warm, and icicles hung from the eaves of the houses, sparkling in the sunlight.

After turning two streets and passing through a long alley, the view suddenly opened up before me.

The Jiang family mansion faces south, with gray walls and black tiles. Two stone lions crouch in front of the gate, their mouths open and teeth showing, and they are a whole size larger than the pair at the Qin family mansion.

Above the door hangs a gilded plaque with the two characters "Jiang Mansion" written in strong, vigorous strokes, as if carved with a knife.

Two large vermilion doors stood open, with thresholds so high they could trip a child. Behind the doors was a blue brick screen wall, engraved with the character "福" (fortune) and surrounded by carvings of bats and auspicious clouds.

A passerby looked up and muttered, "This house is really grand." Someone next to him chimed in, "That's right, it's the Jiang family of Biqi, a thousand-year-old brand."

Lin Mu stood at the door, not yet taking a step. A spirited middle-aged man had already come to greet him.

The man, dressed in a clean blue robe and standing ramrod straight, bowed deeply before Lin Mu could speak, his voice booming like he was reciting lines: "Young Master Lin has arrived..."

The shout echoed throughout the front courtyard of the Jiang residence, as if it were directed at someone in particular.

Lin Mu paused for a moment, then followed the gatekeeper inside.

Passing through the screen wall and around the front hall, the road is paved with blue bricks, and the corridors on both sides are winding and twisting. The pillars are painted red, and lanterns hang from the beams. There is one every few steps, lit even in broad daylight, with the candlelight flickering in the thin gauze.

Several old locust trees were planted in the yard, their branches gnarled and twisted, with snow weighing down on them, and occasionally a small piece would fall down with a soft rustling sound.

The ground was swept clean, and a thin layer of snow was piled up under the tree roots, round like a white cotton blanket.

Several servants walked over from the other end of the corridor with their heads down, close to the wall, their footsteps so light they were almost inaudible. When they saw Lin Mu, they didn't look up, but simply stepped aside to let him pass.

Lin Mu followed the gatekeeper through two moon gates to the main hall.

The scene before him was even larger than he had anticipated; most of the tables and chairs in the hall had been moved away, leaving a large empty space.

The red carpet stretched from the threshold all the way down the steps, with a dozen or so people standing or sitting on either side.

People gathered in twos and threes, holding teacups and chatting quietly, but they all looked a little tired.

Upon seeing Lin Mu enter, everyone perked up, turning their heads in unison to gaze at him. Some nodded, some cupped their hands in greeting, and some wore meaningful smiles.

There were several people standing nearby with paper and pens. One of them was holding a stack of white paper, and another had an ink bottle on his waist. His clothes were stained with ink, and his sleeves were rolled up high. He looked like an editor from a newspaper.

When they saw Lin Mu enter, their eyes lit up, and they gripped their pens tighter, like hunting dogs that had caught the scent of their prey.

Lin Mu's heart skipped a beat.

What is this for?

It's just a matter of paying compensation; why bother hiring people from the newspaper?

In the center of the hall was a long table covered with a dark red velvet cloth. On the cloth were neatly arranged a Qiankun bag and a mount pouch. Next to them were a booklet with gold lettering and a calligraphy brush.

Jiang Hetang stood behind the table, wearing a brand-new dark green robe. The token at his waist had been replaced with a jade one, which gleamed warmly in the candlelight.

Lin Mu walked to the front of the hall.

Jiang Hetang had already come out from inside the hall to greet them. He walked hurriedly, and his expression was completely different from that in the court. It was as if he had been waiting for this day for a long time.

The face in the court was as hard as iron, cold, hard, and dark, but now it seemed to have been soaked in hot water, the lines between his eyebrows and eyes had relaxed a bit, and there was even a hint of a smile on his lips.

He strode up to Lin Mu, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said in a moderate tone, "Young Master Lin, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please come in, please come in."

At this moment, the newspaper editors quickly surrounded them, holding pens and paper, their eyes fixed on Jiang Hetang and Lin Mu, as if waiting for some momentous occasion.

Lin Mu glanced at Jiang Hetang, nodded, and followed him into the main hall, where they took their seats as host and guest.

A servant brought tea to the table in a celadon teacup. The tea leaves unfurled in the boiling water, releasing a delightful aroma.

Without wasting words, Jiang Hetang waved his hand, and another servant brought over the Qiankun bag and brocade pouch from the long table on a tray, handing them to Lin Mu with both hands.

Lin Mu took it, opened the Qiankun bag, and focused his mind to probe inside.

The mental combat technique is used to quickly and accurately count money and goods in ordinary times, a wonderful application he only recently discovered.

As his level and Taoist skills improved, coupled with the theories he learned at the martial arts school, he became increasingly adept at using mental combat techniques in his daily life.

For example, when counting money, you used to have to count each bill one by one, but now you can just think about it and the approximate amount is imprinted in your mind.

Chapter 180 The Abnormal Jiang Mansion

300 million gold coins, just right. 34180 bottles of blessing oil, more than half less than the promised 10 bottles.