Story

It looks like Vivian was right. Although the Joford haunting has attracted many paranormal enthusiasts from out of town, it hasn't reached its peak yet, and this small inn still has three empty rooms—now only three remain.

Originally, the ideal situation was to have four rooms so Lin Feng and the others, along with Nangong, could each have their own room without disturbance. But it seems Vivian and Mu Yun will have to make do together for the night. The vampire girl is full of resentment about this: she noticed Mu Yun already standing and snoring, so she is one hundred percent sure this werewolf girl will be lively in the second half of the night, running around the room like she did last night, which means there will be no chance for a good night's sleep with this guy who isn't adjusting to the time difference. 

After getting the room keys, Nangong, seeing that there weren't many people around the counter, took the opportunity to chat with the fat innkeeper, Angus, who he had seen on TV: "Hello, I saw you on TV. You're Mr. Angus, right? They say there's a haunted castle nearby?"

"Oh, your English is quite good, much better than that Indian monk upstairs," Angus smiled, as a businessman running an inn, he had a friendly and easy-going nature that matched his role, and he could chat with people from all over the world. "Are you also here for the castle? It's the latest big news around here. Hey, that castle was almost forgotten before. If it weren't for the recent haunting, people probably wouldn't even remember the old name Joford, but that's quite a big ruin, and after this incident, it's probably going to become a popular attraction."

"I am an expert in this field," Nangong straightened his collar and said solemnly, "I come from China and am a professional demon hunter. This time I have come to eradicate the evil spirits in the castle."

Lin Feng couldn't help but whisper to Vivian, "This guy is so high-profile with everyone."

The vampire girl just snorted noncommittally and then greeted Mu Yun, who was swaying next to them, "I'll take this guy upstairs first. You come up quickly too, we need to discuss some things."

Vivian took Mu Yun upstairs, while Angus, the fat innkeeper, looked at Nangong with surprise, "Oh, indeed from mysterious China—but I remember the ghost catchers there are called... what are they called, Taoists?"

Angus turned out to be a bit of a China expert, pronouncing "Taoist" with a very clear Chinese pronunciation.

This time Nangong didn't bother to explain the issue of being a demon hunter to him. He just smiled and shook his head, "I'm not a Taoist, although I understand Taoist exorcism techniques. By the way, if you have time, could you tell me about the story of Joford Castle? We are very interested in it."

Angus was delighted, and his plump body moved flexibly as he emerged from behind the counter, dragging Nangong and Lin Feng to a long table for temporary rest for guests nearby. "Of course, of course, let's sit down and talk slowly. I've been telling people about this for the past two days. Where would you like me to start?"

"Uh, just start from the beginning, from the story of the castle back then." Lin Feng found Angus's enthusiastic appearance a bit funny, feeling like he was a tour guide who hadn't opened for six months and suddenly ran into a fool. "I know nothing about that castle, even before I came here, I didn't know exactly where it was."

Angus was first surprised, "Oh my! Your English is even better than mine..."

Lin Feng coughed, "Let's get to the point, let's get to the point."

Then Angus began to tell the story of the castle, with vivid details. It started with an English nobleman establishing his estate here hundreds of years ago. He spent more than ten minutes just talking about the nobleman's family history, full of love, hatred, and ups and downs, making a rural lord sound like a knight of the Round Table. In Angus's description, the nobleman and his family lived in old Joford for less than two hundred years. During this time, they experienced the rise and fall of the family, the struggles with the court, the rebellions in the territory, and the wars from outside. Ultimately, the entire family fell apart under the discord of the three heirs. The eldest son of the last generation died on the throne of the castle, the second son died in battle during the rebellion, and the whereabouts of the youngest son are unknown, leaving behind countless legends—and the once magnificent Joford Castle became the largest demolition project in this area.

"Joford Estate was once very prosperous, but it was completely abandoned in a rebellion. Many knights and soldiers died inside and outside the castle. Some of their bodies were buried by later generations, but it is said that many bodies have not been found. Those soldiers were trapped and died in the underground passages and cellars of the castle. After the lord's family died, no one knew exactly how many hidden rooms were left underneath, so the soldiers who died in the cellars and passages became resentful spirits, trapped and unable to bury their dead." Angus smacked his lips, his tone becoming eerie, "It is said that it was these soldiers who were unable to be buried who became the vengeful spirits. They were trapped and died in the underground, only able to listen to their lord being killed above them, so they are filled with hatred..."

Lin Feng looked at Angus's expressive fat face and felt that this uncle must have been a fallen tour guide in his previous life.

"Are there underground passages and cellars in the castle? Are they large in scale?" Lin Feng asked with curiosity. Before Angus could answer, Nangong explained beside him, "It's normal. In that era, a castle was not just a nobleman's residence, but also the last fortress to withstand war. Generally, there would be very large cellars and intricate underground passages. Some castles even dug tunnels that could span the entire territory, so that the lord could escape to a safe place in case of emergency."

Angus nodded, indicating that Nangong's explanation made sense. Then he added, "Most of the tunnels have collapsed, and for so many years, Joford Castle has been forgotten by people. No one has really explored what's down there, so no one knows how many secrets are hidden underground."

"Have you really seen ghosts?" Lin Feng looked at Angus's red-faced big face, feeling a bit curious. This guy's complexion doesn't look like he's dealt with ghosts—how can he be so happy after encountering a ghost?

"Of course, I have!" Angus's voice suddenly rose, "You're not the first one to doubt, but I can swear on the Bible that I saw the spirits of knights and mysterious lights near the castle... Oh, it was a terrible night, but it brought me so many customers now, I think it might not be a bad thing."

Seeing Angus's excited look, Lin Feng could only quickly express his belief in what he said, and then he chatted with him about the recent situation of

 the castle. Seeing that it was late, he said goodbye and left.

The room he booked was on the west end of the third floor, and Vivian and Mu Yun's room happened to be opposite his, while Nangong's room was at the other end of the corridor, quite far away. As soon as he arrived at his room door, Lin Feng saw Vivian waiting for him at the door.

"Let's talk in your room." Vivian said, then pointed to her own room, "The big dog is dreaming, and now he's gnawing on the table legs inside. Be prepared, you'll have to pay for it tomorrow."

Lin Feng: "...Why didn't you stop him?"

Vivian raised her hand to show the bite marks on her arm, "Heh."

Lin Feng: "..."

The conditions of this rural inn were certainly not comparable to a five-star hotel in central London. Each room had only the necessary furniture such as beds, tables, and chairs, but such rooms made Lin Feng feel relaxed. He sat at the head of the bed with Vivian and roughly told her what he had heard downstairs. Then he felt a bit worried, "I heard that there are already many people over at the castle, and many crazy people have come with RVs or tents—they don't stay in town, they just camp outside the castle, waiting to see ghosts. It's probably not realistic for us to sneak over and find the 'person' quietly."

"So, leaving tonight or leaving tomorrow night is the same?" Vivian blinked, "Just now, I used my own methods to investigate the situation over there and really found something interesting."

Lin Feng: "?"