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

Occasionally, it would raise its claws and wave them towards the void, causing a distorted ripple in the air. Then, one after another, Zuma Guards, Zuma Statues, Zuma Archers, and Wedge Moths would appear out of thin air. They would then be awakened by a low roar from the Zuma Lord. The stone skin on the Zuma Guards and Zuma Statues would quickly peel off, and they would turn and rush towards the city wall.

It keeps summoning, awakening, and summoning again, like a tireless weapon-making machine, continuously replenishing the battlefield with fresh combat power.

Liu Qingshuang squatted down next to him, her gaze also falling on the bronze-colored figure, and said in a low voice: "It was said before that Mengzhong was a safe haven during this great calamity. Now the demon tide in Bichon has receded, but the fighting is still going on here."

She paused, her tone carrying an ambiguous meaning, "Perfect timing. His Majesty has long disliked Shabak, but because the late Emperor signed a treaty with Shabak, he couldn't break it. This time, before His Majesty could even act, the monsters launched an attack on Shabak, almost destroying the city gates. Doesn't this prove His Majesty's wisdom? Even Heaven is helping him out."

Lin Mu turned his head to look at her, his lips twitched slightly, but he didn't reply.

He sighed silently to himself.

This empress's lackey is really good at flattery; no wonder he's often seen around her. His silver tongue is quite a skill.

Liu Qingshuang probably sensed that Lin Mu didn't want to continue the conversation, so she changed the subject and asked in a low voice, "What does our number one male Taoist priest of Marfa plan to do now?"

Lin Mu squatted behind the earthen slope, staring at the distant battlefield for a while before speaking, "Just watch. Helping the monsters fight our own kind is too heartless; helping Qingyi's enemies resist the monsters is also too heartless. Don't help either side, just wait and see."

He paused for a moment, then said, "We'll talk about it when Qingyi and the others arrive."

Liu Qingshuang nodded after listening and didn't ask any more questions.

The two of them found a relatively flat, sheltered spot under a huge Buddha head not far in front of Shabak and set up their tent.

It's unclear when the Buddha head was created; half of it is buried in the sand, with only a broken face exposed. The edges have been blurred by wind and sun, but it conveniently blocks the view from the direction of Shabak.

Lin Mu set up the tent and gathered some dry branches to build a fire in the sheltered spot of the Buddha's head. Every day, apart from climbing up the Buddha's head regularly to check on the battle situation in Shabak, he spent the rest of his time sleeping and eating. His life was much more relaxed than when he was in Bichon.

Over the course of a few days, Lin Mu noticed that after each summoning, the bronze-colored skin of the Zuma Lord would darken slightly, as if some of his strength had been drained, and his breathing would become heavier than before.

At this rate, the summoning of the Zuma Lord will eventually be outpaced by the speed at which the monsters are being cleared from Shabak City. As long as the people in the city can hold on, the monsters' offensive will eventually show signs of fatigue.

He just didn't know whether Huo Lie was the first to give up or whether the Zuma cult leader was the first to be unable to summon anyone.

In his spare time these past few days, Lin Mu even showed off his barbecue skills.

He took out some spices he had previously swiped from the Prince's mansion from his storage bag, skewered the meat pieces with the iron skewers he carried with him, and slowly roasted them over the fire. The oil dripped into the fire and sizzled, and the aroma wafted far and wide.

Liu Qingshuang was sitting modestly eating dry food on the side, but when she smelled that aroma, she couldn't help but come over. Lin Mu handed her a skewer, and after taking a bite, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't stop eating after that.

The next day, Lin Mu found a small copper pot, cooked a pot of broth on the spot, threw in dried meat and wild vegetables to cook, sprinkled on spices, and served it steaming hot to her.

Liu Qingshuang took a sip of soup from her bowl, put it down, and her first question was, "What are we having for tomorrow? Barbecue or hot pot?"

Lin Mu leaned against the Buddha's head, looking at the still surging, dark mass of monsters outside the walls of Shabak in the distance. He glanced at Liu Qingshuang's eyes, which were waiting for his answer, and his lips twitched slightly: "...We'll talk about it tomorrow."

-

Finally, a few days later, one morning, Lin Mu saw a cloud of dust rising on the horizon in the distance.

He climbed onto the Buddha's head and looked over.

A dark, imposing procession was approaching, its banners fluttering and its armor gleaming in the morning light, like a river slowly moving along the ground.

Lin Mu roughly counted that there were at least tens of thousands of people, a vast expanse covering the distant Gobi Desert. The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves was swept into the air by the wind and could be seen from several miles away.

Lin Mu slid down from the Buddha's head, brushed the sand off his hands, and went to meet Gu Qingyi, who pulled on the reins and dismounted.

She was still wearing a moon-white long gown, her face showing the dust and weariness of her journey, but her eyes were still bright.

