Chapter 2 Plan

Without further ado, since a decision had been made, You Lian had no intention of halting his actions. Fortunately, the old horseman still had a bit of conscience, leaving a horse for the young man before departing. Thus, You Lian did not stand on ceremony, mounted the horse, and rode through the mountain path, eventually arriving at the small town at the foot of the mountain.

It is precisely for this reason that the right of first night has long since become a nominal institution. After all, if the nobility desires beautiful women, they can obtain them by any means. Moreover, not all marriages involve beautiful women, and one might inadvertently attract a host of troubles, which would be quite unfortunate. Therefore, even though the right of first night has not been abolished to this day, its remaining significance lies solely in reminding the commoners that they are still the property of the nobility

At present, in Youlian's castle, there is only one human—according to the boy's memory, although an old coachman had come here with him, after delivering the boy to the castle, the old coachman quickly left, abandoning this dangerous and eerie place, leaving the boy alone here

As a remote mountainous area, Twilight Town may not be completely isolated from the world, but it is undoubtedly a place with very low mobility. In such a location, where outsiders rarely appear, any unfamiliar face becomes the focus of attention and discussion among the locals. It is precisely for this reason that Yulian immediately attracted everyone's notice upon entering the town.

As an End Knight, Yulian's most pressing need is his own weapon, and this short sword is clearly unsuitable for use as a weapon. Therefore, he requires something of better quality

However, the only regret is that after the sun rises, they still have to retreat back to the shadowy world beneath the ground. This is not due to a fear of disappearing, but rather because the undead have a natural aversion to the sun. Even though the sun cannot harm them, it significantly weakens the abilities of these wandering souls. During the day, they are hardly distinguishable from the air.

Only until today have I truly understood the real meaning of this phrase

Standing at the door, You Lian gently inhaled, feeling the warmth emanating from within and the scent of forged steel. Then, a faint smile appeared on his face as he pushed the door open and walked inside

In fact, it was only after You Lian acquired this castle that he discovered the existence of this group of wandering souls. Subsequently, You Lian, utilizing his power as the Knight of the End, entered into a contract with these wandering souls, becoming their master. According to the souls themselves, the location of this castle was once the territory of a certain necromancer. In that distant era, this necromancer mastered a secret technique for binding the souls of others and created this batch of wandering souls. You Lian speculated that the necromancer likely intended to create a group of undead servants for his own use; however, unfortunately, he went out once before completing this step and subsequently died at the hands of his enemies. Thus, this group of souls, bound by the secret technique yet unable to obtain physical bodies, remained stuck in this cursed place. As time passed, humans occupied this land and built a castle here, forcing the wandering souls to hide in the shadowy world beneath the ground. Until You Lian appeared and discovered the existence of the wandering souls, their fate remained unchanged.

However, before that, there are more important matters to attend to

As it stands, these wandering souls are performing exceptionally well

From the outside, this blacksmith shop appeared unchanged from before, so Yulian instinctively thought that there would be no significant changes inside either. However, he did not expect that the other party was actually paddling like a duck—actions occurring beneath the surface

You Lian stared blankly at the figure behind the kitchen knife and fork, who was swinging a hammer and striking metal with a clanging sound, momentarily at a loss for words

The bookish spirits had already vanished into the dark shadows at dawn, returning to their underground world. However, their efficiency was indeed remarkable. When Yulian stepped out of his bedroom, what he saw was a clean and tidy corridor. The curtains, which had been eaten away, were all drawn up neatly to the sides. The old, dirty glass had become clear and bright, shining as if new—if one disregarded the spiderweb-like cracks on it. Yet, their efficiency was indeed remarkable. When Yulian stepped out of his bedroom, what he saw was a clean and tidy corridor. The curtains, which had been eaten away, were all drawn up neatly to the sides. The old, dirty glass had become clear and bright, shining as if new—if one disregarded the spiderweb-like cracks on it.

Upon thinking of this, You Lian could not help but pick up the young man's short sword for self-defense. Like other nobles, this short sword had virtually no offensive capability. From the gems and gold threads embedded in its sheath, it was evident that it was designed primarily for aesthetics, specifically crafted to deceive the wealthy.

He sat up and gazed out at the scenery—the mountains surrounding him, under the sunlight, the lush green forests radiating vibrant life, and the crisp, melodious chirping of birds seemed to play a wonderful symphony. You Lian focused intently on the beautiful view before him, then revealed a smile that came from the heart; it had been a long time since he had seen such beauty. In that enclosed space of the soul, although there were luxurious decorations and a warm bed, the beauty of nature was nowhere to be seen, nor could he feel the warmth of the sun. It is often said that one learns to cherish what they have only after losing it. However, for You Lian, he still had a long time to enjoy this world anew.

However, what You Lian did not expect was that his appearance immediately became the focus of the town.

