Though she was busy, working alone kept Serena Feng's mind sharply focused. She threw herself into the operation, ignoring the pain in her back completely.
Serena stood ramrod straight, her eyes bloodshot. In this moment, all she saw was her patient.
Scalpel, hemostat, and forceps cycled through her hands; blood-soaked cotton balls piled up at her side.
Finally... Serena dug out the arrowhead lodged in Sun Yijin's body.
With a gush, blood spurted out, staining Serena's clothes bright red.
This was expected.
Once the arrowhead was out, the pressure was gone and blood pressure forced the flow out—this was not life-threatening.
Serena exhaled and quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead, once again lamenting the misery of operating without a surgical assistant.
Serena took a deep breath, pressed both hands firmly on the wound—harder, and harder—until the blood finally stopped gushing. Only then did she begin the next steps.
Cleaning, stopping the bleeding, applying medicine, and suturing—she did it all in one continuous motion. When she finished, Serena was drenched, as if she’d just been pulled from water.
Serena didn’t even dare to take a deep breath; she kept going without pause, continuing her work.
Next came the wounds on the face.
Sun Yijin’s facial injuries looked terrifying, but the worst was just the bloody hole in her forehead—it hadn’t hit any vital area.
As long as the wound was cleaned and sutured, there wouldn’t be any major problems.
Of course, scarring was inevitable—even though Serena did her best to hide the wound beneath the hair.
As for the forehead wound, maybe someday she could attempt cosmetic surgery.
After dealing with the external injuries, Serena finally let out a breath of relief.
Thankfully, Sun Yijin only had a concussion. With proper care, she’d recover. If it had been an intracranial bleed, Serena wouldn’t be so relaxed.
As for the injuries to the lungs and chest cavity, Serena couldn’t handle those for now.
Her Med-Pack had the right drugs and tools, but the room was too dim—and she was completely spent. There was no way to continue surgery.
Your body is the capital for revolution—Serena didn’t want to die on the operating table. Her hands could no longer grip a scalpel.
Right now, she missed Lance Quinn terribly. Last time, a light press from his fingers had instantly soothed her aching hands—but now?
Serena let out a weary sigh. Forget about a massage—even a moment’s rest would be enough.
Dragging her exhausted body, Serena quickly tidied up the medicines in the room.
Once she confirmed Sun Yijin was stable, Serena sat nearby to rest while the IV finished.
She absentmindedly massaged her hands, but the more she pressed, the more she missed Lance Quinn’s touch.
Serena gave up and stood to write medical orders.
She’d leave the rest—recovery and rehabilitation—to other doctors. Maybe they’d do even better; Serena still trusted the best traditional physicians of this era.
After finishing the orders, the IV was done. Serena packed away the infusion bottle and blood bag, then went to find Evan Zhou to call for a good doctor. But as soon as she stepped outside...
She found her courtyard surrounded by officials. General Warren Yu’s personal soldiers were squared off against them, looking ready for battle.
General Warren Yu refused to back down, standing in the middle, face stormy with rage.
“What’s going on?” Serena had a bad feeling.
If even General Warren Yu couldn’t hold them off, things looked grim for her today.
Sure enough, as Serena stepped out, an official in flying-fish brocade emerged from the crowd. Wherever he walked, the other officers parted respectfully.
He stopped in front of Serena, arrogantly flashing his command token. His voice was icy: “Serena Feng, I am Commander Lucan Lu of the Bloodcloak Guard. You are suspected of attempting to murder the Sun family’s eldest daughter. You’ll come with us.”
He didn’t give Serena a chance to respond—his men immediately shackled her.
“What?” For a moment, Serena was too stunned to react. Only when the chains scraped her injured ankle did she find her voice.
Bloodcloak Guard?
What kind of organization was that? She’d heard of the Ming Dynasty’s Embroidered Guard—was the Bloodcloak Guard in Dongling anything like that?
Serena looked to General Warren Yu for confirmation. He thought she was asking for help and could only shake his head, powerless: “Serena, when the Bloodcloak Guard takes a case, even I can’t intervene. Take care of yourself.”
