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

Gu Qingyi straightened up, took a step back, and briefly met Lin Mu's gaze as she turned around. Without saying anything more, she quickly walked out of the main hall.

The Empress withdrew her gaze from Gu Qingyi's retreating figure and focused it back on Lin Mu, her tone returning to its steady tone: "Heavenly Venerable, the bestowal of rewards is complete, you may return and rest."

Lin Mu bowed respectfully, but his mind was still lingering on Gu Qingyi's gaze from just now.

He straightened up and glanced back at the palace gate. Gu Qingyi's figure had already reached the corner of the palace gate, and her clothes disappeared in a flash.

He turned his head and bowed to the Empress again, his voice low but clear: "Your Majesty, I also wish to visit Mengzhong."

As if she had expected him to speak at this moment, the Empress's gaze lingered on his face for only a moment: "Go."

Lin Mu didn't say anything more. He bowed, took a few steps back, and then strode out of the palace gate.

He walked quickly towards the palace gate as soon as he left the palace. In the distance, he saw Gu Qingyi riding a horse towards the Jinwuwei camp, her steps fast and hurried.

Lin Mu took out a galloping horse from his mount pouch, mounted it, and spurred it on for a while before catching up with her at a street corner.

Someone called out from behind her, "Qingyi!"

Gu Qingyi then reined in the reins, turned around and saw Lin Mu, and was stunned for a moment.

Lin Mu cut to the chase without wasting words, “I’ll teleport to Mengzhong first to check the situation. You take the main road with your men and be careful to use telepathy along the way.”

That's right, their telepathic communication had already been linked before Lin Mu went to Bai Ri Men.

Gu Qingyi opened her mouth, but before she could utter a sound, Lin Mu had already turned his horse around and rode away.

Upon returning to the Lin residence, Lin Mu first explained the list of rewards bestowed by the Empress to everyone.

Lin Mu instructed her to remember to take inventory of the house and fertile land upon receipt. Madam Qin nodded after hearing this and only said, "Don't worry, I will take good care of the house for you."

After explaining these things, Lin Mu had just turned around to go back to the house to pack his things when Chunxing and Qin Yumo came out from the backyard to greet him.

Seeing his posture, Chunxing guessed what was going on and asked directly, "Young Master, are you going to Mengzhong?"

Lin Mu didn't hide it from her and nodded.

Chunxing immediately said, "I'll go too!"

Qin Yumo stood to the side without saying a word, but she already held the Wuji Staff in her hand, her gaze fixed on him, her meaning quite clear.

Lin Mu glanced at them but didn't stop them. He simply said, "I'll teleport there directly. If you want to go, wait at the North Gate of Bichon. You'll meet up with Qingyi and the others there. Be careful on the way."

Chunxing nodded immediately, pulled Qin Yumo out, and walked quickly and hurriedly, as if afraid that he would change his mind.

Lin Mu then turned and went to the manor, where he melted down all 20 million gold coins bestowed by the Empress into 200 million experience-gathering spirit beads. Adding to the 500 million full-gathering spirit beads bestowed by the Empress, he had a total of 700 million experience points.

He unleashed it all at once, golden light flashed twice on his body, and the number in the status bar above his head jumped twice before settling steadily at level 49.

He glanced down at his own condition, clenched his fist, and felt that the power within him was even heavier than before, as if another layer of water had been added to a well, making it feel substantial.

Then he put on the invisibility ring and teleportation ring in the manor, and completed the fusion under the effect of double concealment. He closed his eyes, and his mind sank into the coordinate list in his mind, locking onto the first one: [1. Stone Tomb Entrance, 045/048].

A flash of white light appeared, and with a "whoosh," he was standing on the steps at the entrance of the stone tomb when his feet touched the ground.

The small, dimly lit space was empty and filled with a heavy, musty smell and an earthy odor.

He used the skeleton's senses to scan the area, confirming that there were no monsters near the entrance, before climbing the steps, pushing open the half-closed stone door, and standing at the top of the stone tomb pyramid.

As he stood atop the stone tomb and looked down, the bright sunlight shone down, making his skin feel hot.

It's also bright in Mengzhong, but I don't know if that crimson blood moon ever appeared there.

He squinted to adjust to the light, and the outline of the entire earthen city unfolded in the sunlight, looking more dilapidated than he had imagined.