When the first ray of morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the soft bed, You Lian had already opened her eyes

It is truly utterly boring

The weeds that grew thickly on the ground and the cobwebs on the ceiling have completely vanished, and the dim red carpet has now become vibrant and bright. The wandering souls strictly adhered to Yulian's instructions, showcasing everything they could possibly do in a completely perfect manner

This document indicates that he—Julien Félix (for convenience, Julien has combined the surname on the document with his own name, which would not raise suspicion)—has obtained the governance rights of this castle and its surrounding areas. Like other lords, he is required to pay taxes to the kingdom on time and to dispatch troops to protect the entire nation in times of crisis. ... Of course, in return, he possesses the authority to formulate tax regulations within his territory, the right to conscript soldiers, and ... the right to extract resources (this is not a typo, you understand, right)

This certificate is the most valuable item among the belongings carried by the youth. Following it are a dozen gold coins and a short sword for self-defense—indeed, this noble descendant is remarkably impoverished

In You Lian's memory, the weapons, shields, and armor that once hung on the walls have all vanished without a trace, replaced instead by pitchforks, hoes, and those dazzlingly arranged and eye-catching... kitchen knives

"With divine grace... this world is truly..."

Look, it is him; he is the new master of the castle

Although the lord can collect wealth from his domain, Yulian is well aware that within his territory, apart from the small town at the foot of the mountain, there are no other human settlements. Even in the surrounding mountains, there are only wild beasts, and not even bandits or robbers can be seen. Yulian initially chose this place merely for rest and to hide himself, so he thought that the absence of human presence was advantageous. However, Yulian now realizes that things might become somewhat troublesome.

Upon seeing this, You Lian curled his lips in disdain. In his previous life, he had harbored doubts about this right to liquidate, especially regarding those nobles who showed no interest in this rule at all. Although it was initially established to showcase the status and power of the lords, in reality, most nobles were indifferent to this authority.

It is evident that the young man named "Felix" is aware of the rumors surrounding this place, yet the unique courage and determination of youth prevent him from retreating. Last night, Yulian also examined the belongings of the original owner of this body. It must be said that the heir of this fallen noble family is indeed impoverished; apart from food, he possesses only a set of clothes for change and a few books on the history of the continent. Of course, the young man also holds the documents issued by the nobility regarding the grant of his fief, all of which are authentic and not forged. It must be said that the heir of this fallen noble family is indeed impoverished; apart from food, he possesses only a set of clothes for change and a few books on the history of the continent. Of course, the young man also holds the documents issued by the nobility regarding the grant of his fief, all of which are authentic and not forged. Perhaps the nobles had long considered that this young lad would not survive there for long, and that wasting time and effort on forgery would be utterly meaningless, which is likely why they presented the genuine documents.

Due to being bound by secret magic, these wandering souls neither die nor disappear. Therefore, You Lian entrusted them to manage and guard his castle before his death, selecting powerful souls for absorption and maintaining the operation of the magic array to facilitate his resurrection

As the saying goes, one should not judge everything by its surface appearance

Pity, fear, sorrow, doubt, curiosity—various gazes were directed at Yulian, only to be quickly withdrawn. Yulian paid no mind to their stares, leisurely riding his horse towards the blacksmith shop from his memories. Although this closed-off small town had poor mobility, its only advantage was that it hardly changed at all. Even after seventy years, walking down the street, Yulian could still see many familiar buildings, and even the sign of the Rose Tavern still hung at a slant, completely unchanged by the passage of time. It was as if time had completely stopped in this small town, with no alterations whatsoever.

Thinking of this, You Lian suddenly recalled that there was a blacksmith in the small town at the foot of the mountain, seemingly associated with - illustrations - where in a past life, You Lian had crafted some interesting little items. Although seventy years have passed, it is likely that there would not be any significant changes in such a small town. Even if the blacksmith has aged, his descendants should have taken over the shop.

The reason is quite simple. As a lord, there are numerous matters to attend to every day, especially for those great lords who oversee many villages and towns. There are always weddings taking place, and as a lord, one is so busy with personal affairs that there is little time to run around exercising one's rights. Moreover, to take a step back, once the right is exercised, if a child is born later, the complications multiply. Nobles have always regarded their bloodlines as sacred and inviolable. Therefore, if a commoner gives birth to a child of noble blood, the noble must take the child back for upbringing, which becomes a stain on the noble's reputation. Furthermore, in this era, there is no means to verify parentage through DNA or similar methods, leading to numerous cases of individuals falsely claiming to be the offspring of lords in an attempt to extract wealth. For many, once they conceive a child of noble blood, they can gain money and even glory (after all, noble blood is considered prestigious by common standards). Thus, at times, the eagerness of those brides regarding the exercise of rights far exceeds that of the lords who hold such power.

So pitiful, and still so young

This is not a blacksmith shop at all; it is more akin to a farm tool store.

It is precisely for this reason that You Lian quickly found the blacksmith shop. Compared to seventy years ago, there have been some new changes here. The originally old wooden door has been covered with a layer of copper, and the wooden signboard has also been replaced with a brand new peach wood one—this level of change is quite noticeable for a town that has hardly changed at all.

Then, You Lian was taken aback