The reason the Walker clan's death-soldiers don't dare touch Ninth Royal Uncle is because he hails from the Eastlyn imperial family. If anything were to happen to him, the Emperor might secretly rejoice, but for the sake of royal reputation and interests, he would never let the Walker clan off the hook. He'd seize the chance to strike hard, and while it might not mean extermination, it would certainly bleed the Walkers dry.
Having powerful backing really is a blessing. Serena Feng looked at Ninth Royal Uncle with envy, thinking to herself: Didn't Shaoqi say that the Xuanxiao Palace would be my support from now on? So why is it that with such a strong backer, these people still dare to attack and invade as they please? Is it because Xuan Shaoqi is a figure from the martial world, and they're not afraid of him?
It doesn't make sense. Even the royal family fears Xuanxiao Palace—so why is its protection useless for me? Is it because my reputation is lacking, or am I somehow cursed?
Serena Feng shot Ninth Royal Uncle a look full of grievance, her mood sinking as she thought about how misfortune seemed to chase her without end...
Whether it was coincidence or some kind of silent understanding, just as Serena glanced at Ninth Royal Uncle, he turned to look at her. Catching her eyes—full of envy, jealousy, and lingering resentment—and remembering her earlier muttering, he couldn't help but laugh, reaching out to gently pat her head.
"Be good. I won't let you be a human shield. If anyone has to be a shield, it'll be me for you."
As he finished speaking, a death-soldier suddenly broke through the encirclement and charged straight at Serena Feng. Ninth Royal Uncle quickly stepped forward, shielding her behind him, and with a swift kick sent the attacker back into the melee.
"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time," Serena said, finally letting a smile slip through. Watching the Walker death-soldiers grow bolder, she frowned, stepped back, and tucked herself into a safer spot.
"You should always trust me. As long as I'm here, you don't need to worry. But if I die, don't think you'll get to live either—I won't allow it." Ninth Royal Uncle moved to Serena's side, acting as her personal bodyguard, and signaled for his own guards, along with Serena's shadow-guards and maids, to join the fight.
The Walker death-soldiers were fierce, but to avoid unnecessary casualties, Ninth Royal Uncle didn't hesitate to deploy his own men.
Honestly, the Walker death-soldiers are just unlucky. If Ninth Royal Uncle hadn't come to Feng Manor, they might've had a fifty percent chance of winning. But now... even a ten percent chance would be generous.
"Not let me live if you die? So before I go, should I kill you first?" Serena's eyes sparkled, her tone deadly serious—she wasn't treating Nolan's words as a joke.
"If you've got the skill, why not?" He could accept dying by Serena's hand, but don't expect him to take his own life for her.
"Alright, I'll remember what you said. If I ever have to die, I won't let you live alone." Serena lifted her chin, her expression earnest.
"I won't just stand there and wait for you to kill me." He was telling Serena—if she wanted his life, she'd have to earn it; he wouldn't just give up.
Serena clenched her fist. "Don't worry, I will. One day, I'll be strong enough to kill you."
"Uh... I'm not really looking forward to that," Ninth Royal Uncle replied, unable to laugh. Their conversation was getting stranger by the minute.
"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to it either. If I can live, I'll never choose death." Despite the fierce battle, Serena couldn't help but laugh.
With enemies right in front of them, here they were discussing how to kill each other. They really were an odd pair.
The whole 'if I die, you don't get to live' topic started out of nowhere and ended just as abruptly. Even though both Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle were serious, neither took it to heart. They quieted down and refocused on the movements of the Walker death-soldiers.
Seeing Serena so calm and composed was proof enough—she wasn't really worried about putting the guards in danger as she claimed.
She simply refused to take risks lightly or expose herself to danger. After all those days being hunted by assassins, she'd had more than enough.
"The Walker death-soldiers really aren't simple." Even with the combined forces of Feng Manor and Ninth Royal Uncle's guards, the Walkers still held the advantage. Serena was annoyed, debating whether to pull out her gun. In a chaotic fight, accuracy wouldn't be great, but it could still help a little.
"Old aristocratic families always have something up their sleeves. Even the imperial death-soldiers aren't necessarily stronger than these. And this isn't even the Walker clan's true covert force—the real dark division can only be activated by the clan head, and they rarely use it. Once exposed, its value drops sharply." That's why he took families like the Cui and Walker clans so seriously.
Centuries of accumulation—no one knows how much power or wealth these two families have stashed away.
"Great houses really are a pain. Are you sure you want to cooperate with the Walkers, and not just wipe out the old families?" Serena caught the dissatisfaction in Ninth Royal Uncle's words.
She hadn't planned on interfering with his partnership with William Walker Jinling, but some things just couldn't be ignored.
"For many, the existence of great families is unfair, but right now, they're necessary." Ninth Royal Uncle didn't deny his dislike for the old houses. No ruler could tolerate families powerful enough to sway the politics of a whole nation.
But if the old families disappeared, other powers would just take their place. So for now, let them stay—as long as they're weakened and suppressed, left with only a name, they won't be a threat.
Serena nodded. "If used well, great families can be a real asset. But people always have ambition—once a house gets strong enough, they won't be content to just sit still."
Take the Cui family, for example. Serena understood their methods well—wasn't it just like America, where the elected president is really just a spokesperson for some consortium? What Cui was after was exactly what those American financial groups wanted: to make the country's rulers serve their interests.
As for whether the Walker clan would become like that, Serena wasn't sure. But she knew that once power reached a certain level, you either move forward or fall behind.
If the Walkers replaced the Cui family as the top house, whether to maintain their superior position or to avoid imperial suppression, they'd have to find a way to climb even higher. If they didn't, they'd be the first target of the throne.
Even if William Walker Jinling himself lacked ambition, for the sake of his family's survival, he'd have no choice. The thought of that possibility irritated Serena; after a moment's hesitation, she warned, "Be careful when working with great families."
Saying that wasn't easy.
"Don't worry. Even if I'm bargaining with a tiger, I'll be the winner in the end." Ninth Royal Uncle was confident, but he was genuinely pleased that Serena was willing to talk about these things.
Serena had always avoided delving into these matters, so tonight marked a real breakthrough.
Almost as if to prove Nolan's point, just as the Walker death-soldiers gained the upper hand, the sound of synchronized footsteps rang out outside—hundreds of soldiers moving in perfect unison. Only professionally trained troops could do that. Dominic Zhai had arrived with reinforcements...
"That fast?" Serena glanced at Ninth Royal Uncle, searching his face for answers—did you set this up in advance?
"Better safe than sorry. Keeping the capital stable is his job." Ninth Royal Uncle admitted it easily, since he wasn't the one doing the hard work.
Serena shot him a look—only Ninth Royal Uncle would stir up so much trouble on New Year's Eve. If it were anyone else, Dominic Zhai would probably be furious...