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

Every few steps on the city wall stood a guard, and the torches flickered in the night wind, casting long and short shadows on and off the wall, as if someone were walking back and forth in the darkness.

The night was relatively quiet; apart from the sound of the wind and the occasional rustling from the distant woods, nothing approached.

……

Daylight finally broke, and the crimson moon slowly descended from the other side of the sky, as the warm morning light returned to the horizon.

Someone whispered, "...It's dawn." The voice was very soft, as if speaking to themselves. The person next to them didn't reply, but the knuckles gripping their weapon finally loosened slightly.

The morning light slowly spread across the city walls, rooftops, and streets, illuminating everything in a familiar way, as if the entire city, having held its breath all night in darkness, was finally exhaling slowly at dawn.

But in that gray light, the lookout's bell rang again.

This time it was more urgent and more frequent than any sound in the night.

The lookout's shout came from above, half of the sound torn apart by the wind, but it still reached the ears of everyone on the city wall: "There's something outside the city... over there in the woods... all over there."

Only then did people realize that the fields outside the city were covered with countless monsters. The gray-white wolf spiders gleamed coldly in the dim light. The orc leader walked out from the edge of the forest, holding a battle axe. Each step made the ground tremble slightly. His voice came through the city walls, heavy and continuous.

The monsters outside the city didn't stop; they kept surging forward like a tightening ribbon, stretching from the edge of the woods all the way to the foot of the city wall, overflowing the fields, the ridges, and the farmhouses that had just been abandoned the night before.

The Celestial Venerable stood atop the highest point of the city tower, his white beard tousled by the morning breeze. Gazing at the gray-white expanse unfolding outside the city, he did not turn back but spoke to those behind him: "Seal the city gates. All non-combatants must retreat to the inner city."

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to land at everyone's feet from a great distance, causing those who were still in a daze to start moving.

He stood at the highest point of the city wall, his white beard ruffled by the morning breeze. He leaned on a cane in one hand and held a fan in the other. The white light around him spread outwards in layers, like ripples spreading across the entire city wall.

He had lived for over two hundred years and knew that he wouldn't last much longer this time.

He could still walk. If he wanted, he could immediately return to Bichon and use a huge number of Spirit Gathering Pearls to forcefully break through the bottleneck, giving himself a few more years.

But what happens after the breakthrough? What can one person do? Bai Ri Men is already riddled with problems, and Bichon is going through a turbulent period. Useful resources should be reserved for younger people, for those who still have a long way to go, instead of being wasted on an old man who has reached the end of his life.

Thinking of this, a figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

The young man I had seen in the Beech Palace, dressed in a gray-white robe, stood in the hall, neither humble nor arrogant, with a clear and upright gaze.

He only glanced at him a few times, but he had a vague feeling that this person was different.

There was something about that young man that couldn't be measured by talent alone; it was something deeper, perhaps the future of the empire.

Thinking of this, the Celestial Venerable's lips twitched, as if he wanted to laugh, but also as if he didn't have the strength to laugh.

He has done everything he was supposed to do in his life, and he has protected everything he was supposed to protect. The little life he has left is no longer worth keeping.

Rather than letting it slowly wither away in bed, it's better to use the last bit of strength you have while you can still stand up and use it wisely.

Chapter 266 The Crisis of Marfa

So he made his final decision: he took off the teleportation ring he had always worn, made a hand seal, and poured his remaining power and all the remaining power of the ring into the seal.

The power of the teleportation ring differs from ordinary spells; it connects to the very fabric of space itself. Once imbued with a seal, it can transform the entire city wall into a barrier isolated from the world, blocking out monsters.

The moment the white light exploded from the city wall, the surging beast tide outside the city suddenly paused, as if it had crashed into an invisible wall. Countless celestial spiders and orc leaders huddled together at the foot of the city wall, roaring, scratching, and ramming, but they could not get past it even once.

But after the seal held up, the Celestial Venerable himself collapsed.

Some people saw his body fall from the city wall, but he was caught by the guards next to him and did not fall to the ground. However, the stick and fan that he had carried with him all his life fell from his hands and hit the city bricks with a dull thud, as if a long road had finally come to an end.

He was still breathing, but he couldn't open his eyes anymore.

When the message reached Bichon, it consisted of only a few lines: "The Celestial Venerable is exhausted and bedridden. The teleportation ring has been destroyed. The mortals in the city are unharmed, but more than half of the guards have been killed or wounded. The wilderness outside Bai Ri Men has completely fallen, and those trapped in the city are awaiting reinforcements."

