Serena Feng felt the world spinning, her whole body losing its center of gravity. Just as she finally steadied herself and prepared to fight back, she was swept into a burning hot embrace...
The unmistakable scent of bamboo filled the air—unique to him. Even without seeing his face, Serena knew exactly who it was. She forced her raised hand to drop.
"Let me go." Serena tried to push him away, but Ninth Royal Uncle only held her tighter. "Sit still. I have no interest in doing this all over again."
"Guards, after them!" A flash of killing intent swept through William Wang Jinling's eyes as he pointed in the direction Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle had gone and gave the order.
"Yes, sir!"
Eight shadow guards shot forward like lightning, but no matter how fast they ran, they couldn't match Ninth Royal Uncle's thousand-mile steed. In a blink, both horse and rider vanished from sight.
William Wang Jinling fumed. He hadn't even seen clearly who took Serena away, nor did he know if she was in danger. But just then, the horse that had snatched her doubled back, and he could vaguely make out Serena held tightly in that person's arms.
The shadow guards kept falling back, trying to surround the horse and rider, but the other side gave them no chance. The horse never slowed. From far off, the rider called out, "William Wang Jinling, I'm taking her. No one else needs to worry about my woman."
That voice...?
"Ninth Royal Uncle?" William blurted out.
"That's right, it's me." With that, he ignored the galloping horse's speed and turned its head around, doubling back...
The steed neighed, its forelegs kicking high before landing smoothly, then charged toward the Ninth Prince's Estate again. In the blink of an eye, it hadn't stopped for a single step.
No one saw how Ninth Royal Uncle did it, but they all knew he had succeeded—making a galloping horse turn, ignoring the shadow guards' encirclement, coming and going like dust.
The shadow guards stood where they were, faces expressionless, but deep down they were full of respect. Even though they'd be punished by their master because of this man, not one of them felt resentment.
To lose to a man like that is no shame.
William Wang Jinling closed his eyes, hiding the exhaustion there. Just as the shadow guards thought they'd be scolded and punished, William simply said, "Let's go back."
The most helpless, most profound response.
Jada Tang and Mira Tang knelt where they were, unsure how to go on. Leon Li saw this and didn't dare speak—the Wang clan was beyond his ability to offend, and Ninth Royal Uncle was even more so.
William Wang Jinling walked to the carriage, suddenly stopping. With his back to the flames, he said, "You two go back to House Wang. Commander Leon Li, please go to the palace and report the Feng Manor incident to His Majesty."
After giving his instructions, he boarded the carriage himself. The outsiders at Feng Manor quickly dispersed, leaving only the raging fire behind...
Ninth Royal Uncle carried Serena Feng at a full gallop all the way back to the Ninth Prince's Estate. Tonight, the usually cold and quiet estate was as bright as day.
Servants bustled to and fro, and as soon as Serena entered, she received the best care. Before long, she was bathed, changed, and her injuries tended.
A servant led Serena to a side hall. Ninth Royal Uncle sat in the shadows, and when he saw her, he looked up, idly playing with a small embroidered pouch. Serena's eyes widened at the sight.
Wasn't that pouch the one Ninth Royal Uncle gave her? How did it end up back in his hands?
She'd been so focused on grabbing the wooden box that she'd forgotten about the pouch. For some reason, seeing it in his hands made her feel exposed, as if all her thoughts had been laid bare before him.
Serena bit her lip and turned away, refusing to look at Ninth Royal Uncle or the pouch in his hand.
"Sit." Perhaps thinking of all Serena had suffered today, Ninth Royal Uncle was unusually gentle—he didn't make things difficult for her. The pouch slipped into his sleeve.
Serena's emotions were still swayed by him; he'd already gotten the answer he wanted. That was enough.
"Thank you, Ninth Royal Uncle." Serena snapped back to herself and chose the seat farthest from him, keeping her head down and staring at her toes.
She had no idea what Ninth Royal Uncle wanted, and right now she wasn't in the mood to spar with him. There was so much on her mind, so much she needed to do.
With Feng Manor burned down, where would she live? When would it be rebuilt? Where would the money come from? Her parents' cenotaph—she'd once been able to store a few old garments there, but now, with this fire, everything was destroyed. Even her parents' old belongings were gone...
Her heart clenched with pain; she wanted nothing more than to storm into the palace and carve Liam Li up, piece by piece.
Ninth Royal Uncle kept watching Serena, seeing her cycle from grief to confusion to anger. A faint ache stirred in his heart, but he soon calmed himself.
At least Serena was still alive. That was enough. When he'd heard from his spies that Feng Manor was on fire and Serena's whereabouts unknown, he'd been utterly stunned. In that moment, he wanted only one thing: Serena must not die. If she did, he would bury the entire palace with her.
All of Ninth Royal Uncle's emotions were hidden in those deep, unreadable eyes. No one could see through him. When Serena's mood finally calmed, he asked, "Do you know who did it?"
"I can mostly guess. I'll confirm it later. With such a big commotion, it's impossible not to leave traces." The moment the fireworks appeared, plus the news Ninth Royal Uncle had given her before, Serena knew this was tied to Liam Li. No one else would go to such lengths to kill her—it simply wasn't worth it.
As soon as the fireworks went up, Feng Manor was set ablaze. There was no way this was a coincidence—the fire was clearly deliberate. Maybe even the Emperor knew about it and allowed Liam Li to take revenge. Otherwise, the culprit couldn't have slipped past the Imperial Guards and set the fire without a sound.
Although only an hour had passed since the fire started, it was enough time for Ninth Royal Uncle to uncover the truth. To make such a bold yet foolish move, it couldn't have been a smart person. Many in the capital wanted Serena dead, but only one was dumb enough to act so brazenly.
"Have you decided what to do?" His tone was all business, utterly devoid of warmth—like a man negotiating, not rescuing.
Serena was fully on guard. Hearing his words, alarm bells rang in her mind. She replied, distant and polite, "Thank you for your concern, Ninth Royal Uncle. I know what to do."
"What are you going to do?" Serena tried to avoid the question, but Ninth Royal Uncle wouldn't let her. His dark eyes locked with hers, as if he could see straight through her.
Faced with Ninth Royal Uncle's burning gaze, Serena dropped her head in embarrassment, gritting her teeth as she forced out, "This is my business. I'll handle it myself—your concern isn't needed."
She was afraid—afraid he'd use this to force her into making Thunderblast Grenades. Those were something she never wanted to touch. She wasn't a blood-soaked soldier, but after years in the army, she knew weapons better than Liam Li ever could. If she made Thunderblast Grenades, they'd be far more powerful than his.
"You... don't trust me?" The wariness in Serena's eyes stung. That ache in his chest was back, and Ninth Royal Uncle instinctively clutched at his heart, his eyes full of hidden hope.
Serena, trust me—just this once!
Please!