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

Chapter 70 The Skeleton, A Farewell Gift

[Blue Crystal Ring, Attack 1-0, Taoist Magic 0-3, Magic Defense 0-2, Requires Level 16].

[Platinum Ring: Taoist Skill 0-7, requires Taoist Skill 17]

【青铜头盔：防御0-1，道术0-3，需要等级10】

【Demon Bloodstone Fragment (Small)】

[Cloth Shoes: Defense 0-1, Requires Level 15. Can relieve leg fatigue]

[Animal Hide Belt: Defense 0-1, Requires Level 15. Allows you to attach frequently used medicines or scrolls for easy access.]

The skill is to summon skeletons, which lie there quietly without any mutation; it's just a regular summoning skeleton.

Lin Mu was taken aback. He had thought his divine skill had caused the skeleton to mutate as well; it seemed he had been overthinking it. But why wasn't there a level display?

Seeing that he had learned a new skill, Gu An leaned closer and asked, "Summon it and let me see?"

Lin Mu nodded and activated his skill. His mana bar dropped sharply.

[MP: 112/112 → 86/112]

26 points of magic gone.

At the same time, the ground trembled slightly, and streaks of silvery-white, sand-like light suddenly surged from the ground. As if drawn by some force, they coiled upwards along the crescent moon that Lin Mu had raised, gathering more and more until they condensed into a slowly rotating vortex of light at the tip of the sword.

At this moment, a stack of protective talismans at Lin Mu's waist floated out automatically, hovering in mid-air, and one after another began to burn. There was no smoke, only an indescribable scent of herbs and trees. The ashes did not scatter, but were absorbed by the cloud of silver sand, merging together, as if nurturing something.

He felt as if something had connected with him in the unseen world, like an invisible thread extending from between his brows and disappearing into the silvery-white sand. That thread connected his soul to something else, whose nature he did not yet know.

The silver sand gathered more and more, gradually solidifying into a human shape, not tall, a head shorter than Lin Mu. First came the outline of the skeleton, then the details of each bone—ribs, finger bones, spine—each emerging one by one. The silver sand flowed, filled, and solidified like water, finally transforming into a complete skeleton.

A white skeleton emerged from the silver sand.

Its bones were a lifeless, pale white, dull, and dry, like bones that had been left to dry in the sun for years.

Lin Mu recalled the skeleton of the Taoist priest he had seen at the Tree Root Market. The skeleton's bones were smooth and shiny, clearly indicating a high-class item.

The man in front of me was covered in dust, looking like he'd just been dug out of the ground. He was carrying a small axe that looked like it'd been picked up from a garbage dump, the blade somewhat dull.

Lin Mu looked at it, and it looked at Lin Mu. There were no eyeballs in its two dark eye sockets, but Lin Mu felt as if it was looking at him.

He glanced at the skeleton's attributes.

HP: 60/60

Attack: 6-12

Defense: 2-2

Magic Control: 2-2

Lin Mu's lips twitched. These stats were just like a level 0 skeleton in a game—utterly trash.

He reached out and touched the skeleton; the bones were cold, light, and weightless. He tried to lift it, and he could actually lift it. It was so bony, he felt he could throw it a great distance with a little effort. Lin Mu then directed it to take a few more steps; the skeleton moved slowly, like an elderly man.

He recalled Qin Yumo's words from that day: "With my talent, I'll be able to summon skeletons next year. You should understand what that means."

I've already summoned it, what does that mean? Does it mean you'll be able to summon such a frail skeleton next year? It'll be hard enough to even hit a scarecrow.

Lin Mu sighed, his hopes dashed.

Lin Mu looked at the skeleton and suddenly remembered something. He had wandered around the Woma Temple for several days and encountered many Taoist priests, but very few of them carried skeletons. The one that left the deepest impression was the Taoist priest he had seen at the Tree Root Market. At the time, he had wondered why so many level 20 Taoist priests didn't bring skeletons. Now he understood. Even if they were summoned, the skeletons would be a burden, so it was better not to summon them at all.

