One morning in the tower, sunlight came through the latticed windows and shone on the long table, illuminating a simple breakfast: two slices of whole wheat bread, some butter, a sausage, and a piece of cheese.
Lin Yuan took a slow bite. The butter melted on his tongue, carrying a faint milky aroma, but involuntarily, images of soybean milk, deep - fried dough sticks, and meat buns flashed through his mind.
With a "sigh," Lin Yuan heaved a sigh.
Noticing Lin Yuan's frown, Ute, who was sitting beside him, looked up and asked, "Master, don't you like it?"
"It's okay." Lin Yuan shrugged and continued chewing the bread in his mouth.
Ute didn't think much of it and continued to cut the sausage gracefully with a knife and fork. After breakfast, the two left the tower and took a carriage to a manor in the east of the city.
Outside the manor gate, several knights were on guard with their weapons in hand, and a faint chilly aura hung in the air. As soon as Lin Yuan got off the carriage, he saw an exquisitely elegant female elf standing in the center of the courtyard, talking with several human mages and male knights.
She had long, golden hair. Her green eyes sparkled like gems. She wore a dark blue mage's robe, and a pretty string of magic crystals hung at her waist.
Sensing Lin Yuan's arrival, she immediately smiled and stepped forward, extending her hand and saying:
"Thank you for coming to assist us. I'm Vanwen Si."
Lin Yuan gently shook her hand and nodded. "You're welcome."
"The situation is a bit tricky. We've discovered several supernatural phenomena in the manor. Servants and maids have fled in droves, and last night, some knights even witnessed the appearance of ghosts." Vanwen Si said with a serious expression.
Lin Yuan scanned the surroundings and found that the manor's buildings were old but well - preserved. The only odd thing was the damp, rotten smell in the air. He lifted his hand slowly, and a faint blue glow flickered at his fingertips. Then, he shut his eyes and concentrated for a while.
After a while, he said in a low voice:
"The undead spirits do exist. The number isn't large, but there's a problem..."
"What problem?" Vanwen Si asked.
"These ghosts here didn't stay because of grievances." Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze profound. "They were summoned by someone."
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding knights and mages all showed expressions of surprise.
"That can't be! This manor is a hundred years old, and no one's ever summoned ghosts here before!" a male knight blurted out.
Lin Yuan didn't answer but slowly walked towards the interior of the manor. His gaze swept slowly over the walls and the floor until he entered the living room. The faint smell of ink in the air became stronger.
"Find a room. I need to perform a small ritual." Lin Yuan said.
Vanwen Si nodded and had someone clear out a reception room. Lin Yuan then took out an obsidian stone carved with complex patterns and placed it in the center of the floor. He closed his eyes gently and mumbled some words. All of a sudden, the air grew thick and oppressive. Right after, a ghostly black shadow materialized above the obsidian stone.
It was a woman wearing a tattered servant's uniform. Her face was pale, and her eyes were sunken. It was obvious that she had been dead for a long time. She seemed to be struggling in pain, but she was bound in place by Lin Yuan's magic and couldn't escape.
"Why are you lingering here?" Lin Yuan's voice was calm.
The ghost trembled slightly and opened her mouth to let out a hoarse voice: "Soul Summoning... Array..."
Lin Yuan's eyes flickered, and he murmured in a low voice: "As I expected."
Lin Yuan waved his hand lightly. The ghost immediately turned into a puff of gray mist, which the obsidian stone sucked in before vanishing completely. Then, Lin Yuan got up, looked at Vanwen Si, and said:
"There's a strong smell of ink here." Lin Yuan glanced at the walls and bookshelves of the manor. "Don't you think it's strange that such a smell pervades a manor?"
Vanwen Si immediately understood something and her expression became serious. "You mean that someone set up a Soul Summoning Array here? And we can start by investigating people related to the ink?"
"Most likely." Lin Yuan nodded. "The real key isn't in the manor but in the source of that ink."
Vanwen Si's expression turned grim. She whipped around and shouted at her subordinates, "Hey! Check all the ink factories nearby. Find out if any of them have shady connections with this manor!"
"Yes!" Several knights immediately set off.
"Thank you so much this time." Vanwen Si nodded to Lin Yuan again in gratitude.