Once you’re in Bloodcloak custody, guilt or innocence doesn’t matter—they torture you first, and if you survive, you’re left half-dead.
You had to admit, Princess Serenity’s move was ruthless—the frame-up was detailed and convincing.
Commander Lucan Lu gave a cold laugh, sounding especially sinister in the darkness: “Miss Feng, don’t expect anyone to save you. Once you’re in Bloodcloak hands, no one can help you. And as for your case—there’s witness testimony and physical evidence. It’s airtight. Miss Feng, you may remain silent for now; you’ll have a chance to speak at Bloodcloak headquarters.”
With a wave of his hand, Serena was shoved into the prison cart.
Serena was stunned for a moment, then nodded compliantly.
She didn’t shout for justice or cry out her innocence—she knew it was pointless.
What were officials anyway? Legal bandits. Once they took you away, it didn’t matter if you were innocent. Better to save your strength for what comes next than waste it shouting.
Even General Warren Yu couldn’t stop them—the Bloodcloak Guard’s dominance made Serena shudder. She knew her odds of surviving this were slim.
Just as she was about to board the prison cart, Serena suddenly remembered: she was a doctor, and she still had a patient. “Wait!”
“Miss Feng.” Commander Lucan Lu snorted, displeased.
“I’ll only say two things.” Serena ignored Commander Lucan Lu’s cold glare, smiling calmly.
Commander Lucan Lu was taken aback.
In the Dongling Dynasty, no one dared defy him. Even first-rank officials trembled in his presence. Yet Serena Feng was different.
“Thank you.” Serena nodded slightly, then turned to Evan Zhou: “Evan, I’ve handled Miss Yijin Sun’s injuries. I’ve written everything you need to know and left it in the wooden box by my bedside. Tomorrow, find a good doctor and have him examine her again. If you need anything, go to Vincent Su—he’ll help you. As for Feng Manor, stay if you wish, or let it go empty. And… if you have time, go to the Wang household and tell the eldest young master that what Serena Feng owes him can only be repaid in the next life.”
These were her final instructions—her last words before facing the unknown.
“Sis…” Evan Zhou’s fists clenched tight.
Even now, she was still thinking of others.
“Serena Feng.” General Warren Yu’s eyes were red.
Was such a proud woman really going to die under such a vile conspiracy?
“General Yu, I won’t thank you again for your kindness, but I doubt I’ll ever get the chance to repay it. This is where we part.”
With that, without waiting for the guards to urge her, Serena climbed into the prison cart herself. Her calm cooperation left the Bloodcloak officers blinking in disbelief.
Did Miss Feng really think the Bloodcloak Guard was inviting her for tea? Even if it was tea, theirs would taste like poison.
General Warren Yu and Evan Zhou could only watch as Serena Feng was taken away by the Bloodcloak Guard.
Vincent Su and Caleb Wang arrived just as the Bloodcloak Guard was escorting Serena out of Feng Manor. They rushed forward, but Commander Lucan Lu didn’t give them the slightest respect:
“Young Master Wang, Young Master Su, don’t blame me for not warning you. When the Bloodcloak Guard is on duty, you’d best stay out of it. Otherwise, if trouble comes your way, no one can save you.”
“Serena Feng.” Vincent Su and Caleb Wang stepped back, faces full of despair as they watched her.
No one taken by the Bloodcloak Guard has ever come out alive.
“I…” Serena wanted to say, “It’s fine,” but couldn’t force the words out. She could only turn to Caleb Wang: “Caleb, tell the eldest young master that I’m sorry. In this lifetime, I may never have the chance to restore his sight.”
How could she possibly be fine? She knew what awaited her—the Bloodcloak Guard’s brutal torture.
She still didn’t fully understand what the Bloodcloak Guard was, but seeing General Warren Yu hesitate to challenge them made their terror clear. This was a force beyond imagination.
Even if she survived, would she ever hold a scalpel again?
As the prison cart rolled toward the Bloodcloak dungeon, Serena Feng closed her eyes, hiding all her pain and unwillingness.
Time and again, she never learned her lesson.
In her past life, she died at the hands of the powerful. Now, she was walking the same bloody road all over again…