Prince Terrence was certain that the City Lord of Night City had already noticed the problem—but he hadn’t yet realized how severe it was. Otherwise, he would have personally dragged Reid Yale to Feng Manor and knelt before Serena Feng, begging her to spare Night City.
The danger facing Night City wouldn’t erupt immediately, but once it did, there would be no turning back—the entire city would collapse.
To subdue your enemy without fighting—this is true mastery, and Serena Feng is a strategist of the highest order. That’s exactly why Prince Terrence takes her so seriously, even risking Princess Yara and using her child to scheme against Serena.
Serena Feng and Ninth Royal Uncle—these two are too cunning, too terrifying. They have patience, vision, and skill. They never act for instant gratification; they plan before they move, and when they do, it’s always a devastating blow to their opponents.
Serena Feng might let you off on the surface, but underneath, she’ll take back double—and always targets what you care about most.
Her revenge never comes immediately. Serena works in the shadows, planning for the long term, eating away at her enemies bit by bit. If her opponents aren’t vigilant, they won’t even notice what she’s done—because her actions don’t show results right away.
Prince Terrence noticed all this and even warned Reid Yale, but unfortunately, Reid didn’t appreciate it—he didn’t take Serena Feng seriously at all. Of course...
Whether it’s Prince Terrence’s worries or Reid Yale’s indifference, none of it matters to Serena Feng. Right now, she doesn’t care about anything except giving her parents a peaceful burial. She just wants the funeral to go smoothly, without anyone like Princess Yara showing up to ruin it.
Thankfully, not everyone hates her as much as Princess Yara does, or chooses her parents’ funeral to stir up trouble. After leaving the city, everything went smoothly. The sky stayed gloomy but didn’t rain, so their pace wasn’t affected.
They picked up the pace a little and arrived outside the cemetery right on schedule. Serena Feng had already inspected the grave after it was built—its solemn, imposing atmosphere left even her, with all her high standards, without a single complaint.
Although the construction was rushed, not a single detail was sloppy—every part was exquisitely crafted. Serena Feng originally wanted to thank Vincent Su in person, but when Vincent heard the news, he quickly sent word that it wasn’t necessary; she shouldn’t worry about formal thanks.
Right now, the last person Vincent Su wanted to see was Serena Feng. Every time he saw her, he thought of his own illness and those hidden medicines. He almost wished every man in the Nine Provinces Realm had kidney deficiency like him, so he wouldn’t feel singled out.
Being a doctor is a profession that invites resentment, especially when that doctor knows your private secrets.
Serena Feng was busy as well. Since Vincent said there was no need to visit, she simply didn’t go.
The coffins approached the cemetery, getting closer and closer. Serena felt more and more reluctant to let go. Once her parents were buried, she’d only be able to visit them at their graves.
Her eyes stung, her heart ached. As she looked up at the cemetery ahead, the scene that met her eyes made Serena freeze—her sorrow was interrupted.
“Someone’s at the cemetery?”
From a distance, it looked like a human figure.
Who could be here at this hour?
“Someone? Someone beat us here?” William Wang urged his horse forward, raising his head to look…
Sure enough, there was a black-clad figure in front of the cemetery. The cold wind whipped his robes and black hair, and even from behind, he radiated a lonely pride that kept others at a distance.
“Go see who it is,” Prince Nathan said to Dominic Zhai.
Among their group, only Dominic Zhai was skilled in martial arts—who else would Prince Nathan send? Ever since becoming a prince, Nathan had gotten used to ordering people around.
“No need,” Vincent Su rode forward and stopped Dominic. “That’s Ninth Royal Uncle. He couldn’t leave from the Capital, so he waited here.”
“Ninth Royal Uncle? How could it be him? When did he arrive?” Not just Serena Feng—everyone was stunned. They’d thought Nolan Doyle wouldn’t come, but he’d arrived before anyone else.
That alone proved how much Nolan Doyle cared about Serena; anything related to her, he kept close to his heart.
“I don’t know either. Just go ask him,” Vincent Su shrugged. He hadn’t known Nolan would come—he was just guessing, since ordinary people couldn’t enter the cemetery today.
To prevent trouble, Nolan had deployed Divine Tactics Corps troops yesterday, stationing them outside the city and cemetery, clearing all obstacles along the way. That’s why Serena’s procession went so smoothly after leaving the Capital.
As for the Yara incident, Nolan had underestimated things—he didn’t expect someone so reckless to cause trouble for Serena right in the Capital, risking public outrage.
Luckily, Serena didn’t fall for it; otherwise, today’s funeral would have been interrupted.
“Let’s go.” Serena pushed down her emotions and forced herself to appear calm. She could fool others, but not William Wang, who’d been watching her closely.
