The three of them reached the outer library stacks just before the first patrol lanterns swept the paths.
The building was old—crumbling cedar beams, shelves bowed under dust-choked scrolls, a faint smell of ink and forgotten incense.
Yue Li led them to a narrow alcove behind the genealogy records, pressing a hidden panel that clicked open to reveal a cramped storage room barely wide enough for two people to stand side-by-side.
Xiao Qing slipped inside without protest, satchel clutched to her chest.
"I'll stay quiet," she whispered. "I promise."
Yue Li knelt briefly, pressing a small protective talisman into the girl's palm—low-grade, but it would muffle sound and qi signature for a day.
"Eat what's in the satchel. Sleep if you can. We'll come back before dawn."
Xiao Qing nodded, eyes shining with unshed tears.
"Be careful. Both of you."
The panel closed with a soft thud.
Yue Li turned to Lin Feng. Her face was streaked with dried blood and mud, but her gaze was steady.
"Now what?"
Lin Feng leaned against the nearest shelf, exhaustion finally catching up. The silver motes had faded completely, but the Spirit Song still thrummed in his veins like a second heartbeat.
"I need to talk to it," he said quietly.
"The system?"
He nodded.
"It's been punishing me for every crack of mercy. But tonight… when the song protected us, it didn't interfere. It rewarded instead. There's a pattern. I need to understand the rules before Elder Zhu sends assassins."
Yue Li touched his arm.
"Do it here. I'll watch the door."
He exhaled once—slow, centering—and closed his eyes.
The blue panel materialized instantly, hovering at eye level, colder and sharper than before.
[Eternal Dominion System – Status]
[Host: Lin Feng]
[Current Dominion Points: 1038]
[Sovereign's Mask: 38% integrity remaining]
[Spirit Song Integration: 7%]
[Emotional Overload Multiplier: 1.8× (Stabilized – 71 hours remaining)]
[Active Marks: Lin Hao (1/100%), Elder Zhu (Trace Detected – 0.3%)]
No greeting. No sarcasm. Just data.
Lin Feng spoke aloud—low enough that only Yue Li could hear.
"You've been silent since the Sovereign fell. Why?"
The panel flickered.
[Observation Phase Complete.]
[Host has demonstrated partial reconciliation between Devour Path and Spirit Song fragment.]
[Reconciliation threshold met → Negotiation Protocol Unlocked.]
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed.
"Negotiation?"
[Correct.]
[The Eternal Dominion System is not a benevolent gift. It is a fragment of the Sovereign God's will—imprisoned, fractured, seeking reunion through a compatible vessel.]
[Your mother's Spirit Song bloodline was never intended to awaken within you. It is an anomaly. A contradiction.]
[Continue suppressing the Song → full Devour sovereignty, accelerated ascension, but permanent emotional numbing and eventual rejection of all external bonds.]
[Continue embracing the Song → partial harmony, access to memory recall and protective veils, but Devour efficiency reduced by up to 40%, increased risk of heavenly tribulation targeting, and vulnerability to Council hunters.]
Lin Feng felt Yue Li tense beside him.
The system continued, text scrolling faster now.
[Negotiation Terms Offered:]
[Option A – Suppress the Spirit Song]
• Immediate restoration of Sovereign's Mask to 100%
• +500% Devour speed on all marked targets
• Unlock "Void Dominion" title (immune to emotional backlash)
• Penalty: All current bonds (Yue Li / Xiao Qing) will slowly erode; host will become incapable of genuine attachment within 90 days
[Option B – Integrate the Spirit Song]
• Sovereign's Mask permanently reduced to 50% maximum integrity (anomaly always detectable at close range)
• Devour efficiency capped at 60%
• Unlock "Keeper's Refrain" tree (healing, memory projection, veil creation, prophecy fragments)
• Bonus: Existing bonds strengthened; new bonds accelerate integration progress
• Penalty: Every major Devour act will trigger "Lament Backlash" – host relives a fragment of his mother's final pain
[Option C – Refuse Both]
• System enters dormant state for 30 days
• No quests, no points, no penalties
• Host retains current abilities but cannot level or mark new targets
• Risk: Council detection probability increases to 95% within 14 days
[Choose within 60 seconds or default to Option A.]
The timer appeared—red numbers ticking down.
59… 58…
Yue Li's hand found his.
"Don't," she breathed. "Not Option A."
Lin Feng stared at the panel.
The silver vein under his eye pulsed once—faint, pleading.
He thought of his mother's last smile.
Of Xiao Qing's trembling thanks.
Of Yue Li's forehead against his, promising to ruin him with hope.
He spoke.
"Option B."
The panel froze.
[Choice Confirmed: Integration Path Selected.]
[Spirit Song Integration increased to 15%]
[Sovereign's Mask locked at 50% maximum]
[New Title Unlocked: "Last Keeper of Cloudveil"]
[New Skill Tree Unlocked: Keeper's Refrain – Level 1]
• Refrain of Mending (active): Heal minor to moderate wounds in self or ally (costs 50 Dominion Points)
• Refrain of Veiling (passive): Low-level concealment veil around host and up to 2 allies (duration 1 hour, cooldown 6 hours)
[Lament Backlash Warning: First major Devour after integration will trigger mother's final memory in full. Prepare accordingly.]
The panel vanished.
Lin Feng exhaled—shaky, almost relieved.
Yue Li pulled him into a fierce embrace.
"You chose us," she whispered against his shoulder. "Over power."
"I chose balance," he corrected softly. "Or at least… the attempt."
But even as he said it, the first faint note of Lament stirred in his chest—like a door creaking open.
He knew what waited on the other side.
His mother's last breath.
Her hand falling limp.
The song dying on her lips.
And when the next Devour came—when he finally marked and consumed Elder Zhu, or Lin Hao, or anyone else—the full memory would crash through him again.
Unfiltered.
Unmerciful.
Yue Li pulled back just enough to meet his eyes.
"When it happens… I'll be there. Holding you through it."
Lin Feng nodded—once.
Outside, the first patrol passed the library doors, lanterns swinging.
Inside, three hearts beat in uneasy rhythm: one healer hiding in the dark, one swordswoman refusing to let go, and one man carrying the weight of two incompatible paths.
The system had given him a choice.
Now the real negotiation began—not with cold blue text, but with every breath he took from this moment forward.
And somewhere in the inner sect, Elder Zhu felt a sudden, inexplicable pressure against his dantian—like a lullaby pressing against his ribs from the inside.
He rubbed his chest absently.
And wondered why the shadows in his chamber were suddenly humming.
**To be continued...**