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

Several Taoist priests and sorcerers locked onto Lin Mu's figure from a few steps away, and immediately launched poison and lightning attacks.

The green and red poisons hit him first, and a damage number of -1 popped up above his head.

There's no escaping this; you still have to eat it.

However, the effect is far less when lightning spells and fire spells are used.

The blue and white arcs of electricity crackled as they struck, sounding like raindrops falling on sheet metal. The sound was lively, but Lin Mu's health bar barely moved. Most of his skills seemed to have been neutralized by an invisible barrier, and when they landed, only a few faint arcs of electricity flashed on his robes before disappearing.

Besides magic evasion, Lin Mu's dual defenses are now ridiculously high after the fusion.

[Defense: 47-103]

[Magic Control: 44-88]

An ordinary mage's lightning spell is barely a tickle when it hits you, and a fire talisman flying over won't even scratch your clothes.

Some poorly equipped defenders couldn't even break through his defenses with their skills, and he didn't even bother to look at the numbers that popped up above his head.

He didn't waste much time. He raised his hand and threw several streams of red poison at the defenders who were still attacking him. The dark red mist exploded, spread, and diffused in the crowd, like an ever-expanding ripple that enveloped several Taoist priests and sorcerers who were casting spells nearby.

Once the red poison is applied, the damage of the Golden Guard's sword strikes increases significantly, making it easier to kill people than to chop vegetables in the kitchen.

As for the green poison, Lin Mu didn't use it. Once that thing was applied, it would cause continuous damage, and he didn't want to commit any more killings on these people. He would just use the red poison to help the Golden Guards clear the wall.

He didn't linger after doing all that. He took half a step back, then vanished from the crenellations of the city wall in a flash, landing back behind the ranks of the Imperial Guards below the city.

His disruption caused the defenders on the city wall to lose their formation. The Jinwu Guards, who had been barely holding back the attack, took the opportunity to surge forward again. Some of them had already climbed over the crenellations and gained a foothold on the inner side of the city wall.

At that moment, Lin Mu suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.

The man, dressed in a suit of Heavenly Demon Armor and carrying a thick Dragon-Slaying Blade, stood beside a crenellation on the inner side of the city wall, fiercely attacking a Golden Guard who had just climbed up. With his twin raging flames, the Golden Guard's health bar plummeted, and it looked like he was about to collapse.

Without hesitation, Lin Mu flashed between the two, stepped aside to block the Golden Guard, and said without turning his head, "I'll handle this one."

The guard was stunned for a moment, then took a few steps back, clutching his wound as he retreated into the crowd.

Jiang Yanzhou's sword, which was halfway through its strike, was suddenly stopped by a white figure. The blade paused in mid-air, and he frowned as he looked at the combined form covered in white bones before him. His lips twitched, as if he had thought of something that made him unhappy.

The shouts of battle, the explosions of skills, and the clash of weapons continued all around, but the small area between Lin Mu and Jiang Yanzhou seemed to be encircled by something invisible. People around them intentionally or unintentionally took a few steps away, as if no one wanted to get involved between the two.

Jiang Yanzhou tightened his grip on the knife hilt, but still stubbornly said, "It's you again."

Lin Mu stood opposite him, not in a hurry to make a move. He simply closed his fan and replied unhurriedly, "Long time no see, Young Master Jiang. Don't worry, although my sword is fast, I've switched to using a fan now."

Jiang Yanzhou's expression changed for a moment after being choked by Lin Mu's words, "My sword is fast." He gripped the Dragon Slayer Saber even tighter.

Without further ado, the cooldown of the Fiery Sword Technique had just finished, and a layer of crimson flames suddenly rose from the blade. He exerted force with his feet, and his whole body seemed to be wrapped in a scorching wave of air as he charged straight toward Lin Mu.

Chapter 328 Jiang Hetang

Lin Mu did not dodge. Instead, he stood still and waited for him to approach. Just as the blade was about to fall, he snapped his fan shut and released a wave of energy.

An invisible shockwave suddenly exploded, and Jiang Yanzhou felt as if he had crashed into an invisible wall. His momentum and attack were abruptly stopped, and he was pushed so far back that his feet left the ground.

Lin Mu gave him no chance to catch his breath, flashing to the side of his retreating path, and landing with another ki blast, the shockwave pushing Jiang Yanzhou away in another direction once again.

Jiang Yanzhou was pushed backward repeatedly, unable to put any weight on his feet. The knife in his hand was broken halfway up, and he spun around on the city wall like a ball being kicked around, unable to even make a complete swing.

Lin Mu flashed and pushed at the same time, silently sighing in his heart.

This one-second cooldown flash is really useful; you can kick him like a ball just with your energy blast.

After being pushed around several times, the fierce look on Jiang Yanzhou's face turned into frustration and anger.

Although he didn't lose much blood, every step he took was pushed against his will, as if he were walking in a quagmire, being pushed back before he could even take a step.

