Story

Vivian was right, it seemed. Although the haunting of Yuefu'erde Castle had attracted quite a few paranormal enthusiasts from out of town, it hadn't reached peak visitor numbers yet. This small inn still had three empty rooms – and only three empty rooms left.

Ideally, they would have had four rooms, allowing Hao Ren, the other two, and Nangong to each have their own private space. But as things stood, Vivian and Lily would have to share a room for the night. The young vampire was already filled with resentment. She noticed Lily standing there, snoring softly, and was absolutely certain that the werewolf girl would wake up later in the night and run around the room like she did the previous night. Sharing a room with Lily, who clearly hadn't adjusted to the time difference, meant Vivian wouldn't get any sleep.

After getting the room keys, Nangong saw that the counter was uncrowded and leaned against it, striking up a conversation with the portly owner. "Hello, I saw you on TV. Mr. Angus, right? I heard there's a haunted castle near here?"

"Oh, your English is quite good, much better than that Indian monk upstairs," the portly owner beamed. As a businessman running an inn, he possessed an affable nature befitting his profession, able to chat with people from all walks of life. "Are you also here for the castle? This is the biggest news in the area lately. Hey, that castle was almost forgotten before. If it weren't for the recent haunting, people probably wouldn't even remember the old name Yuefu'erde. But it's quite a significant ruin. After this incident, it'll probably become a popular tourist spot."

"I'm an expert in this field," Nangong said, straightening his collar with great solemnity. "I'm from China, a professional demon hunter. I'm here to eliminate the evil spirits in the castle."

Hao Ren couldn't help but whisper to Vivian, "He really is this high-profile with everyone, telling anyone who'll listen."

The vampire girl hummed noncommittally, then nudged Lily, who was swaying precariously and about to collapse onto all fours, with her shoulder. She greeted Hao Ren, "I'll take this one upstairs first. You chat for a bit longer and then come up quickly, we need to discuss something."

Vivian dragged Lily upstairs. The portly owner looked at Nangong with surprise. "Oh, indeed, from mysterious China! But I remember the ghost-hunting experts from your country are called... what was it, Daoist priests?"

The portly owner was quite the sinophile. He pronounced the word "Daoist priest" with very clear Chinese pronunciation.

Nangong didn't bother explaining the role of a demon hunter this time, simply shaking his head with a smile. "I'm not a Daoist priest, though I am familiar with their ghost-exorcising techniques. By the way, if you have time, could you tell me the story of Yuefu'erde Castle? We're very interested in it."

The portly owner's face lit up. His stout body moved nimbly as he emerged from behind the counter, pulling Nangong and Hao Ren over to a long table nearby for guests to rest. "Of course, of course! Come, let's sit down and talk. I've been telling people about this for the past two days. Where do you want to start?"

"Uh, just start from the beginning, from the castle's history," Hao Ren said, finding the owner's enthusiasm amusing. He felt like a tour guide who hadn't had a customer in half a year suddenly encountering a generous patron. "I know absolutely nothing about the castle. Before coming here, I didn't even know where it was located."

The portly owner was surprised for a moment. "Oh my! Your English is even better than mine..."

Hao Ren: "...Ahem, let's get down to business, business."

Then, the portly owner began to recount the castle's history, speaking with great animation and detail. He started with a British noble establishing his territory here hundreds of years ago. He spent over ten minutes just detailing the noble's family history, filled with love, hate, and dramatic twists, portraying a country lord as if he were a Knight of the Round Table. According to the owner's description, the noble and his family resided in old Yuefu'erde for less than two hundred years. Within those two centuries, they experienced the rise and fall of their family, engaged in covert struggles with the court, faced rebellions within their territory and wars from the outside. Ultimately, the entire family disintegrated due to a feud among three heirs. The eldest son of the last generation of heirs died on the castle's throne, the second son died in battle during a rebellion, and the youngest son's whereabouts remained unknown, leaving behind countless legends. And so, the once glorious Yuefu'erde Castle became the largest demolition project in the area.

"The Yuefu'erde territory was once very prosperous, but it was eventually abandoned during an internal rebellion. Many knights and soldiers died inside and outside the castle. Some of their bodies were buried by later inhabitants, but it's said that many more remains were never found. Those soldiers were trapped in the castle's underground tunnels and basements. After the lord's family died, no one knew exactly how many hidden rooms there were down there. So, the soldiers who died in the basements and tunnels were never buried," the portly owner smacked his lips, his tone turning eerie. "It's said that these soldiers, who were never buried, became vengeful spirits. They were trapped underground by the rebel army and could only listen as their lord was killed above them, so they were filled with hatred..."

Hao Ren looked at Angus's expressive, chubby face, feeling that this uncle must have been a fallen tour guide in his past life.

"Are there tunnels and basements under the castle? Large ones?" Hao Ren asked curiously. Before Angus could answer, Nangong chimed in, explaining, "That's normal. Castles in that era weren't just residences for nobles, but also final strongholds against war. They usually had very large cellars underground and extensive tunnel networks. Some castles even had tunnels dug beneath them that could span the entire territory, allowing the lord to escape to a sufficiently distant location in an emergency."

Angus nodded, indicating that Nangong's explanation was very reasonable. He then added, "Most of the tunnels have collapsed, and for so many years, Yuefu'erde Castle has been forgotten. No one has truly investigated the situation there, so no one knows what secrets lie beneath it."

"Have you really seen ghosts?" Hao Ren looked at the portly owner's ruddy, beaming face, feeling a bit curious. The man's complexion didn't seem like someone who had encountered ghosts – who else would be so cheerful after a ghostly encounter?

"Of course, I have!" the portly owner's voice suddenly rose. "You're not the first person to doubt me, but I can swear on the Bible that I saw the spirits of knights and mysterious lights near the castle... Oh, it was a terrifying night, but it has brought me so many guests now. I don't think it's entirely a bad thing."

Seeing the portly owner's excited demeanor, Hao Ren quickly assured him that he believed him. He then chatted with the owner about the castle's recent situation. Noticing that it was getting late, he bid farewell and left.

The room he had booked was at the west end of the third floor. Vivian and Lily's room was directly opposite his, and Nangong's room was far down the corridor. As soon as he reached his room door, Hao Ren saw Vivian waiting for him.

"Let's talk in your room," Vivian said, then pointed a finger towards her own room. "Big Dog had a nightmare and is currently chewing on the table leg inside. Be prepared, you'll have to pay for it tomorrow."

Hao Ren: "...Why didn't you stop him!"

Vivian raised her arm, showing a string of teeth marks. "Heh heh."

Hao Ren: "..."

The accommodations at this country inn were, of course, not comparable to the star-rated hotels in downtown London. Each room only had the essential furniture like a bed, desk, and chairs. However, such a room gave Hao Ren a sense of relaxation. He sat on the edge of the bed with Vivian and roughly explained what he had heard downstairs. He then expressed his concern, "I heard there are already quite a few people at the castle. Many crazy individuals are even driving RVs or bringing tents – they're not staying in town, but setting up camp outside the castle, waiting to see ghosts. It seems unrealistic for us to sneak in and find 'the person' quietly."

"So, it doesn't matter if we set out tonight or tomorrow night?" Vivian blinked. "Coincidentally, I just used my own methods to investigate the situation over there, and I actually found something interesting."

Hao Ren: "?"