Meili awoke the next morning filled with a sense of purpose. She hurried to check the hollow tree for word from her clan, and was rewarded at last with a rolled letter tucked inside. She unfurled it eagerly, comforted by the familiar sight of her Grand Master's hand.

Little Flower,

Your message brings troubling news of sinister magic at work within the palace. This hidden threat targeting the prince must be eliminated before the final shadow falls. You were chosen for this quest due to fortitude of heart and spirit. Have faith in your abilities and training. The path ahead is fraught with peril, but you walk not alone.

Purging evil from one afflicted requires preparation of an elixir to cleanse both body and soul. Gather the following ingredients: lotus root for purity, peony blossoms for protection, Solomon's seal for strength, and chrysanthemum for life-force restoration. Brew at midnight under the light of a crescent moon. Make the prince drink of this elixir thrice, to purge the darkness from within.

Beware the black viper who administers this poison. Their name evades us still, but your senses will detect its evil taint. Stay vigilant and let no shadow touch your light, Little Flower. This battle is only beginning, but you have the power and skill to prevail.

We send blessings and guidance. Victory shall be obtained through purity of heart and perseverance.

Grand Master

Meili clutched the letter tightly, heart pounding with renewed hope and purpose. The instructions for an elixir to cleanse the sinister magic from Zhiyuan filled her with relief, providing a way to rout the enemy poisoning him at last. She committed the ingredients to memory, planning when and how to gather each under cover of night to avoid detection.

She waited until nightfall, then slipped out of the palace under cover of darkness to begin gathering ingredients for the cleansing elixir. She ventured into the forest just beyond the palace walls, searching for the plants the Grand Master specified. After some time, she located a patch of lotus roots and chrysanthemums together.

As Meili dug up several lotus roots and picked chrysanthemum blossoms, the forest around her seemed to grow unnaturally silent. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickled in warning, but before she could react, a black-clad figure dropped from the trees with cat-like grace, brandishing a curved blade.

Meili leapt aside as the blade sliced the air where she stood a moment before. Her assailant landed in a crouch, slowly straightening to reveal a woman with a scarlet smile and feral eyes. "Well, well...what have we here? The little mouse scavenging in the woods, oblivious to the circling hawk."

Two more black-clad figures emerged from the shadows, effectively surrounding Meili. She clutched her basket of ingredients, mind racing. These must be Partisans, hunting her movements. But how had they detected her clandestine outing? Her fists clenched in frustration at walking into such an obvious trap.

The woman chuckled. "Did you think your little errand went unnoticed? We have been watching, little mouse, and now that hawk descends to make you our prey." She lunged with lightning speed, her blade slicing through the air.

Meili dodged and wove between lethal blows, hampered by the need to keep her basket intact. "I have no wish to fight you. Let me pass in peace." She knew negotiation was futile but attempted anyway.

"The only peace you shall find is an eternal one!" The woman snarled. Her comrades attacked as one, and Meili was forced to go on the defensive, blocking and evading the flurry of kicks and blows with acrobatic grace. But her attackers did not tire, strengthened by some sinister magic. She realized with dawning horror that these must be Qi Vampires, not merely Partisans.

Meili searched for an escape from their deadly circle, refusing to abandon her precious cargo. She flung a handful of chrysanthemum petals skyward, sticking her pursuers' faces and temporarily blinding them. As they clawed petals from their eyes with hisses of rage, she flung out a leg, tripping one and sending them all sprawling.

Meili ran fleetly down the forest path, heart pounding. But an ominous tingling at her back warned that the vampires' qi-sight had detected her. She whirled, just in time to raise her basket as a shield against three dagger-like projectiles flung with deadly accuracy at her fleeing form. The basket shattered on impact, scattering her ingredients.

The vampires stalked out of the forest, eyes glowing eerily. "You cannot escape us, little mouse. Now face your end with dignity, if you can muster such!"

Meili narrowed her eyes, gauging how best to overcome these formidable foes. Without purging ingredients, her quest would be for naught. She refused to fail when so much rested on her success.

As the vampires circled with predatory grins, preparing another lethal barrage, inspiration struck. Meili tossed a handful of lotus root and petals skyward. She flung out her arms, summoning a strong gust of wind that spun the scattered ingredients into a blinding flurry. The vampires shrieked as petals, roots, and pollen were flung into their oversensitive eyes, their qi-sight overloaded by the bright swirling storm.

Meili pressed her attack, landing blows with lightning speed which knocked them off balance and sent weapons flying. Before they could recover their wits, she wove a quick immobilization charm, binding and gagging them securely with vines and petals.

