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

He stopped in his tracks and looked back.

The disheveled white-haired old man on the stretcher had opened his eyes at some point. His gaze was somewhat unfocused, and his lips were still slightly moving. He managed to squeeze out a few more words, his voice barely audible: "...Be careful...Red Moon..."

After saying that, it was as if she had used up the last bit of strength. Her eyelids closed, and her breathing became shallow and slow again, as if she had just briefly woken up from a dream and then sank back into it.

Lin Mu stood there in silence for a moment before stepping into the cabin.

A Flying Eagle Guard nearby whispered, "Crimson Moon? This calamity was caused by the Crimson Moon Demon?"

Lin Mu didn't reply. He simply walked to the stretcher, glanced down at the ashen face, then turned and sat down in the driver's seat, fastening his harness.

He didn't think much about those words; he simply stored them in his memory as they were and put them away.

He stood back at the cabin door, glanced at the old man clutching the brocade pouch in the yard, and said, "The drawings are very detailed; just follow them."

The old man nodded without saying anything more.

Lin Mu closed the hatch, sat down in the driver's seat, fastened his harness, checked the control levers and transmission chain to make sure everything was normal, and then reached out to rouse the maggots.

The propellers began to spin, the hum gradually rose, and the fuselage trembled slightly.

Just as the fuselage lifted less than half a foot off the ground, Lin Mu suddenly felt a dull pressure coming from the direction of the jungle maze, like something turning over in the deepest part of the earth. It wasn't heavy, but it pressed precisely on his chest, making him pause for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, several muffled explosions came from inside the cabin. Then the aircraft crashed heavily to the ground.

Lin Mu looked back and saw that the black maggots fixed in the engine room had suddenly exploded without warning, scattering shell fragments everywhere and thick bodily fluids flowing down the cabin walls, carrying a pungent fishy smell.

He turned around and quickly looked through the cabin window at the other aircraft that had not yet landed. They were at a considerable altitude, their propellers were spinning, and they were moving steadily toward the outside of the compound wall.

Just when Lin Mu thought that only his own plane had a problem and was about to breathe a sigh of relief.

However, they discovered that the humming of all the aircraft began to change pitch, from a steady rhythm to rapid, intermittent sounds.

Chapter 273 Unable to Return

A few breaths later, the rotor blades of those aircraft slowed down drastically, and the fuselages began to tilt and slide toward the ground.

Fortunately, the pilots of the Flying Eagle Battalion remembered their previous training and that the aircraft was equipped with folding wings, which were designed to deal with this situation.

At this moment, a pilot pulled the folding wing cord first, and a metallic click came from both sides of the fuselage. The folded wings slid outward, unfolded, and locked, opening up two wide and long wing surfaces in the morning light. The fuselage regained its direction and stopped falling, instead beginning to glide forward smoothly.

The other aircraft followed closely behind, their silver-gray fuselages unfolding their wings one by one in the morning light, like a flock of birds that could not hold back their wings, gliding towards the open space inside the city wall.

The townspeople and guards on the ground looked up, and at first there was a deathly silence, then a loud explosion erupted.

Someone pointed to the sky and shouted, "It's flying down!" and then ran towards the inside of the city wall.

Suddenly, the entire city gate swarmed like ants whose nest had been disturbed, chasing after the descending aircraft in dense numbers.

The aircraft didn't glide for very long, first scraping the top of the city wall and then scraping against the stone surface with a screeching sound, before gliding along the open space for a while and coming to a stop crookedly.

Lin Mu watched as the other aircraft in the sky spread their wings before jumping off his own aircraft that had crashed to the ground. He then settled Tianzun back into the east wing and hurried out to check the situation.

By this time, several landing aircraft were surrounded by people.

Some people clung tightly to the wings, while others climbed into the cabin to reserve seats and refused to come out. Near the plane close to the city wall, a fight had even broken out, with fists and curses mingling together.

Another group of people went straight into the cockpit, locked the door from the inside, and waved to the people outside through the glass, making it clear that this plane was theirs.

In their eyes, although these aircraft had crashed, they could be repaired and would definitely be able to fly again. If they could fly, they could leave Bai Ri Men and survive.

