The Imperial Apothecary was a labyrinth of shadows and cedar-scented air. Rows of thousands of tiny drawers reached toward the vaulted ceiling, each containing the dried memories of the earth—bitter roots, crushed cicada shells, and preserved blossoms. For Lin Xiyao, this was the only place in the Forbidden City where she felt the safety of order.
She sat at a small workbench, the silver needle from the crime scene resting on a piece of white silk. Her "Heavenly Forensic" Golden Finger remained active, a subtle blue glow only she could perceive pulsing at the edges of her vision.
[Analyzing Follicle Data...] Current Status: 85% complete. Warning: High concentration of "Lunar Miasma" detected. Target is currently in a state of high metabolic agitation.
Xiyao's fingers trembled. In the world of web novels, the "cheat" or "Golden Finger" was supposed to make life easier, but all this data did was confirm she was standing on the edge of a precipice. If a werewolf truly walked the halls of the Ming palace, the traditional hierarchy of power would be shredded like the Minister's throat.
The candle on her desk flickered. A sudden, heavy draft extinguished the flame, plunging the room into a darkness so thick it felt like ink.
"You are a very meticulous physician, Lin Xiyao," a voice rumbled from the shadows.
It wasn't just a voice; it was a vibration that shook the jars on the shelves. Lu Yan stepped into the faint moonlight filtering through the high windows. His presence was a physical weight, radiating a heat that shouldn't belong to a human in winter.
"Commander Lu," Xiyao whispered, her hand instinctively hovering over a pouch of paralytic powder. "The Pavilion is miles from here. Why have you followed a lowly herbalist?"
"I am not following a herbalist," Lu Yan said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, gravelly register. He moved with a predatory grace that was far too silent for a man of his size. "I am following the woman who stole a piece of my soul at the crime scene."
He reached out, his hand—large enough to crush her skull—picking up the silver needle. The silver hair was still trapped in its groove. Under the moonlight, Lu Yan's eyes shifted, the amber irises glowing with a feral, internal light.
Xiyao's system screamed a warning:
[Hazard Alert!] Alpha Signature Detected. > Survival Probability: 12% if combat initiated. Recommended Action: Negotiation.
"You found it," Lu Yan stated, his gaze boring into hers. "Most would have seen nothing. You saw the truth. Do you know what happens to those who uncover the Emperor's secrets?"
"They disappear," Xiyao said, forcing herself to meet his terrifying gaze. In web novels, characters must show "personalities" that are rational and brave to gain reader trust. "But your secret isn't just a secret of state, is it, Commander? It's a curse. An alchemical poison disguised as a monster."
Lu Yan froze. The air around him seemed to crackle. "How do you know that?"
"My needles don't just see hair and blood. They see the composition of the soul," she lied, attributing her system's data to her TCM skills. "You aren't a beast by choice. You are being consumed from the inside out. Your heartbeat is currently at 140 beats per minute. Your skin is burning at a temperature that would kill a normal man. If I don't help you, the next full moon will be your last as a human."
The silence in the apothecary was deafening. Lu Yan's hand tightened around the needle, the silver bending under his inhuman strength. For a moment, she thought he would lunge. Instead, he let out a low, ragged exhale.
"The Eunuchs have been poisoning the Imperial guard's tonic for years," Lu Yan admitted, his voice raw. "They wanted to create 'immortal soldiers.' Instead, they created us. I am the only one who has managed to keep my mind. The others... they are the ones leaving bodies in the pavilions".
He stepped closer, closing the gap until she could feel the frantic, heavy thud of his heart. "Help me, Physician Lin. Find a cure to suppress the transformation, and I will be your sword. In this palace of ghosts, you will have the most dangerous predator in the Ming Dynasty as your shield".
[System Update: Mission Triggered] Objective: Develop "Lunar Suppression" Tonic. Reward: Protection of the Jinyiwei (S-Rank) and 500 Experience Points to Forensic System.
Xiyao looked at the man before her—a hero of the Ming, trapped in the skin of a beast. This was her "Interest Insurance" for the story. "A pact, then. I provide the medicine. You provide the safety."
"And if you fail?" Lu Yan asked, his hand gently brushing her neck, his claws just barely grazing her skin in a gesture that was both a caress and a threat.
"If I fail," Xiyao replied, her voice firm, "you won't have to kill me. The palace will do it for you."
Lu Yan's lips pulled back in a grim shadow of a smile. "Then we are both walking toward the gallows, Lin Xiyao."
Suddenly, a heavy pounding sounded on the apothecary doors. "Open up! By order of the Empress's Guard! We are searching for the thief who stole the evidence from the Pavilion of Thousand Autumns!"
Xiyao's blood ran cold. Lu Yan's eyes flashed gold. "The game has started sooner than I thought," he whispered.