Lin Mu lost interest after playing for a while, so he raised his hand and cast a green poison spell. The gray-green mist landed precisely on Jiang Yanzhou, and a poison damage number of -110 immediately appeared above his head.

Jiang Yanzhou was constantly being pushed around, unable to stop to drink his medicine or crush the random teleportation scroll. He could only watch helplessly as his health dropped little by little. Every time he tried to raise his hand to crush the scroll, a wave of energy would follow, pushing him so hard that he couldn't even close his fingers.

He struggled to shout something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the gust of air pushed him back into his throat.

His health bar slowly dwindled under the relentless barrage of green poison and energy waves. When the last poison hit, he froze on the spot, as if something had drained the last bit of his strength. The Dragon Slayer Sword slipped from his hand and slammed against the city wall with a dull thud. Then, his body tilted and fell to the ground, his eyes still open as he fell, as if he hadn't understood how he had been defeated until the very last moment.

The green poison exploded into a mist around his fallen body, but fortunately, the Imperial Guards and garrison troops around him deliberately avoided the area, so the mist did not affect anyone else.

Lin Mu stopped and stood still, glancing down at the spot where Jiang Yanzhou had fallen. Just as he was about to turn and leave, a shrill cry suddenly came from behind him: "Yanzhou... my son!"

He turned around and saw Jiang Hetang rushing over from the steps inside the city wall, his robe fluttering in the wind, his face looking as if something had ripped a hole in it.

He ran to where Jiang Yanzhou had fallen, looked down at the motionless body, reached out halfway but then withdrew, as if unsure where to touch, his voice hoarse and almost inaudible: "...My son..."

He squatted there in silence for a few breaths, then slowly raised his head, shifting his gaze from Jiang Yanzhou's still-open face to Lin Mu a few steps away.

He recognized the combined form; it was this person who had caused the Jiang family to lose face in Bichon.

He stared at Lin Mu for a long while, then squeezed out in a hoarse voice, "It's you."

Then, without saying another word, he suddenly stood up, the Soul-Devouring Staff already in his hand, its tip flashing blue light, and a Heaven-Destroying Flame wrapped in a purplish-black flame crashed down on Lin Mu's head.

The Heaven-Destroying Fire came with tremendous force, distorting the air slightly. But just as it was about to strike, it unexpectedly veered off course, exploding into a shower of rubble and sparks to Lin Mu's right.

This is the magic evasion attribute kicking in again.

Lin Mu didn't rush to retaliate. He first stepped back a little and took another look at Jiang Hetang.

The old man was dressed in a cloak of a mage, and he held a Soul-Devouring Staff in his hand. The tip of the staff was still burning with embers. His eyes were colder than Jiang Yanzhou's rampant anger, like a bowstring stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.

Jiang Hetang probably sensed something too, and his brows twitched slightly.

That Heaven-Destroying Fire just now went completely astray, as if it had been forcibly deflected by something.

He roughly understood that Lin Mu in his combined form had ridiculously high magic evasion, and single-target spells could basically not hit him.

Without hesitation, he turned the tip of his staff, abandoning the Heaven-Extinguishing Fire, and a crimson magic circle suddenly spread out beneath his feet, the starting stance of Meteor Shower already lit up.

Before his skill could be completed, Lin Mu used Flash to get right in front of him, and with a flick of his fan, unleashed a wave of energy.

An invisible shockwave exploded, but Jiang Hetang stood still, his robes only swaying slightly.

Lin Mu was taken aback.

Among the three classes' pushing skills, Chi Blast is the strongest. Savage Charge and Fire Resistance Ring can only push those lower than their own level, while Chi Blast can push those of the same level. If you can't push them, there's only one possibility: this old man's level is higher than his.

He wasn't too surprised, after all, no matter how down on his luck the Jiang family was, they were still an old family and they still had some cultivation.

At this moment, Jiang Hetang was pushed by the energy wave but did not move. While Lin Mu was finishing his move, he also raised his hand to create a fire ring to resist the attack.

A crimson halo exploded around Jiang Hetang, shoving Lin Mu so hard that he couldn't use his skills or medicine, and couldn't even use Flash.

Lin Mu was pushed and slid back to the edge of the city wall before stopping. The stiffness lasted for a moment before slowly dissipating.

He steadied himself against the edge of the battlements, his chest rising and falling slightly, silently making a mental note:

It seems I still can't fight these old guys from established families face-to-face. The level difference is there, and it wouldn't be worth it if I got controlled.

He distanced himself again, no longer rushing to get close. He first raised his hand and applied red and green poison to Jiang Hetang. Dark red and gray-green mists enveloped Jiang Hetang's magic cloak, and the poison damage numbers began to steadily increase above his head.

Then he retreated to a safe position and summoned the divine beast and the moon spirit.

The divine beast spewed out a mouthful of flame as soon as it landed. The orange-red flames swept across the air in front of Jiang Hetang, forcing him to take a step back to the side.