The original Flying Eagle Guards in the aircraft had voluntarily withdrawn from the cabin early on and stood on the perimeter without getting involved, but they obviously did not expect the scene to become so chaotic.

After Lin Mu and Xue Gui arrived, it took them a lot of effort to disperse the crowd.

Xue Gui stood straight at the front of the crowd, his back ramrod straight.

He spoke softly, but his anger was palpable. "Look at yourselves! What are you all doing? The Empress sent the Flying Eagle Guard all the way to rescue Bai Ri Men, and those demons outside the city are about to pounce. The aircraft just landed, and you guys are fighting amongst yourselves!"

As he finished speaking, his throat tightened, and his voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth: "When did we, the disciples of Bai Ri Men, become so weak that we only know how to bully our own kind? Tian Zun spent his entire life risking his life to protect everyone from countless storms. When did he ever fight with anyone over the smallest thing? Now that he's still alive, a mere aircraft can make you all turn red with envy and start fighting. Ask yourselves honestly, have you done right by him?"

Upon hearing what Elder Xue said, the previously noisy crowd immediately fell silent.

Many people lowered their heads and backed away, their faces flushed with embarrassment; those who had been grabbing things and seats in the drilling rig scrambled out in a flurry, hastily brushed the dust off their bodies, not daring to lift their eyelids, much less look at Xue Gui.

Those who had been arguing so fiercely that they almost came to blows were now frozen in place like wooden stakes, their feet seemingly nailed to the ground. They couldn't leave or stay, and all traces of their earlier bravado had vanished.

Seeing that the situation had stabilized, Xue Gui remembered the brocade pouch and Qiankun bag that Lin Mu had given him earlier.

He reached out and pulled it out, wanting to say, "Don't panic, everyone. The commander left behind blueprints and maggots. We can build our own flying machines, and then we can all go together."

But just as he raised the brocade pouch and before he could speak, Lin Mu suddenly raised his hand and pressed down on his arm.

Lin Mu shook his head, took the brocade pouch from his hand, and scanned it with his mind.

Sure enough, all the black maggots inside had exploded and died.

There were a full 100, not a single one alive. Carapace fragments were scattered at the bottom of the pouch, bodily fluids soaked the fabric, and a faint fishy smell wafted out.

At that moment, the Heavenly Venerable's words, "Beware of the Crimson Moon," suddenly rang in his ears again.

He took out the telepathic communication device from his pocket, intending to send a message to the Empress to report the news here, when Xue Gui gently shook his head, his tone extremely indifferent, yet like a bucket of cold water being poured on him: "It's useless, the message can no longer be sent out."

Lin Mu's hand froze in mid-air as he realized what was happening.

Yes, communication between Bai Rimen and Bichon has long been cut off.

He held the telepathic message for a while before putting it back in his pocket.

Then he looked up again, gazing in the direction of the jungle maze.

The crimson moon still hung there, its layers of tree canopies dark and heavy, like a clump of congealed blood mist. There was no wind, no sound; the oppressive force that had suddenly pressed down from the depths of the forest had vanished without a trace, as if it had been nothing more than an illusion.

But Lin Mu knew that all of this, this great calamity, was the work of that thing.

He looked away, glanced down at the tips of his boots, then looked up again and said something that sounded like he was talking to himself: "You don't want me to use the Black Evil Maggots, you don't want me to leave... then I'll stay and keep you company."

-

Later that day, Lin Mu was leading the skeletons along the base of the city wall, observing the movements of the monsters outside the city by the blood-red light of the crimson moon.

A guard from Bai Ri Men rushed forward, lowered his voice, and spoke quickly and urgently: "Young Master Lin, the Celestial Venerable has awakened and wishes to see you alone."

Lin Mu's fingers paused for a moment, then he followed the guards through the alley in the night and back to the quiet courtyard.

The lights in the east wing were already on, their dim yellow light filtering through the paper windows in an attempt to dispel the bloodstains in the courtyard.

He pushed open the door, and saw an oil lamp lit on the corner of the table, the flame flickering inside the lampshade.

