That morning, Wǎn Lù prepared herself not for her official duties, but for the delicate work of alliance-building. Before heading to the Hospital, she sought out Lián, finding her in the royal shooting range. The thunderous *boom* of the Devil's Roar—a weapon that truly lived up to its name—echoed across the field as Lián practised her aim.

  [Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "Whoa… that truly sounds like a devil's roar. If our northern armies had these, the struggle would be over. Hold on, brother. I will bring back a solution to save our empire. First, I must understand the key."

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Lián!" she called out, waving a hand in the air. "May we speak for a moment?" Lián gave a gentle nod, hefting the formidable Devil's Roar shotgun as she followed. Wǎn Lù couldn't help but stare at the weapon, its menacing form a stark reminder of the kingdom's technological edge. Lián, misinterpreting her gaze, offered a reassuring smile.

  [Lián]: "Please, don't worry about that day. It won't happen again, and I have no intention of repeating it. What did you wish to discuss? Is there something I can help you with?"

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Yes, I require your assistance. And you will receive a reward as well." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "*His* heart." Lián's eyes widened, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks as a surge of pure excitement and happiness momentarily stole her breath. "But first," Wǎn Lù continued, "I need you to answer some questions for me." With Lián's eager nod of approval, she pressed on. "Did the King help you achieve your Apotheosis beast? And how did he enter your Xīnyù?"

  [Lián]: "Yes," she nodded earnestly. "He helped me because of my trauma. I was… drowning in it, nearly consumed. He used his **Dream-Weaver's Judgment (织梦判 - Zhī Mèng Pàn)**. With that technique, he can pull anyone into his Xīnyù or… enter and *change* anyone else's. He is the Architect of the Celestial Path. If he enters your Xīnyù, he assumes control to modify your very destiny. Please, Sister Wǎn Lù, you must keep this secret. You know the consequences."

  [Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "'Dream-Weaver'? Can he control and modify the Celestial Path? Is he the same as him after all? Aish… for a moment, I thought he was different. A scumbag is always a scumbag. [A mental click of disdain]" The flicker of disgust and disappointment must have shown on her face.

  [Lián]: "Sister? Is something wrong? Are you alright?"

  [Wǎn Lù]: "I'm fine," she said, plastering on a convincing, fake smile. "One more thing: before he entered, did you have any elemental deficiency or excess? And after he used his technique, did anything change? Something missing, or… gained?"

  Lián tilted her head, squinting in deep thought as she sifted through the memories of her spiritual transformation.

  [Lián]: "Ah… I was missing Metal before. However, a few weeks later, I found that it had been restored. I am balanced now."

  [Wǎn Lù]: "You *gained* the missing element? Do you know what he did inside your Xīnyù to cause that?" Lián shook her head, her expression one of trusting ignorance. From across the range, Jian Zhi’s sharp eyes had noted their conversation. He began walking toward them with purposeful, silent strides.

  [Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "Did I judge him too quickly? He might have a similar technique, but his application is different… He made Lián's missing element regrow? Or did he plant his own? AHH! I should have stayed longer in his Xīnyù to hear his mother's full explanation!" Her thoughts were a whirlwind of regret and frantic hypotheses. They were abruptly severed by a voice like cold, tempered steel.

  [Jian Zhi]: "Princess." His voice, arriving out of the blue, made both women startle. Lián immediately bowed with practised politeness. Wǎn Lù, however, reacted on pure instinct—she ducked behind Lián and snatched the Devil's Roar from her hands, her movements a blur of terrified reflex.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Hey, Mr Deadeyes! Stay right there! Look at what I'm holding! If you try to attack me without hearing my explanation, I'll blast a hole through you before you can even twitch a finger!" she declared, her voice high with nervous tension as she fumbled with the unfamiliar weight of the shotgun.

  [Jian Zhi]: "[His tone was unnervingly calm] Very well. You may give your explanation. In my study. Come with me. Return Lián her weapon. I am not going to kill you… yet."

  [Wǎn Lù]: "'Yet'?! What do you mean, 'yet'? Hey! I am not foolish enough to entrust my life to a predator. Especially not to you, Mr Deadeyes." He remained utterly unbothered, pinning her with a deathly stare that seemed to dissect her nervousness and confusion.

  [Lián]: ( Internal Monologue) "What in the heavens happened between them? Why is she so terrified of him? And what are they going to do alone in his study?")

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  [Lián]: "Your Majesty," she interjected, stepping forward slightly. "May I ask why you wish to speak with her alone in the study? Might I accompany her?" The moment the words left her mouth, she knew the answer was no, confirmed by the Arctic chill in Jian Zhi's gaze.

  [Jian Zhi]: "Come with me. The other two are already waiting inside. So, stop acting like a startled chicken." His deliberate, insulting choice of words successfully spiked her temper, cutting through her fear.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Hey! You nihilistic bastard! Who are you calling a chicken? I am five years your elder! Show some respect, you ungrateful brat!" He took a single, deliberate step forward. The air between them crackled as their stares locked—his a **death stare** of analytical cold, hers a **hunter's stare** of defensive fury.

