Subtitle: When reason becomes a weapon, trust is the only shield.
A dragon-like groan, muffled and deep, echoed from the heart of the imperial tombs' dragon vein, a vibration that made the roof tiles of the capital shiver.
A beam of cold, white light pierced through the earth, flowing silently along the millennium-old ley line like solidified moonlight, like jade marrow. Where the light passed, silver sigils shimmered into existence on the blue-stone pavements, cobwebs between corridor pillars formed intricate hexagram patterns, and even the lively sparkle in children's eyes solidified into a glassy, crystalline quality.
Chu Hongying pressed a hand to her agitated chest, feeling the resonance in her bloodline being torn apart by some force. "They are draining the vital human energy of the capital..."
Shen Yuzhu reached out, his fingertips brushing against the swirling energy in the air. His voice was low. "No. They are using the Empire's Mirror Array to forcibly rewrite the very breath of the dragon vein."
From the direction of the distant Qin Tian Jian, the armillary sphere guarding the empire's fortune rang without wind, its chime carrying a note of profound sorrow.
Act 1 | Resonance and Resistance • The Wall of Reason
Shen Yuzhu activated his Mirror Seal, and his mind's eye was plunged into an illusion constructed of icy, relentless logic. Moments from his past with Chu Hongying replayed within floating fragments of bronze mirrors. Ancient seal script appeared on the mirror surfaces:
"Emotional thoughts disturb the heart, dust gathers on the mirror platform. Forget this memory, and the foundation of your Dao shall increase by thirty-seven."
Just as his consciousness was about to be devoured by absolute rationality, the resonance of Chu Hongying's bloodline surged into him like a warm current. She pressed her palm against his chest, her voice clear and sharp. "If your reason is a cage, then I will break it."
The swirling, calculating golden light in Shen Yuzhu's eyes shattered, revealing the human warmth beneath. "If the Heavenly Principle demands I forget affection," he rasped, his voice hoarse yet firm, "then I would rather defy heaven itself."
Act 2 | The Seventh Prince's Truth • The Other Side of the Mirror
In the secret chamber of the Seventh Prince's mansion, candle flames cast dancing shadows on the walls. Zhao Yuan unrolled a yellowed scroll—the "Secret Record of the Mirror Heart"—revealing a truth buried by dust. "The Rewriting Art originates from the ancient methods of the Mirror Sea, but His Majesty has altered its original purpose."
Lu Wanning stared at the burned mirror patterns on his arm. "How can you resist the rewriting?"
Zhao Yuan smiled bitterly, rolling up his sleeve further. "Because my bloodline is inherently incomplete. I don't count as a whole person."
He produced a crystalline shard of a Mirror Heart, which swirled with a strange luster in the candlelight. As Lu Wanning took it, her fingertips brushed against hair-thin carvings on its inner surface—three characters: "Do Not Trust Me."
Later, inside her medical case, a new page of copied script appeared quietly. The handwriting reminded her of marginalia from some ancient text, though she couldn't quite place it.
Act 3 | Helian Sha's Interference • A Warning in Wolf's Blood
At the ruins of the suburban northern observatory, the night wind cut like a blade.
A strand of starlight, tinged with frost and snow, fell from the northern sky and merged into the wolf-head jade talisman in Shen Yuzhu's palm. The motes of light coalesced into the faint, shimmering form of Helian Sha, flickering unsteadily under the moonlight.
"The Mirror Array... has eroded the dragon veins of the Northern Frontier..." his voice came through, broken. "The spirit springs of Snowwolf Valley... are running dry..."
At the crucial moment, the image froze. Helian Sha's eyes became vacant, and a voice not his own echoed in their minds: "The Trial of Three Locks is the only path to life."
As the image exploded into nothingness, Shen Yuzhu's Mirror Seal activated autonomously, replaying the final moment. He saw it clearly—the shape of Helian Sha's final, silent words: "It is a trap."
Act 4 | Quartet Resonance • The Dragon's Breath Awakens
In the courtyard of the Capital Defense Headquarters, the four of them stood at the cardinal points. The Mirror Heart shard hovered in the center, emitting a soft, glowing halo.
Gu Changfeng's voice rose strong and clear, chanting an ancient war song of the Northern Frontier. Where his voice reached, the silver sigils faded and vanished. The silver needles in Lu Wanning's hand trembled slightly. "The dragon energy of the ley line... is responding to us," she murmured, concentrating.
As their four auras intertwined, forming an ancient, complex totem in the air, Chu Hongying suddenly shuddered violently. An ancient, majestic and imposing consciousness slammed directly into her mind.
"Guardian of the Ember... The Counter-Scale shall soon awaken..."
Her head snapped up, and her eyes met the inscrutable gaze of Zhao Yuan.
Act 5 | The Emperor's Gaze • An Invitation to the Trial
Deep within the palace's Mirror Hall, the new Emperor stood quietly before a massive water mirror. The mirror reflected the scene of the quartet's resonance, and a faint, almost imperceptible fifth aura.
"Emotion, it seems, is not merely noise after all," he stroked the mirror's surface, a faint smile touching his lips. "It is the most fascinating variable."
Ripples spread across the water mirror, and ancient text surfaced:
"Trial of Three Locks: Seal of Fate, Oath of Heart, Pact of Blood. In three days, the Mirror Hall awaits."
Finale | The Calm Before the Storm
The four of them stood together on the upturned eaves of the Defense Headquarters, looking out over the slumbering city. The distant lights flickered in the night, like the final breaths of this millennia-old capital.
"What if it's a trap?" Chu Hongying asked softly.
"Then we will shatter it," Shen Yuzhu said, gripping her hand.
Gu Changfeng laughed heartily. "Just the thing to stretch our limbs."
Lu Wanning closed her medical case. The ink on the final page was not yet dry.
As the first light of dawn appeared, the silver sigils quietly receded into the bricks and tiles. But in unnoticed corners, within the cracks of the blue-stone flags, a faint, golden light could be seen pulsing, waiting.
Final Lines:
Reason descends like a killing frost; trust is their final bastion.
Unaware that the most profound secret lies slumbering in the very earth beneath their feet.
—Reason guided them to the endgame, but trust will lead them to face the abyss.