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

However, he didn't look at it for long and quickly turned his head back to focus his gaze on the horizon in front of him.

At this moment, the lights of Tucheng had shrunk to a thin line and were gradually breaking apart. The horizon ahead was turning a very light grayish-white, which was the direction of Bichon.

The wind blew in from the side, making his robes flutter. He nestled in the soft, swaying fabric, focused intently on flying towards Beech.

……

The aircraft crossed the last mountain ridge, and the walls of Beach City came into view.

The city of Bich was brightly lit, and the queue at the city gate was very long, much more lively than when Lin Mu left. However, the people carrying bundles and pushing wheelbarrows were all facing outwards from the city.

Horse-drawn carriages, oxcarts, and ordinary people on foot huddled together, families in tow, carrying children, carrying bundles, pushing wheelbarrows, and piled with pots, pans, and bedding.

The line moved very slowly, but no one turned back.

The Imperial Guards at the city gate were shouting, "Bich is safe, but the situation in Mengzhong is unclear. Do not go there!"

But someone in the group immediately retorted: "All the officials do is say 'nothing's wrong,' so why did Lord Jiang and his family all go to Mengzhong? They probably already knew about it and left us ordinary people here as cannon fodder!"

The people around him chimed in, "That's right, I heard that Mengzhong is very stable, and Bichon won't be able to hold out sooner or later!"

Jinwuwei was about to persuade him again when another person interrupted him directly: "Get out of the way, don't block the way!"

The crowd stirred, pushing and shoving forward, and the line moved a few more steps.

Han Zhao stood to one side of the city gate, his face showing obvious weariness. He had spoken many times before, and his voice was hoarse, but he still spoke, his voice not loud, but it drowned out the noise of the crowd: "Am I, the Commander of the Bichon Golden Guard, still here? His Majesty has already punished Jiang Hetang's lineage for treason. Do not believe the rumors!"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, but soon someone muttered, "That sounds nice...who knows if you're all in cahoots?"

Han Zhao stood at the city gate, his lips were worn out and his voice was hoarse. More and more people were gathering at the gate of Bichon City, and their emotions were running high. He couldn't very well draw his sword and stop the people from leaving.

He paused for a moment, then changed his approach: "Going to Mengzhong is possible, but each person must pay 250 silver coins to be allowed to pass. However, whether they will allow you to enter Mengzhong's territory is beyond our control."

Chapter 264 Old Feelings Overriding National Law

There was a moment of silence in the line, then someone muttered under their breath, "These corrupt officials, even at a time like this, they still can't resist trying to squeeze money out of us."

Despite the cursing, the crowd still began to push forward. Some people took out the silver coins they had counted beforehand and handed them one by one to the guards at the gate, muttering, "Not one less, make sure you see clearly."

Someone emptied his cloth bag, which he had saved up for most of his life, and poured out the last few silver coins, his fingers trembling.

Some people simply couldn't scrape together the 250 silver coins. Standing in the queue, they were so anxious they were stamping their feet. They turned around and said to the people behind them, "Can anyone lend me a few? I'll definitely pay you back once I make money in Mengzhong!"

But no one spoke to him; the people in the line either kept their heads down counting their money or turned away from his gaze.

The man shouted a few times, his voice growing softer and softer, until he was finally pushed back into the city by the crowd. He squatted down at the foot of the city wall, holding his head, his shoulders trembling, as if he had finally resigned himself to his fate.

……

Of course, Lin Mu was unaware of these things.

He did not land at the city gate, but instead circled around the outside of the city wall and slowly landed in his own courtyard in the Lin family mansion.

The courtyard wasn't large, but it was just big enough for the aircraft to land close to the eaves.

The wind stirred up by the oars made the newly sprouted leaves on the pomegranate tree in the yard rustle loudly.

As soon as Lin Mu landed and put away his flying vehicle, the courtyard gate was kicked open from the outside. It turned out to be several Imperial Guards who had been following him after seeing the strange phenomenon in the sky and thought it was some kind of monster.

The group of people were holding torches. Just as someone was about to shout a reprimand, their gazes fell on Lin Mu and Gu Qingyi behind him, and they all froze.