He sighed, turned to say something to Gu An, but found Gu An staring blankly, his gaze fixed on a point in the void, as if listening to some sound. Just as Lin Mu was about to speak, a look of surprise suddenly appeared on Gu An's face, his brows furrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

"What's wrong?" Lin Mu asked.

Gu An didn't answer, but suddenly turned her head, her tone unusually urgent: "I have something important to do, I have to leave right away."

She pulled a Qiankun bag from her bosom, stuffed it into Lin Mu's arms, and turned to leave. Cai Ling, without even glancing at Lin Mu, followed Gu An away. Their footsteps were hurried and disordered, quickly disappearing at the end of the passage, even the torchlight swallowed by the darkness.

Lin Mu stood there, one hand supporting the skeleton, the other clutching the Qiankun bag, looking completely bewildered. What was the rush? Why did they leave without even finishing a sentence?

He opened the Qiankun bag first. He peered inside and was stunned. The space was ridiculously large, a full 100 cubic meters, many times larger than his other Qiankun bags. A Qiankun bag this size would be worth at least 300 gold coins on the market.

Inside the Qiankun bag were neatly arranged various bottles and jars: 500 bottles of Sun Water, 100 bottles of High-Efficiency Sun Water, 50 sticks of Eternal Snow Frost, 20 bottles of Healing Medicine, 5 bottles of Attack Divine Water, 5 bottles of Gale Divine Water, and 5 bottles of High-Efficiency Stamina Divine Water.

There were a few pieces of jewelry in the corner.

[Dodge Bracelet, Agility +6, Requires Level 19] x2

[White Tiger Tooth Necklace, 70% Magic Evasion, 1-1 Taoist Magic, Requires 11 Taoist Magic]

All of these things combined are probably worth more than several thousand gold coins.

Lin Mu was taken aback for a moment, then his lips twitched. These were all top-tier equipment, why didn't they add any Taoist magic bonuses? High agility, high magic evasion—how afraid they were of me dying! But he still remembered Gu An's kindness. He carefully put away the jewelry and then rummaged through his Qiankun bag.

There was another book in the Qiankun bag. Lin Mu took it out. The cover was worn and the edges were curled up, clearly an old book that had been read many times. The title read: "Early-stage Strategy for Three Professions".

The book is organized in the order of Warrior, Mage, and Taoist, explaining the skills of each class up to level 20. Lin Mu flipped through the sections on Warriors and Mages, then went directly to the last section on Taoists, stopping at the page on summoning skeletons.

It says above.

[A Taoist beginner should not be impatient for mastery of the skeleton technique. This art is extraordinary, far surpassing healing, poisoning, or fire talismans.]

Those are merely skills, which can be mastered through diligent practice. But the skeleton is not a skill, but the Way. It is an extension of your soul, an embodiment of your will, the second seed you have planted in this world.

[The bones of the newly summoned being are nothing more than ordinary bones. Though they can walk and wield an axe, they are no match for scarecrows or anything like that, let alone orcs.]

Beginners often find it weak and abandon it, unaware that they haven't put their hearts into it. The way of the skeleton lies not in summoning, but in nurturing. Nurturing for a day yields a day's progress; nurturing for a year yields a year's achievement.

Chapter 71 Skeletons Need Nurturing

[Required items: potent solar water, eternal snow frost, healing medicine, attack-enhancing divine water, swift-wind divine water, and stamina-enhancing divine water. Mix these together for a bath to nourish the bones. After forty-nine days, the bone color will gradually become lustrous, changing from white to blue, and from blue to jade. When the bones become as warm and smooth as jade, defense, healing, and speed will all increase dramatically, and attack will also improve. However, this is only the initial stage; the subsequent path requires daily interaction.]

[Skeletons are not puppets, nor can they be commanded merely. They are your embodiment, your comrades, your most loyal shadow in this world. Their progress lies not in the frequency of your summons or the number of techniques you employ, but in the time spent together, the amount of medicine you give them, the number of times they block your attacks, and the battles fought side by side. If you teach them, they will learn; if you protect them, they will grow strong. To regard them as mere tools is to see them as nothing more than bones; to treat them as brothers and sisters is to go to the underworld together.]

