Sandstone Station

Lu Yuan opened his eyes.

What met the eye was a dim, yellowish light.

The ceiling was low, cobwebs hung from the wooden beams, and dust drifted slowly down in the light of the kerosene lamp.

The air was dry, carrying the smell of hay and some kind of ointment.

He lay on a simple straw bed.

Beneath him was rough linen, and he was covered with a patched blanket.

Lu Yuan tried to move his body, and the dull pain in his left hand made him frown slightly.

He looked down.

My left hand was wrapped in bandages, from my wrist all the way to my fingers, and the blood that had seeped out had dried into a dark brown color. Underneath the bandages, I could vaguely feel the burning heat of the skin, that tight feeling unique to burns.

At the edge of vision, gray and white text quietly emerged:

[Sanity: 26/120 (Total)]

[Left hand condition: Severe burns, recovering, temporarily unable to be used normally]

Lu Yuan stared at the line of text for a few seconds, his expression unchanged.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

The wooden door was pushed open with a creak.

An old man walked in, a nearly burnt-out cigarette holder dangling from his mouth, followed by a boy who was about ten years old.

The old man was probably in his sixties, with a face full of wrinkles, skin tanned to a bronze color, and cloudy but shrewd eyes.

He was wearing a faded linen shirt, with a leather belt around his waist from which several bulging bags hung.

The boy looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old, thin and small, but with bright eyes, curiously observing Lu Yuan on the bed.

"Hmm?" The old man saw Lu Yuan open his eyes, flicked his cigarette ash, and said, "You're awake?"

Lu Yuan propped himself up on the edge of the bed, his movements somewhat stiff.

Where is this?

Lu Yuan's voice was very hoarse, and the strange sensation in his throat made Lu Yuan cough a few times.

"Sandstone Station." The old man walked to the bedside, squatted down, and examined Lu Yuan's expression. "It's still half a day's journey to Sandworm Town."

His tone was casual.

"I found you by the roadside. You were lying there, covered in injuries, and your left hand was burned."

As the old man spoke, he took a water bag from the pouch at his waist and handed it over.

"If I hadn't seen that thing on your chest, I wouldn't have bothered with it."

Lu Yuan glanced down at it.

The Night Watcher's Watch badge still hung on his chest, its silver emblem gleaming faintly in the dim light.

He took the water bag and tilted his head back to drink a few mouthfuls.

The water was warm, with a slightly salty taste, but the sensation as it moistened his throat restored his energy somewhat.

"The Night Watcher do a lot," the old man straightened up, dangling his cigarette holder at the corner of his mouth. "Saving one might come in handy later."

Lu Yuan did not respond.

He knew it was the truth.

The Night Watcher has a good reputation within the Empire, especially in remote areas, where ordinary people generally hold Transcendence individuals in awe. Rescuing a Night Watcher is, in a sense, a worthwhile investment.

The old man didn't mind his silence and turned to look at the boy behind him.

"Karl, go and bring the porridge."

"Oh," the boy replied, and ran out, his footsteps fading into the distance down the corridor.

The old man sat down on the wooden stool by the bed, took out a new cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag.

"My name is Herman." He exhaled a puff of smoke. "A merchant, from Sandworm Town. That kid is my grandson."

Lu Yuan nodded.

Lu Yuan.

"I know," Herman said, pointing to the badge on his chest. "It's engraved on it."

Lu Yuan glanced down and saw that his name and number were indeed engraved on the back of the badge.

There was a moment of silence.

Herman took a drag of his cigarette, his cloudy eyes scrutinizing Lu Yuan.

There's something I'm quite curious about.

His tone was casual, but Lu Yuan could sense that the other person was observing his reaction.

How did you end up on that road?

Lu Yuan paused for a moment.

"There's nothing there, is there?" Herman continued, flicking his cigarette ash. "Just a dead end leading to a cliff overlooking the sea. I've been a merchant for so many years, and I've never seen a single person on that road."

There's nothing there.

Lu Yuan opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

There was a few seconds of silence.