"...Young Master Lin? Princess?"

-

At dawn, the Empress met him in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The hall was brightly lit by candlelight. She sat behind her desk, holding a newly delivered urgent report in her hand. She did not look up when she heard footsteps outside the hall.

When Lin Mu approached, she put down the paper in her hand, paused for a moment on his face, then glanced at the two figures behind him. Without asking any questions, she simply said, "You're back."

Lin Mu nodded, and without exchanging pleasantries, directly explained the situation in Mengzhong.

The entire story, from the disappearance of Prince An, Gu Changfeng's ascension to the throne, Huo Lie's collusion with Gu Changfeng, Gu Qingyi's house arrest, the establishment of the Jiang family in Mengzhong, and how he himself used the Overlord's Blade as bait to infiltrate the Prince's mansion and bring people out, was covered without any omissions.

When he finished speaking, the hall was quiet for a moment. The candlelight flickered inside the lampshade, casting interplay of light and shadow on the Empress's face.

A thought did flash through the Empress's mind: the Blade of the Overlord? Lin Mu actually possessed the Blade of the Overlord.

But she quickly suppressed the thought. Lin Mu had just brought people back from Mengzhong and was a meritorious official. She shouldn't ask about these details at this time.

She took the Blade of the Overlord as an excuse he made up for Gu Changfeng and didn't investigate further.

Standing to the side, Gu Qingyi listened as Lin Mu recounted the events one by one, finally piecing together her scattered guesses about the Prince's mansion into a complete picture.

She couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart when she thought about how Lin Mu had managed to rescue her from such a complicated and dangerous situation.

She watched Lin Mu's retreating figure, her gaze softening slightly.

But the thought that her father and mother were still missing caused the warmth that had just risen to her heart to be suppressed by another, heavier worry.

Fortunately, Lin Mu added, "I also discovered an underground secret chamber in the inner courtyard of the Prince's Mansion, but it is heavily guarded. Perhaps Prince An and Lu Yuan are being held there."

Gu Qingyi stood in the hall and breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing these words.

She knew exactly where she was going to be.

The secret chamber in the underground courtyard of Prince An's mansion was personally set up by my father when he was young. It is equipped with several layers of restrictions inside and out. Not to mention humans, even gods cannot exert their strength inside, and the items in the Qiankun bag will also become ineffective.

With his father's strength and years of accumulated experience, he's a treasure trove of abilities; the probability of him being instantly killed is practically zero. It's highly likely he's trapped inside and can't get out.

She just didn't know how her father had walked in... her brother?

She stood in the hall, her mind churning for a moment, but she ultimately suppressed those thoughts, whispering in her heart, "May my parents be safe and sound," and then stopped thinking about it.

After hearing Lin Mu's words, the Empress did not say much. Her gaze lingered on the flickering candlelight on the table for a moment before falling back on Gu Qingyi.

She looked at Gu Qingyi standing in the hall. Although she knew that Qingyi's confinement had nothing to do with these matters, she couldn't pretend that the Prince An's lineage had just committed a treasonous act.

Besides, hearing these words wouldn't do her any good, so it's better to let her rest for now.

She spoke after a moment, her tone flat and devoid of emotion, as if she were arranging something that needed to be arranged: "First, take the princess and this young lady to rest."

Gu Qingyi stood in the hall, and upon hearing those words, her gaze lingered on the Empress's face for a moment.

She understood the Empress, knowing that they had grown up together and that the Empress was very close to her. In the past, when they met, they would always exchange a few intimate words, and the Empress would call her "Qingyi" softly and gently.

But now, as the word "Princess" reached her ears, there was something she couldn't quite put her finger on, as if someone had placed a half-closed door between them.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing the weariness and somber look in the Empress's eyes, she swallowed her words back.

His own brother colluded with Shabak, usurped the throne without authorization, and attempted to seize control of Mengzhong. Each of these actions warrants punishment.

The Empress did not lash out on the spot, nor did she utter a single harsh word; she simply told her to go and rest.