Lin Mu approached and immediately asked, "Why are there so many people?"

Gu Qingyi raised her hand and pressed the hilt of her sword at her waist, her voice hoarse from the journey: "We're late. Things are stable in Bichon, and we don't need many people. His Majesty made a last-minute decision to entrust half of the Golden Guard to me, which delayed things considerably."

As she spoke, she glanced back at the line of people gradually coming to a stop behind her, and added, "A total of 20,000 people, I brought them all with me."

Lin Mu followed her gaze to the group that was setting up camp. Gu Qingyi spoke first: "What's the situation in Shabak? You've been here for several days, you should have figured something out by now."

Lin Mu glanced in the direction of Shabak and briefly recounted what he had seen and heard over the past few days: "Last night, Shabak came out on its own and surrounded and killed the Zuma Cult Leader, at a great cost. Two sections of the city wall collapsed, and the defending troops suffered heavy casualties. Are you planning to attack the city now?"

She paused for a moment, "Although it would be the best time to press forward while they are exhausted, my group has just finished their journey and has been traveling for several days. If we attack the city directly, their morale will collapse. There's no rush. Let's do it tomorrow."

As she spoke, she looked up at the outline of Shabak in the distance, "Let the Jinwu Guards set up camp 3000 meters outside the main gate and rest for a day. We'll start the siege tomorrow at dawn."

Chapter 322 Setting up camp

Lin Mu nodded after listening, without saying much, but stepped aside and pointed towards the Buddha head: "There's a fairly flat area over there, let's go there and set up camp."

Following his gesture, Gu Qingyi glanced at the Buddha head half-buried in the sand, asked no further questions, and simply turned to give a few instructions to the deputy general behind her before urging her horse to lead the group slowly toward the Buddha head.

On the walls of Shabak, the defenders began to feel uneasy when they saw the dark mass of camps outside the main gate.

The news quickly spread throughout the city walls.

Three kilometers outside the main gate, a large army was setting up camp, with neat banners and armor gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Huo Lie stood atop the highest point of the city wall, gazing into the distance at the camp that was unfolding in an orderly fashion, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Behind him stood several guild leaders who had fled from Tu City, their faces grim. One of them muttered, "This group doesn't seem to be here to help us defend the city..."

Huo Lie didn't reply, but stared at the dark outline of the camp in the distance for a long time.

He was also having some doubts:

"The great calamity has just passed, and Mengzhong is in complete chaos. After Gu Changfeng fled to Shabak to save his life, the Jinwu Guards of Tucheng have long since scattered. Some are still fighting guerrilla warfare against the monsters, while others have simply become bandits. They can't even raise a unified banner, so it's impossible for them to organize such a well-organized force. This army must have come from Bichon. But the news I heard is that the calamity in Bichon is much more severe than in Mengzhong. Bai Ri Men is trapped, Feng Mo Gu has fallen, and the demon tide is overwhelming. Even the Empress was forced to personally go to the city wall. I heard that the monsters of the Crimson Moon have also arrived in Bichon. Logically speaking, Bichon should be too busy to deal with its own problems. How could it suppress the demon tide so quickly and still have the resources to send troops to Mengzhong?"

The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

The tree demon had stopped so many people, and the Crimson Moon Demon's reputation resounded throughout the entire continent. Even if Bichon could hold out, it should have been severely weakened. However, the team in front of them was fully armored, with banners in neat rows and the camp set up in an orderly manner. They did not look like they had been hastily engaged in battle or were in a state of defeat.

His nerves were on edge. He glanced back at the guild leaders who were still talking beside him and said in a low voice, "Pass down the order: increase the number of men on the city walls. Everyone will be on duty tonight and no one is allowed to sleep."

At the same time, he thought of sending someone to the camp to investigate and find out what the other side wanted.

-

When Huo Lie's envoy arrived, Lin Mu and Gu Qingyi were looking at a map of Shabak in the central command tent.

The map lay spread out on the table, its edges weighed down by a few stones. It had the city walls, gates, and the surrounding mountains marked with thin lines, but frankly, there wasn't much to see.

Just like in the game, Shabak is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one entrance and exit through the main gate on the east city wall.

The secret passages leading to Shabak had long been blocked by the imperial court under the pretext of "protecting Shabak," using craftsmen and materials from Bichon, and were sealed tightly without leaving a single crack.

Nowadays, unless people in the city have a random teleportation scroll or teleportation ring, they can only enter through the main gate.

Outside the main gate, directly opposite, was the camp of 20,000 Golden Guards.

Gu Qingyi was tapping the location of the city gate on the map with her knuckles, estimating something.

At this moment, a guard came in to report: "Reporting—an envoy from Shabak requests an audience. He claims to be surnamed Zhang and says he was sent by Lord Huo."

Gu Qingyi raised her eyelids slightly, her tone flat: "Let him in."

