The pounding on the apothecary's heavy doors resonated through Lin Xiyao's chest like a war drum. "Open! By order of the Empress's Guard!" the voice bellowed again, more insistent this time. In the high-stakes world of the Forbidden City, the first three chapters are the "Interest Insurance" for a reader's journey; they must set the stage and establish the heart of the tale.
Xiyao's breath came in sharp, shallow stabs. "The silver hair," she whispered, glancing at the needle on the workbench. "If they find it, it's not just my life—it's the evidence of your..."
"Quiet," Lu Yan commanded. His amber eyes, still glowing with a feral residue, scanned the room with predatory efficiency. To keep readers engaged, an author must create characters that are both relatable and fascinating. Right now, Lu Yan was a lethal enigma, a man whose "Golden Finger" was his own monstrous strength, yet his protective stance toward Xiyao hinted at a vulnerability that invited immersion.
He didn't move toward the door. Instead, he grabbed Xiyao's waist, pulling her flush against his chest. The heat radiating from his body was staggering, a stark reminder of the "Lunar Miasma" currently boiling in his blood.
"There is no time to talk," he breathed into her ear, his voice a low vibration that sent a shiver down her spine. The essence of a female-oriented story should always be the romance, even amidst fantasy settings. He kicked a hidden lever beneath the third row of herb drawers. With a groan of stone on stone, a section of the wall slid back, revealing a throat of darkness.
"Wait!" Xiyao hissed, grabbing her medical chest. "My system... it's detecting something."
[Heavenly Forensic System: Active Search] Threat Detection: 12 guards outside. 2 possess 'High-Tier' martial arts signatures. Environment Scan: Secret passage leads to the Northern Drainage Tunnels. Obstacle: Heavy traces of sulfur and stagnant air. Risk of asphyxiation: 15%.
"The tunnels are the only way," Lu Yan said, shoving her into the darkness just as the front doors splintered open with a deafening crack. He followed her in, his large frame nearly filling the narrow space, and sealed the stone door behind them.
Silence descended, heavy and absolute, save for the frantic thudding of two hearts. Xiyao felt the rough stone against her back and the solid, towering presence of the wolf-commander in front of her. This was the "immersion" stage of the plot—starting in the middle of the action to grab attention.
"Can you see in this?" she whispered, her hands trembling as she reached for a flint in her kit.
"I can see everything," Lu Yan replied. His hand found hers in the dark, his grip firm and grounding. "The heat of your blood, the path of the rats... follow me. And do not let go."
As they descended deeper into the "shadow path" of the Ming palace, Xiyao realized that establishing a plot involves introducing a central conflict that gives the story purpose. They weren't just running from guards; they were running toward a truth that could dismantle the dynasty.
[System Update: New Quest Detail] Current Location: Forbidden Drainage Network. Discovery: Traces of 'Wolf-Spirit Silk' detected on the tunnel walls. Warning: You are not alone in these tunnels.
Lu Yan suddenly stopped, his body tensing into a bowstring of muscle. A low, wet growl echoed from the darkness ahead—a sound that was a mirror image of the one he had struggled to suppress in the apothecary.
"Stay behind me, Xiyao," he growled, his voice shifting back into that terrifying, inhuman register. The underdog story of a protagonist's transformation captivates readers, and here, the "Golden Finger" of Lu Yan's beast-form was about to be tested.
Ahead, two pairs of glowing red eyes ignited in the gloom. They weren't the Commander's amber eyes. They were the eyes of those who had lost their minds to the curse—the "others" he had spoken of.
Xiyao gripped her medical chest, her mind racing. A good beginning must set the tone and pacing. She didn't just have a needle; she had a system that could analyze weaknesses.
"Commander," she whispered, her voice steadying. "The one on the left... its left shoulder is festering. Strike there."
Lu Yan didn't ask how she knew. He simply lunged, a shadow becoming a storm.