Chapter 46

It seems Vivian was right; despite the ghostly disturbances at Joford attracting many paranormal enthusiasts from out of town, the small inn still had three vacant rooms—only three vacant rooms left, that is.

Ideally, there would have been four rooms, so Hao Ren, Vivian, and Lily, plus Nangong, could each have their own room without disturbing each other. But now, it looked like Vivian and Lily would have to share a room for the night, which left the young vampire with a head full of grievances: she noticed that Lily was already snoring while standing, and was therefore 100% certain that the werewolf girl would be wide awake in the middle of the night, running around the room just like last night. There was no way to get a good night's sleep with this jet-lagged creature.

After getting the room keys, Nangong saw that there was no one at the counter and leaned over to chat with the plump innkeeper: "Hello, I saw you on TV, Mr. Angus, right? I heard there's a haunted castle nearby?"

"Oh, your English is quite good, much better than that Indian monk upstairs," the plump innkeeper beamed. As a businessman running an inn, he had a friendly and easy-going nature, able to chat with anyone from all over. "Are you here for the castle too? It's the biggest news around here lately. Hey, that castle was almost forgotten until the recent haunting. If it weren't for that, people might not even remember the name Joford. But it's a significant ruin, and after this incident, it's likely to become a popular tourist spot."

"I'm an expert in this field," Nangong straightened his collar and said solemnly, "I come from China and am a professional demon hunter. I'm here to eliminate the evil spirits in the castle."

Hao Ren couldn't help but whisper to Vivian, "This guy is really so high-profile, telling everyone he meets."

The vampire girl snorted in response, then nudged the wobbly Lily, who was about to crawl on all fours, and said to Hao Ren, "I'll take this one upstairs first. You chat for a bit and then come up, we need to discuss something."

Vivian dragged Lily upstairs, and the plump innkeeper looked at Nangong in amazement: "Oh, you really are from the mysterious China—though I remember your ghost hunters are called... what are they called, Taoists?"

The plump innkeeper was actually a bit of a China enthusiast, and he pronounced "Taoist" in clear Chinese.

Nangong didn't bother to explain the issue of demon hunters this time, just smiled and shook his head, "I'm not a Taoist, although I do know Taoist exorcism techniques. By the way, if you have time, could you tell me the story of Joford Castle? We are very interested."

The plump innkeeper was delighted and nimbly came out from behind the counter, pulling Nangong and Hao Ren to a long table nearby where guests could rest temporarily: "Of course, of course. Come, let's sit down and talk. I've been telling this story to people for the past two days. Where would you like to start?"

"Um, start from the beginning, from the story of the castle back then," Hao Ren looked at the innkeeper's enthusiastic appearance and found it a bit amusing, thinking the man looked like a tour guide who hadn't had a customer for half a year and had suddenly found a sucker. "I know nothing about the castle, and I didn't even know where it was before I came."

The plump innkeeper was initially surprised: "Oh my! Your English is even better than mine..."

Hao Ren: "...Cough, let's get to the point, let's get to the point."

Then the plump innkeeper began to tell the story of the castle, speaking with great emotion and detail. He started from hundreds of years ago when a British nobleman established his domain here. Just narrating the nobleman's family history took over ten minutes, filled with love, hate, and dramatic twists, making the rural lord sound like a knight of the Round Table. According to the innkeeper, the nobleman and his family lived in old Joford for less than two hundred years. During this period, they experienced the rise and fall of their family, the political struggles with the court, rebellions within their domain, and wars from outside. In the end, the family fell apart due to the betrayal of three heirs. The eldest son died on the castle's throne, the second son died in a rebellion, and the youngest son disappeared, leaving behind countless legends—after which the once-prosperous Joford Castle became the largest abandoned project in the area.

"Joford was once very prosperous, but it was completely abandoned after an internal rebellion. Many knights and soldiers died inside and outside the castle. Some of their bodies were buried by later people, but it is said that many more were never found. These soldiers were trapped in the underground tunnels and basements of the castle. After the lord's family died, no one knew exactly how many hidden rooms were still down there, so the soldiers who died in the basements and tunnels were never buried," the innkeeper smacked his lips, and his tone became eerie, "It is said that these soldiers, who were never buried, turned into vengeful spirits. They were trapped underground by the rebels and could only listen to their lord being killed above them, so they are full of hatred..."

Hao Ren looked at Angus's expressive face and felt that this man must have been a failed tour guide in a previous life.

"Are there underground tunnels and basements in the castle? On a large scale?" Hao Ren asked curiously. Before Angus could answer, Nangong explained, "It's normal. In those days, castles were not just the residences of nobles but also the last fortresses in times of war. They usually had very large cellars and extensive underground tunnels. Some castles even had tunnels that spanned the entire domain, allowing the lord to escape to a safe distance in emergencies."

Angus nodded, agreeing with Nangong, and added, "Most of the tunnels have collapsed, and over the years, Joford Castle has been forgotten. No one has truly explored the situation down there, so no one knows how many secrets lie beneath."

"Have you really seen a ghost?" Hao Ren looked at the innkeeper's ruddy face, feeling a bit curious. The man didn't look like someone who had encountered a ghost—how could someone be so cheerful after seeing a ghost?

"Of course I have!" The innkeeper's voice rose, "You're not the first to doubt it, 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. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing."

Seeing the innkeeper's excited state, Hao Ren could only quickly assure him that he believed him. He then chatted with the man about the recent situation at the castle and, seeing that it was getting late, bid him farewell.

His room was on the west end of the third floor, directly opposite Vivian and Lily's room, while Nangong's room was at the other end of the corridor, quite far away. As soon as he reached his room, Hao Ren 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 having a dream and is currently gnawing on the table leg. Be prepared to pay for it tomorrow."

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

Vivian lifted her arm to show a series of bite marks: "Hehe."

Hao Ren: "..."

The conditions of this small rural inn were certainly not as good as those of a five-star hotel in central London. Each room had only a bed, a table, and a few chairs, but such a simple room made Hao Ren feel more relaxed. He and Vivian sat on the bed, and Hao Ren recounted what he had learned downstairs, then said with some concern, "I heard that there are already many people at the castle. Some crazy people are even driving RVs or bringing tents—instead of staying in town, they are camping outside the castle, waiting to see ghosts. It's not going to be easy for us to sneak in and find the 'person' we're looking for."

"So, whether we set out tonight or tomorrow night, it doesn't matter?" Vivian blinked, "By the way, I just used my own method to investigate the situation there and found something interesting."

Hao Ren: "?"