The Old Fox’s Power Over Life and Death

Prince Samuel Zhai, a man who conquered the world on horseback, exudes such an aura of authority that even his own grandson, Dominic Zhai, fears him. Yet Serena Feng, standing before Prince Samuel, shows not a trace of nervousness or fear.

It's not that Serena Feng is reckless—it's just that...

Who did Serena Feng see the most in her previous life?

Soldiers!

Military leaders—she met countless of them. That raw courage and killing intent soldiers carry? Serena Feng saw it all the time. It never fazed her. In fact, she even found it familiar.

The fierce spirit and seasoned gravity on Prince Samuel Zhai is nothing like Yu Wen Yuanhua’s. Serena had only ever sensed this kind of presence from a few founding generals back in the modern world.

But those founding generals in modern times were mostly old, their health failing. Unless they needed to assert dominance or shake someone up, they rarely let that killing aura show.

Clearly, Prince Samuel was trying to intimidate her.

After bowing, Serena didn’t wait for Prince Samuel to speak—she simply stood up, smiling brightly at him, as if she didn’t sense the oppressive atmosphere in the room at all.

After a while, Dominic Zhai was drenched in sweat, but Serena Feng was still as relaxed as ever, her smile unchanged.

Honestly, no matter what kind of person or doctor Serena Feng is, just for her calm alone, Dominic Zhai had to admire her. He glanced at William Wang Jinling beside him, as if to say: Not bad, the woman you fancy really has guts.

You have to know—when Prince Samuel Zhai deliberately unleashes his aura, even the Emperor would be shaken.

He inspires awe without anger—let alone when he’s actually angry.

When Prince Samuel Zhai gets angry, the whole Eastlyn Empire trembles.

William Wang Jinling just smiled faintly, offering no explanation—almost as if he wanted Dominic Zhai to misunderstand on purpose.

"You're not afraid of me?" Prince Samuel, nearly sixty but still sharp-eyed, stared at her. Being fixed by his gaze was scarier than being stared down by a tiger.

Rumor had it that, back on the battlefield, Prince Samuel Zhai could glare at an enemy general and scare him right off his horse.

Square face, sword-like brows, cold eyes—unyielding and harsh. If the flesh on his left cheek wasn’t sunken, his presence would be even more intimidating.

"Why should I be afraid? Your Highness isn’t some monster." Serena’s voice was soft but clear and bright, letting Prince Samuel know this girl truly wasn’t afraid—she wasn’t just pretending.

"Interesting. These days, there aren’t many who aren’t afraid of me. Ninth Royal Uncle was the first, and you’re the second." Prince Samuel chuckled, and the suffocating pressure in the room vanished instantly.

Ninth Royal Uncle—no need to guess, he meant Nolan Dongling. Honestly, across the whole Nine Provinces Realm, there aren’t many who dare call him that.

Whew... Dominic Zhai secretly breathed a sigh of relief and straightened up, but Prince Samuel caught his little movement: "Useless brat—not even as brave as a girl."

You should know, most of the pressure Prince Samuel released was aimed at Serena Feng.

"Grandfather, I was just showing you respect." Dominic Zhai, a tough iron-boned man, turned meek as a kitten in front of Prince Samuel.

He couldn’t help it—Dominic’s parents died young, and Prince Samuel basically raised him himself. Plus, Prince Samuel believed in strict discipline.

"Ahem..." Serena Feng coughed lightly. "Heir, I respect His Highness even more."

This Dominic Zhai—she could accept his dislike, she wasn’t gold, not everyone would like her. But using her as a stepping stone to please Prince Samuel? That was just low.

Dominic Zhai stared dumbly at Serena Feng, clearly not expecting her to speak up at this moment. For a while, he just didn’t know what to say to defend himself.

Prince Samuel saw this and got angry: "Go, run a hundred laps around the manor. You can come back in when you’re done."

What’s a soldier’s household? This is it.

Copying texts, kneeling in the ancestral hall—that’s nothing. Here, if you mess up, you get physical punishment.

"Yes." Dominic Zhai looked miserable but didn’t dare argue. Without another word, he turned and ran out, but not before shooting Serena Feng a fierce glare.

Serena Feng looked up at the sky, pretending not to notice, but secretly thought: Prince Samuel Manor is a bit small. From what she saw outside, each lap was maybe three to five hundred meters. A hundred laps would be...

Uh... well, that’s a little harsh. Thirty to fifty thousand meters—Dominic Zhai’s got a long night ahead.

Serena was sure he’d run every lap, because obeying orders is a soldier’s duty.

"I didn’t expect you to have such a hard heart, little girl—not even asking for mercy on his behalf?" Prince Samuel’s tooth still ached, but he showed no sign of it.

"Your Highness must be joking. I know my humble status—I’m hardly qualified to plead for the heir."

Pfft... William Wang Jinling and the others couldn’t help laughing.

He’d never known Serena Feng could be so "shameless."

Prince Samuel was stunned too: "You’re an interesting girl. You talk about humble status with such confidence. What if I gave you a chance to plead for the heir?"

It’s not that Prince Samuel is deliberately making things hard for Serena Feng. As Dominic Zhai thought, not just anyone can treat a prince—what if someone tried something sinister?

A doctor can kill without leaving a mark. Without a test or two, how could Prince Samuel dare to trust her?

"I won’t plead." Serena Feng refused without hesitation.

"Why not?" Prince Samuel’s tone softened, but Serena could still hear the underlying threat.

She thought to herself: No wonder people say age brings cunning—he’s a master at switching tactics.

First he intimidates, then he jokes around to close the distance. This push and pull would drive anyone mad—defenses drop, vigilance fades.

An ordinary person, scared at first, then flattered by a noble’s friendliness, would be thrilled—thinking they’d passed the test and caught the prince’s eye, ready to soar to new heights.

Too bad—she was Serena Feng.

She’d seen plenty of these tactics. If she couldn’t see through them, she’d be an idiot.

Seeing Prince Samuel standing straight, leaning forward slightly, Serena understood: this was the aura of a commander pressing the attack—an invisible pressure.

Serena remained calm, her voice steady: "The heir doesn’t need anyone to plead for him—especially not a weak girl. Even if I did, Your Highness wouldn’t agree. Since it’s useless, why bother?"

"You haven’t tried—how do you know it’s useless?" Prince Samuel leaned back, closed his eyes, hiding the sharp glint within.

Even so, Serena didn’t relax.

Appearances can deceive—Serena knew she was facing a battle-hardened general, as unpredictable as any emperor.

Without thinking, Serena replied, "Military orders are ironclad. Once given, they cannot be changed."

After all these years, what Serena saw in Prince Samuel wasn’t the grandeur of a prince, but the bearing of a mighty general. And since Prince Samuel referred to himself as "I," it was clear he’d rather be at war than enjoy riches in the capital.

"Well said—ironclad orders! For a young girl to have such insight, impressive." Prince Samuel’s eyes snapped open, sharp as blades, as if to see right through Serena Feng...