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

"The Woma leader has flown to the second floor again," the Empress's voice was not loud, but it silenced the entire hall. "The Woma leader, who is supposed to drop a teleportation ring, only managed to get some potions as loot. He was also attacked and lost a lot of manpower."

She looked up at the kneeling general, her tone becoming more serious: "Rise and explain in detail. Let all my beloved ministers hear it."

The general rose, bowed deeply, and reported in detail: "The Woma Cult Leader originally spawned on the third floor. The Imperial Guards had just surrounded him, but before they could even make a move, the Cult Leader 'whooshed' to the second floor. The guards chased him down and surrounded him again. Just as they were about to capture him, a group of masked men suddenly attacked from the side, and a fierce battle ensued. The Cult Leader was reduced to a sliver of health before 'whooshing' away again. The Imperial Guards split up to search for him, but when they found him, he was already dead. Only a few people were picking up potions from the ground beside his body. Those people have been arrested, along with all the suspicious individuals on the second floor, and are being taken back to the capital. But…"

He paused, pursed his lips, and continued, "But they searched everyone one by one and found nothing."

At this point, he suddenly began to stammer.

The Empress raised an eyebrow: "What? Is there some hidden story?"

The general kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am terrified. This matter... may I only report to Your Majesty?"

The Empress waved her hand. The female official understood, descended the steps, and bowed. The general leaned in and whispered a few words. The female official's expression changed slightly. She rose and returned to the Empress's side, whispering in her ear. After listening, the Empress's gaze sharpened, and she pondered, "Was it Qingyi? She took it?"

A murmur of discussion arose within the hall. An elderly minister stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, “Your Majesty, the Woma leader has flown to the second level, and a few days ago, the Woma guards reappeared on the first level. The timing is so close; it is no coincidence. This is a sign that the seal is loosening!”

Chapter 83 Misunderstandings and Problems

Another person followed closely behind, his voice heavy: "The teleportation ring is the key to reinforcing the seal; it must not be lost. Otherwise, a great calamity will befall us. Moreover, the teleportation arrays controlled by veterans in various regions also rely on the power of the teleportation ring."

The Empress listened, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper. She felt increasingly agitated.

These ministers always use the same rhetoric: reinforce the seal, reinforce the seal. Hundreds and thousands of years have passed, countless generations have tried to reinforce it, yet the seal continues to weaken. They can't offer a single useful suggestion. Moreover, to reinforce the seal, the Golden Guard has monopolized the loot from every high-level boss, and many guilds among the awakened ones are already dissatisfied. If this continues, internal chaos might erupt before the great calamity even arrives.

She suddenly raised her hand to stop the murmur of the crowd, looked around the hall, and said with a hint of weariness and impatience, "Reinforce the seal? It's been hundreds of years, thousands of years, and countless generations have reinforced it, yet the seal continues to weaken. The great calamity? It will come sooner or later. It's always the same old story. Let's think about how to deal with the inevitable calamity."

Silence fell over the hall. The Empress shook her head, stood up, flicked her sleeve, and left.

The female official beside her drew out her voice and called out, "Dismiss...the court..."

The officials knelt to see him off.

The Empress usually went back to sleep after the morning court session, but today the matter of the Woma leader had caused a great uproar throughout the city, and the teleportation ring was still missing. She had no intention of sleeping. After a moment of contemplation, she turned and headed towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

-

Meanwhile, Gu Qingyi, dressed in men's clothing, was riding forward. In the distance, the entrance to Mengzhong Valley from the Poisonous Snake Valley was faintly visible. She reined in her horse, then suddenly remembered something, her brows furrowing slightly. She had been in such a hurry that she had forgotten to inform her elder sister.

She pulled a small, disposable horn with a long-range communication function from her sleeve. The horn was only the size of a thumb, its surface as smooth and warm as white jade, engraved with fine runes. She tapped it lightly with her fingertips, and the horn glowed faintly. She brought it to her lips and spoke a few words in a soft voice. A moment later, the light on the horn gradually dimmed, and the entire horn turned into a wisp of smoke and dissipated in the wind. She withdrew her hand, spurred her horse, and galloped towards the valley entrance.

