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

The article ended with a special note: "Under the prince's protection, Mengzhong will certainly not suffer any calamity."

The date on the cover is today; it must have been rushed out in the early hours of the morning, and newsboys ran around selling them overnight.

He folded the newspaper, tucked it into his sleeve, and didn't look at it much. But he knew perfectly well what was going on in his mind.

Gu Changfeng was urging him.

They did as you said, rushed back overnight, and spread the news throughout Mengzhong in a big way. Now their reputation is almost established.

If you keep delaying and don't see me, then you, Lin Yichen, are being ungrateful.

He stood silently in the courtyard for a while, the morning light shining obliquely on the blue brick ground, casting a long, thin shadow.

Gu Changfeng appeared calm on the surface, but he was actually very anxious inside.

However, judging from his behavior, he doesn't seem to be very shrewd. The fact that he was able to succeed as a prince and concurrently serve as the commander of the Imperial Guard in such a short time suggests that someone must have paved the way for him.

But no matter what, Gu Changfeng couldn't wait much longer, and he couldn't delay any longer either.

It's time to go back to Tucheng.

Lin Mu went back to his room to pack his luggage and told Tieshan, "I have to go back to Tucheng first. Please tell Lord Huo for me."

Tieshan didn't ask any further questions. He had already read the tabloid and knew what had happened, so he just nodded.

Lin Mu mounted his horse, and the skeleton, dressed in a dark purple armor suit, followed behind him. With nimble movements, it mounted another horse. The outline under the mask was perfectly defined by the armor, with straight shoulders and a slightly tucked waist. Its posture on the horse was upright and natural.

Tieshan stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching from afar. His gaze lingered on the figure for a moment, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself: When did this woman come to Shabak? How come I haven't noticed her before?

However, he didn't ask any further questions and turned back.

The clothing store owner stood at his shop entrance, watching the scene from afar. His gaze lingered on the figure in the dark purple armor for a long time, and he muttered to himself, "This young master Lin is truly a genius... He looks like a completely different person in this outfit. If I made a few more like this and sold them to those who aren't good-looking but want to go out in public, the business would be amazing..."

The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. That afternoon, he started rummaging through his inventory, digging out all the old leather and soft armor he had stored away, figuring out how to modify them so that people could be transformed just by wearing them.

He did manage to make a few, and the news circulated in a small circle in Shabak for a while. Several beauty-loving female awakened individuals quietly came to the store to try them on, and they seemed like completely different people when they came out of the store. They stared at their reflections in the water tank for a long time.

But real people and skeletons are ultimately different. When a suit is worn on a real person, the skin and flesh will stretch the suit into slight deformations. Only people with a slender build will look natural in it; the thinner the body, the better it will fit.

Chapter 258 Excuse for Blessing

If a person is overweight, the clothes may bulge out around their face and waist, making them look somewhat stiff.

Even so, it couldn't dampen people's enthusiasm. Everyone loves beauty, and in this great calamity where everyone is fleeing for their lives, this little bit of dignity seems especially precious.

But that's another story. At the time, Lin Mu had no idea that his casual action would quietly set off a trend of modifying leather suits in Shabak and even the entire Mengzhong.

At this moment, Lin Mu had already spurred his horse out of the Shabak city gate and was heading towards the earthen city along the gray-white dirt road.

The horses' hooves kicked up a cloud of dust on the dry road, and the wind blew in their faces, carrying the dry heat unique to the desert.

He wasn't riding too fast. After leaving the Shabak territory for about ten miles, he made sure no one was following him before dismounting, putting the horse away in his brocade pouch, and releasing the maggot cart from another pouch. He mounted the cart and attracted the maggots, which accelerated smoothly along the dirt road, much faster than riding a horse.

The gray dirt road rushed past under the wheels, and the wind rushed in through the collar, making the hem of the robe flutter.

When they were still some distance from Tucheng, he put away his maggot-riding cart, switched back to his horse, slowed down, and pretended to have ridden all the way from Shabak.

The earthen city was already in sight, its gray-yellow walls gleaming roughly in the afternoon sun, and caravans entering and exiting the city gates lined up in long, crooked queues.

Lin Mu reined in the reins and slowed down.

Upon entering Tucheng, he did not go directly to Prince An's Mansion. Instead, he first circled back to the inn where he had stayed before, ordered a pot of hot tea, and sat by the window on the second floor for a while, waiting for his footsteps to reach the mansion first.

Sure enough, before he had even finished half of his tea, the innkeeper came over with a tray on which was a folded note. He lowered his voice and said, "Sir, someone just delivered this. They said it's for you to open."

Lin Mu took the paper and unfolded it. There was only one line of text on it, written neatly and politely, as if it had been prepared in advance: "I heard that Young Master Lin has arrived in Tucheng. Please come to the Prince's Mansion for a chat. Gu Changfeng."

