I can see experience bars after being transported to another world.

As Lu Yuan was grinding a piece of oak bark into the mortar, a series of steady footsteps came from outside the door.

Otto pushed open the door and walked in.

He was dressed even more casually today than yesterday, his old, dusty coat stained with a few specks of dirt, and the cuffs were still rolled up to his elbows.

Upon entering, he gestured with his chin toward Ibeya, "Is the medicine ready? A few workers at the construction site in the south of the city injured their hands; they've come to pick up a batch of oak bark recovery potion."

Ibeya responded, turned around and took a wooden box from the shelf, inside which were stacked a dozen or so small, dark brown bottles, and handed it over.

Otto took it and glanced at Iber again. "How's the insect repellent coming along?"

"It's still being improved." Iber didn't even look up, his mortar and pestle moving at the same rhythm. "It might take another day or two."

"No rush," Otto replied casually. As he turned his head, his gaze swept across the control panel and he saw Lu Yuan standing beside the table. He let out a soft "hmm."

"I can also make some medicine." Lu Yuan put down the mortar and pestle, patted the powder off his hands, and said, "Since I'm just idling around anyway, I might as well do some tinkering here."

Otto chuckled, tucked the wooden box under his arm, and didn't leave in a hurry. He leaned down by the control panel, glanced at Lu Yuan, and looked him up and down with a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

Lu Yuan didn't stand on ceremony and smoothly picked up the conversation. "Captain Otto, are you very familiar with Klaus?"

"We've been friends for years." Otto's tone relaxed, carrying a casualness only found in old friendships. "We worked together in our early years, and then we were reassigned. He chose Bronze City, and I came to Oak Forest City. In the past few years, we could occasionally get together for a drink, but these past few years he's been getting busier and busier, and we haven't seen each other for a long time."

He paused, his gaze towards Lu Yuan becoming more serious. "He sent word that this time he'd sent a very promising junior, and asked me to keep a close eye on him. Now it seems he truly lives up to that reputation."

Lu Yuan was a little embarrassed by the praise. He smiled but didn't respond to the topic. He glanced out the window and remembered the building he had noticed yesterday, and then spoke.

"By the way, what's the purpose of that circular tower in the inner city?"

"The Oak Forest Tower," Otto answered without hesitation, his tone casual. "It's a magic array tower with excellent concealment, and it also nourishes the surrounding fields. It's one of the foundations of our Oak Forest City, and several inscription masters are stationed there to maintain it."

He added, "The higher our oak yield, the better the tower's effect; they complement each other."

Lu Yuan noted it down in his mind, but didn't ask any more questions. The array tower provided both protection and nourishment, unlike the one in Bronze City that suppressed things.

"Alright, I'm leaving now." Otto carried the wooden box towards the door, but halfway there he turned back and waved to Lu Yuan. "Take your time. There's plenty of medicinal herbs. Just tell them if you need anything."

The door closed, and Otto's footsteps faded into the distance along the stone path.

"Isn't Otto a member of the Night's Watch? Is this what he does all the time?"

As Lu Yuan watched Otto's departing figure, he asked Ibea a question.

"Yes, since the construction of Oakwood Tower, Oakwood City has been very peaceful, and the duties of the Night Watchmen have been changed to some extent." Ibea continued, grinding medicine powder in her hands.

"Moreover, the defense of Oakwood City is not limited to the Night Watchmen; the Earl's personal guards have replaced at least half of the defense personnel."

Ibea gestured to the knight standing outside the door.

"Can the Earl mobilize so many knights?" Lu Yuan was a little unsure of himself.

You should know that the old count of Bronze City, apart from the fourth-rank attendants who followed him, didn't have a single decent knight.

Lu Yuan of Bronze City had never seen a knight who was fully armored like this before.

"The Earl's family can afford it," Ibea said with a smile, without saying anything more.

Lu Yuan immediately understood. So that's how it is. It seems the gap between earls is truly insurmountable.

Without asking any further questions, Lu Yuan returned to the control panel and continued to follow Ibeya in identifying and preparing the medicines.

The methods of obtaining medicinal herbs in Oak Forest City are very different from those in Bronze City.

The most important thing is to make it fresh. These medicinal materials are probably still being processed in the morning, and they will be used to make medicine in the afternoon.

Lu Yuan was quick to learn; after Ibeya taught him the process once, he was able to do it on his own the second time.

Iber would occasionally chime in at crucial steps, saying things like, "Turn the heat down a bit more," or "Grind this until you can't see any particles." He didn't say much, but every word he uttered was spot on.

As Lu Yuan got the hang of it, his experience points in pharmacology and herbal medicine began to rise steadily.

Time passed quickly.

After a quick meal, Ibea and Ibel went out with the knight to deliver some medicine, while Lu Yuan stayed in the operating room to continue working. Alone, he quietly ground, weighed, mixed, and decocted the herbs on the shelves, his hands never stopping and his mind never idle either.

The sunlight crept through the window inch by inch, and by the time he looked up again, it was already dark outside.