By imperial standards, this was no longer about showing affection for the past, but rather about putting past feelings above the law and letting her off the hook for now.

She whispered "Thank you, Your Majesty," then turned and followed the lady-in-waiting out without saying another word.

After the palace doors closed, the Empress spoke again: "How did you bring these people out?"

Lin Mu did not hide anything and explained the whole story of the maggot flying machine.

From how to use the dragon-patterned sword to melt the frame, to how the bevel gear changes the transmission direction, and how the propeller generates lift, nothing is left out.

After he finished speaking, the Empress was silent for a moment. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, her eyes lit up for a moment. She shifted her gaze from the flickering candlelight on the table to Lin Mu's face. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable weight: "Can this thing be made again?"

Lin Mu nodded: "Yes. As long as there are enough materials and the gear precision is up to par, it can be done."

The Empress did not ask any further questions. She simply picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then turned to the female official beside her, whispering a few instructions.

……

In the afternoon, people from Beech Royal Workshop approached Lin Mu.

The blueprints were spread out on the table, and the craftsmen were gathered around them. Some were responsible for melting materials, some for polishing gears, and some for assembling the frame.

Chapter 265 Night in the Land of Eternal Day

You know what, although the Royal Workshop does lag behind Shabak in blacksmithing, overall, its technical level is still top-notch in the Marfa Empire. Every mark and dimension on the blueprints can be accurately understood and executed.

The meshing of gears, the alignment of shafts, and the welding of the frame—every process was carried out in an orderly manner.

By evening, the first improved aircraft frame had taken initial shape.

Just as Lin Mu was busy with his work, bad news came from Bai Ri Men.

The monsters in the jungle maze had somehow broken through the defenses and appeared outside Bai Ri Men City.

The monsters seemed to have emerged overnight. Some were beast tides that broke through the seals and restrictions from the depths of the jungle labyrinth, while others spawned directly in the wilderness of Bai Ri Men, appearing out of thin air in the fields and forests, as if this land had been marked as their territory by some force.

Bai Ri Men has been the first barrier facing the Red Moon Canyon since ancient times.

The Crimson Moon Demon relies on darkness and the demonic energy of the moonlight to enhance its combat power. The ancient Taoist ancestors knew this well and spent generations setting up a perpetual light array here, using light as a lock to seal the dark power of the Crimson Moon Canyon, making the entire area perpetually day and night.

From then on, the sky above Bai Ri Men was always bright, and the sun never set, making it the only place in the Marfa continent with eternal daylight.

But that day, the sky darkened for the first time.

It wasn't that dark clouds were obscuring the sun, nor that a solar eclipse had passed; rather, the sun, like a lamp blown out by the wind, slowly sank below the horizon, as if it would never rise again.

An unprecedented, utter darkness swept in from the east, crossing the jungle labyrinth, the fields, and the city walls of Bai Ri Men, which had never been touched by night for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years.

For generations, ordinary people living within the walls of Bai Ri Men have never seen a true night.

They stared at the heavy darkness. Some clenched their clothes, some took a few steps back instinctively, and some looked down at their hands, which were still there but no longer visible.

The darkness made the ground beneath my feet, which I had walked on for decades, suddenly feel unfamiliar, as if it had become another place.

The fishy smell wafting from the direction of Crimson Moon Canyon was stronger than ever, as if something was breathing very close by.

Torches on the city wall were lit, their orange-red light flickering in the darkness, striving to dispel the discomfort of the darkness for the people.

Just as people were groping their way to their feet in the thick darkness, the sky finally brightened.

But that wasn't the light of dawn; it was a dark red, as if someone had torn a rift in the sky and blood was seeping out from it.

Everyone who looked up at the sky had an unnatural blush on their face from the light, as if the whole city was soaked in blood.

Immediately afterwards, a crimson moon rose from the direction of the jungle maze, hanging in the sky and dyeing the entire sky dark red, as if something in the far distance was slowly opening its eyes, its gaze falling on the fields and city walls in the night, falling on every crevice.

Thus began the first night in the land of eternal daylight.

That night, neither the Celestial Venerable nor anyone else rested.