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The Emperor never trusted Serena Feng. Every move she made at the Fuller Estate, every word she spoke, was relayed instantly to the palace. When Felix Fuller was torn between amputating to save his life or finding another doctor, the Emperor already knew Serena was advocating amputation.

"Ninth Brother, what is Serena Feng up to?" The Emperor's first reaction was to vent his fury on Ninth Royal Uncle.

Ninth Royal Uncle, seated in the position of honor just below the throne, slowly lifted his gaze at the Emperor's words. "I am neither a physician nor Serena Feng. What answer do you expect from me, Your Majesty?"

"Ninth Brother, Felix Fuller is a hero of Eastlyn. I let Serena Feng treat him because I trust her." The Emperor's face darkened, clearly displeased that even a medical matter required him to consider Ninth Royal Uncle's opinion.

"Your Majesty, Serena Feng hasn’t betrayed your trust. She’s a physician, not a miracle worker. You wanted her to save Felix Fuller’s life—now she’s offered a way. What’s wrong, Your Majesty? Are you still dissatisfied?"

Ninth Royal Uncle remained cool, his tone slow and laced with mockery. Catching the Emperor’s sour expression, a cold smile flickered in his eyes. "Your Majesty, even an emperor cannot defy birth, aging, sickness, and death."

"Ninth Brother…" The Emperor snapped, his face twisted in fury as he glared at Ninth Royal Uncle, eyes flashing with murderous cold. Even with no outsiders present, Ninth Royal Uncle’s words were a blatant challenge to imperial authority.

"I am here, Your Majesty." Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t move a muscle, utterly unafraid. Even when faced with imperial might, he remained calm and unshaken.

The vast hall was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Tension crackled between the Emperor and Ninth Royal Uncle—like drawn swords glinting in shadow. Hard to believe these two had once played chess and sipped tea together in the imperial garden.

Eastlyn’s two most exalted brothers could never truly coexist in peace. Any so-called harmony was merely a façade.

After a long silence, the Emperor finally spoke: "Go to the Fuller Estate on my behalf and check Felix Fuller's injury for me."

This was an imperial order—no one could defy it. But Ninth Royal Uncle was the exception. He rose, turned halfway, and faced the Emperor directly: "Your Majesty, no matter how favored Felix Fuller is, he’s still just a minister. He’s not worthy of a personal visit from me. If you’re so concerned, why not go yourself? I am tired and will take my leave."

He finished speaking and didn’t wait for the Emperor’s reply—simply turned and strode out, treating the Emperor as if he were invisible.

"Old Nine!" The Emperor was so furious his face turned pale. Pointing at Ninth Royal Uncle’s back, if not for imperial dignity, he might have rushed over and punched him.

It was simply outrageous. He was the Emperor—the most exalted of the royal brothers—yet Ninth Royal Uncle dared defy him!

Ninth Royal Uncle truly dared. He acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, ignoring the Emperor’s murderous anger and striding out with long, purposeful steps. The door creaked open, then slammed shut with a bang, venting his own frustration.

After Ninth Royal Uncle left, the Emperor collapsed into his chair, gasping for breath, his aura bristling with killing intent.

Repeated tests had made it clear to the Emperor: Ninth Royal Uncle was not as obedient as he appeared. Every supposed concession was just for show.

This time, using Ninth Royal Uncle’s mother’s grave as leverage, the Emperor had forced him to do something against his will. At first, though unhappy, Ninth Royal Uncle complied, making the Emperor believe he was truly tamed. But today’s actions overturned that assumption.

This ninth-ranked younger brother was nowhere near as easy to tame as he seemed. And after this incident, the superficial harmony between the two brothers was shattered.

At this moment, Felix Fuller's presence was even more crucial. Though descendants of the Divine Temple couldn’t predict everything, they possessed unique talents that, if harnessed by the Emperor, would be a powerful asset.

Felix Fuller was still highly useful and absolutely loyal. The Emperor couldn’t bear to discard such a valuable chess piece.

After much deliberation, the Emperor decided to make one more effort. He took a deep breath and stood up: "Someone, summon Prince Colin to the palace."

Normally, such tasks representing the Emperor would be handled by Adrian Dongling, but since he was under confinement, the Emperor had to choose someone else.

Ninth Royal Uncle said Felix Fuller wasn’t worth a personal visit, so naturally the Emperor wouldn’t go himself either. If he did, it would make him seem inferior to Ninth Royal Uncle.

The princes’ estates were all bestowed by the Emperor. Aside from Adrian Dongling’s, which was the best, the others were much the same. Within half an hour, Prince Colin arrived at the palace.

The Emperor looked at Prince Colin, kneeling below him—brave and capable—and a flash of satisfaction crossed his eyes.

Prince Colin had always enjoyed the Emperor’s trust; otherwise, he wouldn’t be the only prince in Eastlyn to hold military power. Of course, this was also due to his background.

Prince Colin’s mother came from an ordinary background, lacking the strength to vie for the throne. What’s more, Colin preferred martial arts over literature since childhood. Not only the Emperor, but all the princes felt at ease with him.

The Emperor briefly explained Felix Fuller’s condition, then ordered Prince Colin to visit Felix on his behalf. More importantly, he was to warn Serena Feng to treat him with utmost care—the Emperor was watching.

Though Prince Colin was a military man, as the only prince in Eastlyn who’d grown up and held real military power, he was naturally shrewd. Hearing the Emperor’s veiled warning, he knew this errand would be difficult, but he had no choice. Unlike Ninth Royal Uncle, he couldn’t just walk away in protest.

"I accept your command, Father." Prince Colin kowtowed in thanks, suppressing his irritation. With the Emperor’s expectations weighing on him, he set out for the Fuller Estate, leading a grand procession loaded with imperial gifts.

"My lord." In a high palace tower, Ninth Royal Uncle stood with his personal eunuch, watching Prince Colin depart.

Ninth Royal Uncle closed his eyes, looking weary. His lips parted slightly: "Deploy the Black Riders."

"Understood." The eunuch’s face grew serious as he nodded and hurried away, moving with the light steps and deep breathing of a skilled martial artist.

The Black Riders numbered only a thousand, but each one was handpicked from tens of thousands. Their destructive power rivaled that of an entire army.

No single Black Rider could take on a hundred enemies alone, but together, the thousand could easily fight tens of thousands.

The Black Riders were Ninth Royal Uncle’s most powerful and secretive force. This was their first appearance on the Nine Provinces Realm’s stage, and their involvement meant bloodshed was inevitable…

Serena Feng knew nothing of this. As Ninth Royal Uncle issued orders to mobilize the Black Riders, she was busy cleaning necrotic flesh from Felix Fuller’s wound and applying medicine to prevent further deterioration.

Even if amputation was necessary, the wound had to be properly treated first—otherwise, infection could be disastrous. Felix Fuller didn’t understand this. Seeing Serena Feng carefully remove the rotten flesh and apply medicine, he thought his leg might still be saved.

Felix Fuller barely dared to breathe, his heart clenched tight with hope and fear.

Serena Feng understood Felix's thoughts. She’d told him several times she was only cleaning the wound, not saving his leg, but Felix refused to listen—he only heard what he wanted to hear…