Caleb Wang Jinhan, don’t worry, and don’t feel guilty. I never do anything unless I’m sure I can handle it. I promise—I’ll bring William back.
Serena understood Caleb's worries. In this era, traveling far from home is hard—let alone for a woman, even a grown man might not return unscathed if he set out alone.
But that logic doesn't apply to Serena Feng. Survival in the wild isn't a problem for her. Serena lifted her head to the starry sky, her gaze unwavering...
William, wait for me. No matter what, hold on—I’m coming for you soon.
William Wang Jinling: Serena, I’ll wait for you. However long it takes, I’ll wait—as long as I’m breathing, I’ll be here waiting for you…
As soon as Caleb left, Simon Sun spoke up anxiously: "Master, it’s too dangerous for you to travel alone as a woman. Let me go with you—if I leave the Capital, no one will notice." Simon knew it was useless to try and persuade Serena, but he simply couldn’t feel at ease.
A woman out there, if she runs into trouble, it’s even worse than death. Besides, his master was so beautiful—it was even more likely to attract ill intentions.
"No, Simon. You stay and watch the house—I wouldn’t trust anyone else. And about Holden Cui’s illness, keep a close eye on him while I’m gone. Just take care of him as best you can until I get back and treat him." Serena switched topics to distract Simon.
Simon struggled for a moment, then nodded silently, his eyes dim.
Honestly, if he went along, he’d just be a burden to Master—he probably wouldn’t be much help at all. He was just a little better than a useless scholar, that’s all.
Dominic Zhai was both worried and uneasy. The way he looked at Serena was full of guilt and self-blame.
If only he weren’t Prince Samuel’s Heir—then he could leave the Capital freely to search for William. There’d be no need for Serena, a woman, to take on such a dangerous task. But his identity made it impossible for him to leave so easily.
"Don’t worry, Serena. As soon as I get back, I’ll send out everyone Prince Samuel can spare. I’ll tell them to meet up with you as soon as possible—and on the road, they’ll take orders only from you." That was all Dominic could do for Serena and William.
Okay. Dominic, get me a fast horse, and have the gate guards cover my exit when I leave. Later, let Prince Nolan know I’ve gone to look for William.
Also, have him find a way to delay my duel with the Su Clan. With Su Wan in trouble, they’ll definitely send someone else to challenge me. Tell him that whatever terms the Su Clan offers, as long as he can stall until I’m back, I’ll agree to them." Serena’s mind was racing, listing out everything that needed to be arranged and prepared.
Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Prince Nolan?" Dominic reminded her softly.
If Prince Nolan found out Serena was risking her life to save William without telling him, he’d be furious. No man could stand the thought of the woman he loves thinking only of someone else.
"No need." Serena bit her lip, ignoring the guilt in her heart.
Feelings have to be managed. She knew what she was doing today would definitely upset Prince Nolan, but she had no choice—William was in trouble, and she couldn’t just sit by.
Nolan, I hope you can understand. If you can’t, I won’t force it.
"Alright, I’ll pass on your message. Be careful. My people will do their best to stall the Wang clan troublemakers so you can focus on finding him." Dominic was happy for William, but he couldn’t help worrying, too.
If William made it back, Prince Nolan definitely wouldn’t let him off easy. After all, he’d caused Serena to risk her life.
"Mm."
Serena ignored her worries and strode out: "Everyone, get moving."
"Jada Tang, Mira Tang. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter—come here." Serena called over her six chief maids.
"Miss."
"Young Lady."
The six maids didn’t know what was happening, but seeing Serena so urgent, they understood it was serious and hurried over.
"I’ll be away for a while. You’re in charge of the house. Jada, Mira, prepare about fifteen days’ worth of dry rations and spare clothes for the road. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, get hot water ready—I need a bath." Serena, who’d never had to handle such things herself, could only leave it to her maids.
"Young Lady (Miss)? You..." The six maids gasped, but when Serena shot them a warning look, they quickly changed their question to "Yes, we’ll get everything ready right away."
After the six maids left, Serena opened her medicine chest, grabbed a sheet of paper and her homemade charcoal pencil, and quickly wrote a note saying she had urgent business and would be away for a while. She told Prince Nolan not to worry and asked him to forgive her for leaving without saying goodbye.
As for why she was leaving, Serena didn’t write it down—Dominic would explain everything to Ninth Royal Uncle later. If she put it on paper and the message leaked, it could be trouble.
Once she finished, Serena sealed the note in an envelope, planning to leave it on her desk before she left.
Serena activated her Smart Med-Pack and searched for outdoor gear. Aside from her backpack, tent, compass, shell jacket, flashlight, and sleeping bag, she couldn’t find any other suitable equipment.
She exited the Storage System and entered the Medical Ethics System. It had been so long since she’d checked, she had no idea how many points she’d earned. When she opened it, she was surprised to see over fifty Medical Ethics Points. Serena felt a surge of determination—she’d use those points to get what she needed, no regrets.
"So many points? Where did they come from?" Normally, Serena would think it over carefully, but she didn’t have time now. With more than fifty points, she could skip redeeming medicines and get military medical gear instead.
"Bullets? I can redeem bullets now—sweet, ten rounds for one point. What a scam." Serena felt exasperated, then scrolled down and just froze...
"There’s actually an AK-47 assault rifle up for redemption—but it costs three thousand points. You might as well be robbing me. Oh, and a Desert Eagle too, but where am I supposed to get two thousand points? Why are guns so expensive? Pistols and bullets aren’t necessarily for killing people—I just want them for self-defense!"
Weapons for attack required an outrageous number of points. Serena scrolled to the last page and didn’t find anything she could afford, so she gave up.
She kept searching for outdoor gear and decided the only things she really needed were a better shell jacket, a climbing kit, and maybe a parachute. All three together cost twenty points, which wasn’t too bad for her right now.
After checking her ammo case, Serena did the math, gritted her teeth, and spent ten points to redeem a hundred bullets. "Medical Ethics Points are just like money—you earn them, not save them. I’ll just have to save more people later."
Once everything was ready, Serena pulled out her backpack so Jada and Mira could pack it. She put the compass and flashlight inside—since they weren’t heavy.
The Smart Med-Pack’s Storage System could hold things, but it was inconvenient to access while traveling. Serena put the heavy items inside, but the pack could only store non-living things, not anything alive…