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

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the skull's light stopped and landed on a remote room deep in the backyard, its flashing frequency slightly faster than the surrounding lights.

Lin Mu's heart tightened; he had found it.

He didn't rush in that direction, but first memorized the location, and then had the mini-map continue scanning the surrounding terrain, while also checking if there were any other anomalies in the Prince's mansion.

You wouldn't know unless you scanned it. A scan revealed a small, enclosed space in the basement of the central courtyard of the Prince's Mansion. It was not large, but its outline was clear. There were no passages connecting it to the ground. The entrance led only to an inconspicuous side hall in the front courtyard.

Three isolated points of light shone in the space, while fourteen or fifteen other points of light were arranged in a fan shape outside the entrance, like nails driven into the door, motionless, clearly guarding something.

The guards' positions were very orderly, with no overlap or blind spots, and were not arranged on the spot.

Lin Mu frowned. Who was this person? Why was the guard so tight?

He didn't rush to investigate further. He first memorized the location of the secret chamber, then quietly retrieved the jade pendant and stuffed it back into the deepest part of his Qiankun bag.

Then he straightened his robes, as if he were truly admiring the flowers and scenery, and slowly walked towards the garden, his gaze not even slightly turning towards the backyard, and his steps never crossing the boundary line.

-

At that moment, in a secluded room deep in the backyard, a figure suddenly turned his head sharply, his gaze piercing through the window paper, as if he had sensed something.

She sat on the edge of the bed, clutching a book in her hand, but hadn't turned a page for a long time. Suddenly, she sat up straight and whispered to the person next to her, "Cai Ling... how come the aura of that jade pendant is in the Prince's mansion?"

A woman dressed in a simple blue dress paused for a moment, then said, "Miss, you mean..."

She didn't finish speaking, but the look in her eyes had already changed.

The two of them have been trapped in this area for almost several months because the restrictions prevent them from using random teleportation scrolls, so they can't get out at all.

In the last two weeks, it's gotten even worse; even the person delivering food to the door has become a regular, which would make anyone suspicious.

Gu Qingyi leaned against the window, her gaze fixed on the empty corridor outside, her voice low as if speaking to herself: "He's entered the Prince's residence. But why would Father let him in..."

Chapter 260 First Test Run

She paused, as if piecing together some scattered thoughts, "Even if Father doesn't approve of Lin Mu, why did he betroth me to Huo Yan? It's not that Huo Yan isn't outstanding. His family background and his own character are both top-notch. But the court has always been wary of Shabak. How could Father, as Prince An, possibly form an alliance with Shabak through marriage?"

She didn't finish her last sentence, but the thought had already settled in her mind.

Unless her father's needs contradicted the court's. She leaned against the windowsill, her gaze fixed on the gray wall at the end of the corridor, or perhaps on something even further away. "Also, my parents haven't come to see me for days. My mother always comes, no matter what, but now that the wedding is getting closer, why isn't she coming anymore... Cailing, tell me, what exactly is happening outside?"

Cai Ling stood behind her, frowning, her fingers tightening slightly as she gripped her sleeve, as if she had thought of something. But she opened her mouth and ultimately didn't speak.

Gu Qingyi stood by the window, tapping her fingers lightly twice on the windowsill. She didn't speak, but her gaze remained fixed on the sky outside the walled-off area, as if waiting for something to appear.

-

Lin Mu had finished his investigation by then.

He stood under the old locust tree in the garden, reaching out to touch the cracked bark, as if examining the tree's age, but in reality, he had already gone through the layout of the entire palace in his mind three times.

The location of the backyard side room, the entrance to the secret room underground in the middle courtyard, the guard shifts in the front courtyard, and the several unguarded blind spots in the side courtyard are all clearly marked on the mini-map.

He withdrew his hand, patted the bits of bark off his fingertips, and turned to walk toward the study.

His pace was neither hurried nor slow, just like when he arrived, as if he had simply strolled around the garden and gained some insights into the feng shui of the Prince's Mansion.

Gu Changfeng was still reading documents at his desk. When he saw him come in, he put down his pen and leaned back in his chair: "Finished reading?"

Lin Mu nodded: "I've finished looking at it. The feng shui layout of the mansion is better than expected; there are three locations suitable for setting up a platform for the ritual."

He stopped in front of the desk, his tone as serious as if he were reporting something important: "The first place is in the southeast corner of the side courtyard, slightly elevated, which can gather energy; the second place is by the pond in the garden, where water can suppress evil spirits; the third place..."

He paused, as if considering his words, "In the backyard and side courtyard area. Although it's closer to the main house, that location is where yin and yang are in harmony, and it's the vital energy center of the entire mansion. Performing rituals in these three places can form a three-element formation, echoing each other from beginning to end. If any one of them is missing, the formation will be incomplete, and the effect of the consecration will be greatly reduced."

