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

However, he could feel that after soaking in the medicinal bath, the light spot representing the skull in his mind was indeed brighter than before, and there were faint wisps of energy gathering in the light spot, making it gradually become brighter.

Unbeknownst to him, while he was soaking in the medicinal pool, a trace of gray substance was slowly seeping into the water, eventually being absorbed bit by bit by the skeleton. Each time he tried to dismantle the Poison Technique, a wisp of gray energy would also escape from his skill bar and drift into the point of light in his mind.

He was completely unaware of all of this.

After soaking for a while, Lin Mu would come out of the pool to get some fresh air. He sat by the pool wearing only his underwear, munching on a sesame seed cake made by Chunxing, along with a braised pork knuckle he had packed from the restaurant, his mouth greasy from the food. Once he was full, he took out the "Early Game Guide for the Three Classes" that Gu An had given him, flipped to the warrior section, and read it aloud to the skeleton.

Basic swordsmanship is the foundation of a warrior's skill. Once mastered, every strike will hit its mark, leaving no room for error.

Lin Mu explained to the skeleton in plain language: "It means if you master the basic swordsmanship, every strike you take will hit its mark. Do you understand?"

He paused, then added, "The principle is actually not complicated. It's about letting your bones remember the angle and force of the strike. You can't just swing the knife randomly; every strike must be precise. When you're cutting, you need to focus your mind on the blade and the enemy, not just use brute force."

The skeleton tilted its head, as if in thought.

Lin Mu was overjoyed and continued flipping through the pages.

Offensive swordsmanship is a technique of explosive power. By channeling force into the blade, a flash of white light appears, amplifying its might.

He paused, then began to explain the principle behind the skill to the skeleton. "The principle of this skill is this: the warrior channels his power into the weapon, not by brute force, but by channeling his internal energy into the weapon at the moment of striking. The energy explodes at the blade's edge, forming a sharp edge, so the flash of white light increases the damage. The key is the timing of that 'power channeling'; too early and the energy dissipates, too late and the blade has already struck. You have to practice until your bones remember that rhythm, and you can raise your hand and strike without thinking."

He patted the skull, "If you can learn this, it will hurt when you chop someone up in the future."

The skeleton tilted its head, this time to the other side, as if pondering what he had said.

Lin Mu became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, turning to the Taoist section and talking about poison. "The art of poisoning is divided into two colors: green and red. Green poison corrodes the flesh and blood, causing the person to die slowly; red poison corrodes the tendons and bones, causing the person to suffer double the damage." He paused and explained, "Green poison causes continuous blood loss, while red poison deepens the damage. If you are hit by my red poison, one strike from me will be equivalent to two strikes from me normally."

He grew more and more excited as he spoke, his thoughts drifting back to his battles with others. Lin Mu's face lit up with excitement, his hands gesturing wildly. He described how he dodged, how he slashed, how he applied poison, his words flowing freely. In the midst of his tale, he unleashed a deadly poison technique, completely forgetting he was in a pool. The green poison was firmly sprinkled into the medicinal pool before him, causing the water to shimmer with an eerie green light before slowly dissipating.

Lin Mu was startled and stared at the pool for a long time before he breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that there was nothing seriously wrong.

From then on, he never dared to use his skills recklessly in the pool again. However, when he was bored every day, he would still teach the skeletons the principles and techniques of using skills, tirelessly.

Feeling utterly bored, Lin Mu pulled out the Woma horn. It had a curved horn, a yellowish color, and fine lines on its surface.

He had just taken it in his hand when the point of light representing the skull in his mind suddenly flickered slightly. Lin Mu was taken aback, then tried again. The point of light flickered again, this time more clearly; the skull wanted the horn.

Lin Mu looked down at the Woma Horn in his hand. In the game, this was something the Construction Guild used. He didn't know if the Construction Guild needed the Woma Horn in this world, but he didn't need it now anyway.

He thought for a moment, then picked up the copper mortar and iron pestle used for pounding medicine from the stone table. He put the horn in and began to pound it, grinding it into a fine powder. The powder was grayish-white with a faint fishy smell. Holding the copper mortar, he sprinkled handfuls of powder into the medicine pool.

