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

Chapter 332 Shout, Shout Again

Now, upon closer reflection, a truly capable person doesn't need to prove themselves through boasting.

Huo Lie lowered his head and didn't look at Lin Mu again. He just leaned against the wooden bars of the prison cart, as if he was processing what he had just heard, or as if he was thinking about something else.

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly came from the prisoner queue outside the prison cart, soft and urgent, as if it had been suppressed for a long time and could no longer hold back: "Father!"

Huo Lie suddenly looked up and followed the sound. He saw Huo Tang standing at the edge of the line, being stopped by a Jinwu Guard. Huo Tang had lost weight and the dust on his face was still on, but his eyes were still bright.

His tears welled up instantly, streaming down the ashes on his face, his voice hoarse and almost inaudible: "What are you doing here..."

Huo Tang opened his mouth as if to say something, but before he could speak, he was drowned out by an even louder shout from the side.

Gu Changfeng, his neck stiff, shouted again, "Lin Mu, I don't care about any of that! I'm just asking if you dare to accept my challenge!"

His voice was a little hoarse, but his stubborn refusal to back down was even stronger than before.

Lin Mu dismounted, his movements unhurried, and then glanced at the Imperial Guard beside him.

The guard understood and pulled out an ebony sword from his storage bag and handed it over.

Lin Mu caught the sword, twirled it in his hand, and then walked step by step toward Gu Changfeng. His boots made a soft rustling sound as they stepped on the sand, causing the voices that had just been shouting to unconsciously lower.

Lin Mu walked up to him and stopped, looking down at his face, which was still trying to maintain its arrogance.

The gray marks, sweat stains, stone fragments, and that layer that was barely holding on but was already starting to loosen, made it look like a lantern made of old paper—it still looked like it had a shape, but it would break if you poked it.

Lin Mu stared at it for a moment without saying anything, but with a slight smile on his face.

It's like the kind of laugh someone has when they see a dog barking too loudly on the side of the road, find it amusing, and casually try to tease it.

Then, without warning, he raised his hand, crossed the ebony sword, and slapped it twice towards Gu Changfeng's mouth.

The sound was crisp and clear, not forceful, but loud enough for everyone around to hear, and enough to draw a thin line of blood from the corner of Gu Changfeng's mouth.

Gu Changfeng was forced back half a step by the two slaps, and the rest of his words got stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth for a long time without closing it, as if his breath was blocked halfway, unable to be spat out or swallowed back.

He raised his hand to wipe the corner of his mouth, looked down and saw the bloodstains on his fingertips. His expression changed for a moment, but he tried to twist his expression back to a fierce one. His brows furrowed and his chin was slightly raised, as if he wanted to use the tough look he had just put on to cover up his previous disheveled state.

But Lin Mu didn't stop immediately. He simply turned the ebony sword in his hand, slightly raising the blade, as if weighing where it would be more convenient to land the next blow.

Gu Changfeng stared at the ebony sword, watching it spin once in the sunlight, before finally losing his composure and revealing his fear.

Lin Mu held the ebony sword with a bored expression, glanced down at Gu Changfeng, and said, "Go ahead and shout, keep shouting. Can't you shout? I despise people like you the most, who would abandon their parents and siblings for their own selfish interests."

After he finished speaking, he didn't wait for Gu Changfeng's reply. He threw the ebony sword back to the guard next to him, turned around, walked back to his horse, mounted it, and didn't look at him again.

Liu Qingshuang, who had just caught up on horseback, witnessed this scene. She coughed slightly and said in a low voice, "Lord Lin, isn't this a bit inappropriate..."

Lin Mu didn't turn around, and replied in a flat tone, "Just tell His Majesty the truth, I don't hold grudges."

Liu Qingshuang was speechless at those words. In the end, she just pursed her lips, swallowed her words, turned her horse around, and took a few steps to the side of the group, no longer following beside him.

Chunxing looked proud. "My son-in-law is really something. He's not even afraid of the young master anymore. I heard that the person before was a prince."

-

Two days later, Lin Mu was leading the prisoners through the forests south of Mengzhong. Just as the group turned into the entrance of the Poisonous Snake Valley, they heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind them.

Lin Mu reined in his horse, turned his head to look back, and the sound of hooves grew closer and closer. Soon, a moon-white figure emerged from the dust at the back of the column.

Gu Qingyi did not slow down, but rode her horse directly through the side of the group, and only reined in when she was next to Lin Mu.