You had to admit, Nolan Doyle was a true master of manipulating hearts. With this move, the rest of them became his mere foils. Their company along the way couldn’t compare to Nolan, who had waited here from the start.
He was a step ahead—William Wang had nothing to say.
The coffins stopped in front of the grave. Everyone had already dismounted. William Wang, Prince Nathan, and Serena walked side by side, ready to greet Nolan—but before they could speak, Nolan interrupted: “No need for formalities. The hour has come. General Feng and Madame Feng’s rest comes first.”
Nolan’s face was expressionless. If he weren’t dressed in black, people might doubt he was here for a funeral at all.
By putting General Feng and Madame Feng’s rest above all else, Nolan won another round. Since he’d spoken, no one could object. Everything proceeded by the book—the coffins were buried, and everyone stepped forward to pay their respects.
Serena stood before the grave, neither crying nor smiling. Only when the coffins were fully buried did she suddenly kneel.
She didn’t cry or lose control, didn’t rush forward to dig up the earth or stop the burial. She simply knelt before the tombstone, her shoulders trembling, fingers tracing its surface.
The tombstone was simple—no titles like ‘Marquis of Loyalty,’ just: “Grave of Father Feng Zhan and Mother Emma Lu; Daughter Serena.”
Because, as Serena said, imperial honors meant nothing to her parents, and nothing to her. She would make her parents proud of her. Of all the words on the stone, “Daughter Serena” mattered most.
Serena’s fingers were the most fragile part of her body. Just by tracing the engraved words, she drew blood. The bright red seeped into the carved characters, quickly drying into a faint brown stain.
Those who knew Serena well understood—her hands were her treasure. She never let anyone touch them, would rather ruin her face than injure her hands. But at this moment…
Her index finger was already bleeding, but she didn’t stop—she kept tracing every groove as if she couldn’t feel pain.
Nolan and William Wang stood behind her, left and right, wanting to comfort her but unable to find the words. Besides…
Sometimes, it was better to let Serena vent her grief than to keep it bottled up inside.
But while those two could bear to watch, Simon Sun and Prince Nathan couldn’t. They stepped forward together and knelt beside Serena: “Master, please don’t do this. You always said that for a surgeon, nimble hands are everything. Heads can roll, blood can flow, but hands must never be harmed. How can you destroy your own hands?”
Most surgeons wouldn’t protect their hands so fiercely, but those who performed delicate operations had to. In surgery, even a half-millimeter error was unacceptable—if your fingers weren’t nimble, you couldn’t do it.
“Sister, please don’t do this. General Feng and Madame Feng can finally rest in peace. You should be happy.” Finding their bodies was better than just building a cenotaph.
“Master, if you keep this up, even the spirits of your teacher-grandparents won’t be at peace.” Simon Sun’s eyes were red as he looked up at the sky.
Her parents were finally buried, but what about his own? Where were they? Why had they abandoned him…
“I’ll be all right… I’ll live well, and make sure the Feng name endures.” A single tear slid from Serena’s eye as she withdrew her hand, finally stopping her self-torment.
And just as she stood, rain began to fall—soft, steady drops. It was the first rain since the blizzard. Though light, it was dense enough to soak everyone’s mourning clothes within moments…
While Serena’s parents were being laid to rest, Princess Yara was also struggling between life and death. Basins of blood were carried from her room, imperial physicians shouted anxiously, and midwives and maids rushed in and out in a panic.
Princess Yara’s condition was dire. The child was dead in her womb, but Yara remained unconscious. The dead fetus couldn’t be removed, and the bleeding wouldn’t stop. If this continued, Yara would never survive—a mother and child dying together was all too possible.
Don’t think only childbirth is dangerous—miscarriage is just as deadly, and far more damaging to the body. The imperial physicians had already prepared for the worst; now, all they could do was their best and leave the rest to fate.
Prince Adrian paced anxiously outside. He didn’t love Yara, but the child was innocent—his own flesh and blood. Seeing all that crimson, his eyes reddened with grief.
“Why? Why does she hate me so much? She wouldn’t even spare my child—that was a life, my own blood! The Lyndarian royal family has gone too far!” Adrian seized Crown Prince Terrence’s robe, shouting in fury.
His child was gone the moment he learned of its existence. Yara had used the baby as a weapon against Serena—how could he not be angry?
“Adrian, calm down. Yara didn’t know she was pregnant—today’s tragedy was an accident.” Terrence lied through his teeth.
After sending Reid Yale away, Terrence had rushed back.
Yara was his sister, and they’d still need Adrian’s support in the future. He couldn’t let Adrian grow to hate Yara—otherwise, once she married into Eastlyn, she’d be cornered at every turn…