The "Rat-Hole" was exactly as its name suggested: a cramped, subterranean cellar located beneath a dilapidated grain warehouse in the capital's outer slums. Far from the lacquered splendor of the Forbidden City, the air here was thick with the scent of damp earth, old burlap, and the cold, metallic tang of Lu Yan's blood.
Lu Yan stumbled as they crossed the threshold, his towering frame nearly shattering the rotted wooden support beam. The "Lunar Suppression" tonic had saved his mind, but the physical toll of the rooftop flight was manifesting as a violent, localized tremor in his chest.
"Sit. Now," Xiyao commanded, her voice cutting through the gloom with the authority of a seasoned physician.
She didn't wait for his compliance. She guided him to a pile of clean straw in the corner—the only luxury in this "niche" safehouse. As he collapsed, his Jinyiwei robes, once a symbol of terrifying imperial power, were now shredded and scorched, revealing the distorted, corded muscle beneath.
The Forensic Diagnosis
Xiyao knelt before him, her hands hovering inches from his chest. Her "Heavenly Forensic" System flared to life, the interface glowing with an intense, sapphire brilliance that reflected in Lu Yan's amber eyes.
[Heavenly Forensic System: Heart-Pulse Sensing Unlocked] Subject: Lu Yan (Alpha Mutation Phase) Cardiac Analysis: Arrythmia detected. Heart rate fluctuating between 40 and 210 BPM. Hazard: The alchemical 'Wolf-Spirit' catalyst is attempting to override the human sinus node.
"Your heart is fighting itself," Xiyao whispered, her "character growth" showing as she suppressed her own exhaustion to focus on his survival. "The tonic suppressed the beast, but the human heart cannot keep pace with the power it left behind."
She reached into her medical chest, pulling out three long, hair-thin gold needles. Unlike the silver needles used for extraction, gold was the metal of stabilization—it conducted the body's qi to ground the spirit.
"I need to perform a 'Golden Gate' stabilization," she said, looking directly into his eyes, which were currently swirling with a dangerous, golden light. "It will feel like a brand. You cannot shift, Lu Yan. If you transform now, the needles will pierce your lungs."
"Do... what you must," Lu Yan rasped, his hand reaching out to grip her wrist. His touch was scorching, yet his grip was unexpectedly gentle—a "memorable" display of the complex humanity still fighting within him.
The Stabilization
Xiyao took a deep breath, her "Golden Finger" providing a holographic overlay of his circulatory system.
First Needle: Inserted into the Neiguan point. The system hummed as it began to regulate the frantic rhythm of his pulse.
Second Needle: Placed at the Shenmen. Lu Yan let out a low, guttural groan, his body arching as the gold needle intercepted the violet alchemical fire coursing through his nerves.
Third Needle: The most dangerous. Xiyao positioned it directly over his heart, aiming for the Shanzhong point—the "Sea of Qi".
[System Alert: High-Precision Required] Current Stability: 44%.
Recommendation: Channel 'System Energy' into the needle to neutralize alchemical spikes.
Xiyao pressed the needle in. A shock of cold, blue light traveled from her fingertips through the gold. Lu Yan's eyes went wide, his pupils snapping back to human circles. He let out a breath that sounded like a long-suppressed howl, and then his body finally went limp against the straw.
[Stabilization Successful] Status: Heart rate stabilized at 72 BPM. Reward: 300 Experience Points. Relationship Point: +15 with Lu Yan (Bond: 'Fated Allies').
Aftermath in the Dark
The only sound in the "Rat-Hole" was the slow, steady drip of water from the ceiling. Lu Yan's fever had broken, his skin returning to a normal, albeit pale, temperature. He looked up at Xiyao, his "standpoint" as a cold commander softened by the raw vulnerability of the moment.
"You saved me again, Physician," he said, his voice a mere shadow of its usual command.
"We saved each other," Xiyao corrected, wiping the sweat from her brow. She knew that in this "apocalyptic" environment of distrust and danger, their mutual assistance was the only "touching highlight" they had.
She leaned back against the stone wall, her eyes heavy. They were safe for now, but she knew the "Main Plot" was only escalating. Eunuch Wei's shadow-guards were still out there, and the burning stables would only make the palace's search more desperate.
"Rest," Lu Yan whispered, his eyes closing as sleep finally claimed him. "Tomorrow, we find the ones who poisoned the wells."
Xiyao closed her eyes, clutching her medical chest like a talisman. The Forbidden City was far away, but the beast was here, and for the first time, she wasn't afraid of its heart.