Lin Yuan waved his hand. "It's just a piece of cake."
After that, he turned and left. He and Ute climbed into the carriage and drove to Viscount Brion's place.
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清晨的塔楼,光线透过镂空窗棂洒在长桌上,映出一顿简约的早餐:两片全麦面包,黄油,一根香肠,一片奶酪.
林远慢悠悠地咬了一口,黄油在舌尖融化,带着淡淡的奶香,但他的内心却不由自主地浮现出豆浆油条和肉包子的画面.
"唉..." 他叹了口气.
"老爷,不合口味吗?" 一旁的乌特抬起头,看着林远皱着眉头的神情.
"还行." 林远耸耸肩,继续嚼着嘴里的面包.
乌特不以为意,继续优雅地用刀叉切着香肠.早餐过后,两人便离开塔楼,乘坐马车前往城东的某座庄园.
庄园大门外,几位骑士正手持武器警戒,周围的空气中弥漫着一丝阴冷的气息.林远刚下车,便见到一位精致优雅的女精灵站在庭院中央,正在与几位人族魔法师和男骑士交谈.
她有着如瀑的金发,碧绿的瞳孔宛如宝石,身上穿着一袭深蓝色的法师长袍,腰间挂着一串精巧的魔法水晶.她察觉到林远的到来,立刻微笑着走上前,伸出手道:
"感谢您能来协助我们,我是万玟丝."
林远伸手轻轻一握,点头道:"客气."
"情况有些棘手,我们在庄园内发现了数起灵异现象,仆人和侍女们纷纷逃离,昨晚甚至有骑士目睹了幽魂现身." 万玟丝神情严肃地说道.
林远扫视四周,发现庄园的建筑古老但保存完好,唯一不寻常的,是空气中弥漫着一种潮湿而腐朽的味道.他缓缓抬手,指尖浮现出淡淡的蓝光,闭上眼感知了一番,片刻后,他低声道:
"亡魂确实存在,数量不算多,但有个问题..."
"什么问题?" 万玟丝问道.
"这里的鬼魂,并非因冤屈而滞留." 林远缓缓睁开眼睛,目光幽深,"它们是被人召唤出来的."
此言一出,周围的骑士和魔法师们皆露出惊讶之色.
"怎么可能?这座庄园已有百年历史,从未发生过召唤亡魂的事情." 一位男骑士忍不住说道.
林远没有回答,而是缓步走向庄园内部.他的目光在墙壁和地板上缓缓扫过,直至踏入客厅.空气中那股淡淡的油墨味道变得更浓了.
"找个房间,我需要做个小仪式." 林远说道.
万玟丝点头,让人腾出一间会客室,林远随即取出一块雕刻着复杂纹路的黑曜石,将其置于地面中央.他缓缓闭上眼,低语几句,周围的空气忽然变得沉重,紧接着,一道虚幻的黑影浮现在黑曜石上空.
那是一名身穿破旧仆人服的女子,脸色苍白,双眼深陷,显然已死去多时.她似乎在痛苦地挣扎,却被林远的魔力束缚在原地,无法逃离.
"为何滞留此地?" 林远的声音平静无波.
幽魂微微颤抖,张口发出沙哑的声音:"引魂...阵..."
林远眼神微动,低声喃喃道:"果然."
他轻轻一抬手,那幽魂瞬间化作一道灰雾,被黑曜石吞噬,而后彻底消散.做完这一切后,林远站起身,看向万玟丝,道:
"这里有很重的油墨味道." 林远扫了一眼庄园的墙壁和书架,"一个庄园里会弥漫这种味道,不觉得奇怪吗?"
万玟丝瞬间明白了什么,神色一凝:"你的意思是,有人在此处布下引魂阵?而我们可以从油墨有关的人查起?"
"八成是了." 林远点头,"真正的关键不在庄园,而是在那些油墨的来源."
万玟丝脸色沉了下来,立刻转身对手下命令道:"听令!去查查看周围的油墨工厂,以及是否有与庄园来往的可疑工厂!"
"是!" 几名骑士立刻出发.
"这次多谢你了." 万玟丝再次向林远点头致意.
林远摆摆手:"举手之劳."
说完,他转身离开,与乌特一同乘上马车,前往布里昂子爵家.