Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating the workbench.
Lu Yuan stood before the table, holding a bunch of silver leaf grass in his hand, carefully removing the dirt from its roots.
This was the third batch of materials he had processed today.
Beside him, Laurina was adding materials to the crucible, speaking without looking up.
"The roots should be peeled along the texture; don't pull hard. Pulling hard will damage the fiber structure and affect the release of the active ingredients."
Lu Yuan adjusted his technique as instructed, gently pinching the ends of the roots with his fingertips and slowly peeling them away in the direction of the texture.
Sure enough, the experience bar jumped slightly.
【Medicinal Herbology: +0.2...】
It was growing faster than before.
Lu Yuan silently noted this detail and continued processing the materials in his hand.
"And that blue-scale grass," Laurina's voice came from the side, "soak it in warm water for fifteen minutes before refining. The water temperature should be around forty degrees; too hot will destroy the active ingredients, and too cold won't soak it through."
"Understood."
Lu Yuan found the blue-scale grass, put it in a copper basin on the side, and poured in warm water.
He specifically tested the water temperature with the back of his hand and only put the herbs in after confirming it was about right.
【Medicinal Herbology: +0.1...】
It increased again.
It turned out that processing medicinal herbs with the correct method could also grant experience; previously, he had barely leveled up by relying purely on memory.
Lu Yuan felt a sense of realization; his previous 'vibe-based' processing method was indeed pitifully inefficient.
No wonder the potions he made were always just at a passing level.
"How did you process these materials before?"
Laurina suddenly asked a question, her movements not stopping, her eyes still fixed on the liquid in the crucible.
Lu Yuan's hand paused.
"...Roughly enough was fine."
"Roughly enough?"
Only then did Laurina turn her head, looking at him with an expression of disbelief.
"Are you serious?"
"Serious."
Laurina was silent for a few seconds, her expression becoming somewhat complex.
Then she shook her head, turned back, and continued refining the medicine.
"No wonder the things you made were so cloudy."
Her tone carried a hint of helplessness.
"Processing medicinal herbs is the most basic part of refining medicine; if the foundation isn't solid, no matter how precise the later steps are, it's useless."
Lu Yuan did not argue.
Because she was right.
"However..." Laurina suddenly spoke again, "it's already quite good that you could produce a finished product with that method. If it were a normal person, the things they made would be lucky if they didn't poison someone to death."
"Is that so."
Lu Yuan responded noncommittally.
He certainly knew why he could make finished products.
The experience bar would not lie.
But such a thing could not be explained to others.
The morning passed quickly.
Lu Yuan was responsible for processing materials, and Laurina was responsible for refining.
The two coordinated quite well.
When Laurina was immersed in her work, she seemed like a different person.
Her gaze was focused, her movements fluid, and she would occasionally murmur key points of the formula to herself.
She would adjust the heat based on the color changes of the liquid and stir gently with a wooden spoon to observe the flow of the viscosity.
Every step was precise and skillful.
The shadow of being betrayed by her mentor seemed to temporarily fade at this moment.
At least while refining medicine, she was still that number one genius student of the Alchemy Department at the Polymath Tower.
Near noon, Laurina put down her equipment and let out a long breath.
"The amount for the morning is about enough."
She wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve; her face was somewhat pale, clearly exhausted after several hours of continuous work.
Lu Yuan looked at a corner of the workbench.
Twelve bottles of Sanity potions were neatly lined up there, their color clear and transparent, shimmering with a faint blue light in the sunlight.
Beside them were seven bottles of healing potions, their color equally full, showing a healthy amber hue.
All were of Excellent quality.
If Lu Yuan had done it himself, he probably wouldn't have reached half the quantity, and the quality would be incomparable.
"A professional is indeed different," Lu Yuan sighed sincerely.
Hearing this, the corners of Laurina's mouth lifted slightly.
"Of course."
There was a hint of pride in her voice, but it quickly faded as if she had remembered something unpleasant.
"Let's take a rest; we'll continue in the afternoon."
The resting area on the second floor was simple.
Two chairs, a small table, and the outline of the Nightwatchers headquarters could be seen through the window.