-

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Empress sat behind her desk, a list laid out before her. It was densely packed with the names of those brought back from the second floor of the Woma Temple. An official beside her bowed and reported, “Your Majesty, apart from those few people who were seen by the Imperial Guards picking up things dropped by the Woma Master—a capital offense—the others have been searched, but no conclusive evidence has been found; at most, they can only be considered suspects.”

The Empress frowned slightly: "According to the law, what should be done?"

The official bowed his head: "According to the law, those suspected but without concrete evidence can be released after being reprimanded in court. However..." He carefully raised his eyes to look at the Empress's face, "This matter concerns the teleportation ring and also involves the injury of the Imperial Guards. If we release them easily, I fear that Your Majesty's authority will be undermined. I dare to suggest that we confiscate their property and exile them as a warning to others."

The Empress remained silent, tapping her fingers lightly twice on the table. She was troubled, both worried about the weakening seal and annoyed by the unknown whereabouts of the teleportation ring.

She needed an outlet for her emotions, and she also needed to give an explanation to the world, to her officials, and to her brothers in the Imperial Guard. The official's suggestion was exactly what she wanted.

Moreover, it wasn't that she was intentionally being harsh; it was simply because her ministers had offered their advice first, and she was just going along with it.

The Empress nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

The official then opened another booklet and continued his report: "In this operation, the Imperial Guards also suffered casualties." He read out dozens of names, "Among them, some were originally guilty of crimes but were rewarded for their service. According to the law, their remains should be returned and their families' exile should be lifted."

The Empress nodded: "Granted."

The official then read out a few more names: "These dozens of people are from respectable families who sacrificed their lives for the country and should be given compensation according to the law."

The Empress nodded again: "Granted."

The official turned a page, paused, and lowered his voice: "Your Majesty! There are still a few who are afraid to advance, are passively searching, and have even deserted in the face of battle..."

The Empress's face turned cold, her gaze sharp as a knife: "Execute. Confiscate their property, exile their families to the Demon Sealing Mine, and never grant them a reprieve."

The official responded, picked up his pen and wrote it down in the register, then turned to the next page and continued, "In addition, all the suspicious persons brought back from the second floor have been registered. Except for those few who are sentenced to death, the rest will be imprisoned in the western prison in two days to await His Majesty's decision."

The Empress took the booklet and scanned it line by line. Her gaze fell on one line, and she lightly tapped it with her finger.

"Qin Zhengchuan?" she whispered.

The official asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, this person...?"

The empress did not answer directly. Instead, she pulled out two pieces of paper from her desk. They were her own copies of "Spring River Flower Moon Night" and "Bring in the Wine," both signed "Lin Mu" at the end.

She handed the note to the official, her voice indifferent: "After the criminal is brought back, show this to Qin Zhengchuan. Ask him if this Lin Mu is his son-in-law. If he says yes, let him go back as if nothing happened. If he says no..." She paused, her gaze turning slightly cold, "...do whatever needs to be done."

The official accepted the note with both hands, bowed his head to acknowledge the order, and turned to leave. As he walked out of the palace gate, he looked down at the note in his hand, somewhat puzzled. How could a name and two poems be related to someone's crime? But whatever, he'd just do as instructed.

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Empress leaned back in her chair, her fingers lightly tapping the table as she muttered to herself, "Qin Zhengchuan, he's your own son-in-law. It all depends on whether you acknowledge him or not." A slight smile played on her lips, but her thoughts ran deeper. If she didn't acknowledge him, he might not necessarily be the Qin family's son-in-law.

Having dealt with the matter, the Empress slowly returned to her palace. Her robes were half-undone, and she was about to close her eyes to rest when Gu Qingyi's voice suddenly echoed in her mind: "Elder sister, there is an urgent matter at home. Qingyi must return first. I will report later." The voice was more hurried than usual, carrying a hint of barely concealed anxiety. The Empress frowned slightly. Qingyi was always composed; what could have made her so anxious?

She was puzzled for a moment, then felt relieved. Whatever the matter, it seemed Qingyi had indeed taken the teleportation ring, and it hadn't fallen into the hands of an outsider. Suddenly, a smile appeared on her lips. What was Qingyi in such a hurry that she couldn't even spare the time to level up with her lover?

She shook her head. Oh well, it wouldn't make a difference to strengthen the seal now.

"Someone come here."