The powder dissolved in the water, causing a faint golden hue to rise before quickly returning to its amber color. The skeleton sat in the pool, quietly absorbing the powder, and the point of light representing the skeleton in its mind seemed to brighten even more.

-

Let's rewind to the days when Lin Mu had just given the skeleton a medicinal bath.

At this moment, Qin Zhengchuan, along with the others captured from the second floor of the Woma Temple, was imprisoned in a temporary cell in the west of the city. His Qiankun bag had been taken away, his equipment stripped off, and he was bound by spirit-locking shackles. He felt weak all over and even standing for a long time was difficult. When he was singled out, his heart skipped a beat, unsure whether it was a blessing or a curse.

An official sat at a table with papers spread out in front of him. Seeing him enter, he raised his chin and said, "Qin Zhengchuan?"

"Yes."

The official pushed two pieces of paper in front of him: "Take a look at this."

Qin Zhengchuan looked down.

"Spring River Flower Moon Night" and "Drinking Alone Under the Moon," signed Lin Mu. He had seen these two poems in a tabloid and noticed the signature. He had even praised them then, thinking how wonderful it would be if his son-in-law had truly written them. But that was just wishful thinking. He only thought it was a coincidence of names and didn't take it to heart. But now, at this crucial juncture, what did this person mean by bringing these two poems out?

"Is this Lin Mu your son-in-law?" the official stared at him.

Qin Zhengchuan was stunned. His son-in-law? That boy who grew up in the remote village of Snake Valley? He had such literary talent? He opened his mouth, his mind racing. Why was this person asking this? This question seemed very important, important enough to determine his life or death. He dared not easily admit it, much less lie, but yet…

He hesitated, and seeing that the official was getting impatient, he stammered, "This person shares the same name as my son-in-law, but he shouldn't be him. My son-in-law..."

Before he could finish speaking, the official waved his hand impatiently: "Alright, alright, that's enough."

His attitude became noticeably worse as he turned to the person behind him and asked, "Is everything recorded? Let me see it."

A man behind him handed over a piece of paper. The official glanced at it, then pushed it towards Qin Zhengchuan, pointing to the blank space at the bottom: "Sign your name and put your fingerprint on it. Just write, 'This Lin Mu is not Qin Zhengchuan's son-in-law and has nothing to do with Qin Zhengchuan.'"

Qin Zhengchuan looked down at the words on the paper, pondering them over and over in his mind. Finally, he picked up his pen and wrote down those words, then pressed his fingerprint on the paper. The official put away the paper, stood up, and left without looking back.

Qin Zhengchuan stood there, even more confused. What did this person mean? What did those two poems have to do with him? He shook his head and was led back to his cell, his heart pounding with anxiety, feeling that something big was about to happen.

-

Meanwhile, Qin Yumo rode her horse, traveling day and night. What should have been a three-day journey, she covered in just one day and two nights, returning to Bichon City, though one of her horses died along the way. Ignoring her distress, she found a new horse and continued on. Her teammates were left far behind.

When she arrived home, Chunxing was carrying a basin of water out of the kitchen. When she saw her, her eyes lit up and she happily went to greet her: "Miss, you're back!"

Chapter 86 Shocking Change at the Qin Mansion

Qin Yumo ignored her and strode towards the backyard, pushing open her parents' bedroom door. Madam Qin was doing needlework by the window; seeing her enter, she paused, surprised: "Yumo? Why are you back at this hour?"

"Where's Father?" Qin Yumo asked. "Has Father returned?"

Madam Qin put down her needlework and shook her head: "Didn't he go to the Woma Temple? He hasn't come back yet."

Qin Yumo's heart sank to the bottom. She turned and walked out, ignoring Madam Qin's call from behind. Just as she stepped out the gate, a squad of Imperial Guards approached, their chests embroidered with gold-edged phoenix insignia, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. The leader's gaze lingered on Qin Yumo's face for a moment before he asked, "Is this the Qin Zhengchuan residence?"

Qin Yumo nodded.

"Are you Miss Qin?"

"Yes."

The leader smiled knowingly, looked her up and down, and said in a slow, deliberate tone, "Go in and gather everyone in your family together, without missing a single one."

Qin Yumo clenched her fists and stood still.

