Admitting Defeat, Such a Dishonorable Victory

That night, Lance Quinn went in alone, cutting down the two hidden posts in Eastlyn set by Southlyn's Jin Fan and Westlyn's Tian Lei, and—still reeking of blood—arrived at the small West District courtyard where Serena Feng was staying.

No amount of blood could wash away his anger and unease. Only seeing Serena Feng safe and sound could truly set his heart at ease—but that was just wishful thinking.

Simon Sun had been keeping vigil in Serena Feng's room all night, checking her temperature and monitoring her condition every quarter hour. There was no way Lance Quinn could enter without alerting anyone.

He could have knocked Simon Sun out, but he was afraid something might happen to Serena Feng in the meantime. The shadow guards reported that Simon said tonight was critical for Serena—nothing could go wrong.

Helpless, Lance Quinn could only watch from afar, instructing the new shadow guards to protect Serena Feng well before leaving at dawn. "Serena, trust me—this won't end so easily. I swear I'll make them pay for this."

By the time the first rays of sunlight touched the earth the next morning, Serena Feng, still suffering from massive blood loss, had yet to wake. But news of her being stabbed by an assassin and left between life and death had already spread throughout the Capital.

Outside the West District courtyard, carriages filled with visitors hoping to check on her health were parked in rows, only to be turned away by Simon Sun. His reason was simple: his master’s life hung in the balance, and no guests could be admitted. The only ones allowed into Feng Manor were the ten imperial physicians sent by the Emperor himself.

The Emperor didn’t trust Serena Feng, and neither did those who came to visit her. Yet the imperial physicians’ diagnosis matched Simon Sun’s, and was even more severe.

Her artery was injured, and she’d lost too much blood. Even if she escaped immediate danger, she wouldn’t wake up for a while. Such a severe wound—so gruesome—couldn’t possibly be faked. No one would risk their life to stage an injury like this.

One imperial physician privately remarked that Serena Feng was lucky to be alive—and luckier still to have Simon Sun, a doctor skilled in treating traumatic injuries, in her household. Otherwise, even if the assassin hadn’t killed her outright, she would have died from blood loss.

At morning court, Ninth Royal Uncle was too ill to attend, but he sent in a memorial. In it, he listed a string of recent assassination cases in the Capital—especially last night, when, besides Serena Feng being stabbed by an assassin, two third-rank officials also died under mysterious circumstances.

Ninth Royal Uncle, deeply distressed, pointed out that security in the Capital was dire. From officials to commoners, everyone felt at risk. He strongly urged the Emperor to grant Dominic Zhai more troops to ensure the safety of the Emperor and the entire Capital, and also petitioned for a nationwide order to hunt down the assassin. Thoughtfully, he even attached a sketch of the killer, supposedly provided by the guards at Serena Feng’s residence.

The assassin in the sketch wore a black cloth mask and a black scarf tied around his head, covering his forehead and leaving only his eyes visible—eyes filled with killing intent. As for the rest...

Well, you couldn’t tell anything distinctive at all. Pull any prisoner out of death row, dress them up like this, and they’d look just like an assassin.

The Emperor glanced at the crowd, his gaze calm but carrying authority. "What do you all think?" he asked, the question itself commanding respect.

What could they say? In one night, so many people in the Capital were killed or wounded—their own safety was threatened too. And with the princes of Southlyn and Lyndaria still in Eastlyn, if anything happened to them here, Eastlyn would be in deep trouble.

Of course they had to investigate—and investigate thoroughly. The Imperial Guard and other security forces needed to be reinforced. But plenty of people wanted to use this incident to pull Dominic Zhai down from his post as City-Defense General. The Emperor was thinking about it too.

But too many people were eyeing that position, and after several rounds of maneuvering, no replacement could be decided. The Emperor had promoted plenty of candidates recently, but none were suitable. In the end, the post remained with Dominic Zhai.

Because of all this, Dominic Zhai ended up with another twenty thousand troops. Now he commanded fifty thousand men—thirty thousand inside the city, twenty thousand stationed in the outer barracks. If the Capital was ever in danger, those twenty thousand could charge in to defend the Emperor, and all of them answered only to Dominic.

Suddenly, the name Dominic Zhai became synonymous with power in the Capital. He was the rising star among military commanders—and the one all the princes were eager to win over.

Fortunately, Dominic Zhai kept a clear head. He didn't cozy up to any prince and handled Crown Prince Rowan strictly by the book, which reassured the Emperor.

When Serena Feng woke up and learned what had happened, she cried injustice and scribbled a few lines on paper, blaming Dominic Zhai for turning her disaster into his good fortune.

Dominic Zhai shot Serena a disdainful look. There was no joy in his eyes over gaining more military power—if anything, he seemed angry. "Serena, spare me. You really think I struck it rich? You have no idea what price Prince Samuel Manor paid for those twenty thousand men. Let me tell you, no one in this world can profit at Ninth Royal Uncle’s expense."