The air in the entire city of Beach seemed to have been thinned out, even the shouts on the street were quieter, and people stood on the roadside looking at each other, as if trying to process a word they couldn't understand.

The Empress sat in the Hall of Mental Cultivation all night, burning three candles, and no one knew what she was thinking.

When the third lamp was finished burning, she summoned a female official and said, "Tell Lin Mu to speed up the progress of the aircraft."

She originally planned to use those flying machines to explore the Demon Dragon City beyond the mountains. That was what she really wanted to do, to find a way out for Bichon, and even the entire Marfa Empire, amidst the chaos.

But now Bai Ri Men is in dire straits. Once that defensive line collapses completely, the monsters could march south along the Woma Forest and head straight for Bichon.

She had to make a choice, prioritizing the use of her only aerial force capable of getting past the monsters towards Bai Ri Men.

Little did she know that her decision would lead to the complete destruction of the Empire's only mobile force capable of flight during the subsequent support mission to Bai Ri Men.

The female official didn't ask any further questions, simply acknowledged the request, and left.

-

Two days later, news also came from the Woma Forest.

A large number of Woma monsters appeared at the edge of the forest. The orc race, led by the orc warrior, gathered in a group and was moving south in a clear direction, as if someone was directing them.

The situation in Fengmo Valley is also not optimistic.

The Empress finally gave the order: the Sealed Demon Valley must begin an emergency evacuation. Before the retreat, capture as many Black Evil Maggots as possible and bring them all back to Bichon.

After all, the Black Maggots are the core power source for the Maggot Car and the aircraft, and the future empire cannot do without them.

Yang Xiong didn't ask any questions when he received the order; he turned around and gave the instructions.

People from the mining area, the Imperial Guards, miners, merchants, mortals, and awakened beings all tried to evacuate. The maggot carts and galloping horses shuttled back and forth between Fengmo and Bich day and night. The gray-white official road was crowded with evacuees. Cries and the sound of wheels mingled together, echoing from dawn to dusk. The ruts of the carts crushed the dust, only to be trampled by new people. The whole road seemed to have been soaked in tears, soft and heavy to the touch.

Chunxing was also in this long line, following Madam Qin, Qin Yumo and Old Master Qin, and retreated back to Bichon under the escort of the Imperial Guards.

Qin Yumo hadn't even had time to soak the skull properly before setting off. Due to time constraints, she simply loaded the large wooden tub containing the skull onto the vehicle, secured it with several thick hemp ropes, and fixed it to the center of the truck bed.

The vehicle bumped along the road, and the liquid medicine in the wooden barrel swayed with the rise and fall of the vehicle. Occasionally, a few drops would splash onto the vehicle board, leaving a few wet streaks, but the barrel remained firmly in place without tipping over.

The splash of liquid emitted a strong and strange odor, mixed with wood ash and some indescribable fishy sweetness. Some people smelled the medicinal liquid and took a few more curious glances.

Qin Yumo didn't explain. She just sat down next to the wooden tub, holding the edge of the tub with one hand and the reins with the other. She then covered the tub with a cloth, making sure the opening was tightly sealed to prevent the medicine from splashing out again.

Fortunately, the area was surrounded by Imperial Guards. Even if someone noticed something was amiss, they would only glance at it a couple of times, and no one dared to approach and ask any questions.

Chunxing squatted at the back of the car, holding a bundle in her arms. She looked at Qin Yumo's back and then at the tightly bound wooden barrel, without saying a word.

The caravan moved along, stopping and starting, the wheels rolling over dust and gravel. People came and went, some crying, some silent, some asleep leaning against the cart floor, their bundles still in their hands.

After three days and three nights of bumpy travel, they finally saw the outline of the Beach City Wall.

The gray-white city walls glowed warmly in the morning light, the city gates were wide open, and the Imperial Guards stood at the entrance, guiding the flow of people entering the city.

Qin Yumo reined in her horse, glanced back at the wooden bucket on the carriage to make sure it was still in place, and then urged the horse to continue forward. They weren't taken anywhere else; they were directly taken to the Lin residence.

……

Lin Mu took some time to come back and check on them after he learned they were back.

That day, he stood at the gate of the courtyard, not going in immediately, but leaning against the door frame for a while. He saw that everyone had settled in and Chunxing was washing her hands by the well, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing half of her arms, which looked a bit stronger than before.

At this moment, Chunxing seemed to sense something, straightened up, and turned to look at the door.

Upon seeing Lin Mu, Chunxing was taken aback for a moment, then a smile appeared on her lips, her voice filled with surprise and delight: "Young Master? You're back?"

