Chapter 1 (2/2)

With a delicate smile, he closes his fingers, ending the fragile soul’s final acts of defiance.

Walking out from the hidden pa.s.sage, You Lian looks on at the dilapidated castle before him with some perplexity. The same process he used to obtain this body incorporated the youth’s memories into his as well, and he was naturally aware of its origins – the youth was the descendant of an aristocratic family that had fallen into obscurity, in fact the last surviving member of the line. Three months ago, the youth’s parents had been deceived by some more prominent n.o.blemen, exchanging their sole a.s.set – a lush estate – for this particular fiefdom. After discovering the deceit, they had tried to find the n.o.bleman in order to reason with him, but were jailed for their efforts. Both died from rapidly-contracted diseases, their conditions exacerbated by their frustration and anger. Faced with this reality, the powerless youth was forced to relocate away from home with a heavy heart, in the wake of “farewells” from the same n.o.blemen; resolved to begin a new life in these desolate borderlands.

Of course, all of this was meaningless to You Lian. Even though he is able to experience the youth’s reluctance and hatred, he finds it lacking in relevance. Clearly, the youth hadn’t known that the castle was You Lian’s possession from long ago, and at the same time a crucial part of his revival.

He, then, had become a catalyst for You Lian’s return to this world.

Through the youth’s recollections, You Lian is also able to gain a detailed understanding of the current situation.

This castle was one of the holdings You Lian owned in the past. After his death, it changed hands between several owners. The first was a commander of a frontier regiment, who lived only three months before he succ.u.mbed to a sudden illness. Afterwards, the commander’s family members left the castle, and sold it to a nearby merchant. Even though, strictly speaking, merchants weren’t allowed to purchase military structures like castles, the remoteness of this place meant that those finer details were generally disregarded, and the decision was thus made. The merchant, however, didn’t manage to stick around much longer than commander – he stayed only half a year until he died just as abruptly as the last occupant, within his study. This time, even healers were unable to divine the reason he had died. The merchant’s family reached the same conclusion as the commander’s, and left the castle forthwith, putting it up for auction once again.

This time, not many people were willing to make the investment; after all, two owners had died one after another, and the castle seemed rather ominous. But as it is said, there are always daredevils that disregard their own safety in pursuit of gain, and a count who had just moved in from another place bought the castle in an effort to craft it into his base. As expected, the count, too, left the world after only four months, a stray brick from the ceiling having struck him in the head.

By now, it was obvious to everyone that the castle was under some kind of evil influence. After this, no one else dared to have any further designs about it. The owners.h.i.+p of the castle returned into the hands of the aristocracy, and though no member of high society would live here themselves, there was a better use for this place given the rumors; the next two owners were both tricked into coming here before dying of arbitrary causes – with such an easy and clean method of taking out potential enemies at their disposal, why wouldn’t they use it?

The original owner of You Lian’s current body was taken advantage of the same way. The n.o.blemen involved did not wish to have accusations of murder pointed in their direction, so they left the brat alive, and moreover very “generously” awarded this fiefdom to him as a consolation prize – for the unaware, it would have been seen as a humanitarian move.

The actual cause of these people’s deaths is knowledge only he is privy to.

Ascending the stairs, You Lian turns his head to survey the deathly quiet hall before reaching out his right hand, sharply snapping a finger.

Pa!

Green flames spontaneously ignite, brightening the s.p.a.ce before him. Countless shadows appear on the walls, drifting and mingling together; their silent roars are inaudible, incomprehensible to the normal observer as they fan out around You Lian’s body. These were the most enigmatic of the castle’s protectors – wandering souls. They roam within the castle, protecting the premises, ruthlessly erasing all invaders; such is their directive until the return of their master. Though the scent and flesh of the living were close at hand, these maddened souls refrained from more drastic action; the soul-scent they sensed from the body was robust and fearsome

“I’ve returned, tidy this place up.”

Staring at the wandering souls in front of him, You Lian gives a command before stretching idly

As expected, having a body again is the best ... well, now, it’s a good time to get some sleep.

[0] There's not much to say this chapter, but I haven't forgotten about the awkward name thing yet. His name is Julian and will be Julian next chapter! How do you even do a seamless transition like that … it's fine in Chinese, but it's not fine when I'm translating it.

<script>