Yue Ling hovered in mid-air, and with a push of her palms, two bright yellow energy balls flew towards Jiang Hetang alternately, one to the left and one to the right. They were so fast that they left two thin trails of light in the air, and accurately hit him, exploding into two dazzling yellow lights.

Chapter 329 Another Doppelganger

Before the yellow light had even dissipated, Jiang Hetang froze on the spot, as if all his strength had been drained away. His body began to blur and become transparent from the edges, like a piece of paper being roasted by fire. The edges began to curl and crack, and finally, he turned into a patch of tiny specks of light and disappeared on the city wall without leaving a sound.

Lin Mu stopped and stood still, looking at the cluster of light that was dispersing, his brows furrowing slightly, "Another clone?"

It seems that Jiang Hetang had no intention of fighting him to the end. From the moment he stepped forward, he used his clone to stall for time, while he himself had probably already run away.

"That's really ruthless. Her own son just died, and she sends a clone to deal with the situation. But a mage without a protective ring is really fragile. With her red poison buff, Yue Ling killed her in one move."

Lin Mu stood there in silence for a moment. He hadn't actually planned to summon the divine beast and the moon spirit.

Prince An's situation has not fully recovered yet, so he left his summoned creatures to guard around the palace just in case.

But just now he sensed that a team of Imperial Guards sent by Gu Qingyi had arrived near the Prince's Mansion, so he raised his hand to summon the divine beast and Yue Ling over, so as to finish the battle quickly.

He stood beside the dissipating clone, his gaze sweeping over the Imperial Guards who were scaling the city walls, and then glancing at the city gate in the distance that had already been pushed open.

The walls of Shabak could no longer be defended. Large numbers of Imperial Guards were pouring into the city through the city gates and the ramparts. Shouts of battle were spreading from the city walls to the streets and alleys. The city of Shabak had almost already fallen to the enemy.

After two more days of fighting, the city gates were breached, and the battle entered the street fighting phase.

After seeing that the city wall had been completely breached and the Imperial Guards had begun to pour into the street fighting, Chunxing and Qin Yumo did not rush any further.

They retreated to the rear and followed Gu Qingyi to guard the vicinity of the central army, waiting for orders to provide support at any time.

Lin Mu, however, did not back down.

He moved back and forth through the streets and alleys of Shabak using the skull-themed mini-map, like a flickering light traversing the shadows and corners of the city.

He could tell which way to go at a glance where there were ambushes, gaps in the defense, or groups of people gathering.

He didn't need to charge into the crowd and hack away. He just needed to land where the enemy's formation was most concentrated, raise his hand and throw out a red poison, and then, before the enemy could react, he would use Flash to leave the spot and land at the next corner to repeat the process.

The Imperial Guards advanced along the route he had set out, and the progress was much faster than expected.

Resistance within Shabak City is crumbling street by street.

Lin Mu never saw Jiang Hetang again.

The old man seemed to have vanished from the city wall of Shabak, never to be seen again.

At this moment, the fog above both sides, symbolizing their respective factions, faded slightly, as if the siege was nearing its end.

At this moment, Gu Qingyi, standing below Shabak City, also noticed this. She rearranged the sacrificial altar, stood before it, and held up the Zuma head with both hands, placing it steadily in the center of the altar. Then, she took a scroll of yellow paper sacrificial text from the corner of the altar and unfolded it:

"Heaven has its constant way, and war has its proper name. Now, by the king's command, we are to subdue the rebels of Shabak. Our army is marching in accordance with the law, not out of personal grudges. Once the swords are drawn, bloodshed is inevitable. However, if the blades are stained with hostility, the morale of the army will suffer; if the weapons are tainted, the soldiers' spirits will be hard to lift. Therefore, we offer the skull of Zuma as a sacrifice to the heavens to cleanse the filth of war and renew the siege. Shabak will fall in three days. If we fail to do so, we are willing to accept divine punishment."

After she finished reading, she folded the eulogy in half, pressed it to the bottom of the incense burner, and lit it. The flames rose from the corner of the paper and slowly spread along the fold. The ashes were swept by the wind and drifted towards the Shabak city wall, like a group of feathers blown by the wind, flashing briefly in the sunlight before scattering.

Then she picked up the bowl of sake on the table, raised it above her head with both hands, and slowly poured it onto the Zuma head. The sake slid down the surface of the head and seeped into the dark red silk cloth covering the table, leaving a dark, damp stain.

The aroma of wine mingled with the rising smoke from the incense burner, dispersing in the morning breeze into a faint, ethereal scent, as if something was being cleansed and re-injected, waiting to reconnect with the previously loosened energy flow.

But the moment the bowl of wine was poured onto the Zuma statue, Gu Qingyi's face paled, as if something had been pulled away from her. It seemed that the renewal had taken a toll on her.

At this moment, Lin Mu stood at the alley entrance and felt that the layer of blue-gray mist above his head was gently tugged by something and then solidified a bit more.

After two more days of fighting, the street fighting was basically over.