The old man with disheveled white hair on the bed opened his eyes, his gaze no longer unfocused as before, as if he had surfaced from a very deep place for a moment.

He heard the door open, turned his head slightly, and glanced at Lin Mu.

Lin Mu walked over and stood by his bedside, without rushing to speak.

The Celestial Venerable lowered his hand, placing it on the mattress, and said softly, "I have lived for over two hundred years and have seen many people. You are the most precious person I have ever seen in my life..."

He paused, as if gathering his breath, before continuing, "Bai Ri Men... cannot be defended. But the people are still here. Keep this safe, and... take them out."

After he finished speaking, he pointed to a wooden box on the headboard and then put it down.

Lin Mu stood by the bed, looked down at the wooden box, and glanced inside.

Chapter 274 Celestial Venerable's Relics, the Fan of 25

Inside the wooden box was a Qiankun bag, containing many items arranged neatly.

The first thing I saw was a fan. The fan was silvery white with a jade-like luster. The fan surface was closed, and a light blue tassel hung from the end of the handle, as if no one had opened it for a long time.

【Free and Easy Fan, Attack 5-13, Taoist Skill 4-25, Luck +8, Requires Level 35】.

A Taoist robe, a plain white long robe embroidered with silver-gray cloud patterns, with a fine dark gold trim pressed along the edge of the collar, folded neatly, as if it had been washed and never worn again.

[Celestial Venerable Robe, Defense 4-15, Magic Resistance 4-11, Taoist Magic 2-10, Requires Level 40].

A white tiger tooth necklace, with a slender animal tooth hanging from it, its surface polished to a warm, shiny finish.

[White Tiger Tooth Necklace, Magic Evasion 60%, Taoist Skill 1-9, Luck +2, Requires Taoist Skill 11].

A helmet with a leather lining and an outer layer of iron-gray armor plates, with dark patterns pressed along the edges.

[Celestial Helmet, Defense 4-8, Magic Resistance 1-6, Taoist Magic 0-6, Requires 25 Taoist Magic].

A pair of bracelets, heavy and cool to the touch.

【天尊手镯，防御1-6，道术1-9，需要道术25】×2。

A pair of rings, plain and unadorned, with a dull sheen on the surface.

【天尊戒指，魔御0-5，道术2-12，需要道术25】×2。

A belt, dark iron in color, with rivets and patterns pressed tightly together.

[Steel Belt, Defense 0-7, Magic Defense 0-6, Taoist Magic 0-6, Requires Level 35. Commonly used medicines or scrolls can be attached to the belt for easy access.]

A pair of boots, the boot shaft wraps up to the mid-calf, and the sole is pressed with fine anti-slip treads.

[Soul-Avoiding Boots, Defense 1-7, Taoist Magic 0-6, Requires Level 35. Can relieve leg fatigue.]

There was also a large yellow stone, a size larger than the one Lin Mu had used before, almost the size of a person's fist. It was more translucent, and you could feel a warm pulse when you held it in your palm.

[Supreme Bloodstone (Large): Restores 1 point of health and 1 point of mana per second, and increases the healing effect of potions by 400%.]

Beside it was a cloth bag containing some spirit-gathering beads, a bronze-yellow compass of unknown purpose, and several yellowed books.

[Ki Gong Wave, requires level 29.]

[Bloodlust, requires level 47.]

[Summoning the Moon Spirit requires level 45.]

Several skill books were neatly stacked on one side of the wooden box. The writing on the spines was worn, but still legible.

There were several older books stacked next to it, their pages yellowed, their edges curled, and a few words written on their covers.

"Records of Sealing", "Topographical Study of Red Moon Canyon", "Old Records of the Defense of Bai Ri Men City"...

Besides these, there was also a folded piece of paper pressed down at the bottom of the box.

The paper was yellowed and the creases were worn and frayed, as if it had been repeatedly unfolded and folded.

The Celestial Venerable didn't urge him, but simply watched quietly until he looked away from the box before slowly speaking: "Keep the compass safe; it can control the barrier. As for those books... take your time reading them..."

He paused, as if preparing something, or perhaps gathering his strength.