Sweet Dumpling had no idea her little gesture had stirred up such a fuss. All day long, she happily tagged along behind her senior brother, living a blissful, carefree life...
Although the Valley Master’s disciple was traveling on private business, he genuinely cared for Sweet Dumpling. Whenever they came across sick people along the way, he’d have her help treat them, teaching her practical medical skills she could never learn from books alone.
Some things just can’t be learned from books, no matter how smart you are—real experience matters. Sweet Dumpling, though only seven, had a natural gift for medicine, even earning praise from the Valley Master. But when it came to hands-on work, her weaknesses showed, and she became much more focused...
Serena Feng and Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t stop Sweet Dumpling from going to the Imperial Mausoleum. For one thing, they respected her decision—she might be young, but she was sensible. Since she wanted to go, whatever happened, she’d have to learn to handle it herself.
Another reason was that Serena wanted to use this chance to toughen Sweet Dumpling up, letting her truly see the struggles of ordinary people—so she wouldn’t grow up pampered and oblivious to reality.
Serena’s approach had earned plenty of complaints from Ninth Royal Uncle, who always insisted, “Girls should be raised gently—just like the Phoenixfield Heiress back in the day, famous and unmatched in honor. Let them enjoy their privilege; leave the struggling to the men.”
“Sweet Dumpling is already privileged—raising her gently doesn’t mean spoiling her. It’s about cultivating good taste, manners, and presence.” Serena didn’t really know how to raise kids, but she did know that pure pampering wasn’t the answer.
Her own senior sister came from an excellent family, but she was never a delicate flower. Instead, she worked with corpses and wielded a scalpel as skillfully as any man.
“Alright, I give up—you win.” Ninth Royal Uncle rolled over, pinning Serena beneath him. “Children have their own fortunes. From now on, no more talking about this in bed.”
“Wait, weren’t we saying I’d be on top tonight?” Serena lost focus for a second, and Ninth Royal Uncle caught her hands, pressing her down so she couldn’t move...
“I’m not old yet.” Ninth Royal Uncle lowered his head and gave Serena a firm bite on the neck. “Want to pin me down? Maybe in a few decades.”
“But haven’t I pinned you before?” Serena relaxed, kissed him, and just as Ninth Royal Uncle let his guard down, she slipped her hand out and pressed a spot on his back. “Just learned this—trying it out on you.”
Ninth Royal Uncle suddenly felt a wave of numbness, unable to move his arms or legs, and in the next moment, Serena had him pinned beneath her.
“Sorry, even if you’re not old, I can still pin you.” Serena pressed her arm against his neck. “Behave, don’t move, or you’ll get hurt and I’ll have to treat you.”
“I won’t move!” Ninth Royal Uncle gritted his teeth, staring silently at the ceiling…
What was going on?
Why did Serena’s temper seem to have grown since leaving the palace? Every night, trying to get close to her felt like going into battle…
Well, Ninth Royal Uncle had to admit he enjoyed it—but only when he was the winner, not when Serena had him pinned...
Ahem, the night was still young; Ninth Royal Uncle might as well enjoy it!
Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle traveled, sightseeing and checking on the people’s wellbeing. Meanwhile, Felix Fuller and Holden Cui weren’t idle—they’d already cast a net over the capital, keeping close watch on every suspect, just waiting for the remnants of other states to show themselves so they could catch them all in one sweep…
While things were tense everywhere, Sweet Dumpling was as cheerful as ever, trailing behind her senior brother toward the Imperial Mausoleum. Anyone who tried to target them was quietly dealt with by the shadow guards, and if the guards couldn’t act, her brother handled it with a dose of poison.
“This trip is almost too peaceful.” Nearing the mausoleum, the Valley Master’s disciple found it strange.
It wasn’t his first time traveling. Even though the commoners were doing better these days, there were still lazy troublemakers lurking on back roads. He’d run into bandits plenty of times before, but this time—not a single one showed up.
“Maybe you really are my little lucky star?” the Valley Master’s disciple joked, giving Sweet Dumpling all the credit. Sweet Dumpling nodded proudly, “I am your little lucky star! You have to take me with you every time you go out.”
This trip was a real eye-opener for Sweet Dumpling. She learned all kinds of things she couldn’t get from studying in the Valley, and the satisfaction of healing patients was something growing herbs could never compare to.
Um... The Valley Master’s disciple didn’t dare say a word.
This was the first time, and definitely the last. With Sweet Dumpling’s status, if it weren’t absolutely necessary, he’d never have dared to take her out.
If anything happened, not even ten lives would be enough to pay for it!
Sweet Dumpling thought her brother’s silence meant he agreed, so her smile grew even bigger and she became extra attentive—handing him water, patting his back, and fussing over him every chance she got...
Luckily, her senior brother was much older than Ninth Royal Uncle—otherwise, Ninth Royal Uncle would definitely be jealous.
After plenty of playful bickering along the way, Sweet Dumpling and her senior brother finally reached the Imperial Mausoleum. With heavy guards stationed at the entrance, not just anyone could get in, but since Ezra Phoenixfield had arranged everything, her senior brother came prepared with an Imperial Medical Directorate token, claiming he was sent to treat Jason Lan’s son.
Every month, Ninth Royal Uncle sent imperial physicians to check on Jason Lan’s son. The mausoleum guards verified the token and found nothing unusual, though they did glance at Sweet Dumpling a few extra times.
Once they learned Sweet Dumpling was just a young medical apprentice, the soldiers stopped asking questions.
The two of them—one old, one young—had no martial arts at all. The guards weren’t worried; there was no way these two could pull off a rescue.
Her senior brother settled Sweet Dumpling in a safe spot and repeatedly warned her not to wander off.
“Senior brother, are there really ghosts here?” Sweet Dumpling felt a chill as soon as she entered the mausoleum, and remembering the ghost stories her brother had told, she couldn’t help but wonder.
“Yes, so don’t go running around.” To scare her, her senior brother answered without hesitation.
“Okay.” Sweet Dumpling nodded blankly, clenching her little fists. “Senior brother, hurry back—Sweet Dumpling is really scared to be alone.”
“Alright.” Finally reassured, her senior brother picked up his medicine chest and, led by a soldier, headed off to where Clara Phoenixfield and Jason Lan’s son lived...
But honestly, senior brother, you really underestimated Sweet Dumpling. Was she really afraid of ghosts?
She was just curious, okay? The moment her brother mentioned ghosts in the mausoleum, Sweet Dumpling couldn’t help wanting to explore and see where those ghosts were hiding.
Of course, remembering the trouble she’d caused before, Sweet Dumpling didn’t dare run wild—she just quietly followed behind her senior brother. But the mausoleum was a maze of twisting passages, and for someone unfamiliar, it was all too easy to get lost. Sure enough, after a while, Sweet Dumpling realized she’d lost her way.
“Huh? Did I just come this way?” Sweet Dumpling looked around, saw nothing out of the ordinary, and kept moving forward. That was when she actually ran into what she thought was a 'ghost'—or rather, a ghostly child.
Pale, skinny, and small... His eyes were dark and lifeless, his limbs stiff, and when he looked at people, his gaze was vacant—just like the ghosts her brother had described...