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

Suddenly, the Celestial Venerable propped himself up, his withered hand reaching over the edge of the bed to grab Lin Mu's wrist.

The force was extraordinary, completely unlike the strength of a dying person. His knuckles were clenched so tightly they turned white, and the heat in his palms was astonishing.

Lin Mu's heart skipped a beat. He clearly felt a gentle yet irresistible force surging into his body from the Heavenly Venerable's palm, like an undercurrent slowly seeping in along his arm. It was hard to tell whether it was warm or cold, but it carried a certain indescribable texture, sinking into his limbs and bones strand by strand.

He instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but the power had already been transferred, like a stream flowing into a deep pool, silently merging into it without leaving even a ripple.

Then the Celestial Venerable released his hand, which fell back onto the bedding.

His breathing was a little more rapid than before, but the Celestial Venerable's expression was as if he had been relieved of some heavy burden, and his whole body relaxed, without the seriousness and strength he had shown just now.

Lin Mu looked down at his palm, then clenched his fist. The power was deep within his body, so quiet it was as if it didn't exist.

He sensed it for a moment, but couldn't discern what the Celestial Venerable had transmitted to him, as if it were hidden in a box he couldn't open for the time being.

He snapped out of his reverie, looked again at the neatly folded letter at the bottom of the box, and gently pulled it out and unfolded it.

The paper was old and brittle, almost breaking at the creases. The handwriting was somewhat faded, but the strokes were still steady, as if it had been written without hesitation: "If you read this letter, it means I am either exhausted or no longer alive. Use what you need in the box, and leave what you don't need to those who come after. The White Gate may eventually fall, but the flame should not be extinguished."

After reading the letter, Lin Mu folded it and put it back in the wooden box. He remained silent for a moment before speaking: "I will take them with me."

When he said this, he didn't have any grand ideas in mind. He just thought that it was more worthwhile than anything else for someone who had guarded this place all his life to be able to rest in peace in the end.

Sure enough, after hearing this, the Celestial Venerable shifted his gaze from Lin Mu's face to the ceiling, as if he had finally put down that long-standing matter.

His breathing slowed down, and his chest rose and fell twice more, but it didn't rise the third time.

Strangely, Lin Mu felt very calm as he watched the Celestial Venerable breathe his last.

He felt neither heavy nor light, as if watching a lamp that had burned for too long finally go out on its own, leaving no residual warmth or sound.

He stood by the bed for a moment, looking down to make sure he had stopped breathing, before bending down to pick up the wooden box, putting it in his pocket, turning around, and pushing the door open to leave.

The night wind rushed towards him, fluttering the hem of his robe. He stood under the eaves and looked up at the night sky, which had somehow lost its blood-red hue.

Suddenly he noticed that the sky was turning a pale white, and the grayish-yellow morning light was slowly spreading along the horizon, as if someone had moistened a stroke with water on an old white sheet of paper, and it was gradually spreading out.

The light arrived at a leisurely pace, just enough to illuminate the half-open window of the east wing and fall on the edge of the bed.

It was like a farewell, a way of letting the person who had guarded Bai Ri Men City his whole life take one last look at the sun.

But it was ultimately... too late...

Old Xue had already arrived at the courtyard gate.

He was wearing a dark gray robe, his back was slightly hunched, and his hair was a little disheveled by the night wind, but he stood very steadily.

He heard the door open, looked up, his gaze fell on Lin Mu's face, his lips moved but he didn't say anything.

Lin Mu stood on the steps and, without any preamble or hesitation, said, "The Celestial Venerable has passed away."

Chapter 275, 109 Taoist Techniques

Old Xue remained silent.

He stood there in silence for a long time, then lowered his head, raised his hand, pressed his sleeve to the corner of his eye, and then lowered it again.

Several guards from Bai Ri Men stood behind him. Some clenched their fists, some turned their faces away, and some trembled on their shoulders before suppressing their laughter. No one made a sound. Only the wind blew in from outside the courtyard wall, rustling the leaves of the old locust tree in the courtyard.

Old Xue raised his head, his voice a little hoarse but still steady: "I understand. I'll make the arrangements."

