Chapter 1 Earl Kelfield's Troubles

Was Earl Kelfield’s trouble just a common task? Could there be a connection between that task's information and Nie Yan's current one?

In his previous life, Nie Yan had accepted Earl Kelfield's trouble, hoping to earn some spending money. However, some unexpected events occurred. He was pursued by people from the Victorious Empire, and he had to abandon the task. He never had the chance to do it again.

Nie Yan could only guess wildly as he rode across the plains.

The magnificent Faulkner warhorse ran swiftly, like a shooting star.

Passing by several leveling spots, Nie Yan noticed that *Faith* was even more lively than before. More and more players were entering *Faith*, becoming a part of it.

Based on Nie Yan's experiences from his previous life, *Faith* would attract more and more players, remaining popular for over a decade.

The half-hour journey only took Nie Yan ten minutes. In the distance, an ancient castle came into view. Built entirely of stone, it stood majestically on the hillside, like an invincible fortress. Although dilapidated, its former glory was still visible. At the top of the castle were some dark cannon barrels, magic cannons created by the goblins, possessing powerful destructive force, but they were now rusted and unusable.

Around the castle was a beautiful garden, with patches of purple flowers. When the wind blew, the sea of flowers undulated, and the fragrance wafted far away. However, the sea of flowers was somewhat messy, with many parts destroyed.

This sea of flowers was enclosed by iron railings, with a gate at the front, and a narrow, winding path leading to the castle.

Nie Yan rode the Faulkner warhorse to the outside of the railings and jumped off.

He looked around. There were no monsters active here, and it seemed very peaceful. He walked forward.

System: You have discovered Earl Kelfield's Castle.

He received some new task information.

Task Progress: Talk to Earl Kelfield. Below was some additional task information: Earl Kelfield's castle is full of dangers. Since evil creatures began appearing in the castle, the servants dared not stay there. They bid farewell to Earl Kelfield and left. Earl Kelfield had to hire some militiamen. However, recently, some strange things have been happening in the castle. One night, Earl Kelfield suddenly walked out of the castle in the middle of the night. The next morning, someone found him asleep in the flower garden, covered in dirt. Since that day, Earl Kelfield has been listless, muttering a name: Ayana, Ayana...

Seeing this task message, Nie Yan raised his eyebrows. Princess Ayana the Wraith!

It seemed this was a series of related tasks!

He needed to find Earl Kelfield to get the next task clues. Nie Yan walked confidently towards the castle in the distance.

The castle walls were somewhat eroded, giving a sense of ancient vicissitudes. A cold wind blew through the sea of flowers, carrying a hint of chill, mixed with a foul odor.

This smell made Nie Yan frown. It was the aura of the dead.

Skeletons would only spawn in this garden after accepting Earl Kelfield's task.

Walking to the castle, it was somewhat gloomy. Ahead was a dark iron gate. The paint on the iron gate was a bit peeled off. Nie Yan slowly pushed it open. Inside was a hall, dimly lit. Outside, the sun was shining brightly, but it couldn't penetrate here.

Just then, two dark figures emerged from the shadows beside him.

Nie Yan was startled. He tightened his dagger, ready to fight.

He saw the faces of the two people clearly. They were wearing thick leather armor, holding round wooden shields in their left hands and slightly battered battle axes in their right hands. Nie Yan realized that these two were NPCs, so he didn't attack.

He cast a Super Identification on the two NPCs.

Militiaman Brecken: Level 45.

Militiaman Bernard: Level 46.

Brecken was sturdier, like a bear, but he had a simple and honest face, without any hint of hostility. Bernard was slightly shorter, a sincere young man.

"Greetings, respected Demon Hunter, Great Scholar, Great Thief, sir." After seeing Nie Yan's title, Bernard was stunned and stammered.

"Hello," Brecken said, evidently not much of a talker, only uttering two words after a long while.

Nie Yan nodded and said, "Hello, I want to ask you for a favor. Could you take me to see Earl Kelfield? I think I can help him."

"Yes, we'll take you there immediately. Please follow me," Bernard said respectfully.

The two militiamen led Nie Yan inside.

