The three figures did not go very far.
They bypassed a few dilapidated adobe houses and finally stopped in a secluded corner.
It was a narrow gap between two abandoned buildings, the light so dim that it was almost impossible to see the situation inside from the outside.
Lu Yuan followed them and stopped at the entrance of the alleyway.
The three men turned around.
Only then did Lu Yuan clearly see their faces.
They were all men, between thirty and forty years old, with ordinary faces—the kind that would disappear in a crowd.
But their eyes were not ordinary.
They were sharp and steady, carrying the alertness that only comes from being in danger for a long time.
At the edge of his vision, the greyish-white text quietly emerged:
【Target detected: pathfinder (second-rank transcendent)】
【Target detected: pathfinder (second-rank transcendent)】
【Target detected: pathfinder (second-rank transcendent)】
Three second-ranks.
This was a formidable lineup, even a high-level one; in Gelimu Port, a second-rank would be at the captain level.
The man in the lead spoke first, his voice low.
"Imperial West, Seventh Battalion squad leader."
He pointed to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"I'm Morris, the captain of this squad."
Then he tilted his head, gesturing toward the man on the left.
"Heller."
The man simply nodded without speaking, his eyes fixed on Lu Yuan as if evaluating him.
"Vincent." Morris lifted his chin again, pointing to the man on the right.
The youngest of the three nodded slightly to Lu Yuan, a friendly smile hanging on his lips.
The pathfinders.
They were a force directly under the Empire, responsible for opening up territories and mapping land.
Lu Yuan had seen records about them in the Nightwatchers' archives; they occasionally collaborated with the Nightwatchers.
Morris's gaze fell on the badge on Lu Yuan's chest, his eyes flickering slightly.
It was the Nightwatchers' medical mark.
"A Nightwatcher, and an Easterner? And a doctor, too."
He looked up and stared straight into Lu Yuan's eyes, his gaze searching.
"How did you end up in this desolate desert?"
Lu Yuan had already prepared his story.
"Lu Yuan. I was injured on a mission and got separated from my team."
His tone was calm, as if stating an insignificant fact.
"A merchant named Herman picked me up. By my calculations, my team should be looking for me soon, though they likely won't find me in this desert."
He paused for a moment, observing the reactions of the three men.
"I plan to head back to Bronze City once my injuries heal."
This sentence was a probe.
It served two purposes.
First, to test if these three were from Bronze City.
If they were, they should have a noticeable reaction; after all, meeting a colleague from 'home' while on an outside mission would bring some sense of proximity.
Or, they might directly call him out if he wasn't a Nightwatcher from Bronze City, because joining the Nightwatchers with an Eastern face would be quite conspicuous unless the Nightwatchers' influence in Bronze City was beyond imagination.
Second, to test exactly how far Bronze City was from here.
Most of the information he had about this desert came from Herman, with only a small portion observed during his travels.
Most crucially, he hadn't seen an Imperial map; otherwise, he would have been able to determine his location. He was suffering from a lack of geographical knowledge.
Therefore, Lu Yuan needed to verify certain things from these three pathfinders.
When Morris heard the words "Bronze City," his eyebrows twitched slightly.
He exchanged a quick glance with Heller and Vincent beside him.
The look was fleeting, but Lu Yuan caught it.
It wasn't that they were familiar with Bronze City.
Rather, they were confirming if Lu Yuan's words were reasonable.
"Bronze City?"
Morris nodded, his expression not changing much. It seemed he accepted Lu Yuan's excuse.
"That's at least half a month's journey from here. Since when did you Nightwatchers start taking on such secret missions?"
"But we all know the rules; you don't need to say more."
Half a month?
Lu Yuan noted this information while listening to the rest of Morris's words. His eyebrows rose slightly; he didn't even need to provide an explanation.
At the same time, Morris's reaction confirmed another thing.
They were not from Bronze City.
Lu Yuan kept these deductions to himself, maintaining a calm exterior.
"Our mission this time is to track sandworms."
After confirming Lu Yuan's identity, Morris crossed his arms and leaned casually against the adobe wall behind him.
"The Empire received word of abnormal sandworm activity deep in the desert. We were sent to investigate and attempt to map this area."
He paused, a helpless curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"While tracking them, we discovered there was actually a small town here."
Vincent took over the conversation, stepping forward. His voice was younger than Morris's, carrying a bit of an edge.
"While scouting, we detected some lingering pollution. The concentration isn't high, but it won't dissipate."
He frowned, as if remembering something unpleasant.
"This pollution is very subtle; ordinary people can't detect it at all."
"We're planning to try and resolve it."
Morris straightened up from the wall, his gaze falling back on Lu Yuan, his expression becoming more serious.
"But we're short-handed."
He looked at Lu Yuan.
"And then yesterday, we found you."
Morris's gaze lingered on Lu Yuan for a moment, as if re-evaluating him.
"A Nightwatcher... finding one in a place like this is quite an accident."
The meaning was clear.
They wanted a helper.
Lu Yuan remained silent for a few seconds, as if weighing the pros and cons.
In reality, he was considering something else.
These three were pathfinders, directly under the Empire, and the greyish-white text hadn't flagged anything abnormal.
A team of three second-ranks indicated that the level of this mission was not low.
His Sanity had not yet recovered, and his left hand was half-useless. If he got involved now, there was a high probability he'd end up being chased again.
Cooperating with them seemed to have more disadvantages than advantages.
"I'm sorry, I decline."
Lu Yuan spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it was decisive.
"My injuries are severe, and my Sanity is nearly depleted."
He paused, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his lips.
"Besides, as you said, I'm just a doctor."
Hearing this, Morris didn't look particularly surprised.
He even chuckled softly, as if he had anticipated this answer.
"I knew you'd say that."
He gave Heller a look.
Heller pulled a small bottle from his robe.
The bottle was only the size of a thumb, containing a pink liquid that emitted a faint glow in the dim light.
"Know what this is?"
Morris took the bottle, twirling it between his fingertips, his tone carrying a hint of temptation.
"A specially made recovery potion. It can accelerate wound healing and restore a large amount of Sanity."
He looked at Lu Yuan with certainty in his eyes.
"The quota is one bottle per person per month. It's very precious."
Lu Yuan's gaze fell on the pink liquid, but he remained silent.
"This bottle is yours."
Morris held the bottle out.
"Furthermore, we will provide a simplified map with the town's details marked, including some... interesting places."
Lu Yuan did not reach for it.
"The price?"
The curve of Morris's mouth widened slightly, seemingly satisfied with his caution.
"At a critical moment, I need you to step in once."
He stepped forward and lowered his voice.
"A man who can join the Nightwatchers as a doctor and still go on missions that result in depleted Sanity..."
He paused, his gaze scanning Lu Yuan.
"You must have some tricks up your sleeve."
Lu Yuan's expression didn't change, but his heart stirred slightly.
This man's observation skills were good.
"We won't ask what your methods are."
Morris stepped back, restoring their previous distance. He spread his hands, his expression becoming casual again.
"We just hope you'll help when needed."
He added one more thing.
"Of course, if the situation isn't right, you're free to run. We won't stop you."
Rate on N.U.
