Finally, Yu Jia and Bibu emerged from the International Hall. Bibu looked cheerful, but Yu Jia's face was pale as death.
Why did he look so grim? Had something happened? Adam thought, stepping forward. The keen-eyed coachman, seeing them coming out, quickly drove over.
Yu Jia's expression darkened further when he saw Adam. He stared at him for a long moment, then pushed past without a word and climbed onto the carriage alone.
"What happened?" Adam asked.
"I don't know," Bibu shook his head, intending to follow Yu Jia onto the carriage. Then he noticed the three long scrolls in his hand.
"What's that?" Adam asked.
"Oh, these?" Bibu said, turning to hand them over. "The elders sent them. Wanted posters—we're supposed to deliver them back to Corsica."
Wanted posters? Adam felt a sinking premonition as he took the scrolls and unrolled one.
Red letters at the top: WANTED.Below, three portraits: Adam, Yin Ling, and the Baron of Smoke. Labels read: "Vampires—Extremely Dangerous!" Reward: Adam—1,000,000 gold coins, Yin Ling—20,000, Baron of Smoke—50,000…
A line of small print followed: "Provide credible information: half the reward. Deliver the body: half reward. Capture alive: full reward."Signed: Holy Greek Republic, Athens Senate, God-King Zeus…
No need to say it—the giant Apollo had already reported Adam's rebirth to Olympus. Now every force was mobilizing to hunt him. The kicker? Adam was personally handed his own wanted notice.
Seeing Adam's expression, Bibu chuckled from his seat: "Shocked? Me too. This reward… it's insane. I've never seen a bounty over 100,000 coins. And now… one million? Even the Corsican government probably can't cough up that much at once. Is it really necessary to spend so much just to catch a few vampires?"
Adam glanced at the carriage. Yu Jia was staring at him coldly.
Adam and Yin Ling's appearances had changed—Bibu naturally didn't recognize them. But Yu Jia knew. He had transformed them himself. No wonder he felt duped—he was now traveling with a super wanted criminal. He couldn't show it with Bibu around, but the tension was palpable.
The carriage was filled with icy silence all the way back to the dilapidated Corsican manor. As soon as they entered, Yu Jia barked:
"Adam, come in here."
Knowing he was in the wrong, Adam nodded and followed him into the room. Locking the door behind them, Yu Jia immediately exploded. His voice was sharp, almost inhuman:
"What do you have to say for yourself?" His gaze could have torn Adam apart.
"What's there to say?" Adam shrugged.
"Nothing to say? I thought you were just a private-born vampire!"
"Private-born or wanted criminal… it's the same. Either way, someone will report you, someone will hunt you. And a wanted criminal? They might even get killed for the full bounty. Private-born vampires? Death is inevitable," Adam said.
Yu Jia's face twisted: "No difference? I could appear in front of them and nobody would report me—they wouldn't even know I'm a vampire. But your face… printed on wanted posters all over the world! It may already have crossed the Atlantic to North America!"
Adam sighed. "I said it makes no difference. Look, Bibu saw the posters, didn't recognize me. Today I even wandered around the place issuing wanted notices—no one noticed, some even tried to hire me as a bodyguard."
"That… that's because of me!" Yu Jia huffed, clearly too angry to think clearly.
A private-born vampire and a globally wanted vampire are worlds apart—but Yu Jia couldn't articulate exactly why.
From the basement's vertical passage, Yin Ling's voice called:
"What's going on?"
"Nothing. We'll explain downstairs." Adam grabbed Yu Jia, ignoring his struggling, and carried him down.
He dumped Yu Jia onto the floor, then tossed the three scrolls to Yin Ling.
Yin Ling unrolled one, frowning: "Am I really that ugly?"
"Not the point!" Yu Jia roared from the floor.
"Not the point? Oh, right… why am I only worth 20,000 coins? I was Musa's top beauty! This is insulting," Yin Ling continued, her attention completely derailing.
"Focus! Look at the title!" Yu Jia screamed, exasperated by her scattered attention.
"Title? There's nothing here," Yin Ling replied, unrolling the wanted poster with a grin. The words WANTED stared back.
Kumu took the remaining two scrolls, quietly examining them without comment.
Yu Jia glanced at Adam: expression calm.Then at Yin Ling: frowning at her poorly drawn portrait.Then at Kumu: expression neutral.
"Don't you guys see the problem?" Yu Jia clutched his head. "This is insane! The world's gone mad! You're being hunted globally! Can you at least react normally? I can't believe I'm stuck with you lot—heavens!"
Ignoring the hysterical Yu Jia, Adam said to Yin Ling: "Your father is wanted too."
"Oh?" Yin Ling leaned over Kumu to look at the other two scrolls. "Father—50,000 coins. He'll be thrilled. Except he's in the First City; he won't see it. Wow! Adam—one million coins! Impressive!"
For Yin Ling, all escapees were the same. Being wanted or not didn't matter—a mindset Adam shared.
"Kumu, the Baron of Smoke wasn't caught?"
"Nope," Kumu said, conservative as always. "Now that he's second-generation, we call him His Highness. He even contacted me later."
"Where is he now?" Yin Ling suddenly shrieked.
"Should be in Krimasa. The Classics and Vines are there too. And your brother."
Krimasa… right. The Baron had suggested everyone retreat there and for Adam to learn the secret arts. Now that route was blocked, but Adam understood the Baron's reasoning: if Adam escaped, he might go to Krimasa, where he would be waiting.
Yin Ling's voice wavered: "I… I miss Father and my brother… I want to go to Krimasa…" Her tears fell one by one, a girl suddenly left alone in a harsh world.
Even vampires, in moments of no retreat, show human vulnerability. Yin Ling was normally strong—but knowing her father still lived shattered her composure; the dam of her heart had burst.