A Letter from Sandworm Town

The morning light shone through the gaps in the curtains.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes, and at the edge of his vision, grayish-white text appeared:

[Sanity: 94/120 (Total)]

Last night's energy expenditure wasn't high, and with the natural recovery and the added effects of the Perfect Potion, my health is already close to full.

Lu Yuan sat up and sat quietly by the bed for a few seconds.

We still have tasks to complete today, so we need to hurry.

When I came downstairs, Laurina was already at the workbench, with a crucible in front of her being heated over a low flame, the liquid bubbling with fine bubbles.

Her schedule was even more regular than Lu Yuan's; she would start researching alchemical potions as soon as it was light.

"Morning."

Laurina didn't look up, just hummed in response, then seemed to remember something.

"Your task for today has been cancelled. I didn't wake you up when the notification came this morning."

"Hmm? Okay."

After washing up briefly by the sink, Lu Yuan realized that the Night Watcher had probably deployed a large number of men this time.

However, it's highly likely that Klaus will find none of the substantial evidence he's looking for.

After all, the person who made the move was incredibly strong.

He snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at the things on the table.

The wooden crate is still there.

I received it from the branch office yesterday afternoon, but haven't had a chance to open it yet.

I was preoccupied with the meeting, and after returning, I practiced defense for a while, so the box was left untouched until today.

Lu Yuan walked over, untied the thick rope, and lifted the lid of the box.

The contents were wrapped in an old cotton cloth.

Upon opening the cotton cloth, the first thing you see are several strips of dried, dark red meat, neatly cut, using a unique curing method found only in the desert.

Underneath the meat were several Ore specimens, about the size of a fist, with fine Crystal patterns on their surface.

Further down were three small packages wrapped in oil paper.

Lu Yuan opened a package, and a dry, herbal smell wafted out.

Desert Sage.

The leaves are grayish-green in color, dry but intact, and in good condition.

There was also a small ceramic bottle tucked in the corner, its opening sealed with wax.

Lu Yuan picked it up and shook it. There was liquid inside, and a note was attached to the bottle in Herman's handwriting. "Refined Sandworm Oil, use with care."

There were two letters at the bottom of the box.

One was thicker, wrapped in rough kraft paper. The other was much thinner, with crooked handwriting on the envelope.

Lu Yuan first opened the thicker envelope.

Herman's handwriting is bold, but each stroke is written with great care.

Mr. Lu Yuan:

We parted in a hurry last time and didn't have time to say more.

It's not much, just a small token of my appreciation. The sage was freshly picked this year, and it's in decent condition; you should be able to use it if you know how to make medicine. The Ore was dug up last month in the eastern sand dunes, so it should have some value. Here's some dried meat for you to try; it's prepared the same way you had it in town.

There's also a small amount of refined Sandworm Oil, which you might find useful.

The town is now stable. The Empire sent two Night Watcher to garrison it, and although there are more rules now, it is definitely safer. The Contamination Sandworm are no longer seen, and a new Defense Line has been built.

After you left, several more infected people developed symptoms. Fortunately, they were discovered early and treated according to your methods, so no one died. Now, when people in town talk about you, they all say they owe you their lives.

I'm a businessman, not good with sweet talk. But I'll remember this favor. If you ever need any help from Sandworm Town in the future, just let me know.

Oh, by the way, after that incident, I searched the whole town and found some interesting things. I didn't hand them over, but I don't really know what they are, so I've put them in the Storehouse for now. If you're interested, you can take a look next time you come.

Bronze City seems to be causing trouble lately; be careful.

--Herman "

After reading it, Lu Yuan folded the letter neatly.

Herman, the old merchant who picked him up in the desert, had a cigarette dangling from his mouth the whole way and was a shrewd businessman, yet he didn't abandon him when it mattered most.

After the mayor died, he took over the entire Sandworm Town. The Pathfinder acknowledged his position before leaving.

The letter said the town had stabilized.

That's good.

Lu Yuan put the letter aside and opened the second one.

There was only one piece of paper in the thin envelope.

The handwriting was large and crooked, with several words clearly written incorrectly and then crossed out and rewritten.

Lu Yuan:

When are you coming back?

I'm out with the hunting party now. Old Fain said I'm fast but not very bright, and told me to practice more. I think he's wrong; I'm pretty smart.

I play the Bone Flute every day. Grandpa says I play it much better than before, but I think you learn faster. You only practiced for two days and you can play a complete piece, while I practiced for several months.

After you left, no one practiced with me anymore. Grandpa didn't have much time to teach me, and the other people in town weren't interested either.

Oh, by the way, I can now use a rope to lasso gerbils. I'll teach you when you come. I haven't forgotten what you taught me last time.

Do you still look at that sheet music? There are a few difficult pieces in it that I still can't play. If you learn them, come back and play them for me.

--Little Karl

After reading it, Lu Yuan's lips twitched slightly.

It's so light, you can hardly see it.

That kid.

Back then, I was seriously correcting his finger technique in the yard. He was only twelve or thirteen years old, but he taught people quite well.

Lu Yuan carefully put both letters into his inner pocket.

I tore off a piece of dried meat and took a bite; it still tasted like the one from Sandworm Town.

Salty, hard, with a hint of the spiciness characteristic of desert spices.

He placed the three packets of Desert Sage and the earthenware bottle on his workbench.

Laurina noticed the new material on the other side, tore open a package of oil paper, picked up a blade of grass, and smelled it.

"Desert Sage." A hint of interest crept into her voice. "Dried... good quality, this kind of thing is hard to find in Bronze City."

She looked through the other two bags.

"That's enough for seven to eight basic sedatives. If you combine it with Silverleaf Powder, you can also try a modified sanity-restoring potion."

At this point, her gaze fell on the small ceramic bottle.

She picked it up, pried open the wax seal, and brought the bottle close to the opening to smell it.

The movement suddenly stopped.

"Is this Sandworm Oil?"

"Refined," Lu Yuan said.

Laurina raised her head, and the light in her eyes was different from before.

"Refined Sandworm Oil." She repeated, her tone carrying something Lu Yuan rarely heard in her—surprise. "I've only ever seen this in literature. It's impossible to buy in Bronze City."

She carefully resealed the wax seal and placed the ceramic bottle at the far end of the workbench, against the wall.

"Sandworm Oil itself has the property of dispelling Contamination. After refining, it can be used as a base solvent for high-grade medicines, or it can be used directly in medicine."

She glanced at Lu Yuan.

"Where is that desert town you mentioned?! I've never heard of it before."

"It's just a remote town," Lu Yuan said, looking at the materials before him. "It relied solely on hunting Sandworm; it should now be incorporated into the empire."

Laurina didn't ask any further questions. She rewrapped the sage and placed it on the third shelf of the medicine cabinet.