Broken planks and earthenware pots were scattered on the streets, tattered flags hung crookedly on flagpoles, and some houses had roofs that had collapsed halfway, exposing the dark beams.

Further on the ground, he could see some blurry outlines.

Some of the human remains were already dry and white, while others remained curled up, as if they were trying to avoid something in their last moments before death.

The wind swept through the ruins, carrying an indescribable, dull smell, swirling up scraps of paper and ashes on the ground and then setting them down again.

Lin Mu stood atop the tower, his gaze sweeping over the earthen city where he had once walked through several streets. He remained silent for a moment, then took out his telepathic communication device and sent a short message to Gu Qingyi: "Arrived at the Stone Tomb. The earthen city is empty. No abnormalities reported."

After saying that, Gu Qingyi's voice came through his mind, slightly out of breath from traveling: "You're really quick. We just left the north gate and ran into Chunxing and Yumo at the city gate. We're a lot of people, so we're moving slowly. Be careful over there by yourself."

Chapter 318 The Secret Chamber and the Stone Door

Hearing that familiar voice, Lin Mu's lips curved slightly. He didn't reply and simply put away the telepathic transmission. After all, telepathic transmission over a thousand miles wasn't unlimited.

Then he glanced again in the direction of Shabak City in the distance, where it seemed that there was still a trace of smoke rising from the ground.

Lin Mu walked down the stone steps, changed back into the Celestial Venerable Ring, deactivated the fusion state, equipped the skeleton, then mounted his horse and slowly walked forward along the main street of Tu City.

He rode his horse, with three summoned creatures forming a triangle around him, as he made his way through collapsed houses and scattered ruins.

A miniature map of skulls unfolded in his mind.

There are still some living people scattered throughout the earthen city.

As Lin Mu passed by several half-collapsed houses, he could feel the gazes cast from the cracks in the doors or the openings in the windows.

He was cautious and tentative, as if unsure of his origins.

He didn't make a point of greeting anyone; he simply continued walking at a steady pace.

Occasionally, scattered monsters would emerge from the ruins, but the three summoned creatures quickly dispatched them, giving Lin Mu no chance to even make a move.

He rode his horse along, passing through the broken streets and alleys of Tucheng, slowly making his way towards the Prince An's Mansion.

The sound of horses' hooves pounding on broken tiles echoed through the streets and alleys, one thud after another, drowning out the sound of the wind.

Upon arriving at the gate of Prince An's residence, Lin Mu reined in his horse and looked up.

The gate was wide open, with two heavy vermilion-lacquered doors hanging crookedly on the hinges. One door was half broken off, revealing a dark crack underneath.

He dismounted, put the horse into his mount pouch, and stepped into the mansion gate.

The courtyard was a mess. Half of the artificial hill in the flower bed had collapsed, and pebbles were scattered on the blue brick ground. The pillars under the corridor had been hit by something and had several deep dents. A large number of tiles on the eaves had also fallen off, revealing the dusty rafters.

Some bones were scattered on the ground, and some still had fragments of clothing.

The colors and styles of the bodies revealed them to be servants, guards, and maids. Some lay on the veranda, while others huddled in a corner, as if they were trying to find a place to hide before they died.

The wind swept through the empty courtyard, gently lifting the tattered hems of clothing before letting them fall back down.

Lin Mu did not stop. His gaze swept over the scattered bones, and he continued walking in without saying a word.

The skeleton followed beside him, and a mini-map unfolded in his mind, covering the outline of the entire mansion.

He noticed that the spots of light that had once been around the secret room in the underground courtyard of the Prince's Mansion had all disappeared.

But what made Lin Mu's heart tighten was that three faint points of light were still there deep inside the secret room.

Lin Mu followed the directions on the mini-map to the central courtyard, but the map showed that the secret room was right under his feet, while in front of him was a murky artificial lake.

The lake water shimmered with a dark green luster, and several pale, bloated corpses of guards floated on the surface, their swollen limbs lying askew on the water, swaying gently in the breeze, emitting a dull, putrid stench.

He stood by the lake for a moment, then turned and walked across the small bridge over the lake, searching through the surrounding rooms along the corridor.

They searched the study, the tea room, and the bedroom thoroughly, even lifting up the paintings on the walls, but still couldn't find the entrance to the secret room.