She dismounted more heavily than usual, her boots making a dull thud on the ground. Then she looked up at Lin Mu with a strange expression; her lips were pursed and her eyes were low-key.

She spoke through gritted teeth, her voice not loud, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, with a force that suggested her molars were about to break: "You're just giving that to my parents?"

After saying that, he raised his hand and pinched Lin Mu's waist with considerable force; even his top-grade Heavenly Venerable Daoist robe couldn't withstand that force.

Lin Mu winced and gasped for breath as the hand was twisted, but he didn't flinch. He just turned his head and gave an embarrassed smile, as if he knew he was in the wrong and had no intention of arguing.

Gu Qingyi glared at him but didn't reach out again.

Gu Changfeng, who had been keeping his head down in the prison cart next to him, slowly raised his head upon hearing Gu Qingyi's voice. He looked at the two through the wooden bars, his gaze lingering on Lin Mu's dejected expression for a moment, and a small smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

Right, I am my father's only son, and I haven't been able to continue the Gu family line yet. I can't just pull back Beech and kill me with one blow, can I?

He leaned against the wooden bars of the prison cart, his complexion improving slightly, but he soon noticed that the guard escorting him was still clutching the ebony sword and glancing at him from a few steps away.

Gu Changfeng's lips, which had just curled up, receded again. He shrank his neck and pulled his head away from the Jinwu Guard.

Chunxing and Cailing followed beside the group, watching from afar as Gu Qingyi dismounted and strode towards Lin Mu. They exchanged glances, their eyes full of curiosity, wondering what their son-in-law had done wrong to make this princess travel so far to catch up with him and pinch him like that.

At this moment, Lin Mu rubbed his side and turned his head to ask, "Where are the prince and the others? Aren't they going back to Bichon?"

Gu Qingyi had recovered. She mounted her horse, gripped the reins, and replied, "No. I left that small squad of Imperial Guards behind. Mengzhong has just experienced a great calamity and cannot be without someone to oversee the situation. However, Lu Tan will return to Bich to receive his punishment later."

Lin Mu nodded to indicate that he understood, and did not ask any further questions, but simply urged his horse to continue forward.

He sighed inwardly: Prince An's own son had caused such a huge mess, ruining most of Mengzhong, yet in the end, it was Lu Tan who went to Bich to receive the punishment. The Empress, in the end, still favored the imperial family. Ah, having connections in the court makes things easier.

Chapter 333 Huo Tang's Departure

Seven days later, the group finally crossed the Snake Valley and saw the outline of Beach City in the distance along the main road.

The flags on the city wall were still hanging, and the sunlight cast a warm glow on the wall. Bich City had known about Mengzhong's situation for a long time, and the news had arrived several days earlier than their troops. The city gates were open, and a large crowd of people stood outside the city.

Lin Mu squinted and stared for a while before realizing that it was no ordinary city gate guard.

The Empress, accompanied by her civil and military officials, stood before the welcoming pavilion fifty miles outside the city, with banners fluttering and ceremonial guards in perfect order, as if waiting for a moment that had long been prepared.

Gu Qingyi was also taken aback for a moment, reined in her horse and slowed down. The two looked at each other, both somewhat surprised.

As they approached, the Empress stepped forward first. Without any further formalities, she looked at Gu Qingyi, then at Lin Mu, and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Her voice wasn't loud, but those three words, spoken by her, carried far more weight than any flowery welcome speech.

Gu Qingyi dismounted and bowed. The Empress stepped forward and offered a helping hand, as if she had already said something in that one gesture.

The two women walked side by side into the pavilion, their pace unhurried, as if the unpleasant past grievances had been put behind them.

At this moment, Chunxing leaned over, her tone tinged with schadenfreude: "Is the son-in-law being left hanging?"

Lin Mu pursed his lips: "Yeah, let it sit there, it won't make a difference if it takes a little longer."

A number of people nearby also gathered around to inquire.

How was the siege of Shabak fought? Who was the prisoner? Was the one locked in the prison cart Gu Changfeng? Did they capture anything?

Surrounded by questions, Lin Mu glanced at the faces that had gathered around him and his lips twitched slightly: "I've been running around for days and I'm exhausted. I don't have the energy to go into details."

The tone wasn't harsh, but everyone present sensed the "I don't want to talk" implication, so they tactfully dispersed and returned to their seats.

