"Bibu's knocking?"
Adam immediately told Silver Bell and Yu Jia to finish arranging everything.
Then he pulled out the Sunblock Elixir and started applying it to his skin.
Five hundred gold coins…
It hurt just smearing it on.
But there was no choice.
At this burn rate, their current funds wouldn't last long. If Bibu knocked on the door a few more times, he'd go broke just answering it.
Adam even started wondering whether he should run some smuggling business with Demon Chelman—and maybe Silver Bell—to subsidize expenses.
Smuggle what, though?
His thoughts drifted.
The Opium Wars came to mind.
Smuggling opium from India here… might be profitable.
But wait—
Was poppy even cultivated in India at this point?
Lost in random thoughts, Adam spread his wings and shot up the vertical shaft.
The shaft he'd dug connected the basement ceiling to the surface.
Total length: fifteen meters.
Radius: one meter.
Meaning the basement sat fifteen meters underground.
Without equipment, flight was the only way up.
Silver Bell had it easiest.
Adam, due to his bulk, had to half-fly, half-climb.
As for Yu Jia—
If Adam and Silver Bell weren't around, he couldn't get up at all.
Reaching the surface, Adam cracked the door open.
He blocked the gap with his body, preventing Bibu from seeing the mess inside.
"What is it?" Adam asked.
His tone sounded more like nobility than a mere guard.
But in Bibu's mind, Adam equaled height, gold, and generosity.
He didn't mind.
"Um… is Baron Yu Jia in?"
"The Baron left early this morning," Adam replied.
It was already afternoon.
For Adam to have built an entire underground chamber in that time…
Terrifying strength.
But that secret couldn't be revealed.
"It's like this," Bibu said.
"I came to inform Baron Yu Jia—per Athenian protocol, visiting envoys must pay respects to the Elder in charge of foreign affairs within three days."
"Today's too late. I'll take him tomorrow morning."
"Understood. I'll relay the message."
Adam handed him a gold coin.
"Thank you."
Then he shut the door.
Leaving Bibu stunned.
"Even rich men's guards are different…"
Bibu muttered, wiping the coin happily.
"In this world, money really does talk…"
Suddenly—
A hand shot over and snatched the coin.
"Hey! Old man!"
A slightly chubby young man examined the coin with a sly grin.
"So Corsica finally sent funds and you didn't tell me?"
"This isn't Corsican funding!" Bibu protested.
"It's a tip from Baron Yu Jia's guard."
Even as he said it, he lacked confidence.
A baron receiving tips from a guard…
Embarrassing.
The fat youth glanced at the door, then smirked.
"Don't care. I haven't been paid in three months."
He pocketed the coin and banged hard on the door.
"Hello! Honored guard! Please open up, thank you!"
"Qienuo, what are you doing?" Bibu tried to stop him.
"What am I doing?"
He sneered.
"I'm laughing at how stupid you are."
"They must've brought Corsican funds and hid it from us."
"Think about it. What guard casually hands out gold coins as tips?"
"But the official letter never mentioned funding!" Bibu argued.
"Idiot!"
"Believe what you want. I just want my salary."
"If Corsica hadn't run into pirate trouble, I'd have gone back already."
"Except for you, stubborn old fossil, who wants to stay in this dump unpaid?"
He shoved Bibu aside.
"You can't do this!" Bibu protested.
"Baseless accusations insult nobility!"
"And even if they have money, that's normal. Wealth isn't measured by title anymore!"
Qienuo sneered.
"Bullshit nobility."
"You think nobles use personal wealth for public work?"
At that moment—
The door creaked open.
Adam's massive frame filled the gap.
Qienuo inhaled sharply and stumbled back.
To ordinary humans—
Adam's musculature was terrifying.
Almost anyone facing him alone would feel fear.
Adam himself even wondered—
How did higher vampires like the Abyssal Lord he saw on the North African coast maintain such slender builds with overwhelming power?
Probably blood arts again.
"What do you want?" Adam said coldly.
He'd heard everything.
Now he understood why Baron Bibu had opened the door personally last night instead of this so-called secretary.
The man was practically half-resigned.
"Uh…"
Qienuo swallowed hard.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
After a long pause, he forced a flattering smile.
"I just wanted to ask… did Corsica send funding?"
"You can read the official letter," Adam said flatly.
"No need to ask me."
He had zero interest in wasting words on petty villains.
Some said—
Better offend gentlemen than villains.
But were villains untouchable?
No.
The opposite.
If you retreated, they'd push further.
Hit them hard once.
If they came again—hit again.
Until they learned fear.
From one angle—
Villains and dogs were alike.
They bullied the weak and feared the strong.
Seeing Adam's cold stance, Qienuo shrank slightly.
He glanced back at Bibu, then forced another smile.
"I mean… could there be funding not written in the letter?"
"You can write to Corsica and ask."
Adam's face was expressionless.
Same answer.
Seeing tension rise, Bibu hurried over.
"Apologies. Qienuo offended you. Please don't take it to heart."
"It's fine."
Adam waved lightly and shut the door.
The moment it closed—
Qienuo's expression changed back.
"I told you not to do that," Bibu scolded.
"You offended them."
He'd taken Adam's coin, so naturally he defended him.
Plus Qienuo was clearly being unreasonable.
"Idiot," Qienuo shot back.
"If they embezzled funds, would they admit it?"
"The guard's reaction gave it away."
"I hit the truth."
He snorted.
"I won't let this go."
"I'll make them spit the money out—double."
With that, he stormed off toward the main hall.
Leaving Bibu shaking his head helplessly.
Qienuo was convinced Adam's group had embezzled funds that didn't even exist.
No evidence would change his mind now.
Inside the room—
Before jumping back into the shaft, Adam glanced once more at the door.
Was he worried about Qienuo?
Not really.
But given their situation—
Until they entered the Athenaeum Library and mastered blood arts—
He had to stay cautious.
His generosity had been meant to smooth relations.
Win allies.
Make things easier.
Instead—
Showing wealth invited trouble.
A universal truth.
This matter…
Wouldn't end easily.
Sighing, Adam dropped into the vertical tunnel.
Darkness swallowed him as he descended back into the underground kingdom.