The Imperial Stables smelled of dry hay, horse musk, and the sharp, clean scent of cedar—a welcome relief from the sulfurous rot of the drainage tunnels. Behind a false wall in the Master of the Horse's private quarters lay a sanctuary that Lu Yan had meticulously prepared for his darkest hours. It was a small, windowless room, lit only by a single tallow candle that cast flickering, elongated shadows against the stone walls.
Lu Yan collapsed onto a heavy wooden chair, his breathing ragged and wet. The "Lunar Miasma" was no longer just a fever; it was a physical force, causing his veins to pulse with an unnatural, bioluminescent violet light beneath his skin.
"You must... begin," he rasped, his fingers digging into the chair's armrests until the wood began to splinter under his inhuman grip.
Lin Xiyao didn't waste a second. She moved with the "empathetic rationality" required of a protagonist facing a life-and-death crisis. She cleared a small table, laying out her tools: silver needles, porcelain vials, and a bundle of dried Huangqi and Cinnabar. This was the "action" phase of her journey, where she had to activate her unique abilities to let the readers know what the protagonist would do next.
"System," she whispered, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her. "Initiate Substance Extraction. I need a clean sample of the alchemical catalyst in his blood."
[Heavenly Forensic System: Substance Extraction Initialized] Subject Status: Critical. Heart rate 190 BPM. Lunar Toxicity Level: 74%. Warning: Drawing blood during peak mutation increases the risk of subject's loss of consciousness and subsequent feral transformation.
"I know the risks," Xiyao muttered. To keep readers engaged, she had to confront a central conflict that gave the story direction and purpose. She approached Lu Yan, her hand hovering over his arm. "Commander, I need you to remain human. If your heart stops fighting the beast, this needle will only act as a conduit for your end."
Lu Yan looked up at her, his amber eyes narrowing. For a moment, the "complexity of human nature" was visible in his gaze—the fear of a man losing himself to a monster. "Do it," he growled.
Xiyao drove the long silver needle into the vein at the crook of his elbow. The system hummed, a blue light creeping up the length of the needle as it began to siphon the dark, viscous fluid.
[Substance Extraction: 20%... 45%... 70%...]
Analysis: High concentration of Mercury and Wolf-Spirit Silk enzymes detected. Discovery: This isn't just a curse; it's a 'Living Poison' that reacts to lunar radiation.
As the blood filled the porcelain vial, Lu Yan's body went rigid. A low, guttural snarl escaped his throat, and his jaw began to elongate, the skin stretching painfully thin. Xiyao realized this was the "climax" of the chapter—the moment where the protagonist must find a way to solve the problem through their Golden Finger.
"Lu Yan! Stay with me!" she cried, dropping the needle and grabbing his face with both hands. The heat of his skin was enough to blister her palms, but she didn't let go. In female-oriented stories, the essence should always be the romance and the emotional connection between the leads.
"Think of the palace," she urged, her voice a desperate anchor. "Think of the Minister who died. If you change now, Eunuch Wei wins. The Jinyiwei will become nothing more than a pack of mad dogs."
Her words seemed to strike a chord. The tension in his jaw slackened, and the violet light in his veins dimmed. He gasped, a long, shuddering breath that signaled his return to humanity.
[Extraction Complete] Reward: 200 Experience Points.
New Recipe Unlocked: 'Lunar Suppression Tonic (Prototype)'.
Xiyao slumped against the table, her legs finally giving way. She had the sample. She had a path forward. But as she looked at the vial of black blood, she knew that "getting your book signed is not the end of creation, but the beginning of it". This was only the first step in a "long and arduous marathon".
"We aren't safe yet," Lu Yan whispered, his eyes returning to their human brown, though a hint of gold remained at the edges. "I heard the horses earlier. They were restless. Someone followed us to the stables."
Xiyao gripped her medical chest. The "survival" trope was now in full effect. They had a shelter, but order was non-existent, and resources were scarce.
"Then we make the tonic tonight," Xiyao said, her eyes flashing with a new, hardened determination. "And we give them a reason to fear the physician as much as the beast."