"Ninth Royal Uncle really is something—he can make use of even this. He’s a born master of intrigue... But you’re no innocent either. You think I don’t understand politics? It’s all about trading benefits. If you don’t bleed a little, how could you possibly get such a windfall?" Serena wrote quickly, her eyes lowering with a hint of sadness.

But Dominic either didn’t notice or didn’t care. He just kept talking about everything that had happened in the past few days—mainly the events at court.

Serena forced herself to listen. She already knew most of what Dominic shared, but when it came to secrets, he didn’t say a word.

After Serena was wounded, she fell unconscious for three days. In that time, a lot happened: Dominic Zhai ordered a citywide search for the assassin, but no assassin was found—only a few remnants of the Former Dynasty. The Emperor was delighted. Dominic hadn’t caught the assassin, but he made up for it with this success.

Three days passed, and the city was turned upside down, but still no sign of the assassin. Dominic Zhai insisted the killer must have escaped the city and asked the Emperor to issue a nationwide warrant.

Ninth Royal Uncle had suggested it before, but the Emperor rejected it. Now, with Dominic Zhai raising the issue again—and with two officials dead besides Serena Feng—the Emperor had no reason to refuse. It was a serious incident.

So the Emperor decreed a nationwide manhunt for the assassin. Every province and county posted the sketch, and news of Serena Feng’s stabbing spread to every corner of Eastlyn.

Because of Serena Feng’s bet with Su Wan, her name was already well known. At the crucial moment of the contest, Serena was stabbed and left between life and death—how could people not jump to conclusions?

Of the six rounds, Serena Feng had already won three. The chess match was still unresolved—Su Wan hadn’t broken the deadlock yet, and at best, it might end in a draw.

So far, Su Wan’s only win was by default—Serena Feng forfeited due to illness. But everyone knew medicine was Serena’s strong suit, and she was sure to win. Yet at the critical moment, she was attacked. What did that suggest?

It suggested the Southern Lyn Su Clan would stop at nothing to win. The public believed Serena’s injury must be linked to Su Wan—maybe the Su Clan even sent the killer. Rumors exploded, and the Su Clan’s reputation hit rock bottom among Eastlyn’s people.

Just then, Serena Feng ruthlessly added fuel to the fire. As soon as she woke, she announced she was giving up the medical round and conceding defeat. She also invited Young Master Holden—the patient from the contest—to stay at her residence, promising to treat him once she recovered, and claiming a ninety-percent chance of curing him.

Su Wan heard the news and felt no joy in victory. Serena’s injury had nothing to do with her, but everything Serena said hinted that she and the Su Clan were behind it, leaving Su Wan unable to defend herself.

"Serena Feng, you’re ruthless—how dare you smear me like this!" Su Wan was so furious, she smashed everything in her room.

Su Wan was frustrated, but Serena wasn’t having an easy time either. When Serena boldly declared she could cure Young Master Holden, Su Wenqing barged into her room, ignoring Simon Sun’s attempt to stop him.

"Young Master Su, my lady is gravely ill and can’t receive visitors. Please leave." Today, it was Jada Tang and Spring’s turn to watch over Serena. The two maids rushed forward to block Su Wenqing, but he brushed them aside. "Move!"

The two maids stood their ground, but Serena waved her hand, signaling them to step back. Only then did things calm down.

As soon as the others left, Su Wenqing practically exploded, hissing under his breath, "Serena Feng, have you lost your mind? You know damn well that assassin from the other night was tied to Young Master Holden’s illness, and now you go announcing to the world you’re treating him? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don’t tell me you don’t know Holden Cui is from the Cui Clan—that legendary, shadowy powerhouse."

Su Wenqing was shaking with rage. He’d just gotten word: Holden Cui isn’t just any Cui—he’s a direct heir, raised alongside a handful of others as a candidate for clan leader, only to be disqualified because of his health.

The Cui Clan is a total snake pit. Serena Feng knows it’s dangerous but still dives right in, like she’s got a death wish—how could anyone not be furious?

Serena didn’t even blink at Su Wenqing’s outburst. Calm as ever, she motioned for him to help her sit up and handed her the writing board. Her throat was still wrecked—if she tried talking, she’d just rip the stitches open again.

Serena scrawled on the board with a charcoal pen: "I’m not crazy. The Cui Clan forced my hand. When that assassin came to warn me, I guessed it was about Holden Cui. I agreed not to treat him, but they broke their word—came after me, tried to kill me.

So don’t blame me for fighting back. I took a hit this big—if I don’t pay it back, I’ll choke on the humiliation. Not only am I treating Holden Cui, I’m going to cure him for real. I want the people behind this to regret ever crossing me."

Serena Feng doesn’t let anything slide. The Cui Clan came for her life, poked her deepest sore spot—there’s no way she’s backing down. If they want Holden out of the running for clan head, she’ll make damn sure he gets another shot…

She’s waded through the Eastlyn royal family’s mess before—what’s the Cui Clan compared to that?