"Respected Earl Kelfield is a good man. He has stayed in this castle for more than sixty years. After those damned evil creatures came here, many people advised Earl Kelfield to leave, but he still refused to go. His servants have all left, leaving only the two of us." Bernard looked at Nie Yan and pleaded, "Respected Demon Hunter, Great Scholar, Great Thief, sir, please, you must help him."

"God will bless every kind and upright person," Nie Yan nodded, organizing the information that Militiaman Bernard had revealed. Earl Kelfield refused to leave this castle, and there must be a reason. He could ask Earl Kelfield and elicit some clues.

Led by the two militiamen, Nie Yan passed through long corridors and entered an open hall. A long table was placed in the center of the hall, with candlesticks on it. A red carpet was laid on the floor, giving a very formal feeling.

Looking towards the window in the distance, red curtains hung in front of some old French windows. A ray of sunlight shone through the window, and a recliner was placed in front of the window. A decrepit old man was lying on the recliner, rocking and looking out the window. His eyes were desolate and bleak.

He was Earl Kelfield!

Nie Yan's gaze swept over Earl Kelfield and fell on the wall in the distance. On the wall hung a slightly worn frame. The person inside was none other than Princess Ayana the Wraith, from whom Nie Yan had once used Steal.

Earl Kelfield turned his head and looked towards Nie Yan.

Nie Yan saw his face clearly. He looked very old, wearing a grayish-white leather jacket. His hands were like cracked old bark, without any hint of vitality.

Through Earl Kelfield's eyes, Nie Yan seemed to see the sadness contained within them.

"You've come," Earl Kelfield said, revealing a childlike, radiant smile, with a sense of relieved liberation.

Seeing Earl Kelfield's smile, Nie Yan was stunned. Earl Kelfield didn't use a normal greeting. There was definitely something mysterious about it.

"Respected Earl Kelfield, hello," Nie Yan greeted, walking towards Earl Kelfield.

Militiaman Brecken and Militiaman Bernard respectfully retreated.

Earl Kelfield looked into the distance, his eyes distant, as if floating far away.

Nie Yan looked at the frame on the wall. Judging from the time, this frame should have been placed here for decades. He opened his mouth and said, "Is she your wife? She looks very beautiful." This was Nie Yan's guess. No matter what, he had to find some topics to bring out the task.

The frame placed here was a ready-made clue!

"Yes," Earl Kelfield glanced at the frame on the wall and sighed deeply, saying, "Young man, are you willing to listen to me tell a story?"

"I am willing to be a listener," Nie Yan nodded, everything was as he expected, he led to Earl Kelfield's topic.

"When I was young, I was very wealthy. All the land around the castle belonged to me. Many villagers lived here, working for me. This castle was built in the era of co-governance. From the time my grandfather bought this castle, it has been passed down to my hands. Many people said that this castle was cursed by wizards, but I didn't believe it. Until one year, a group of bandits broke into the castle. They killed my father and stole a lot of wealth. I began to have doubts. Ayana was my wife. She was once an orphan, growing up in Grandor's orphanage, and she was good friends with her friend Patience. They were hired by me to become my maids. Her sweet smile was as pure as an angel, which can make people forget all their troubles. When I saw her for a moment, I fell deeply in love with her, fascinated by her intoxicating smile. She was the most beautiful gift from heaven, and I would like to die quietly in this smile," Earl Kelfield said slowly, his eyes only containing endless memories.

Nie Yan listened quietly, without making a sound, as if feeling Earl Kelfield's deep love.

"Ayana became my wife. I wanted to make her the happiest woman in the world. The sweetness of love made me forget the pain and sadness of losing my father. Three years later, we had our first child, a daughter, named Niya. She was as beautiful as Ayana. I thought everything would continue like this, until Mount Molkos was leveled by the cold wind blowing from the Ciso Plains, until this castle collapsed into pieces, turning into an ancient and long-lasting ruin. However, everything changed. As love slowly settled, I felt that there was a demon slowly growing in my heart. Patience, that enchanting woman, was like a siren singing a lullaby, deeply bewitching me. I kept squandering money, and the family's savings were squandered. Finally, one day, Ayana discovered the scandal between me and Patience. The sad face when she cried tore at my heart, making me feel heartbroken. What did I do, this scum, this garbage!" Earl Kelfield closed his eyes in pain, and a turbid tear fell from the corner of his eye.