[If the skeleton falls in battle, do not be alarmed. Its remains, bound by the bond between you two, will return at the next summons, its shattered bones reassembled, its withered skeleton reborn. But as long as your soul remains, it will not perish. Between life and death, it remembers you, just as you remember it.]

Skeletons can grow, learn, and transform. A well-developed skeleton is comparable to a warrior of the same rank as a Taoist. A single bone and a single path can rival two high-ranking warriors without being at a disadvantage. Legend has it that the skeletons of truly powerful individuals possess bones as refined as gold, move with the speed of thunder, can wield armor and weapons, can learn warrior techniques, and can stand alone. One person, one path, one soul, one bone, their minds are in sync, inseparable. At this level, the Taoist is no longer one person, but two. Two people of one mind, their strength can break metal.

Lin Mu finished reading the last word and remained silent for a long time. He tapped the book lightly with his fingertips twice, then turned the page again.

I have observed many skeletons being trained. Yet, the resulting skeletons differ from person to person. This is because the proportions of the medicinal solutions vary, preferences differ, and the methods of nurturing differ, resulting in countless unique skeletons, none alike. Some lean towards strength, some towards speed, some towards hardness, all determined by the temperament of their master.

[Furthermore, the optimal time for the medicinal bath is within one month of the initial summoning of the skeleton. After this period, the bones and veins gradually solidify, and bathing at that time will be much less effective. Remember this well.]

Lin Mu stared at the words "within one month" for several seconds.

No wonder most of the Taoist priests he encountered, except for that skeleton priest, didn't take skeletons seriously. It wasn't that they didn't want them, but that they couldn't afford them.

He had never seen any of the divine waters needed to cultivate skeletons on the market. As for the Eternal Snow Frost and healing potions, although they were much more common than the divine waters, they were still expensive, and ordinary people simply couldn't gather them all.

So those Taoist priests either don't summon it at all, saving up enough money to buy all the materials before summoning it; or they summon it but can't afford to raise it, so they can only let it remain weak until the one-month period is over, when the best time for the skeleton's medicinal bath is missed, and then it's all over.

For example, the Taoist priest in the gang that was poisoned by Lin Mu on the first floor of the Woma Temple and forced to kill each other, his skull was dusty and similar to his, and it shattered after only a few blows for his master.

Lin Mu recalled that in the game, these divine waters weren't actually very useful; they only temporarily boosted attributes to meet equipment requirements or for PvP. Or they could be used to craft the malevolent Crimson Blood Demon Sword. Legend had it that the sword was forged from the blood of the Crimson Moon Demon, incredibly evil. Once you wore it, you couldn't remove it; prolonged use would drive you mad, and upon death, the sword would shatter and disappear. Later, someone used the six divine waters to aid in its forging, bringing the Crimson Blood Demon Sword back to life. However, the reforged Crimson Blood Demon Sword remained a double-edged sword. A righteous person could wield it to slay demons, while an evil person would be consumed by it. Therefore, it was too malevolent, and except for a very few, no one wanted to touch it. This further diminished the value of the divine waters.

However, in this world, the value of the divine water is estimated to be completely different. Gu An gave 50 sticks of the Ten Thousand Year Snow Frost and 20 bottles of healing medicine, but only 5 bottles of each kind of divine water, which shows how rare it is.

Lin Mu closed the book and put it into his Qiankun bag, then tucked the bag into his bosom. The bag pressed against his chest, heavy, as if it still carried a trace of Gu An's warmth, as if she were still beside him. All around was quiet. He stood there, feeling an emptiness in his heart.

When did she prepare all this? None of these things could have been gathered on short notice. It seems she had everything prepared long ago, but just hadn't said anything. But what could be so urgent? She left without even finishing a sentence.

A strange feeling welled up in Lin Mu's heart. From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever treated him like this except for his parents.