  [Jian Zhi]: "Must I remind you every time to guard your tongue, lest you lose more than your pride?" As the tension coiled, promising a violent release, Lián swiftly pushed herself between them.

  [Lián]: "Your Majesty, you said you needed her explanation, correct? Why don't you go ahead? I will ensure she follows. [Her smile was strained and nervous]"

  Jian Zhi turned and walked toward his study without a backward glance. Wǎn Lù, after a bolstering breath and a returned Devil's Roar, followed. Inside the study, Lǐ Róng and Xuè Lán stood with palpable anxiety, awaiting the fallout of their spiritual espionage.

  [Jian Zhi]: "Mr Lǐ Róng, Lady Xuè Lán, and Princess Wǎn Lù. The three of you conspired to infiltrate my Xīnyù and delivered news of my soul-sickness to my mother. The only people privy to this sickness were this couple. Therefore, Princess, you would be ignorant unless they informed you. Tell me… You are after my kingdom's weapons blueprints, correct? Your mother sent you here for sanctuary from the Albion Dominion. Yet, ironically, the 'helpless' princess seeks to aid her Second Elder Brother and her empire with a foreign king's weapons. Did you believe I wouldn't see through your performance? Are you assessing the gaze on my weapons and soldiers? You allied with these two, using the prospect of curing my sickness as a bargaining chip to obtain those blueprints. Am I correct, Princess?" All three stood frozen, their carefully laid plans dismantled before them, layer after layer of secret motive laid bare.

  [Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "Aish! [Frustration peaked] How did he deduce all of that? Ah, Wǎn Lù, you fool. You should never have underestimated the man who designed this entire system. Calm down. No more hiding. The truth is the only currency left."

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Yes," she said, meeting his gaze with a newfound, brave confidence. "I did ally a bargaining chip. But since it is exposed, I will be transparent. As for your cure… You know the process, don't you? How about using Lián to cure yourself? I will assist you, and in return, you give me the blueprints. It is a mutually beneficial transaction."

  [Jian Zhi]: "Why should I use Lián? And why should I give you anything? For your 'assistance'? Do you even understand the cure?"

  [Wǎn Lù]: "I don't know the specifics, but I am a healer, and my Apotheosis—"

  [Jian Zhi]: "—is an Abyssal Water Phoenix. It grants you the ability to heal almost any physical ailment with your Phoenix's restorative flames. Except for soul-sicknesses." Wǎn Lù's eyes widened; a fraction of her hard-won confidence bled away.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "H-how did you know that? Tell me the cure. I am willing to assist you in the process. Since I possess a Water Phoenix, my essence may prove invaluable. You may not trust me, but the logic is sound. You will gain from this. It is rational."

  [Lǐ Róng]: "Jian Zhi, if you know the cure, tell us. We will aid you at any cost." Xuè Lán's gaze was fixed on him, overflowing with a motherly care that seemed to plead with his deadened eyes.

  [Jian Zhi]: "The curative process is called Soul-Substrate Doping (魂基掺杂 - Hún Jī Chānzá). It is the artificial synthesis of a missing elemental component within the soul's foundation. However, it requires a donor with a high concentration of the missing element." Jian Zhi proceeded to explain the full procedure—the need for aura exposure within the Xīnyù, the seeding, and the subsequent growth through proximity. As the details unfolded, a single, unambiguous answer crystallised in the minds of everyone present.

  [Jian Zhi, Lǐ Róng, Xuè Lán, and Wǎn Lù]: "You." / "Your Highness." / "Wǎn Lù." / "Me."

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Uhm… I *do* possess a high concentration of Water," she said, her confidence surging back into her eyes. "But my terms remain. I require the blueprints in return, as well as the establishment of an Earth Dragon locomotive service from your kingdom to the northern province of the Azure Mandate Empire. If these terms are acceptable, I am prepared to release my Phoenix aura within your Xīnyù."

  With the negotiation reaching its pivotal point, Jian Zhi moved to his desk. He unrolled a prepared scroll, its surface inscribed with the clear, unforgiving terms of a temporary alliance.

  [Jian Zhi]: "The Pact of the Remedial Accord. Rule One: Party Two's compensation is delivered only after Party One's condition is successfully remediated. Rule Two: Any intentional, irrational action or deliberate delay of the process will be met with a terminal consequence. Rule Three: Never enter Party One's Xīnyù without explicit, prior consent. Rule Four: This alliance and all its particulars remain absolute secrets, divulged to no one. Sign here, indicating your understanding and approval."

  [Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "Impressive. Clear, logical, and binding rules. He truly is something else. My focus must now be on expediting his cure and securing my objective."

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Before I sign… can you commence construction of the locomotive link from your border to our capital immediately? I will persuade my mother of its necessity. Even if our personal process takes time, your kingdom will gain from the expanded trade." Jian Zhi gave a curt, calculating nod.

  Wǎn Lù took the proffered brush and signed her name. The pact between the Dragon and the Phoenix was forged—an alliance of pure pragmatism, each party focused solely on their own vital gain. Lǐ Róng and Xuè Lán could only watch and hope, their hearts tethered to the fragile prospect of their King's health and their kingdom's enduring future.