Qin Yumo and Madam Qin also heard the commotion and came out of the house. Madam Qin stood on the porch, holding the corner of her apron in one hand, and nodded to Lin Mu. Her smile was a mix of restraint and reassurance.

Qin Yumo also came over to explain, "Father was called to duty. The city's defenses are short-handed lately, so he left in a hurry."

After saying that, she added, "Have you eaten?"

Lin Mu walked into the courtyard, shook his head, and said not yet.

Qin Yumo didn't ask any further questions, just hummed in agreement, turned around and went into the kitchen. Madam Qin followed her in. The sound of pots and pans clattering came from the stove, as if someone was busy preparing something.

Lin Mu stood in the courtyard, his gaze falling on Chunxing. He walked over, stopped beside the pomegranate tree, and looked her over: "What level are you now?"

Chunxing blinked, her lips curling up with an undisguised smugness, as if she had been waiting for this question for a long time: "I just reached level 20 a few days ago on my way back to Bichon, thanks to the fruit from my son-in-law."

Chapter 267 Rare Talent

Lin Mu reached out and gently patted the top of her head, as if rewarding a child who had gotten good grades: "Not bad."

She felt the warm palm on her head, squinted her eyes as if enjoying it, and the corners of her mouth turned up even higher.

Lin Mu withdrew his hand and asked again, "How much experience do you need to level up from level 20 to level 21?"

Chunxing tilted her head and replied with a touch of playfulness, "14."

She paused, then added, "My sister was there too. When she saw my condition, she was stunned for a while. She said that she had only just passed level 20 after all these years, while I had reached it in just a few days. She even laughed and said, 'Your talent is much higher than mine,' but when she laughed, her eyelids were drooping."

After Chunxing finished speaking, she lowered her head and pinched her sleeve, her voice a few decibels lower: "I know she was feeling bad... but I didn't know how to comfort her at the time."

"By the way, my sister wanted to ask me something a few times, but she never said anything. I know she wanted to ask me about my sudden awakening, but I didn't say anything."

Lin Mu listened but didn't reply immediately. He mentally went over the number.

14, exactly the same as the experience required to level up from level 20 to level 21 in the game, meaning there are absolutely no bottlenecks.

"You don't need to comfort her. Just focus on improving your level. That will be more effective than any comforting words. When she sees that you are standing firm and going far, her jealousy will naturally fade."

Chunxing raised her head, her eyes brightened for a moment, then lowered them again, nodding heavily: "Mm."

The courtyard was quiet for a while, the wind rustled through the branches and leaves of the pomegranate tree for a while and then stopped.

……

After finishing his meal, Lin Mu was about to return to the workshop when someone knocked on the courtyard gate from the outside.

Lin Mu walked over and opened the door. Standing outside was a middle-aged man wearing a gray-blue robe. He had a thin face, a straight back, and was carrying a cloth bag. He stood outside the threshold, his gaze calmly fixed on Lin Mu's face.

Lin Mu recognized him. This was an instructor from the Royal Martial Arts Academy. He had attended his classes at the academy before, where he learned about the principles of Fire Wall and Hellfire Lightning. At the time, he was sitting in the last row and only half-listened, but he remembered the man's voice.

The instructor spoke first, his voice neither too loud nor too soft: "Young Master Lin, these are the Spirit Gathering Pearls that the martial arts school has accumulated over the years. His Majesty instructed that even if you are not at the martial arts school, you should still be given what you are entitled to."

He handed the cloth bag over.

Lin Mu accepted it and thanked him.

The instructor didn't leave immediately. He shifted his gaze from Lin Mu to Chunxing, who was standing next to the pomegranate tree in the courtyard. After a pause, he turned back to Lin Mu and said, "There's one more thing. Before entering Bichon City, the martial arts school conducted a talent test on all those who evacuated from Fengmo Valley. The results for this girl beside you are in. Her talent is exceptional, and the martial arts school wants to take her in."

Lin Mu turned his head and glanced at Chunxing.

She stood beside the pomegranate tree, her fingers twisting her cuffs tightly, but the light in her eyes was undisguised, shining brightly, as if she had something to say but hadn't found the right moment to speak.

Lin Mu thought to himself: The world is not at peace now, and His Majesty also wants to gather talents from all over the world. However, since Chunxing can enter the Royal Martial Arts Academy, she is at least backed by the court, which is better than her having to fight monsters and figure things out on her own.

He looked away and asked directly, "Do you want to go?"

Chunxing didn't hesitate for long. She nodded, her voice soft but clear: "I want to go."

Lin Mu didn't ask any further questions, and turned to the instructor, saying, "Then she'll go with you."