Zed's injuries rivaled those of Ninth Royal Uncle at his worst. The fact that he could wake up now showed just how tough-willed this child was. But when Zed saw that the person touching him was Serena Feng, he instantly sank back into sleep.
He trusted her!
But Serena Feng, who was trusted, couldn't understand it at all. Given Zed's intelligence, he should know that the orthodox sects were besieging the Demon Sect and that it had everything to do with them. Didn't Zed hate them?
Serena Feng couldn't figure Zed out at all—she had no idea what was going on in that little head of his.
"Forget it, let's save him first." Serena got up and motioned for the Snow Wolf to carry Zed inside. Even though the weather was still hot, Zed was badly injured—lying on the ground wasn't an option.
"Awoo..." The Snow Wolf let out a dissatisfied howl. It had worked so hard to dig up ginseng dolls for Serena in the deep mountains—why wasn't she praising it?
When the Snow Wolf got all proud and sulky, it refused to compromise. Serena could only pat its head and force a bright smile: "You did great, really amazing. I love it."
To show she really meant it, Serena crouched down and carefully wrapped up the ginseng and ganoderma the Snow Wolf had brought.
No one could dislike these treasures. The ginseng the Snow Wolf found was at least a hundred years old—who knows how far into the wild mountains it had gone to dig them up.
After getting praised, the Snow Wolf was finally willing to carry Zed. Hauling a kid as big as Zed was nothing for the Snow Wolf—it managed it with ease.
By the time Simon Sun arrived with the medical kit, Zed was already settled.
"M-Master... what's wrong with you?" The servant stammered. Simon Sun was so startled he nearly lost his soul, grabbed the medical kit, and rushed over, almost out of breath.
"I'm fine. Now inhale... and exhale." Serena stepped forward, patted Simon Sun on the back, and helped him catch his breath. Once he was calm, Serena pointed to Zed on the bed: "Check him. His condition is very bad."
Knowing Serena and the child were unharmed, Simon Sun instantly calmed down. Aside from his flushed cheeks, everything else was fine. Before checking Zed's pulse, Simon Sun steadied himself again to avoid any mistakes.
"His internal organs are all damaged, and his meridians are ruined. Even if he survives, he'll be crippled for life." A hint of pity flashed in Simon Sun's eyes. He really liked Zed—almost like a little brother.
"Who could be so vicious to a child?" Simon Sun looked up and asked Serena.
In his mind, Serena could do anything. But this time, she really didn't know—she rarely paid attention to Demon Sect matters, and Zed had hidden away with his people. Even if she wanted to investigate, she couldn't find anything.
"We'll only know when he wakes up. If you're not too busy lately, keep an eye on him." Given Serena's current state, she probably didn't have the energy to treat Zed herself.
"Master..." Simon Sun was already struggling with his own dilemma, and now with Zed injured, he was even more conflicted.
"What's wrong?" Serena asked, seeing Simon Sun so torn and already guessing: "You want to go to the Southern Lyn front?"
"Yes, Grand Heir William says the Southern Lyn front is looking grim. Many soldiers have caught the plague, and Southern Lyn is deliberately sending plague victims to the battlefield, dumping corpses in the water. Eastlyn's troops can barely get a sip to drink, and the massacres are a last resort." Simon Sun looked deeply troubled, worrying about the soldiers and innocent civilians.
"If you want to go, then go. But... make sure you protect yourself." Serena knew that if she weren't pregnant, she'd be heading there too.
As a doctor, she couldn't just watch the epidemic worsen. So, knowing the risks, Serena didn't try to stop Simon Sun from going to the front.
If you don't even have that much courage, how can you be a healer?
"But Master, you... and Zed—he needs someone to take care of him too." Zed's injuries wouldn't heal in less than half a year.
"I'm fine. As for Zed, he mainly needs rest. With me here, what are you worried about? There are plenty of doctors in the Capital—I can help look after him as needed."
"Then I'll go." Simon Sun finally felt relieved. "Grand Heir says the court is sending imperial physicians, and Divine Doctor Guile and Divine Doctor Redwater will be there too. If I go, Grand Heir will arrange for me to travel with them."
"That's best. You'll learn a lot from those two masters. If they need more hands, write to Victor Yun and have him send a team from the Medical Academy." With Grand Heir William watching over things, Serena didn't have to worry about Simon Sun's safety.
...
In the palace, news of Zed's appearance at Feng Manor reached Ninth Royal Uncle at once. In fact, anything related to Feng Manor—no matter how trivial—Ninth Royal Uncle always checked immediately.
"Go investigate what's going on with the Demon Sect." Affairs of the martial world were originally watched by Stormcloud Villa, but ever since Vincent Su's accident and Storm Cloud Bu left, only Brandon Bu remains at Stormcloud Villa, and it's inevitable some things go unnoticed.
Without Vincent Su, Ninth Royal Uncle finally realized just how capable he was. In terms of talent, Vincent couldn't match Grand Heir William, but when it came to getting things done, he was second to none. Sadly, with no good family background, all that talent was wasted.
Thinking of Vincent Su made Ninth Royal Uncle even more downcast. He was just about to seek solitude when the secret division brought urgent intelligence.
"Come in," Ninth Royal Uncle said, forcing down his sadness and focusing on state affairs.
Just as he and Serena had discussed, he didn't have much time for personal matters.
Ever since he officially took charge of Eastlyn, he'd barely had any time to himself. Battle reports and requests flooded in like snow, and even when ministers had procedures in place, he still had to review everything personally.
The head of the shadow guards entered, holding his breath, kneeling on one knee without raising his head, and reported the intelligence from Southern Lyn to Ninth Royal Uncle.
"The plague at the front is man-made. More and more soldiers are getting infected, and people die every day. General Victor Phoenixfield has kept the news under wraps, so there's no panic yet. He requests the court send doctors. If things get worse, the cities we've taken will become empty cities."
Just as Serena had analyzed, General Victor Phoenixfield ordered massacres in villages and cities only as a last resort. Most people in the captured cities were infected, and the plague spread so fast that not wiping out villages and cities would mean neighboring towns would suffer too.
Victor Phoenixfield had already seized a quarter of Southern Lyn's territory, but half the cities they took were empty. If this went on, even conquering Southern Lyn would be pointless.
Southern Lyn's actions were a desperate gamble. Their logic was much like that madman Damien's: if I can't have it, I'll destroy it—Eastlyn won't get it either.