On the table were two cups of cold tea that Lu Yuan had brewed in the morning.
Laurina leaned against the back of the chair, closing her eyes to rest.
Sunlight fell on her face through the gaps in the curtains, revealing faint dark circles under her eyes.
Lu Yuan sat opposite her, his gaze falling outside the window.
The sky outside was fine, the sunlight bright, and occasionally pedestrians or carriages passed by on the street.
Everything looked normal.
"Lu Yuan."
Laurina suddenly spoke.
"Mm?"
"Are you from the East?"
She opened her eyes and looked at him with some curiosity.
Her light brown pupils appeared exceptionally clear in the sunlight.
"Having been here for so long, this is the first time I've met an Easterner. There are very few Easterners here in the empire; how did you get here?"
Lu Yuan thought for a while and gave a vague answer.
"By ship, from the far East."
"How far?"
"So far that I can't go back."
Laurina froze for a moment, seemingly hearing something in his tone.
It wasn't just "far from home," but an unspeakable distance.
She didn't press further, only nodding.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"It's nothing." Lu Yuan waved his hand. "It's a long story, and you might not believe it even if I told you."
The room was quiet for a while.
The sound of the distant clock tower striking the hour came from outside the window, dull and lingering.
Then Laurina spoke again, as if wanting to change the subject.
"So... how is the treatment at the Nightwatchers?"
Her tone became more relaxed, as if they were just chatting.
"I mean, the salary, benefits, and so on."
Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"What, thinking of joining?"
"Just curious." Laurina shrugged. "After all, I'm currently... being taken in by the Nightwatchers. I should at least understand the situation here."
Lu Yuan thought for a moment and said truthfully:
"The salary is fine; my weekly salary was several gold shields before, but since coming to Bronze City, I haven't signed a new contract yet."
"However, it's definitely enough to live in Bronze City. As for benefits... equipment and potions are provided, so you don't have to pay for them yourself. If you're injured, there's someone to treat you, and if you die in action, there's a pension."
Lu Yuan paused and added:
"But the danger is also great. The death rate is not low. Especially tasks involving transcendent contamination; you're lucky just to come back alive."
Laurina thought for a moment.
"Then it's indeed not as good as the treatment at the Polymath Tower,"
"Just recently,"
"Forget it, let's not talk about that." Laurina stood up and patted the non-existent dust from her skirt. "By the way, what are we having for lunch?"
Laurina tilted her head, looking at Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan thought for a moment.
"I don't know. What do you want to eat? I'll go buy some ingredients."
"Smoked meat, bread, and vegetable soup," Laurina said, counting on her fingers, then as if remembering something, she pulled out a few gold shields from somewhere.
"Here, this is for the meal."
Lu Yuan looked at the gold shields Laurina handed over and fell into silence. Where exactly did she pull them out from?
He remembered she wasn't carrying much before they left?
But Lu Yuan still took them.
He indeed wasn't considered wealthy. Then, under Laurina's gaze, Lu Yuan went out to buy ingredients.
After a simple lunch.
The work in the afternoon was similar to the morning.
Lu Yuan processed materials, and Laurina refined.
They exchanged a few words occasionally, but mostly they focused on the tasks at hand in silence.
The Alchemy Workshop was filled with the scent of medicinal herbs, and the liquid in the crucible bubbled.
The sun gradually moved westward, and the light outside the window began to turn golden.
Laurina put down the last batch of potions and stretched her stiff wrists, her joints making a slight clicking sound.
"Let's stop here for today."
Lu Yuan looked at the workbench.
Over the whole day, they had made over twenty bottles of Sanity potions, a dozen or so bottles of healing potions, and some antidotes.
All were of Excellent quality.
The Nightwatchers should be satisfied.
At the edge of his vision, greyish-white text emerged.
【Medicinal Herbology: 4.5/30】
【Pharmacology: 12/50】
After a day, Pharmacology had indeed seen a significant increase.
Although he was mainly assisting, with Laurina's "guidance," progress was much faster than fumbling around on his own.
It seemed that finding a professional to collaborate with was indeed a wise choice.
Laurina began cleaning the equipment, her movements very careful.
The crucible had to be scrubbed clean, the mortar wiped dry, and various tools put back in their places.
