The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

"He must be ecstatic; I heard that the esteemed Mr. Colin bought his hotel outright," the man holding the teacup said, full of envy.

"Bought it outright?!" The wine merchant's eyes widened, disbelief written all over his face.

Who would buy a hotel just because they're staying there?!

No—

Well, it's not entirely impossible.

After all, we're talking about Mr. Colin, "the clean freak."

At that moment, a bank employee nearby nodded, confirming the rumor.

"I heard about this too. Apparently, it was fifty thousand gold coins! The manager of Harbor District Bank personally went to the hotel to handle the transaction... The money is now deposited in Harbor District Bank."

"Fifty thousand gold coins..." The crowd collectively sucked in a breath of icy air, their eyes filled with admiration, their hearts practically worshipping in awe.

Indeed, the decadence of the upper class was beyond their imagination; just a glimpse of it left them utterly amazed.

After listening to the discussion among the big shots, the watchmaker's apprentice, who had remained silent until now, finally seized the chance to interject with a remark.

"With that much money, why would anyone buy a hotel? You could just put it in the bank and live off the interest for the rest of your life..."

No one responded to him.

Because that comment was just too idiotic.

What a joke.

Is someone like *him* the kind of person who leaves money sitting in a bank to collect interest?

The crowd was busy speculating about Colin's motives. Some said he had his eye on Thunder City's port trade revenue; others said he fancied an Andes family business, and still others theorized it was due to the Empire's political turbulence, prompting major families to expand their influence.

But no matter the reason, it was good news for them.

The Empire's nobles were finally paying attention to this jewel on the northeastern coast!

Perhaps property prices in Thunder City were about to rise again...

...

Morning.

At Embrace of Dawn Hotel, in the luxurious suite by the window, Sarah, standing near the curtains, glanced once more at the street below.

She had stood guard all night yesterday, only resting her eyes briefly, but her vigorous demeanor showed no signs of exhaustion.

This was the benefit of Hell lineage.

Most demons and those with flowing Demon Blood didn't physiologically need sleep—though they certainly could sleep for ages if they felt like it.

As for Luo Yan, he typically substituted sleep with meditation.

Like he did last night.

With all the furniture moved out of the room, he ended up sitting in a chair for the entire night.

Thankfully, he could browse forum posts during his meditation, watching foolish players stir trouble and meet their demise in his domain—at least it wasn't boring.

"...I understand your concerns, but if you keep acting so suspiciously, you'll make us look like spies." Glancing at Sarah, who couldn't stop peering outside, Luo Yan casually said as he opened his eyes and emerged from his meditative state.

Returning her gaze to the room, Sarah turned around.

"I'm just worried..."

"Erin Campbell is definitely coming here, but she won't bring a sword," Luo Yan said offhandedly. "Let me guess—she'll probably wear an ice-blue gown, maybe tie a ribbon in her hair."

"How do you know that?" Sarah looked at him, surprised.

"I just made it up." Luo Yan didn't quite know why he had that intuition. He thought for a moment and realized he might've been reminded of Vivian.

Their ages should be about the same, and they occupied similar ecological roles: daughters of Duchy Dukes who were both strong-willed.

Of course.

His father, Roxey Colin, wasn't dead yet.

And the Colin Duchy was much larger than the Campbell Duchy, and far more important to Hell than Campbell Duchy was to the Empire... The former was at least on par with Ryan Kingdom in significance.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

Sarah immediately left the window, walking forward to open the door.

A servant stood at the entrance and respectfully said, "Sir, the owner of Rebecca Luxury Bedding, Mr. Jode, wishes to meet you. He has long been one of our partners... He says he's willing to gift you a new set of bedding as a token to celebrate your arrival at the port."

Sarah glanced at Luo Yan, who was seated at a triangular round table.

Luo Yan yawned and said casually, "Not interested."

Well, that was quick—the first visitor had already arrived.

Too bad it was just a small fry. Without a second thought, he tossed it back into the river.

With a change in ownership, cutting off suppliers was inevitable.

Long-term partners?

Sorry, never heard of them.

He only brought his own goods.

The servant froze for a moment, hesitated briefly, then said, "But... he's already delivered the items."

Luo Yan replied bluntly, "Tell him to take them back."

"Understood..." Although the servant found the situation strange, he ultimately said nothing more, politely bowed his head, and turned to carry out the orders.

Compared to Mr. Colin's obsession—or perhaps his stubbornness—for quality, the servant was more curious about how this esteemed guest had managed yesterday night.

Without a single bed in the room, did he really sit there all night?

Surely he hadn't slept on the floor...

Just as the servant was stepping out and moving to close the door, the respected Mr. Colin suddenly spoke up and stopped him.

"Wait."

The servant immediately halted, attentively responding, "Do you have further instructions, sir?"

Luo Yan glanced out the window and, after a brief moment of thought, continued, "Soon, a man named Jack will come here. He may not enter through the main door. When you see him, don't ask any questions—just bring him to me."

The servant froze slightly, not daring to inquire further, and bowed respectfully.

"As you wish."