A female official entered in response and bowed to receive orders.

"Prepare gifts and make a trip to Prince An's residence in Mengzhong." The Empress paused. "Visit my uncle and ask how he is doing. Also, bring those newly presented bolts of Yun brocade; Qingyi said she liked them last time."

The female official acknowledged the order and withdrew. The Empress sat back on the soft couch, leaving her outer robe untouched, and leaned against the pillows, closing her eyes. Her mind, however, was still replaying the words of the old ministers in court: the seal was loosening, a great calamity was imminent. For so many years, they had said the same thing every time, and they had always gotten through it. She turned over, her brow furrowed, her mind troubled.

Chapter 84 Rumors

One day later, deep within the orcish tomb.

Qin Yumo and the others were sitting together eating.

A passerby was holding a small newspaper and reading aloud as he walked: "The spring river rises with the tide, and the bright moon rises with the tide..." His voice wasn't loud, but the words "the bright moon rises with the tide" immediately made Su Qinghe's ears perk up.

She wondered if this was a new poem Jiang Yanzhou had written while recuperating at home. Even if it wasn't, she could still appreciate it and compare it to his. So she stopped the man and, after much pleading and cajoling, spent fifty copper coins before he finally agreed to sell her the newspaper.

Su Qinghe unfolded the tabloid, and two poems were prominently printed on the front page.

"Spring River Flower Moon Night" and "Bring in the Wine".

She read a few lines, her voice gradually lowering, then started reading again, finding it increasingly beautiful with each reading. "Who first saw the moon by the riverbank? When did the river moon first shine on man..." She stopped here, sighing.

Song Wanzhu leaned over and asked, "Quick, take a look and see who wrote this?" Su Qinghe looked at the signature, was stunned, and handed the newspaper to Song Wanzhu.

Song Wanzhu took it and was stunned. She glanced at Qin Yumo and hesitated to speak.

Qin Yumo took the newspaper, her gaze fixed on the name, remaining unmoved for a long time. Lin Mu—wasn't that her nominal husband? But she quickly shook her head; it must be a coincidence, just a case of the same name. How could a lowly Taoist priest from the countryside possibly write such a poem?

Su Qinghe and Song Wanzhu exchanged a glance, a vague feeling creeping into their hearts that things weren't so simple. The last time, the master in plain clothes could be attributed to coincidence, but was this also a coincidence? How many coincidences are there in this world?

Su Qinghe carefully considered her words, wanting to take the opportunity to learn more about Lin Mu, and cautiously asked, "Yu Mo, isn't that your husband's name?... Hmm... I heard that Young Master Lin... was injured before?"

Qin Yumo looked up at her with some confusion: "What's wrong?"

Song Wanzhu picked up the conversation, trying to keep her tone casual: "That day, Brother Yanzhou said that Young Master Lin couldn't even withstand a brick. We were just asking if he was really hit by a brick? How badly was he injured?"

Qin Yumo's mind went blank.

How did Jiang Yanzhou know that Lin Mu had been hit with a brick? The location where Lin Mu was ambushed that day was somewhat remote; if his father hadn't happened to be passing by, no one would have noticed.

She had never mentioned it to anyone else, so how did Jiang Yanzhou find out? She recalled the day Lin Mu returned; his face turned ashen the moment he saw Jiang Yanzhou, and he muttered, "You treacherous trash."

Could it be... that Jiang Yanzhou did it?

Before she could think it through, another group of people passed by, chatting as they walked.

"Hey, have you heard? Something terrible has happened at Woma Temple!"

"what's up?"

"Someone ambushed Her Majesty the Empress's Imperial Guards on the second floor in an attempt to seize the Woma Leader! The Imperial Guards then blocked the entire second floor, and everyone on the second floor that day was arrested; not a single one escaped. I reckon those people will be severely injured, if not killed."

Qin Yumo dropped her chopsticks. Her father, Qin Zhengchuan, spent most of his time fighting the Woma Guardians on the second floor.

Her face turned pale instantly. She stood up abruptly and caught up with the group in a few steps, her voice strained: "Excuse me, when did the Imperial Guards start arresting people? Who were they arresting? Have you heard of a soldier surnamed Qin... an older soldier?"

