book of old days

Chapter 5 The Dark Forest Manor Tragedy
Sean went to ask the principal for leave that day, and early the next morning, he got on the train to Andrew.

Andrew En is not far from Sword Castle, but with the traffic of this era, it still takes a lot of work. First, he took the train all morning, and then took the stagecoach for half a day, until he arrived at the small town near Darkwood Manor It was already ten o'clock in the evening.

Sean got out of the carriage, feeling a little annoyed. Time was too tight, but luckily he made it. Now he only needs to get to the Dark Forest Manor, and he is going to find a local in the town to be his guide.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he heard that he was going to the Dark Forest Manor, people cast strange glances one after another, and left as if fleeing, without giving him a chance to speak.

After going around the street, Sean found nothing, so in desperation he had to go to the tavern in the town for help.

This kind of tavern can be found in almost every town, and it is one of the few recreational places in rural areas in this era, and it also functions as an inn.

At the same time, it is also a good place to inquire about news and recruit people.

Walking into the tavern, Sean glanced at the lobby, there were quite a few people, drinking and chatting.

"Can someone take me to Darkwood Manor? I can pay five silver tacos, no one?"

Sean yelled twice, but there was nothing but a few malicious eyes.

He was a little annoyed, so he took out his pocket watch and looked at it. It was almost six o'clock, and the justice of the will would be at eight o'clock.

But he was not familiar with the place, so he really didn't want to do it unless it was absolutely necessary.

Just when Sean was about to add the price to one gold pound——

"I'll take you there." A hoarse voice surprised him.

He glanced at the speaker, who was an old man with a shaggy beard, wearing a battered sheepskin jacket, a bowler hat, a huge beer mug in front of him, and a book with a torn cover old books.

The old man's eyes were quite eager. He left the chair tremblingly, walked to Sean unsteadily, and drank the beer in the glass in one gulp.

"You said five tuckers, hiccup—did I hear you right?"

The smell of alcohol sprayed on Sean's face, causing him to lean back instinctively.

This person didn't seem like a suitable guide, but at this time Sean didn't have much choice but to accept it.

To Sean's surprise, the old man still had an old carriage, so at least he didn't have to walk.

Impatiently getting into the carriage, the old man drove the carriage towards the outside of the town. The lack of lubrication made the creaking sound of the axle, and the old horse snorted and walked slowly on the dirt road in the countryside.

Sitting in this kind of carriage was not comfortable, Sean looked at the surrounding scenery, trying not to pay attention to the numb buttocks that were bumped.

In front of him was the endless harvested wheat fields and the desolate wilderness. No one could be seen around him. The autumn wind was rustling, and the smell of soil and wheat grass was blowing in his face.

At this time, the sun was gradually setting down the mountain, leaving only a ray of afterglow, reflecting the blood-red sky, and the front was dark, and the carriage drove towards the darkness like this.

There was silence all around, and Xiao En felt faintly uneasy. The strange attitudes of the townspeople, the desolate surroundings, and the inexplicable eagerness of the old man made him have a bad association in his heart.

Shouldn't it be planning to kill people and steal money?

He touched the handle of the revolver in his arms calmly. This was the first time he got the manuscript fee and spent a lot of money to buy it for self-defense.

The solid walnut handle feels good to hold, giving him a little sense of security in his heart.

The old man suddenly said: "Professor Xiao En, don't blame the townspeople for being uneasy. Ever since that incident happened, Dark Forest Manor has been a taboo here."

Sean was taken aback, "You know me?"

The old man smiled and said, "I don't know, but I have read your book." He raised the old book in his hand, and Sean carefully identified it, and found that it was a copy of "Detective Sherlock Holmes" on the title page A half-length black and white photo of Sean was printed impressively.

Xiao En suddenly realized, no wonder the other party suddenly changed his attitude, he was relieved in his heart, he was a little surprised, he didn't expect that this unattractive old man in front of him would read the books he wrote, and at the same time he was a little ashamed, he had enjoyed so much because of these books all these years A lot of praise and admiration, at the beginning I was blissful, then I became a little embarrassed, and now, those praises have become a little burdensome.