Gu Changfeng remained silent, his gaze lingering on Lin Mu's face for a moment, as if weighing how much of what he said was true and how much was just an excuse.

He was silent for a moment before speaking: "All three places need to be built?"

Lin Mu nodded: "Everything has to be set up. First, set up the platform, then perform the consecration ceremony on the platform, and finally present the knife. Every step must be completed; you can't skip a single step."

He paused, then added, "Furthermore, no one can see the ritual being performed; a shed must be erected to cover it. The shed roof must be quite high, otherwise the magic array won't be able to gather. Also, there will be a buzzing sound during the ritual; that's the echo of the Great Dao, so don't be surprised."

Gu Changfeng did not respond immediately after hearing this.

He glanced down at the table, then looked up at Lin Mu, and remained silent for a while before seemingly realizing something.

The Prince's mansion was guarded everywhere and protected by restrictions. Ordinary random teleportation scrolls were useless once inside. Even if Lin Mu wanted to do something, he couldn't escape.

Besides, he really wanted that knife, and although these rules were tedious, they weren't excessive.

He nodded: "Alright. I'll have someone build the three platforms for you. The canopy, the surrounding cloth, and the materials will all be as you say."

Lin Mu clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Over the next two days, the craftsmen of the Prince's Palace built high platforms in three different locations, following the blueprints drawn by Lin Mu.

Each platform is made of thick wood, with a flat surface, more than a meter high, and the four corners are supported by sturdy wooden pillars to form a canopy that is three or four stories high, so that you can't see anything inside from the outside.

The walls were completely enclosed with thick, dark cloth, and the edges were firmly secured with nails and ropes, layer upon layer, to ensure that not even a breeze could get in.

Gu Changfeng came to see it in person. He stood in front of the first platform, walked around it, reached out and tugged at the edge of the canopy cloth. It was tied tightly enough that he couldn't pull it. He then looked up at the height of the canopy, didn't say anything, and turned to leave.

After he left, Lin Mu had an extra layer of reinforcing strips nailed to the seams of the curtains in each shed to ensure that no fabric would be blown away by the wind.

After the craftsmen left, early the next morning, Lin Mu led the skeleton to stand in front of a platform in the southeast corner of the side courtyard.

He lifted the curtain and went inside. Before doing anything, he closed his eyes and scanned the map in his mind from the perspective of the skeleton.

After confirming that no one was approaching the platform, he released the maggot-like flying machine from his storage bag and placed it steadily on the platform.

Then he sat down, fastened the belt around his waist, checked the drive chain and gear engagement, and reached out to rouse the black maggots.

The maggots began to roll in place, the belt tightened, the first bevel gear started to turn, and the second one followed suit, transmitting power along the long shaft all the way to the propeller at the top.

The paddles began to spin, faster and faster, and the wind they generated swirled and surged within the enclosed shed. The shed fabric was slightly bulged by the wind from the inside, but the ropes and nails at the edges held it firmly in place, without creating a single gap.

The aircraft slowly rose, half a foot, a foot, two feet above the platform... and hovered steadily in mid-air.

Lin Mu felt the lift coming from below, but quickly noticed a problem: the fuselage began to tilt slightly in the opposite direction of the propeller's rotation, as if being twisted to one side by an invisible force.

He frowned, adjusted his center of gravity, and slowed down the swerving, but did not stop completely.

He hovered for two breaths, confirming that flying like this was unstable and prone to mishaps, so he reached out and disconnected the maggot from the belt, and then cast a binding spell to immobilize the maggot.

The aircraft lost power instantly. The propeller continued to spin due to inertia, but it slowed down more and more. The fuselage began to slowly fall, and he put it back into his Qiankun bag the moment it hit the ground.

He sat on the table and thought for a moment. In his previous life, the small propeller at the tail of the helicopter was used to counteract the torque of the fuselage.

He took out two ordinary silver snakes, sat cross-legged, and held a soul fire talisman in his palm. Crimson flames danced at his fingertips as he melted, shaped, and spliced ​​the two silver snakes into a small propeller. He fixed it to a fixed shaft at the tail of the fuselage and then connected it with a belt and black evil maggots.

When the large propeller starts spinning, the small propeller will also spin, which will counteract the force that twists the fuselage.

Chapter 261 Finally Meeting

It took a lot of time, so I can't try again.

He put away his flying vehicle, stood on the platform, straightened his robes, and took out an altar, a half-lit incense stick, and a few simple offerings from his Qiankun bag. He arranged them in the center of the shed, then took a half step back to confirm that the position and orientation of the altar were correct before taking out the Overlord's Blade from his Qiankun bag.