The vampires struggled futilely, glaring poisonous daggers. But their sinister power was now contained. Meili sighed in relief, gathering what remained of her ingredients. Her quest was intact, though behind schedule. But dealing with these sinister captives would require haste before they overpowered her charm.

Meili spared them a final glance, shaking her head. The path ahead promised greater peril than she anticipated. Yet she refused to falter, steeling her determination. Too much remained at stake to consider defeat. She set off once more into the night, ingredients and unconscious foes in tow. The battle was far from won, but she clung to her mission with renewed resolve. Failure simply was not an option.

Meili hurried back to the palace, sticking to shadows to avoid notice with her precarious burdens. She managed to slip into the servant's entrance unseen, making her way to her own small chamber. But as she slid the door open, footsteps approached down the corridor. She darted inside just as a palace guard walked by, peering about for any disturbance.

Meili pressed herself flat against the wall, scarcely daring to breathe as the guard's lantern lit her room briefly. He frowned, seeing the doors had slid shut of their own accord. Yet after a tense moment, he continued on his rounds without investigating further.

Meili sank to the floor in relief. Her heart pounded from the close call and exertion of sneaking about, but she had succeeded. Now to begin brewing the cleansing elixir without delay.

She unpacked her ingredients, assessing what remained after the vampires' attack. Luckily enough lotus root, chrysanthemum petals, and Solomon's seal were intact, though now bruised and disheveled. Meili set about rinsing and preparing each ingredient, measuring portions according to her clan's alchemic formulae.

As she worked pounding ingredients in her mortar, a knock sounded at the door. Meili froze, glancing in panic at the alchemical tools and ingredients arrayed before her. She could not afford discovery now. Hastily covering everything with a cloth, she slid open the door a crack to find Eunuch Jiang peering in anxiously.

"Meili, I heard curious noises. Are you quite well?" His eyes scanned her small chamber for the source of any disturbance.

Meili forced a wan smile. "Quite well, thank you. I was merely...rearranging my room. Please do not trouble yourself." Her heart pounded at how close she had come to being caught again. But Eunuch Jiang seemed oblivious to anything amiss.

He bowed, noticeably relieved. "Very good. When sounds emerge from a lady's chambers late at night, it can provoke...improper speculation." Eunuch Jiang scowled, as if personally affronted by the notion. He took his leave with a final bow, and Meili slid the door shut with a sigh of vexation at his foolish meddling.

Yet she could not blame the silly eunuch for his embarrassing assumption and desire to protect her virtue - misguided as his methods were. Shaking off the irksome interruption, Meili turned back to her work. Time was fleeting, and the elixir must be prepared before the crescent moon reached its zenith.

Heat from multiple candles infused the chamber as Meili brewed the elixir over a small flame, adding each ingredient at the precise moment according to the formula. The concoction began emitting a soft golden glow, infusing the air with comforting warmth and the scents of lotus and peony in bloom.

A clock chimed the late hour, announcing midnight's arrival at last. Meili pricked her finger, adding three drops of her own blood to bind the magic as the final step. A bright flash and puff of sweet-smelling smoke erupted. As it cleared, a delicate glass vial filled with the glowing golden elixir stood in the center of her work table.

Meili clasped the warm vial gently, overcome with joy and relief. The first phase of her quest was accomplished, and hope blossomed anew in her heart. She held in her hands the means to purge evil from the one afflicted at long last.

Yet peril still lurked, and her attacks would only increase in fury upon discovering failure. Meili must proceed to administering the elixir in secret over three nights under the moon's guiding light. As she hid away the tools of her alchemic endeavors, she mulled over how best to gain Zhiyuan's cooperation for the cure to take full effect.

The prince's reluctance to accept aid of any form would make persuading him difficult. She sighed, shaking off doubts threatening the hope which now burned bright as the elixir's golden glow within her heart. Where there existed a will to prevail against darkness, hope still remained. The dawn's light would come for him at last, if she continued guiding his steps from shadow into a new day reborn.

The next morning, Meili brought Prince Zhiyuan his usual herbal tea and medicines. He regarded her with a raised eyebrow as she served him, a hint of humor glinting in his eyes.

"I trust your chambers have been sufficiently rearranged now, little nursemaid?" His sly tone implied he knew well that was not the cause of the noises in her room the previous night.

Meili flushed, avoiding his gaze. "My apologies for any disturbance, Your Highness. I was merely...organizing some belongings." She hoped he would not pry further into the real reason for her clandestine activities.

Zhiyuan snorted in wry amusement at her flustered excuses but said no more, turning his attention to a book while sipping his tea. Meili breathed a small sigh of relief that her secret remained intact for now.