Chunxing was kind to him because she was Lin Mu's maid; Old Master Qin was kind to him because Lin Mu's father had saved his life. Only Gu An, whom he had known for less than half a month, had everything he needed prepared, even things he hadn't thought of.

He recalled his previous wild suspicions about her. The more Lin Mu thought about it, the more annoyed he became, wishing he could slap himself. This girl had opened her heart to him, and he had been so suspicious; he was such a jerk.

However, Lin Mu suddenly realized a problem. Did she already know his profession and rank? Otherwise, how could she have prepared all this so perfectly? It seemed that his secrets could be easily uncovered by the imperial high command if they wanted to investigate.

Were his two poems from before too conspicuous? Oh well, he couldn't stop them from being exposed anyway. He shook his head, banishing those chaotic thoughts from his mind.

Lin Mu stood there, looking at the empty passage, and sighed. He glanced down at the dusty skeleton beside him, and his mood suddenly improved.

“Now you’re my teammate,” he said.

The skeleton paused for two seconds, as if pondering the meaning of the sentence, then tilted its head, its two dark eye sockets facing him, as if asking: And then?

Lin Mu was amused by its appearance, and the emptiness in his heart was mostly relieved by the tilt of its head. He reached out and patted the skeleton's head: "Level up first. Once you have everything, I'll give you a bath when we get back. There's no rush these few days."

"Let's go."

He lifted his foot and walked forward. The skeleton didn't answer, but simply followed, its joints cracking and swaying like a toddler just learning to walk.

They hadn't gone far when a Woma Warrior appeared around the corner. Without thinking, Lin Mu unleashed a Green Poison, which finally returned to its primary offensive position.

But to his surprise, the Woma warrior actually raised his hammer and smashed the powder he had scattered. He had never seen any of the regular monsters do this before; only the Woma Guardian he encountered on the first floor had done so.

However, the airflow generated by the hammer could only disrupt the trajectory of the powder for a moment; the powder eventually landed on it.

The Woma warrior glowed green, and a green light popped out from above his head.

-27, -27, -27...

It howled and pounced on him.

As the Woma warriors approached, the skeletons began to move.

Carrying its blunt little axe, it fearlessly charged forward.

However, the Woma warriors didn't even glance at it.

The chain hammer was swung high, bypassing the skeleton, and came crashing down straight at Lin Mu. Lin Mu dodged to the side, and the chain hammer slammed into the ground, sending shards of stone flying. The Woma warrior continued to chase him, its eyes fixed on Lin Mu, completely ignoring the skeleton beside it that was hacking at its legs with an axe.

Chapter 72 White Bone Skeleton Vanguard

Because of Lin Mu's poison, the monster was also driven mad by the poison, and its hatred was locked on him, making it ignore the little skeleton in front of it.

Lin Mu started running around the skeleton. The Woma warriors tried to catch up with Lin Mu, but the skeleton blocked their way, and they couldn't get past it no matter how they tried to circle around it.

Lin Mu ran while glancing at the skeleton, thinking to himself. With the skeleton's meager health, the Woma warrior could easily smash it to pieces with a single hammer blow. But the Woma warrior ignored him, insisting on going around to chase Lin Mu. Several times, the skeleton was squeezed by its thighs and swayed precariously, its bones cracking. Lin Mu thought it was about to fall apart, but it stubbornly stood firm and continued hacking away.

-2, -3...

This skeleton's damage is pitifully low, incredibly weak, but it is fearless and tireless.

Lin Mu felt that it seemed somewhat reliable. Lin Mu was even looking forward to seeing what it would be like once it was properly cared for.

Lin Mu ran while keeping an eye on the numbers jumping above the Woma Warrior's head, silently counting the time. One minute, two minutes, three minutes—the Green Poison -29 damage was still ticking. Lin Mu was delighted and continued running. But this time, he still couldn't figure out the total duration. Because it lost 27 health points every three seconds, four minutes would be 2320 health points. The Woma Warrior, with 2200 health points, still didn't last four minutes before falling to the ground.