Although his current level is not high enough to equip the sword and increase his attributes, he can still hold the blade with both hands and use it as a sharp ordinary object.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and concentrated, then spoke loudly, his voice echoing in the empty courtyard: "The profound origin of heaven and earth, the root of all qi. Through countless eons of cultivation, I have proven my divine powers. Within and beyond the three realms, I reign supreme as the overlord. My body is enveloped in golden light. My blade can pacify mountains and rivers, my qi can penetrate the universe. I can ward off evil spirits and protect my master's soul. Now, in the name of the overlord, I proclaim to the four directions... Open!"

As the last word fell to the ground, he gripped the knife with both hands, gathered all his strength, and cleaved it down at the thick tarpaulin in front of him. The knife was heavy, and this strike relied entirely on the strength of his waist, back, and arms. The blade sliced ​​through the thick cloth with a solid cracking sound, and a long gash was split open in the tarpaulin, the edges curling up to reveal the altar inside, where incense, candles, and offerings were laid out.

The incense and candles were still burning, and the smoke rose from the altar, directly facing the crack, as if some ritual had just reached the part that was meant to be seen.

And the moment the tarpaulin was cleaved open, the dark gray longsword gleamed coldly in the sunlight, its golden square guard and red tassels at the end of the hilt clearly visible—it was none other than the infamous Overlord's Blade that had spread throughout Mengzhong.

The guards standing at a distance and the passing craftsmen all saw it.

Gu Changfeng stood under the corridor of the study, and even across half the courtyard, he could see the flash of the blade.

He had heard people describe what the Blade of the Conqueror looked like before, but that was completely different from seeing it with his own eyes.

The knife was in Lin Mu's hand, its blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Overlapping with the legends he had heard, the thought that this divine weapon would soon be his own warmed his heart, as if a flame were gently burning across his chest.

Meanwhile, Lin Mu had already sheathed his sword and stood still, his expression as usual, as if the first ritual had been completed and everything had gone smoothly.

Then he nodded to the guards in the distance, gathered the torn tent cloth back together, glanced down at the sky as if calculating something, and then said loudly, "The time is not yet up. We will start the second round when the time comes."

He didn't linger, turned around and went back into the shed, closing the curtain behind him to block the view from outside.

Gu Changfeng stood under the corridor of the study, looking in the direction of the platform. After standing there for a while, he turned around and went back into the study.

As evening fell, Lin Mu arrived at the platform next to the garden pond, ready to begin the second consecration ceremony.

Once inside, he fine-tuned the angle of the tail propeller and the tension of the belt several times. This time, he finally found the balance point, and the fuselage could hover steadily in mid-air without deflecting.

Then, as usual, he set out the altar with incense and candles, raised the knife, and chanted incantations, just like the first time.

The onlookers watched from a distance, no one approached, and no one questioned anything.

After finishing the second round, Lin Mu sheathed his sword but did not leave in a hurry.

He stopped, his gaze hardening, and his tone unusually serious as he addressed the guards around him: "The last match is crucial. I need to prepare thoroughly for it. No one should disturb me."

His voice wasn't loud, but his earnestness made it unnecessary to ask a second time. The guard nodded, took a few steps back, and stood at the entrance of the corridor, as if he had already marked this area as off-limits.

Lin Mu didn't explain further, and turned to lead the skeleton toward the third platform.

Upon reaching the third platform, Lin Mu did not go inside. Instead, he sat cross-legged in front of the platform, closed his eyes, and pretended to meditate and cultivate his mind. In reality, he was observing the outside movements through the mini-map.

The sound of patrolling footsteps came twice, with a longer interval than during the day. The whistle for changing shifts came from afar, as if someone was handing over duties.

He opened his eyes and glanced at the sky. It was completely dark, and the lanterns under the eaves cast a dim yellow light, blurring the shadows of the courtyard walls and trees.

Lin Mu waited quietly until only two guards remained outside the side door of the backyard.

A faint light shone from the inside of a windowpane, emanating the same aura as the jade pendant, lingering quietly inside the room.

He stood up, dusted off the hem of his clothes, and slowly lifted the curtain to walk into the third platform.

The back of this platform faces the backyard, which is separated from the other side by only a corridor and a few clumps of half-tall holly. It is much closer than the previous two platforms.

He lifted the curtain and went inside. He didn't rush to do anything. He closed his eyes again and again, scanning the map of the backyard in his mind.

The point of light behind the paper window of the side room in the backyard remained quietly inside, as if waiting for something.

The corridors surrounding the side rooms were empty; the night patrol had just passed by, and the next patrol wouldn't be for a while.

Lin Mu opened his eyes, took a deep breath, merged with his body, and appeared in a flash.

A flash of white light, and he passed through the invisible dividing line, landing outside the window of the side room in the backyard. The night concealed his figure.