The guards obeyed and went out. A short while later, the tent flap was lifted, and a middle-aged man wearing an old Taoist robe walked in.

Lin Mu looked up and recognized the man; it was Zhang Dao, whom he had met once before in Tucheng.

After Zhang Dao entered the main tent, he first cupped his hands in the direction of the main seat. When he raised his head and his gaze fell on the person sitting in the main seat, his expression visibly stiffened.

His gaze lingered on Gu Qingyi's face for several moments, as if he wanted to confirm that he hadn't mistaken her for someone else. He then subconsciously glanced to the side, where he met Lin Mu's gaze.

This sight stunned him again, choking him halfway through his sentence. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he could only offer a dry, forced bow, his voice strained: "...Princess. Young Master Lin."

Gu Qingyi didn't get up, but simply pushed the map aside and replied in a low voice, "Zhang Dao, long time no see."

Zhang Dao stood there, his forced composure cracking in several places. Before he arrived, he probably thought the person sitting in the main seat would be a commander sent by the imperial court, but what he saw after pushing open the door was the princess who had run away for half a year.

Standing next to him was the Taoist priest who sold acorns to the city lord and had even caused trouble in Tu City. This news was too hard to digest.

However, Zhang Dao quickly realized what was happening.

Having spent so much time in Shabak and seen so many things, his momentary daze only lasted a few breaths before he recovered. He cupped his hands again, handed over Huo Lie's letter, and said some polite words.

It was nothing more than polite words like, "The great calamity has just passed, and Mengzhong is in dire need of reconstruction. I wonder what the purpose of the imperial army's arrival is. Lord Huo has specially ordered this humble Taoist to come and inquire after your well wishes."

Gu Qingyi didn't take the letter. She just leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on Zhang Dao's face. After he finished speaking, she replied slowly, "Go back and tell Huo Lie that I'm here to attack Sha. Tell him to wash his neck and wait. I'll kill him with my own hands."

Zhang Dao stood in the center of the tent, his lips moved, but in the end he said nothing more. He simply sighed softly, bowed, and left the tent.

In fact, from the moment he lifted the curtain and saw Gu Qingyi sitting in the main seat, he already knew that there would be no other outcome for today's trip.

Smart people know what Shabak has done, but no one dares to say it out loud.

At this point, unless Prince An personally intervenes to mediate, there is absolutely no way to salvage the situation.

Prince An is still missing. Gu Changfeng is indeed ruthless; he doesn't even spare his own father.

Ugh.

-

When the news reached Shabak, the palace was in an uproar.

Several guild leaders immediately erupted in anger. Some slammed their fists on the table and said, "Why should we?" Others paced back and forth, saying, "This is against the rules." Still others argued heatedly, "Why should Bichon be in charge of Mengzhong's affairs?"

After a while, everyone's eyes fell on Zhang Dao, asking him what he had seen and if there was any room for negotiation.

Zhang Dao stood in the center of the hall and remained silent for a while before speaking: "The Jinwu Guard of Bichon is well-disciplined. Although their armor is slightly worn, the plates are polished to a shine and are neatly arranged. Their tents are set up in an orderly manner, and even the smoke from the cooks' cooking is neatly arranged. It is clear that they have been properly rested."

Chapter 323 Enjoying life to the fullest

He stopped talking after he finished speaking, and those who had been arguing just moments before fell silent. Some looked down at their worn and tarnished armor, then looked up at the others in the hall.

Everyone was covered in dust and dirt, having fought for several days straight. Their armor plates were covered in scratches and dust, and they hadn't even had time to polish them. Compared to the Imperial Guards outside the city, they seemed to be from two different worlds.

At this moment, the former president of the Iron-Blooded Loyal Heart Guild, now the vice president of Shabak, stepped forward.

He pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Huo Lie: "Since it is a princess who has come, it would be of some use if Prince Gu Changfeng could step in. After all, they are siblings, and it is unlikely that they would come to blows right from the start."

Huo Lie glanced at him but didn't reply immediately, as if weighing the weight of the suggestion. In the end, he simply nodded and said, "Go and invite the Prince."

-

At this moment, the chilling atmosphere outside the city did not reach the side hall inside Shabak City.

The hall was brightly lit, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.

Gu Changfeng leaned back on the soft couch, with several plates of delicate pastries and a pot of wine that was more than half empty on the table in front of him.

He had just learned that the monsters near Mengzhong had been basically wiped out and the great calamity was finally over. The tension in his heart eased, and he completely relaxed. He called over dancers to entertain him, and drank one cup of wine after another.

Huo Yan sat beside him, a smile on his face, but his gaze would occasionally drift toward the palace gate, as if he were trying to figure out what had just happened outside.

However, he was too lazy to think too much about it. Anyway, with his father around, nothing serious would happen in Shabak. Besides, Gu Changfeng was still in his hands, so he was a good hand no matter how you looked at it.