"... An internal matter," he began, his voice calm, "It's not convenient to reveal too much."

Herman glanced at him but didn't ask any further questions.

Experienced merchants are knowledgeable and know when to ask questions and when not to. Ordinary people shouldn't meddle in the affairs of the Night Watcher.

"Fine." He shrugged and took another drag of his cigarette. "It's none of my business anyway."

Footsteps sounded again, and Karl came in carrying a rough earthenware bowl.

"Grandpa, the porridge is here."

"Give it to him." Herman gestured towards Lu Yuan.

Karl handed over the bowl, his curious gaze sweeping over Lu Yuan before finally settling on the badge on his chest.

Are you really a Night Watcher?

"Karl." Herman glared at him.

"I was just asking..." the boy muttered, but still stepped aside.

Lu Yuan took the bowl; it was a bowl of thin porridge with a few pieces of unknown dried vegetables floating in it. He held the bowl with his right hand and slowly drank a few mouthfuls.

The porridge was warm and bland, but his hunger made him finish everything in the bowl.

Herman watched him finish his drink and stub out his cigarette on the stool leg.

"Your hand is badly injured." He pointed to Lu Yuan's left hand, which was wrapped in bandages. "I applied medicine and bandaged it, but I'm not a doctor, that's all I can do."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious.

"To be honest, I can't guarantee whether we can keep it."

Lu Yuan looked down at his left hand.

The skin under the bandage was still throbbing slightly.

"They're all cooked." Herman shook his head. "When I found you, you smelled... like roast meat."

Lu Yuan remained silent.

He knew how serious his injuries were. They weren't ordinary burns; they were the result of being scalded by some Transcendence force. It was a miracle he had managed to save his arm; as for how much function he could recover, he could only wait and see.

After all, we didn't have any medicine on hand.

"Alright then." Herman stood up, dusting himself off. "Your injury won't heal anytime soon, and I've finished my business trip. I'm heading back to Sandworm Town anyway."

He looked at Lu Yuan, his tone carrying a hint of shrewdness typical of businessmen.

"Come back with me to recover from your injuries. It'll be better to stay until you're healed, so you don't die on the way."

Lu Yuan remained silent for a moment.

His current condition is indeed unsuitable for acting alone. His sanity is only 26 points, and his left hand is half useless.

And...

Being pushed around by the lurking Deep Sea Church in Grim Port was a truly unpleasant experience.

He did need a quiet place to wait for his rationality to return, and to carefully consider what he should do next.

Then we considered going to Bronze City.

"Good."

Herman nodded upon hearing Lu Yuan's reply and turned to leave.

"Then it's settled. Let's rest for a bit, and then we'll set off when the sun goes down a little. Traveling in the desert during the day can turn you into dried meat."

Karl followed behind him, glancing back at Lu Yuan before leaving the house. He hesitated, then said nothing and ran out.

The wooden door closed.

The room fell silent again.

Lu Yuan leaned against the wall, watching the flickering light of the kerosene lamp.

He didn't think about those things.

Thinking about it is useless.

He reached into his pocket with his right hand and pulled out the letter.

The envelope was a little wrinkled, and the corners were damp with sweat, but the writing on it was still clearly legible.

"Imperial Tower of Erudition, Alchemy Department, Laurina accepted."

He promised to deliver the letter, but he didn't know if its contents had been distorted.

Lu Yuan put the letter back into his pocket and then touched the other things.

The Time Bestower Pocket Watch is still there, the Enchanted Revolver is still there, the Gold Shield is still there, and the book that Mo Shui gave me is still there.

Parchment Scroll...

He took the scroll out.

The Formation had completely vanished, leaving only a dry, blank scroll, as if all its power had been drained away.

Lu Yuan looked at it, remained silent for a moment, and then put it away.

The sun hasn't set yet; there's still time to rest.

He needs to recover his strength.

I need to regain my senses.

I need to survive.

Then think about what to do next.

Outside the window, the desert wind howled past, whipping up fine sand that lashed against the windowpane, making a rustling sound.

Lu Yuan fell into a deep sleep again amidst this sound.