On the table were two bottles of freshly made oak bark restoration potion. The color was slightly lighter than the bottles Ibeya had made, but the light transmission was better. He had adjusted the formula himself and was more precise in controlling the heat.

Just as he was sealing the last bottle, the door was pushed open from the outside.

Boer stood at the door, glanced at the table full of bottles and jars and Lu Yuan who was busy working, and a look of exasperation appeared on his face.

"Captain Lu, I've been looking for you for ages! I didn't expect to find you here. You rarely come all the way to Lilin City, don't you know how to relax?" Bo walked in, glancing at the medicine bottles on the table. "You're leaving tomorrow or the day after, and I'll go back with you then. Don't bother with these things these next couple of days. Come on, let's go have a drink."

"Hold on."

Lu Yuan didn't refuse. Making medicine for so long had indeed taken a toll on his energy. He sealed the bottle of medicine in his hand and put it on the table.

In the corner of my field of vision, gray and white text appeared.

[Pharmacology: 31.2 → 40]

[Pharmacology: 49 → 54]

My experience points increased significantly. In one day, I went through everything from recognizing herbs to getting the hang of them, from oak bark to six or seven other herbs I had never encountered before. This trip to Oak Forest City was definitely worthwhile.

Lu Yuan tidied up the table before following Bo Er out the door.

Outside the courtyard, Dunn and several Night Watch brothers were already waiting. The scabs on Dunn's right arm had mostly fallen off, revealing new, rosy-colored flesh that looked like it was recovering well. The brothers were dressed in casual clothes, clearly ready to go out for a stroll.

"Let's go to the market first, buy some things, and then go to the tavern." Bor waved his hand and led the group toward the city center.

As Lu Yuan watched Boer lead Dunn and several newcomers forward with practiced ease, a thought crossed his mind. He muttered to himself, "Aren't you afraid of corrupting them?"

The market in Oak Forest City was completely different from that in Bronze City.

The street is spacious and bright, with rows of shops lining both sides. Even in the gaps between the shops, people set up small stalls selling dried goods, herbs, and woodenware. The stall owners and customers haggle loudly, creating a lively atmosphere with a down-to-earth, everyday feel.

Lu Yuan followed behind, his gaze sweeping over the stalls on both sides. The atmosphere here was completely different from the tense street market of Bronze City. The people here had smiling faces.

As Lu Yuan continued walking, he noticed a large crowd gathered ahead.

Boer was still helping Dunn pick out things when Lu Yuan walked around the crowd to see what they were gathered around.

The sound of stringed instruments came from the middle of the crowd.

The melody was unhurried, with a lazy charm. The sound of the piano was surprisingly well-controlled in the noisy market. Each string plucked had a long, lingering resonance that penetrated the ears.

Lu Yuan paused in his steps.

He had heard this tune before.

He squeezed two steps into the crowd and saw the person sitting in the middle.

A middle-aged man, his hair tied back, a stringed instrument resting on his knees, his fingers loosely resting on the strings, a small drum and two tubular instruments beside him.

Lu Yuan was stunned for a moment; it was actually Hai Meng.

As Hai Meng played the piano, she caught a glimpse of Lu Yuan emerging from the crowd out of the corner of her eye. Her fingers paused for a moment, she was stunned, and then she smiled.

"Captain Lu?" He pressed down on the strings, a hint of surprise in his smile. "I didn't expect you to be here too."

"Yes, send some people over," Lu Yuan replied briefly.

Haimon nodded, not asking who gave it to. He moved the stringed instrument closer to his knees, lowered his voice, and softened his tone, which had been more relaxed earlier.

"My skills tell me that the place was very dangerous." He leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Captain Lu, if you can avoid going back, please do so. It's definitely not safe over there."

Lu Yuan glanced at him.

Another person advised him not to go back.

Margaret said it, A.M. said it, Klaus proved it with his actions, and now even a wandering bard is saying it.

Haimon observed his expression and could roughly tell that he had no intention of not going back, so he didn't try to persuade him anymore. He suddenly laughed and his tone became much warmer.

"Hey, I've heard something good lately, wanna buy me a drink?"

"What's up?" Lu Yuan asked, curious but straightforward. "Even if you didn't find out anything, I'll still treat you to the drinks. It's always a good thing to run into an acquaintance out there."

Haimon laughed even harder, and took out a book from the cloth bag beside him. The cover was worn and the words on the spine were blurry but still legible.

"This is a book about ancient music theory." He waved the book in his hand. "And I also know that there's a place where someone understands ancient music theory."

Lu Yuan's heart stirred slightly.

Gu Leli had been stuck for so long, unable to find a way to advance in Bronze City, so this was an unexpected bonus.

"No need to be so polite," Lu Yuan readily agreed. "Come on, I'll take you to a tavern for a bite to eat and a drink."

Hai Meng slung his stringed instrument over his shoulder and waved to the onlookers. "That's enough for today, we'll play again tomorrow." He called to his two companions, one carrying the small drum and the other the tubular instrument, and the group packed up their belongings and followed Lu Yuan and his party toward the tavern.

Boer turned around and saw that there were three more people carrying musical instruments behind Lu Yuan. He raised an eyebrow but didn't ask anything.