The signature was not stamped, but the paper and folding method were in accordance with the official standard.

Lin Mu folded the note and put it in his sleeve. After finishing his tea, he stood up unhurriedly, collected the skeleton's equipment, and led the skeleton out of the inn.

The Prince An's Mansion is located in the northeast corner of Tucheng, and its facade is much more imposing than the surrounding houses.

The walls are gray and the tiles are black. A plaque with gold characters on a black background hangs above the door. Two stone lions stand in front of the door, each holding a stone ball in its mouth, polished to a shine.

A row of guards stood at the entrance, their scabbards gleaming coldly in the afternoon sun.

As soon as Lin Mu reached the steps, the gatekeeper came out to greet him: "Young Master Lin, His Highness has been waiting for you for a long time. Please come with me; His Highness is waiting for you in his study."

Lin Mu nodded and followed the gatekeeper through the front yard. The yard was paved with blue bricks, with winding corridors and a row of half-height green bamboos planted under the corridors, the bamboo leaves rustling in the wind.

After passing through a moon gate and around a screen wall, the gatekeeper stopped in front of a half-open carved wooden door and stepped aside: "Your Highness, Young Master Lin has arrived."

Lin Mu stepped through the door, bowed respectfully, and said, "This humble subject, Lin Yichen, greets Your Highness."

The study was larger than he had imagined, but the light was rather dim. The windows were covered with thick bamboo blinds, with only a few thin beams of light leaking through the gaps and falling on the blue brick floor.

Gu Changfeng was sitting behind his desk, reading some document. When he saw him come in, he put down the paper in his hand, his gaze lingered on him for a moment, and then he nodded: "Young Master Lin, I didn't expect you to be so young. You are truly a promising young man. It is a blessing for the Lin family to have a talent like you."

Lin Mu walked to the table, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a calm and unhurried tone: "Your Highness is too kind. Your Highness has taken charge of Mengzhong at such a young age, which is truly remarkable. I often heard people mention Your Highness's reputation when I was sealing the demons, and seeing you today, I can confirm that it is indeed well-deserved."

Gu Changfeng's lips twitched slightly, as if he appreciated it, or as if he didn't intend to take the politeness seriously. He gestured to the chair opposite him: "Please sit down."

Lin Mu did not refuse and sat down in the chair opposite him, glancing around the study.

The bookshelves occupied two walls, neatly stacked with scrolls and booklets. In the corner stood a bronze incense burner, from which wisps of smoke rose, carrying a calm, woody fragrance.

On the table were an inkstone, several pens, and a stack of official documents; nothing else.

Gu Changfeng didn't rush to speak. He first picked up his tea and took a sip, as if waiting for Lin Mu to speak first.

Lin Mu didn't rush to speak. He also picked up his teacup and took a sip, his gaze sweeping across the beam of light shining through the crack in the window, silently observing the surrounding situation through the mini-map in his mind.

After a moment of silence, Gu Changfeng put down his teacup and spoke, his tone still calm, but the weight in his words began to diminish: "Young Master Lin, you should have already heard about the stone tomb. I have no other intention than to ask, have I met the standards you mentioned before?"

Lin Mu put down his teacup and, instead of answering directly, nodded first: "His Highness personally led the team deep into the seventh level of the stone tomb. It's clearly written in the tabloids, and I've seen it too. I acknowledge His Highness's dedication."

He paused, "However, the Blade of the Overlord is no ordinary weapon. Once this blade is given away, it cannot be taken back. Before giving away the blade, I, Lin, have a request..."

Gu Changfeng looked at him and waited for him to finish speaking.

Lin Mu's tone softened: "Besides crafting Spirit Gathering Pearls, the Lin family of the Demon Sealing Sect also possesses an ancient method of feng shui. If the Overlord's Blade is to be given away, the feng shui of the place where it will be received must be examined first. A suitable location must be chosen to set up an altar, and then the Lin family's secret method must be used to consecrate the blade. Only then can the killing intent on the blade be suppressed, allowing it to harmonize with its master. Otherwise, this blade is merely a sharp edge and cannot unleash its true power."

He paused, as if considering how to continue, before speaking again: "Moreover, this consecration has another benefit: it can improve the weapon's base stats, allowing for higher potential during subsequent upgrades. It's not impossible for the main attribute to double. For example, this Overlord's Blade with an attack of 38, after consecration, its base stats will improve, and after forging and upgrading, it wouldn't be surprising if its attack reached 72."

He softened his tone as he said this, "Of course, if Your Highness is in a hurry for this divine weapon, I dare not say anything more. However, if you miss this opportunity for consecration, it will be too late to make up for it later. Whether Your Highness intends to have a ready-made sharp blade or a weapon that can double in value in the future is entirely up to Your Highness to decide."