This was a habit she had developed since childhood; if the equipment was well-maintained, it would be easy to use next time.
Lu Yuan helped tidy up and organized the material cabinet while he was at it.
Several types of materials were running low and needed to be restocked.
The sky outside grew darker.
The lights in the Alchemy Workshop turned on, casting a warm glow behind the curtains.
The air was filled with the faint scent of medicinal herbs mixed with a metallic smell.
This smell reminded Lu Yuan of the Laisen Clinic in Gelimu Port.
Lu Yuan stood by the window, watching the streetlamps lighting up outside.
The Nightwatchers should be coming soon.
A knock on the door sounded after nightfall.
Three times, neither hurried nor slow.
It was the agreed-upon signal.
Lu Yuan walked to the door, confirmed the visitor's identity through the crack, and opened the door.
A Nightwatcher in his thirties stood outside, looking weary.
He held a wooden box in one hand and had the other hand on the weapon at his waist, clearly staying alert along the way.
"Materials." He handed over the wooden box, his tone brief.
Lu Yuan took the box, weighed it, and frowned.
"It's a bit little."
"This is all we could mobilize." The Nightwatcher's tone was somewhat helpless. "Recently... there's been a lot going on, and material distribution is tight."
Lu Yuan didn't ask much and just nodded.
"Bring more next time; at this rate of consumption, it won't last more than a few days. Especially silver leaf grass; it's used up very quickly."
"I will pass that on."
The Nightwatcher responded and then looked inside.
"Where are the potions?"
"Inside."
Lu Yuan stepped aside to let him in.
The Nightwatcher walked to the workbench, looking at the neatly arranged potion bottles.
He first counted the quantity, murmuring to himself.
"Twenty-four... twenty-five..."
Then he picked up a bottle of Sanity potion and looked at it against the light.
His eyes brightened slightly.
"This quality..."
He picked up a bottle of healing potion, examining it just as carefully, turning the bottle to observe the fluidity of the liquid.
"They're all Excellent quality?"
"Mm." Lu Yuan jerked his chin toward the stairs. "She made them."
The Nightwatcher followed his gaze.
Laurina was standing at the top of the stairs, quietly watching them.
She had changed into clean clothes and brushed her hair; she looked a bit more spirited than she had in the afternoon.
"A student from the Alchemy Department of the Polymath Tower?" the Nightwatcher asked.
"Yes."
The Nightwatcher nodded and said nothing more.
He carefully packed the potions into the leather pouch he carried, his movements light, fearing they might bump into each other.
"This batch... those above will be very satisfied." He said in a low voice, "The depletion has been high lately, and potions of this quality are in very short supply. You've been a great help."
Lu Yuan did not reply.
The Nightwatcher finished packing the potions and prepared to leave.
When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped.
"By the way, there's one more thing."
He lowered his voice, his tone becoming serious.
"Don't go out these next few days."
Lu Yuan's gaze darkened slightly.
"Especially that student you brought out." The Nightwatcher glanced toward the stairs, his voice even lower. "People from headquarters are putting pressure on us, demanding her by name. Saying they need her to cooperate with some investigation or something."
"How long can you hold them off?" Lu Yuan asked.
The Nightwatcher was silent for a few seconds.
"Hard to say."
He paused and added:
"Those above are looking for a way, but..."
He didn't finish.
Some things didn't need to be finished to be understood.
He turned and pushed open the door, walking into the night.
The sound of footsteps gradually faded, disappearing at the end of the street.
Lu Yuan closed the door and turned around.
Laurina stood at the top of the stairs, watching him quietly.
Her expression was very calm.
But Lu Yuan noticed her fingers tightening, gripping the hem of her clothes.
Clearly, she had heard everything.
"It's fine," Lu Yuan spoke, his tone steady. "The Nightwatchers won't hand anyone over."
Laurina looked at him and was silent for a while.
Then she nodded.
"I know."
Her voice was soft but steady.
"It's just... I'm a bit unaccustomed."
"Unaccustomed to what?"
"The feeling of being protected."
She turned and walked toward the second floor.
"Get some rest early; we have to continue making medicine tomorrow."
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