Chess Piece, Ninth Royal Uncle Makes His Move

Where is Serena Feng?

Just as the Emperor's ominous prediction came true, Serena was discovered by Julius Zhu's remaining followers—Southern Lyn Kingdom's undercover agents—who wasted no courtesy and promptly abducted her.

Eighteen elite fighters were dispatched just to capture Serena Feng. Seeing such a spectacle, Serena couldn't help but laugh—these people were really taking her seriously.

Eighteen masters? Fine, better surrender and save her strength.

Originally, these eighteen fighters expected a fierce battle, but Serena Feng had no intention of resisting. She simply stood there, fully cooperative, waiting for them to tie her up.

Her composed and unruffled manner made it seem as if she were simply a guest stepping out, not a captive facing humiliation or panic.

"Serena Feng, do you know who we are? We're Chancellor Julius Zhu's men, and we're here to kill you today." The leader, seeing Serena's demeanor, reiterated his identity.

For a kidnapper, the greatest satisfaction comes from seeing the victim terrified, begging for mercy—that's what gives them a sense of accomplishment.

But this Serena Feng?

Honestly, this was the best-prepared and easiest job they'd ever had.

Serena Feng nodded, "I know. I figured it out as soon as you showed up. But before you kill me, shouldn't you put me to good use? You know I'm a doctor—I'm good at treating wounds. You should let me patch up your injured men before you kill me."

Julius Zhu's men were bound to have some injuries, and besides, if they really wanted her dead, they'd have just done it without all this talk.

It was such a reasonable suggestion, and with Serena Feng's cooperation, these men couldn't help but be tempted. Besides, their orders were clear: capture her alive if possible; only kill if they couldn't.

"Serena Feng really is Serena Feng. You're definitely different. All right, since you're being so cooperative, I won't make things hard for you. Blindfold yourself." The leader tossed her a strip of black cloth.

Serena Feng, caught off guard, let the black cloth fall to the ground. Under the watchful eyes of eighteen burly men, she calmly picked it up, dusted it off, then took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, folded it with the cloth, and prepared to blindfold herself.

"Serena Feng, what are you doing?" The leader was puzzled—one layer was enough to block her sight, so why use two? She was almost too cooperative.

"It's dirty. Bad for the eyes." Serena Feng replied matter-of-factly, handing the cloth and handkerchief to the leader, signaling she had no other intentions.

The leader, wary of tricks, carefully inspected the handkerchief. After making sure it was harmless, he handed it back to Serena. "Women are so troublesome—about to die and still worried about cleanliness."

Serena just smiled, saying nothing. She folded the handkerchief and cloth together, covered her eyes, and—unbeknownst to the eighteen men—quietly shifted the handkerchief down, just enough to cover her nose.

Serena took a deep breath...

The smell was awful, but it definitely kept her alert.

That handkerchief had been soaked in medicated solution—specifically to block knockout drugs like 'monghan powder.'

No help for it—thanks to watching too much TV, Serena always knew ancient knockout powders were no joke. As a doctor, she's all about prevention: if you can avoid getting sick, you won't have to treat it. Same principle here—better safe than sorry. If she really got hit with knockout drugs, she'd be out cold with no chance to fight back.

She hadn't expected to actually use this trick, but you never know—maybe they'd drug her, maybe not. Better to be prepared.

As soon as she was blindfolded, two men grabbed her and started running like their lives depended on it, branches and leaves whipping at her along the way.

If she guessed right, they were heading into the mountains. No wonder they weren't using horses—the terrain was too rough. Even protected in the middle, she still got scratched and stabbed by branches and thorns.

Just when Serena thought they'd keep running deeper into the mountains, she was suddenly thrown onto a horse.

Thrown. Literally.

At that moment, Serena was like a sack of goods, sprawled over the horse's back, her chest pressed against the saddle, legs dangling. It was as miserable as it sounded, and the road was so bumpy she felt every organ ache. Honestly, she didn't need knockout drugs—she'd pass out from this alone.

With every jolt, she slid further down, until one of her captors grabbed her and hauled her back up.

Ugh... This is straight-up prisoner abuse.

You'd better pray I don't get out alive—and pray you never fall into my hands. If you do, I'll beat you till your skin splits, smear you in honey, and toss you in the mountains to let the ants have a feast.

Of course, Serena could only curse them in her heart. On the outside, she acted completely unconcerned. Even though her limbs weren't tied, she made no move to remove the blindfold or try to escape.

She knew perfectly well she couldn't pull it off. If she could, she would've drawn her gun the moment they appeared.

These eighteen men were calm and deadly, surrounding her in an instant. Even if she had perfect aim and twin pistols, there was no way out in that situation—especially with just a tiny handgun that could fire only one round at a time.

Chances are, by the time she fired a second shot, someone would've kicked her to death.

"You're surprisingly cooperative." The man escorting Serena was genuinely surprised. After mounting up, he'd deliberately given her plenty of chances to run, but she hadn't even tried.

Was this really the sharp, decisive Serena Feng who never let herself get taken advantage of?

Maybe the rumors were wrong!

"I'm always practical." Serena, on the verge of throwing up from the jolting ride, still managed to answer.

She wasn't an idiot. Eighteen masters sent to catch her, and they left such an obvious opening? Please, it's not like this is her first time being kidnapped.

"You really are practical. I hope you stay that way—maybe our master will see your value and spare your life." The man offered a rare bit of advice.

Honestly, if Serena had tried to run just now, they wouldn't have bothered to chase her.

Serena's eyes were blindfolded, but her captors knew exactly where they were. The path wound up the mountain: steep rock on the right, a sheer cliff on the left—just wide enough for a single horse.

Of course, not just any horse could handle it—theirs were specially trained. Ordinary horses wouldn't dare set foot here.

If Serena tried to escape, she'd either smash into the mountain on the right or tumble off the cliff on the left—instant death either way.

In fact, eight out of ten people they kidnapped every year died right here.

Everyone dreams of escaping, only to find out that running is a guaranteed death sentence.

......

Ninth Prince Manor.

"Prince, the shadow guards have reported—Miss Feng has been taken by the Southern Lyn people. Our men followed all the way, leaving markers along the route, and we've already sprinkled special scent on Miss Feng. The hummingbirds will track her, and this time we'll definitely find the Southern Lyn Third Prince's hideout."

The messenger was visibly excited—even with his head bowed, he couldn't hide his admiration for Ninth Royal Uncle.

Just by using Serena Feng, they'd finally located Southern Lyn's base in Eastlyn. Ninth Royal Uncle really was formidable.

They'd spent ten years searching for that place with no success. This move by the Prince was truly ingenious.

"Take action—make sure you protect Serena Feng. I want her back safe and sound." Nolan Eastlyn gave his cold order, a flash of worry in his eyes quickly replaced by icy resolve.

Serena Feng, don't blame me! I swear I'll keep you safe!