Gu Changfeng remained silent, his gaze lingering on Lin Mu's face for a few moments, as if searching for flaws in his words or weighing whether it was worth agreeing to.

He may not believe in feng shui entirely, but he knows the weight of the phrase "doubled attributes".

Chapter 259 The Aura of the Jade Pendant

After a moment of silence, he spoke: "I have never been a complete believer in feng shui. But since it is the Lin family's rule, I will not stop you. How long do you need to wander around the manor?"

Lin Mu said, "At most three days. Within three days, once a good location is chosen and the platform is set up, the knife can be consecrated and delivered."

After listening, Gu Changfeng nodded: "Alright. Feel free to look around the mansion. I will give instructions, and no one will stop you."

He paused, then added, "You'd better avoid the area where the women of the inner quarters live."

Lin Mu nodded: "I understand."

Gu Changfeng summoned a steward and gave him a few instructions. The steward then walked up to Lin Mu and bowed slightly, saying, "Young Master Lin, please come with me."

Lin Mu stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Gu Changfeng, and then turned and followed the steward out of the study.

The door closed gently behind him, and he walked under the corridor. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the corridor, casting interplay of light and shadow on the blue brick floor.

He followed the steward through a moon gate and into the front yard.

The steward stopped under the eaves and pointed in the direction of the courtyard: "Young Master Lin, you may freely walk around the front courtyard, middle courtyard, garden, and side courtyard of the mansion. The Prince has instructed that it is not convenient to go to the back courtyard for the time being."

Lin Mu nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."

The steward didn't linger, only glancing at the skeleton behind Lin Mu before leaving. His gaze didn't linger, as if he was used to seeing Taoist priests taking skeletons out.

He didn't ask any more questions and turned to leave.

Lin Mu stood under the corridor, watching the steward's figure disappear at the end of the corridor before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

The skeleton stood quietly behind him, its bare bones devoid of skin or any conspicuous equipment, looking like an ordinary summoned creature.

This was exactly the effect he wanted—the more ordinary, the better; the more inconspicuous, the better.

He didn't rush to move. He stood under the veranda, his gaze fixed on the direction of the garden, but his attention was entirely on the small map in his mind.

The skull's scanning range, with a radius of 100 meters, was considerably larger than the area Gu Changfeng had allowed him to roam. Holding the dragon-patterned sword, he moved about intermittently, muttering incantations and occasionally gesturing with the sword tip, as if measuring directions and surveying the earth's veins—looking every bit like a Taoist priest diligently investigating feng shui. Gu Changfeng glanced at him from afar, asked no further questions, and turned back to his study.

Lin Mu walked around the front yard, middle yard, garden, and side yard, and the outlines of the various parts of the Prince's mansion were already clearly visible. Even the back yard, which was off-limits, was mostly scanned.

The locations of several alleyways and hidden doors behind artificial hills, the layout of the corridors in the courtyards, the location of the wells, and even the drainage ditches in the corners of the walls are all displayed on the mini-map.

But he didn't rush to leave; instead, he stopped near the backyard.

Gu Changfeng told him not to go to the backyard, which he understood. The backyard was usually where the women lived, and he, as an outsider, shouldn't have gone there.

However, Gu Qingyi is under house arrest, and it is highly likely that she is in that courtyard that has been designated as a restricted area.

Since we can't just walk in openly, we have to find another way.

He stopped beside a clump of half-tall holly, looking down at a leaf as if examining its veins, but in reality, he was giving the skeleton a mental command:

Recall the aura of the person you saw when you first summoned him.

He thought of Gu Qingyi on the second floor of Woma, when he had just learned to summon skeletons, and how she said "Summon them and let me see" to him, trying to get the skeletons to find the corresponding person from those blurry fragments of memory.

The skeleton that received the command stood quietly behind him, the flames in its eye sockets flickering slightly, as if searching through a dusty memory.

But after a moment, all the skeleton reported back was a blank screen.

That's true. When it was first summoned, it was so unsteady on its feet that it was like a newborn baby, and it couldn't remember a person's scent at all.

Lin Mu wasn't surprised; back then, he was still quite inexperienced, and the skeleton wasn't much better.

He thought for a moment, then took out the jade pendant from deep within his Qiankun bag.

He clutched the jade pendant in his hand and sent his thoughts to the skeleton again: "Remember this aura, and search for it in the mansion."

This time it's different.

The skull's glowing dot flashed on the minimap, as if touched by something, and then began to move slowly, like an invisible hound scanning every room and every corridor in the darkness by following its scent.

Lin Mu didn't rush him, but stood quietly beside the holly, seemingly admiring the scenery, but actually staring at the map in his mind that was being illuminated.