The man was startled by her reaction and scratched his head: "I don't know the specifics, but none of the people on the second floor that day escaped; they were all taken away. Whether they were surnamed Qin or not, who cares?"

Qin Yumo's heart sank. Song Wanzhu and Su Qinghe followed, and seeing her pale face, they exchanged a glance but didn't dare ask any questions. Shen Zhiyao and Lu Xingci also came over. Shen Zhiyao frowned and asked, "Yumo, what's wrong? Is someone you know on the second floor?"

Qin Yumo took a deep breath and lowered her voice: "My father, he fights the Woma Guards on the second floor all year round."

The expressions on their faces changed. Su Qinghe tugged at her sleeve and said softly, "Don't panic, it might be a false alarm. What kind of power does your uncle have? Even if the Imperial Guards arrest someone, they wouldn't make things difficult for him."

Qin Yumo shook her head. Her father was indeed powerful, but the Imperial Guard represented the Empress, and even the strongest person wouldn't dare to go against the court. She turned back to the fire, bent down to pick up the chopsticks, wiped them, and put them into her Qiankun bag. "I have to go back." Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone left no room for argument.

Song Wanzhu nodded, "We'll go with you." Su Qinghe nodded as well. Shen Zhiyao and Lu Xingci exchanged a glance, said nothing, and silently began packing their things. The group quickly extinguished the fire, packed up the tent, and no one asked any questions.

Qin Yumo walked at the front, her steps quick and hurried. The torchlight flickered on her face, obscuring her expression, but the knuckles of her hand gripping her weapon were white.

Her mind was a jumbled mess. One moment it was Jiang Yanzhou's ambiguous smile, the next it was Lin Mu's words, "trash who schemes," and then it was the group's words, "They've all been caught." She shook her head, suppressing these thoughts, and quickened her pace toward the exit.

-

Back to Fengmo Valley.

In the medicinal bath, Lin Mu leaned against the edge, the hot water reaching his chest, and wisps of medicinal steam rising upwards. He closed his eyes, feeling the medicinal liquid seep into his skin. Although he had been soaking for two days, he hadn't noticed any changes in himself, but since he had nothing better to do, soaking couldn't hurt.

He decided to practice his skills in the pool. He cast healing spells repeatedly, the white light flashing and fading in his palm.

I dared not carelessly discard the Soul Fire Talismans, fearing they might blow up the pool, so I used the amulets to rub them together and start a fire to boil the water. At first, I couldn't control it properly; the flames leaped up too quickly and fiercely, and a single amulet would turn to ash in just a few seconds, the blue bars dripping down rapidly. Boiling a cup of water required wasting more than a dozen talismans. But as I practiced, my hand became steadyer, and the flames became more stable. Although it was still slow, it was better than just sitting there doing nothing.

The invisibility spell is the simplest: pat yourself on the ground, and you become semi-transparent; move your feet again, and you're back to normal. The pool water rippled gently, and figures appeared and disappeared amidst the medicinal mist.

In just five days, he leveled up his healing spell to level three and his invisibility spell to level one.

But hard work pays off. After a few more days, he had a much better grasp of his Soul Fire Talisman. A single talisman could burn for quite a while, steadily boiling a cup of water, and his mana bar was dropping much more slowly. He held the cup of hot water and waved it at the skeleton, looking smug: "See? Your big brother here isn't just good at killing monsters."

Having finished practicing his skills, Lin Mu began to feel bored. He leaned against the skeleton and started talking to it, though it was more like he was talking to himself.

"Let me tell you, that time I was in the Woma Forest, I encountered three robbers..."

He recounted to the skeleton everything he had fought—the monsters he had killed, the people he had slain, the lives he had escaped. From the scarecrow to the rake cat, from the orcs to the Woma Guardians, from how to parry monster attacks to how to find their weaknesses. The skeleton sat quietly in the pool, motionless, its dark eye sockets fixed on him, as if it were truly listening.

Chapter 85 Class

Tired, he leaned against the skeleton's shoulder and closed his eyes to rest. The thought started replaying in his mind: the Poison spell was too mana-intensive; could it be separated into Arsenic and Poisoning spells?

He tried to tear the skill apart with his mind, but the icon in the skill bar didn't budge. He tried several more times, but still no luck. The two skills were too compatible; there wasn't even a hint of them separating. He sighed and gave up.