He turned around, whispered a few words to the person behind him, who nodded and quickly ran away.

Soon, the deep tolling of bells echoed through the city, one after another, unhurried and gentle, like a thread being slowly pulled to its end.

The whole city came to the funeral.

The open space inside the city wall was filled with people, stretching from the base of the wall all the way to the alley entrance. Some were wearing faded old clothes, some were holding children, and some were supporting each other.

No one spoke; only low sobs occasionally drifted from the crowd, quickly carried away by the wind.

Old Xue stood beside the wooden platform, holding a long roll of paper in his hand. He unfolded it and read it word by word.

"In the autumn of the Bingwu year, the people of Bai Ri Gate and the entire city respectfully offer pure wine and straw to the spirit of the guardian deity of the city."

"The 52nd Celestial Venerable of Bai Ri Men, whose given name was [name omitted] and whose title was Shou Que, passed away from illness in the East Wing. Alas! In his life, he possessed the solemn spirit of the Crimson Moon and inherited the vastness of the Woma Mountain. In his early twenties, he climbed the city wall, stood there with his sword in hand, and for over a hundred years, he never once retreated to the foot of the wall..."

Old Master Xue recounted how the Celestial Venerable took over the defense of Bai Ri Men when he was young, how he killed the first Heavenly Wolf Spider at the edge of the Crimson Moon Canyon, how he reinforced the city defenses and expanded the seal, and how he always stood at the highest point of the city wall without retreating a single step during countless beast tides.

As he read on, his voice began to tremble, but he didn't stop. He read until the very last line, then put down the paper, stood up straight, and bowed deeply towards the direction of the Heavenly Venerable's memorial hall.

The crowd behind him bent down along with him, as if the entire city had bowed its head at the same moment. Someone finally couldn't hold back, and sobs could be heard intermittently from between the crowd.

The wind blew in from outside the city, fluttering the hems and cuffs of people's clothes, stirring the strips of cloth hanging from the corners of the wooden tables, and making a rustling sound as it blew the roll of paper that had not yet been rolled up.

At this moment, Lin Mu had already changed into the equipment left behind by the Celestial Venerable, which was in the box.

Lin Mu's condition at this time is as follows:

[Character Status]

[Level: 41]

Experience: 2477160/16000000

HP: 397/397

[MP: 475/475]

[Attack: 9-18] (4-5 for self)

[Taoist Skills: 17-109] (4-5 for self)

[Magic: 0-0]

[Defense: 11-56] (Holy Armor skill adds 7 points to the maximum defense)

【魔御：8-48】（自身3-8，幽灵盾加了7点上限）

[Accuracy: 11]

[Agility: 18]

Luck: 10

[Magic Evasion: 70%]

[Skills: Healing Lv.3, Mental Combat Lv.3, Poisoning, Soul Fire Talisman Lv.2, Summon Skeleton, Invisibility Lv.3, Group Invisibility Lv.3, Ghost Shield Lv.3, Divine Armor Lv.3, Mind Revelation Lv.1, Binding Spell Lv.1, Group Healing Lv.0, Summon Divine Beast, Chi Wave Lv.3]

……

This technique's enhancement is terrifying.

从之前的【17-69】直接涨到了【17-109】，整整多了40点道术上限。幸运也从9点涨到了10点。双防也提升了一大截。

Lin Mu, wearing the plain white robe left behind by the old Celestial Venerable, stood at the front of the crowd and bowed earnestly towards the direction of the mourning hall.

The way he bent over and the angle of his head were exactly the same as the old man who had guarded Bai Ri Men for most of his life. It was as if the same person was standing there.

The wind suddenly stopped blowing, and the people around gradually stood up.

Lin Mu slowly stood up straight and stepped onto the wooden platform in front of the spirit tablet.

The Daoist patterns on the white robe seemed to flow faintly under the crimson blood moon.

A commoner who had been hanging his head suddenly looked up when he caught a glimpse of the familiar runes on the hem of Lin Mu's robe. His eyes were fixed on Lin Mu, and he stared blankly for a long time before unconsciously uttering two words: "...Heavenly Venerable."

