Li Mei stood in the center of the underground stone chamber and looked at the five physicians who had escaped the Daming Palace. These people were her companions in this mission to save the empire. She knew that mutual trust and assistance among companions was a necessary part of a successful story. She placed her father's journal on a heavy stone table. This journal was her golden finger because it contained knowledge that no other person possessed. She showed the physicians the pages that described the six dimensions of the werewolf curse which included the ability and life experience of the infected.
The physicians were professional readers of her father's work but they needed her guidance to understand the alchemical formulas. Mei explained that they had to create a large batch of the neutralizing compound. This task required strict quality control to ensure that the medicine was effective against the mutated lunar warriors. She assigned each physician a specific part of the process such as grinding the wolfsbane or distilling the peppermint oil. This was an example of kingdom building because she was developing her own forces and resources to survive the apocalypse.
Prince Zhao stood at the far end of the room with Eunuch Gao and two palace guards. Zhao was the main character and his goal was vengeance and the protection of the people. He used a charcoal stick to draw a map of the Imperial Gardens on the floor. Map design in web novels often begins with small places and then progresses into bigger places as the story continues. He identified the locations where the Empress Dowager was keeping the main body of the lunar army. This army was a military unit of monsters that lacked human nature.
Mei approached Zhao while the physicians began their work. She maintained her personality traits of rationality and empathy as she spoke to him. She smelled the winter mint on his skin which meant he was still in control of his human form. However she also detected the metallic smell of arsenic in the air which was a sign of the looming crisis.
"We have enough ingredients for one hundred doses," Mei said.
Zhao looked at the map on the floor. He was planning a counterattack which is a popular element in online literature. He knew that the protagonist needs to be strong to overcome powerful forces like the Empress. He explained his strategy to the group. They would use the subterranean tunnels to reach the Imperial Gardens during the Mid Autumn Festival. This was a time limited crisis because the full moon would be at its brightest then.
Eunuch Gao provided strategic advice about the guard rotations in the palace. He was an outgoing character who helped enliven the atmosphere despite the danger. He told them that the Empress was planning to use the imperial bells to trigger a mass transformation of all the infected people in Chang'an. This was the main story of the book where the protagonist must stop a large disaster.
Mei returned to the alchemical vats. She focused on the ability dimension of the curse to ensure the antidote would work quickly. She knew that they were in the action phase of their journey where they must solve the problem through their abilities. The physicians worked with persistence and patience because they knew that their lives depended on the quality of the antidote.
As the sun began to set outside the tunnels the group felt a sense of achievement. They had a plan and they had the medicine. They were ready to move from this small hiding place into the biggest battle of their lives. Zhao looked at Mei and his eyes showed trust. This emotional connection was the essence of their relationship. They were no longer just two individuals but the leaders of a new force that would challenge the darkness of the Tang Dynasty.