The leader raised an eyebrow: "What? You want my men to help you?"

Qin Yumo gritted her teeth, turned around, and went into the courtyard.

Chunxing looked at the Imperial Guards who followed Qin Yumo in, her face pale, and asked in a low voice, "Miss, what happened?"

Qin Yumo didn't answer. Instead, she summoned everyone in the manor, from maids and servants to the front courtyard—no one was left out. Madam Qin was also invited out and stood under the eaves, her face grave.

The guards were all present. The leader of the Imperial Guards stood on the steps, took out a scroll from his robes, unrolled it, cleared his throat, and loudly proclaimed: "Qin Zhengchuan participated in the attack on the Imperial Guards on the second floor of the Woma Temple, attempting to seize the Woma Master and steal the precious teleportation ring. The evidence is conclusive, and his crime is unforgivable. According to the law, he shall be executed, and his entire family shall be exterminated..."

Before the words were even finished, a commotion erupted in the courtyard. Madam Qin's body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, her face ashen white, her lips trembling as she couldn't utter a word. Several maids were terrified and burst into tears, some covering their mouths, others huddled together, trembling, their sobs and cries blending together. Qin Yumo, her face deathly pale, stood motionless at the front of the crowd, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

The leading Imperial Guard paused, glanced at the crowd's reactions, snorted heavily, and continued reading: "However, His Majesty is merciful and, mindful of the Qin family father and daughter's merit in eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path, cannot bear to inflict further bloodshed. Therefore, the punishment has been changed to confiscation of property and exile. Now, the servants of the Qin family are dismissed, and the clansmen are exiled. Seal! Demon! Valley! This is the imperial decree."

The courtyard was completely silent.

Chunxing dropped the basin of water in her hand with a crash, spilling water everywhere. Madam Qin swayed, grabbing a pillar for support, her face as white as paper. Several maids and servants secretly breathed a sigh of relief; after all, they had escaped the death penalty, but for some reason, tears welled up in their eyes. Qin Yumo stood at the front of the crowd, motionless, her face expressionless, but her knuckles were white as she gripped the hem of her dress, her bones cracking.

The leader put away the scroll, and seeing that they weren't being looked at, waved his hand and said, "Search."

The Imperial Guards filed in, ransacking the place and carrying out every valuable item. They took everything: storage bags, gold and silver jewelry, medicine, equipment, even the grain stored in the storeroom. The servants were herded to the gate, their names registered, their contracts of indenture returned, and they were dismissed. As Aunt Liu left, she glanced back at Qin Yumo, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing, wiping away her tears as she walked away.

Chunxing stood behind Qin Yumo, trembling all over, tears streaming down her face, but she dared not utter a sound.

Qin Yumo stood there, watching the Imperial Guards empty her house piece by piece. Only one thought kept replaying in her mind: exile to the Demon-Sealing Valley. The Demon-Sealing Valley, a place perpetually shrouded in gray-purple miasma, teeming with monsters. She took a deep breath, swallowed her tears, and didn't cry.

The attack potion, the swift wind potion, and the stamina potion that her father prepared for her were all ready for her to use next year, but for now they were all packed into the Qiankun bag of the Golden Guard.

The gold, silver, and copper coins in the warehouse were being carried out box by box.

The exquisite ghost battle suit (female) that her father had hidden in the secret room, which she had never seen before, was also unearthed. It must have been prepared for her.

The mother's jewelry box was opened, and the Imperial Guards threw the pieces into a bag one by one. Madam Qin stood under the eaves, her face as white as paper, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

The skill books her father had prepared for her, all the way up to level 35, were all taken away, as they were all the skills she would learn in the future.

Her storage bag was ripped off, and then her equipment was taken away piece by piece.

What? They can't see your jewelry, so you think you can refuse to give it to them? That's so childish.

A female soldier stepped forward and handed her several pieces of low-level equipment to wear. Once she put them on, her original equipment would automatically appear in her hand; it couldn't be hidden. This was how the people on the second floor of Woma were searched.

Qin Yumo gritted her teeth, refusing the low-level equipment. Silently, she removed her gear piece by piece and handed it over. Only her clothes remained; she requested a level one cloth robe, which the Imperial Guards granted without hesitation.