Those nearby heard this, looked up, and were immediately stunned.

Wearing the same robe and holding the same fan, standing there with such a tall and steady posture, he bore a striking resemblance to the old Celestial Venerable who defended the city wall without retreating an inch back then.

Someone spoke again, their voice not loud, but exceptionally clear in the quiet atmosphere: "Celestial Venerable..."

This one voice started it, and then others followed.

The shouts from two or three groups gradually merged into a surging tide, crashing against the wooden platform, one after another, lingering for a long time.

Once the commotion below had subsided somewhat, Lin Mu spoke, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, carrying a weighty and steady quality: "The Old Celestial Venerable is gone, but the White Sun Gate still stands."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across every face in the audience: "The people in the city are still here, and the demon tide outside has not receded. This city cannot fall apart just because one person has left."

He raised his voice slightly, enunciating each word clearly: "I am not here to replace the old Heavenly Venerable, but to continue what he did not finish. Whether you believe me or not, from today onwards, I, Lin Mu, am the new Heavenly Venerable of Bai Ri Men."

No one in the crowd spoke.

Lin Mu's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice rising a few decibels: "I know what you're afraid of. But the city walls can be repaired if they're broken, the seals can be reinforced if they're loose, and we can fight back if monsters come. As long as the people haven't dispersed, Bai Ri Men will still exist."

He paused, then added, "Besides, Beech hasn't forgotten us. Those aircraft will come again, carrying support and supplies, and will land from the sky."

As soon as he said that, the previously silent crowd finally stirred.

Some people raised their heads in a daze, a glimmer of light returning to their eyes; others gripped their weapons even tighter, as if they had finally grabbed a rope after struggling in the water for a long time, and their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a little.

Lin Mu continued, "From today onwards, I will lead you to defend the city, repair the seal, and clear out the monsters. I will not let this city be destroyed in my hands."

He didn't lower his voice after saying that, but he knew in his heart that he had said those words to boost morale.

This time, the Black Evil Maggots all died suddenly, and we can't contact Bichon either. Will Bichon really send another aircraft? And even if they do, what will they do? Will the Black Evil Maggots self-destruct again? Will they trap even more people? Will they plunge people into despair again? Or is the crimson moon's bloodlust only in Bai Ri Men? Are the Black Evil Maggots in Bichon still intact?

Chapter 276 The Monster of the Crimson Moon

He stood on the stage, keeping those words to himself and not uttering them aloud.

He could teleport away at any time; with a thought, he could return to the secret chamber of the Beechlin Mansion and leave the besieged city.

But tens of thousands of people are here, and they don't know if they can leave. They think they will stand here forever.

He glanced down at the plain white robe he was wearing, then looked up at the upturned faces below the stage. The wind blew in from outside the city, carrying a very faint fishy smell. It passed through the gap in the city wall, landed on the edge of the wooden platform, and swayed the tassels of the carefree fan. The fan swayed gently, then stopped.

He mentally laid out the two paths: one was a door that could be opened at any time, and the other was the wall in front of him.

He chose to stand on the wall first, not because he was noble, but simply because he knew he wasn't cold-blooded enough to turn around and leave.

It's not too late to take that path when you really can't hold on any longer.

After burying the Celestial Venerable, Lin Mu did not immediately lead his men to fight monsters.

He stood by the stone steps below the city gate, waiting for Old Xue to emerge from the crowd. The two of them walked one after the other to a low wall at the foot of the city wall and sat down.

With the torch burning, Lin Mu took out a copy of the "Monster Atlas" left behind by the Celestial Venerable from his Qiankun bag, flipped to the page about Crimson Moon Canyon, and laid it out on his lap. Old Xue leaned over and glanced at it, his gaze lingering on the densely packed characters for a moment, but he didn't say anything.

Lin Mu pointed to the first line:

[Sky Wolf Spider, HP 10000, Attack 40-70, Defense 10-15, Magic Defense 20-35. They are the most numerous, but not strong individually; they are the vanguard of beast hordes. As long as you don't get surrounded, they are not difficult to clear out.]