Lin Mu lost his patience and began a violent search, turning everything upside down and knocking over bookshelves, tables, cabinets, and beds in the surrounding rooms, scattering wood chips and scraps of paper all over the floor.

Finally, after smashing open a cabinet against the wall in a study, he discovered that something was wrong with the wall behind the cabinet.

The brick was a darker color than the surrounding bricks, with a barely visible seam around its edge. He tapped it; the sound was dull, and it was clearly hollow at the back.

He was delighted and pressed it hard. The brick did move, but then he heard a crisp "click." He wondered if his force had damaged something and broken the switch.

Lin Mu froze for a moment, glanced down at the brick that was stuck and couldn't bounce back out, and couldn't help but curse, "Damn it..."

He squatted down and felt around the brick seams to confirm that the switch was indeed broken, so he had to resort to force.

He stepped back a few paces and let the skeleton go up and slash at it. The Dragon Slayer Blade struck the surface of the stone door, but no matter how fierce the fire or the stab, not even a white mark was left on the stone door.

He had the divine beast breathe fire again, and the flames engulfed the stone door and burned for a while. When the fire subsided, the stone door remained motionless, and the temperature did not rise much.

The two yellow balls from the Moon Spirit slammed into it, exploding into a burst of light, but the stone gate didn't even tremble.

Lin Mu frowned and thought for a moment, then walked to the door, placed his palm on the stone door, and tried to push it again.

As soon as his fingers touched the stone door, he felt a suction force emanating from it, as if something was pulling his strength away. The temperature in his palm quickly dropped, and his arm felt slightly heavy.

He quickly withdrew his hand, realizing that the stone door was strange. Not only was it hard, but it also absorbed human energy. No wonder the skeleton could only sense three points of light in the secret chamber, but could not figure out the specific path.

He refused to believe in superstition and had his three summoned creatures stand with him in front of the door, and the four of them exerted their power at the same time.

With the skeleton supporting it, the divine beast holding it up, and Yue Ling floating behind to help push, Lin Mu gritted his teeth and put all his strength into his palms, pushing the suction-powered stone door inward little by little.

The stone door emitted a dull scraping sound, like an iron door that hadn't been opened for many years finally being pried open, inch by inch, two inches, three inches...

Finally, with a "bang," a gap was pushed open, wide enough for a person to squeeze through sideways.

Lin Mu took a breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and instead of rushing in, he let the divine beast lead the way.

The mythical beast, which had been standing upright, lay down and regained its small, slender form before squeezing through the crack in the door. Two flames above its head shone warmly in the darkness, illuminating the steps and walls at the entrance.

Lin Mu followed behind it across the threshold, with the skeleton guarding his side and the Moon Spirit hovering at the very back.

The steps meandered downwards, and the walls on both sides were inlaid with the same material as the stone gate, which was cold to the touch and felt like touching a water-absorbing sponge.

Lin Mu walked down the steps one by one, going deeper and deeper until he could feel himself passing through the bottom of the lake. He could faintly hear the muffled sound of water rippling above his head.

After walking for about three or four minutes, the steps finally came to an end, and there was another stone door of the same material in front of us, exactly the same as the one above, even the patterns looked like they were carved from the same mold.

Lin Mu did not rush to push the door open. He first held up the torch and carefully shone it around the stone wall and door frame to see if there were any switches or hidden compartments.

Chapter 319 The Former Prince

When the firelight shone on the lower part of the stone wall on his right, he discovered a shallow groove.

The groove was embedded in the shadow of the stone wall and was almost invisible unless you looked closely. The shape of the groove was not very regular and the edges were polished very smoothly.

He squatted down, held up the torch, and looked closely. The more he looked at the outline, the more familiar it seemed, including its curves, depth, and edges.

He thought for a moment, then took out the jade pendant that Gu Qingyi had given him from his Qiankun bag.

He held the jade pendant up to his finger and compared it again. The jade was warm and smooth, like a key, with the curve of the edge perfectly matching the contour of the groove.

Without further hesitation, he gently placed the jade pendant into the groove, where the edges fit perfectly.

A moment later, a low, muffled sound came from inside the stone door, as if some long-dormant mechanism had been activated. The sounds of gears meshing and metal rubbing came from deep within the stone wall, growing closer and more intense. Then, the stone door began to slowly slide inward, the gap widening from a thin line to reveal a dimly lit secret chamber behind it.