Qin Yumo changed into the greyish-white cloth robe and stood in the courtyard, her feelings complicated. She used to look down on such things; level one cloth robes, with pitifully low defense, she'd be ashamed to wear them out. Now, this was all she had left. She rubbed her fingers on the rough fabric, saying nothing.

Nothing from the Qin family was left behind.

Finally, they were expelled from the Qin residence.

The servants had all left, but Chunxing remained.

Qin Yumo turned her head to look at her, her voice very soft, as if blown away by the wind: "You can go. You are free now."

Chunxing froze for a moment, tears streaming down her face. She shook her head, her voice soft and hoarse: "I'm free... but where can I go? I won't leave. Wherever Miss goes, I'll go."

Suddenly, she remembered something, wiped away her tears, took out a gold coin from her bosom, held it in her hand, and showed it to Qin Yumo. Her eyes lit up as if she were presenting a treasure: "Miss, look, this is what the young master gave me. I couldn't bear to spend it, so I kept it close to my body and it wasn't taken away."

However, those items originally belonged to the servants, so the confiscated property wouldn't cause them too much trouble. Some servants even took the opportunity to take away some small items. The Imperial Guards searched them, but didn't bother them if it wasn't too outrageous.

As she spoke, Chunxing ran into a shop, exchanged the gold coins for silver and copper coins, and then ran to the street corner to buy a few sesame cakes.

As Qin Yumo watched Chunxing bustling around, and saw the bag of sesame cakes in her arms, a strange feeling welled up inside her.

For some reason, she remembered the tabloid, the two poems, and the signature: Lin Mu. Could it be that the seemingly insignificant Taoist priest she thought he was really the author of "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River" and "Drinking Alone Under the Moon"? She shook her head, then felt ridiculous. What kind of time was this to be thinking about these things?

In the distance, several teammates who had rushed back stood at the alley entrance, watching as the Qin residence was slowly emptied by the Imperial Guards, but they dared not go forward to say a word to Qin Yumo.

Chapter 87 Skeleton

On the other street corner, Jiang Yanzhou, whose injuries had almost healed, also received the news and rushed over, but stood in the crowd, not daring to get close.

They stood there for a while, then turned and left one after another.

Qin Yumo also noticed them, but ignored them. She simply led Chunxing and her mother toward the western prison that the Jinwu Guard had mentioned, to await their fate the next day. They dared not disobey, after all, Old Master Qin was still there.

The next morning, before dawn, the escorts arrived. Qin Zhengchuan was brought out of the cell, dressed in prison clothes, with handcuffs on his wrists, his hair disheveled, several scars on his face, and his clothes torn in several places. He saw Qin Yumo and Madam Qin, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing, only lowered his head, and was pushed forward.

-

More than two months later, at Fengmo Valley.

Lin Mu was completely unaware of all this. Today was the eighty-first day, the last day of the medicinal bath.

For eighty-one days, he taught the skeleton every day. Sometimes he talked incessantly, explaining the principles of skills, combat techniques, and the monsters he had killed and the battles he had fought; other times he repeatedly transmitted his thoughts in his mind.

Day after day, without fail. The point of light representing the skull in his mind reacted more and more intensely to his thoughts. At first, it was like being separated by a thick cloth, and no matter how much he shouted, it was muffled. Later, it was like talking face to face, and as soon as he had a thought, there was a response on the other side. Now, as soon as he had a thought, the point of light would light up, as if two hearts were beating at the same frequency.

The skeleton had changed too. It had grown a whole size larger. When it was first summoned, it was a head shorter than Lin Mu, but now it was two heads taller than him, standing in the pool like a jade statue.

The bones were no longer the lifeless, pale white they once were, but instead shimmered with a faint golden luster, and the surface of the bones was covered with a layer of faint emerald green, like jade staining, or like some kind of ancient runes flowing within the bones.

The axe in its hand had also grown larger, its blade gleaming with a sharp, cold light; it was no longer the blunt weapon it had picked up from the garbage heap. The pool water was so thin it was almost transparent; eighty-one days ago, it was full of precious medicinal liquid, but now only a thin layer remained, its potency completely absorbed by the axe.