HLM – Chapter 17 The Living Castle

The Lord’s Heart consisted of two parts: the roulette wheel and the sandbox. The roulette wheel allowed him to draw prizes—such as the Heart of the Castle. But to activate it, it required absorbing the green mist on the sandbox; only after turning pale green could it be used.

As for the sandbox, it could be combined with objects like the Heart of the Castle. Once merged, Wang Bo could fully control that specific region, allowing him to supervise anything that happened within the territory anytime, anywhere.

Moreover, everything inside the castle was completely under his control. For instance, the wooden chest that had once stored the red case—when he shrunk the castle and located the box, he could crush what would otherwise be a massive real-world solid wood chest with just two fingers!

However, the area he could control was limited to the castle. Other parts of the sandbox—like the grasslands, hills, and forests—still appeared like sculptures. He couldn’t place anything in them or retrieve anything from them.

Over the next two days, Wang Bo kept exploring, trying to uncover the truth behind the so-called haunting of the castle. But there were no ghosts at all—hardly even any living things. Just one gray bird and a few rats, cockroaches, and spiders…

During those two days, the paperwork for establishing the town and registering Wang Bo’s local residency was also completed. All that remained now was to wait for the government funding to be disbursed so that the major project of building the town could officially begin.

On the third day of mastering the Lord’s Heart, Charlie left the small town for Wellington—both to report on the project and to help Wang Bo push for the release of funds.

“You’re really leaving?” Before he left, Wang Bo clutched Charlie’s arm, reluctant to part.

Though he had already been in New Zealand for over a week, the environment still felt completely foreign to him. These past few days, Charlie had been his rock—offering guidance and support, helping him out of tight spots.

Charlie grinned, pulled him in for a hug, and patted his back jokingly. “It’s time for you to be independent. Little birds have to learn to fly out from under mama bird’s wings someday. Of course I’ll be back. I need to help you get the basic framework of the town set up—that’s my job.”

At that moment, a bald white guy happened to walk by. When he saw the two embracing, he let out a loud whistle and said teasingly, “What a heartwarming display of true love.”

Wang Bo couldn’t be bothered to entertain that idiot. He patted Charlie on the shoulder and said, “Then I wish you a safe trip.”

Charlie said he’d be in Wellington for at most ten days, promising to be back before Christmas. In the meantime, he told Wang Bo to contact Sheriff Smith if he needed anything and to stay in town for a few days longer—he’d need to visit the police station soon to complete his own onboarding process.

“If you get bored, you could drop by the station and learn a bit about being a sheriff from Sheriff Smith. There’s a town sports meet this weekend too—you might even get lucky and meet someone special,” Charlie added, giving him a rough plan.

But Wang Bo didn’t go. After all, he wasn’t that familiar with the police station crowd. Once Charlie left, he had more important things to do—like returning to the castle!

Before heading off, he gave Sheriff Smith a quick call, letting him know he was going back to the castle. Sheriff Smith was genuinely a good guy. Knowing that the road back to Sunset Town rarely saw any traffic, he specially arranged for a young officer named Robert to drive Wang Bo back to the castle.

The police vehicle departed from the small town of Omarama, heading northwest—the direction of the castle.

Robert was a young white man under thirty, physically strong and naturally optimistic. He drove an off-road police SUV, navigating the bumpy dirt roads as he grumbled, “Buddy, listen to me—if you’re serious about building a town, the first thing you need is a proper road! God, just this one round trip might kill my poor car!”

Wang Bo gave an awkward laugh. In such a remote area, cars really did struggle to get through. There was a dirt path—more like tire tracks left by passing vehicles—but it was far from smooth.

Sunset Town’s location was actually quite important. While much of its land was mountainous due to its position against the Southern Alps, the southern region was part of the Canterbury Plains, connecting Omarama, Louis Town, Wanderers Town, and Cromwell.

With only five or six kilometers left to the castle, the terrain became too mountainous for the vehicle to continue. Wang Bo jumped out of the car, saying he’d run the rest of the way.

Robert looked at him in disbelief. “You’re going to run back? I believe in your athleticism, but what about all that luggage?”

Wang Bo was carrying a bulging, oversized mountaineering backpack. It looked heavy, but was mostly filled with foam panels. Once on his back, he barely felt it. He took off at a sprint.

“Damn, like a damn stallion!” Robert marveled. “Youth is awesome. Hell, I envy those little punks. Wish I could be twenty again—even though I’m only thirty.”

Back at the castle, Wang Bo stood halfway up the mountain, carefully observing. He felt the castle had changed. Compared to the last time he examined it, the outer walls now seemed neater, even a little newer—not as dilapidated as before.

The rough stone walls, once covered in climbing vines, now showed those plants withered and dead. The moss that used to grow in the shaded areas was also gone.

He looked at the vegetation on the mountainside—it was still lush and full of life. So why had the vines and moss died?

Stepping into the castle, the changes were even more dramatic!

Previously, with only the old baronet living here for years, the place had felt desolate and lifeless. Now, there was a sense of vitality. Even the once-dead tree in the courtyard had sprouted fresh buds and leaves. Its pale trunk now bore patches of green.

The courtyard had once been overrun with wild weeds, some waist-high. But now, the weeds had all turned yellow and brittle. Some smaller ones had withered completely, their dried-up remains carried away by the mountain wind.

Inside the main building, it felt as if a professional cleaning service had come through. The thick layers of dust were gone. The marble floor was pristine, smooth and reflective like a mirror.

The last time he visited, the castle had felt like a gloomy ghost town. But now, even though it was still empty, it pulsed with life and energy. It almost felt… alive.

“Damn! The Heart of the Castle is insane!” Wang Bo finally understood. The Heart of the Castle didn’t just let him control the structure—it was also gradually restoring and maintaining it.

No wonder the guide had said that with the Heart of the Territory, one could build a top-tier domain…

Standing in the polished, gleaming great hall, Wang Bo dropped his backpack, clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly closed his eyes. As the master of this place, he truly felt like nobility.

“Ah! Someone’s coming! Ah! Someone’s coming!”

A sharp and awkward voice suddenly echoed out again. Wang Bo had good hearing—he definitely wasn’t mistaken. He immediately opened his eyes. Could it really be a ghost? Who was making that sound?

He quickly pulled out the sandbox and zoomed in on the castle, monitoring the hall and surrounding areas. There was nothing there—just the same gray bird he had seen many times before, fluttering off toward the corridor.