Lin Mu leaned against the saddle for a while, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

I'm so used to teleporting all the time that after riding a horse for a few days, I feel like my whole body is going to fall apart.

That Chiyue thing is ruthless; he took even these little trinkets with him when he left, leaving nothing behind.

This has also brought a lot of inconvenience. The luxurious and cumbersome carriages of the past are gone. When traveling, one must either ride a horse or use teleportation. It is no longer possible to lie down comfortably like before.

As he was thinking, he subconsciously glanced in the direction the Empress had come from. There, an eight-horse carriage was parked, its roof decorated with gold patterns and its body gleaming. The Empress was sitting in that carriage with Gu Qingyi. The sunlight fell on the roof of the carriage and the eight horses that were standing quietly, like a perfectly painted picture of an official procession.

Once Lin Mu entered the city through the north gate of Bichon, the scene was so grand that he was stunned.

The city gate was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, red flags were waving, and the crowds were so dense that it was practically bursting with people.

No, it seems someone really did set off a few strings of fireworks in the distance; the crackling sound could be heard several streets away.

The streets were packed with people, including the elderly, children, young women, and married women. Some people stood on tiptoe to peer into the queue, some held their babies above their heads so they could see further, and others waved handkerchiefs and shouted something to Lin Mu in the queue.

Chunxing followed behind and saw Lin Mu's expression, which he was trying hard to keep up but couldn't quite suppress. She muttered softly, "The young master is very handsome."

Lin Mu pretended not to hear, but the horse's hooves pounded on the bluestone pavement with a slightly lighter rhythm.

In the days that followed, Beach City seemed to have been put back on track by a giant hand.

The matter of rewarding those who had contributed to the victory was discussed in the court for several days, and the Empress did not mistreat anyone.

Lin Mu's title was increased by one level, and the gold coins and spirit-gathering beads he was rewarded with filled the Lin family's treasury. Chunxing and Cailing also received substantial promotions and supplies. Although Qin Yumo was not in the military establishment, the Empress also gave her a separate reward to distribute as she wished.

And the liquidation that needed to be done was done cleanly and efficiently.

Huo Lie and the core members of Shabak openly defied the imperial court; their crimes were irrefutable, and they were sentenced to immediate execution.

The news caused a stir in Beach City on the day it broke, but the discussion quickly died down.

Tieshan, Zhang Dao, and other core members of the Huo family were also dealt with, while the families of the other Shabak members were exiled to Fengmo Valley and Bai Rimen to participate in city reconstruction and mine work.

Huo Lie was unusually cooperative during the interrogation, hiding almost nothing and answering every question.

After answering all the questions, the official from the Court of Judicial Review closed the case file, glanced at him, and asked, as was customary, "Do you have anything else to say?"

Huo Lie sat there in silence for a while.

When he finally spoke, he made only one request: "Spare my youngest daughter."

In reality, such a plea carries no weight before the law.

But the officials from the Court of Judicial Review did not respond, nor did they shatter his hopes on the spot. They simply noted the sentence at the end of the file, closed it, and handed it over.

What happened next was no longer his concern.

According to the law, even though Huo Tang surrendered before the siege and did not participate in the defense, she is still Huo Lie's daughter, and according to the law, she cannot escape being implicated.

When the case file was presented to the imperial court, each sentence was listed clearly.

The Empress's gaze lingered for a moment on the last line, "Spare my daughter," but she remained silent.

At this moment, Gu Qingyi stepped forward. Her voice was calm and straightforward, without exaggeration or concealment. She simply recounted the fact that Huo Tang had surrendered before the siege and had not participated in the defense of the city. She then added, "Although she is surnamed Huo, she has never shed blood. She should not pay with her life for the crimes committed by others."

The court was quiet for a moment. The Empress withdrew her gaze from Gu Qingyi's face, finally raised her hand, and said only two words: "Granted." Huo Tang was not implicated.

But that was all. The Huo family of Shabak was scattered, leaving only Huo Tang alone.

Another month passed, and a new grave appeared in a wilderness outside Beech City.

The grave mound wasn't high, and there was a plain bluestone slab without any inscription on it.

Huo Tang stood in front of the grave, gently patting the last handful of soil onto the mound. Sunlight fell on the bluestone slab, and only a gentle breeze blew from the open field, rustling the fresh soil and bluestone, and blowing through her loose hair.

She stood there and looked for a very long time...

The day of parting was set for a morning.