But then he became a little complacent, as expected, a great writer can eat everywhere he goes.

When you inherit the inheritance, you must write a work that truly belongs to you.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You don't know?" The old man was a little surprised and shook his head: "No wonder, otherwise you probably wouldn't be so blatantly looking for someone to go to the Dark Forest Manor."

He took out a pipe from his waist pocket, lit it with a flint, and began to talk while smoking the pipe.

"About 50 years ago, there was a tragedy at Darkwood Manor, a massacre. The manor guards, servants, Sir Albert's family, and many villagers living nearby all died. Only old Albert Bert survived. When the sheriff arrived, he saw corpses all over the place and Albert himself laughing wildly. At that time, I was still a teenager and was learning the craft from the blacksmith Alfred. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bear it. In the end, I had no choice but to drive the carriage.

At that time, because there were so many dead people, many townspeople had to be hired to help carry them. I saw that scene when I was carrying the coffin. "

The old man's eyes showed remembrance and fear, and he even forgot to smoke the pipe in his mouth, "The blood pooled into a lake, and dried up on the floor to become a big pool of dark brown things, which can only be shoveled off with a shovel.

The corpses were placed in weird shapes, strange bloody symbols were drawn on the floor, and broken flesh and bones were scattered everywhere. I will never forget that scene for the rest of my life. "

Sean was terrified.

"Who did it?"

"Who knows, the sheriff said it was a robber, but the robber is for money, so he won't do that kind of boring thing.

The townspeople guessed that Baron Albert himself might have done it. He was bewitched by the devil and killed his relatives, but I think it was mostly nonsense. Rational, he couldn't do that kind of thing alone.

And then I saw him twice in town, and he looked a bit dour, but certainly not crazy, and besides, whoever has so many family members dead, there's always going to be a change.

Some people also said that it was the devil who did it. It is said that the devil still stays in the castle. Every night when the people are quiet, it will show its original shape, wandering in the dark corridors of the castle, looking for new victims...

But who can tell about this kind of thing.

Since then, Baron Albert has heightened and strengthened the manor, bought muskets, and even cannons. Someone wanted to chop some wood nearby, but the baron's men shot without saying a word, killing one and wounding the other. Since then, no one has dared to approach it again.

He also came into contact with some strange people, alchemists, mercenaries, exorcists, etc., in short, they are all dubious people. "

Sean was anxious when he heard this, and said to himself, he is a cheap grandfather with a complicated background.

He originally thought that he was just here to inherit an inheritance, but now he suddenly felt that things might not be that simple.

"Thank you for telling me so much."

"Well, I'm your book fan. It's my honor to lead the way for a great writer. Look, we're almost there, that's the castle ahead!" said the old hunter, pointing to the castle in the distance. Pieces stand with gloomy buildings on the hills.

Sean looked at the castle in the distance, his heart tightened inexplicably. It was clearly only six o'clock at this time, and there was still the afterglow of the sun behind him, but the castle was completely dark.

It was not the darkness at night, but the oppressive gloom produced by the extremely low cloud layer pressing on the low hill, and because there was still a little afterglow of twilight in the sky, a gleam of light was reflected from the cloud layer.

Therefore, the ground is slightly brighter than the sky, and it is a particularly gloomy scene. The outline of the low hills, desolate and thin, is set off by the dark sky, blurred and hard to distinguish, and the color is like dead gray.All of this feels ugly, mean, bleak, meaningless.

In that field and on the low hills there was nothing but a grotesque forest of shapeless trees, the nearest of which curled its branches a few paces from them, Swaying in the bleak autumn wind.

A gust of wind blew past, and Sean shivered, and the woolen coat on his body couldn't cover up the coldness of late autumn.

PS: Add more updates for the leader Wushang Zhonglin.

(End of this chapter)