129 Defying the laws of nature (1/2)

Hartley's face scrunched in contemplation, his head tilting to the side curiously as if he had misheard the man's claim.

He waved back the security team, they probably couldn't hurt the man if he decided to defend himself, he was a xiantian expert after all.

The former bandits quickly retreated behind Hartley in an organised fashion, leaving Hartley facing the mature man with no one in between them.

”Who are you working for and what did you do to Alrick?” Hartley asked his questions in a serious and commanding tone as he stepped forward with menace.

The man gave a grim stare before saying. ”I serve the western hills, threats are are not necessary young lord. I am no danger to you all.”

He gave an extravagant bow that reminded Hartley of the first time he met the bumbling old hunched back man, only this time it was a lot more refined and elegant coming from a contrasting character standing as straight as an arrow.

”Young lord remember I told you once that it was my pleasure to serve the western hills after you granted me this independent lab?”

The man's voice certainly didn't sound like Alrick's voice to Hartley, so he continued to move forward exerting pressure, the man hastily continued.

”That was right after one of my experiments in the basement of your manor went awry, but that particular experiment produced the blue and red waste products, which I then used in the design of the black orbs which you now arm your elites with.”

Hartley stopped moving forward and stared at the man with a quizzical expression as if asking himself if the man's words could be remotely possible.

The man's eyes beamed with pride as he continued, ”at that time I told you that my formula would change the world, I have finally made a small breakthrough.”

The security detail and the two serving girls standing behind listened attentively to the back and forth between Hartley and the strange man.

The lab went quiet again.

Hartley looked around at everybody present in the lab then said, ”Qin Li stay, everybody else leave.”

Everyone except Qin Li quickly shuffled out of the lab and closed the door leaving silence behind.

Three people were left in the quiet lab facing each other, Hartley finally noticed the man's stained and worn out robe, similar to the ones the mad scientist usually wore, but how could it be possible?

Shaking his head in denial, Hartley couldn't hold back his suspicions from being transmitted clearly onto his face.

”You expect us to believe any of that, you're obviously a spy caught red handed.” Qin Li barked at the man as he too came forward slamming his right fist onto his left palm with a thud. ”I'm going to skin you alive if you don't confess what you've done to Alrick.”

The man shook his head slowly from side to side as if showing his disappointment in Qin Li.

”You've been locked away every waking moment of everyday cultivating, you're as dedicated to cultivating as I am to potion-making, you've had your rewards from cultivating and now I've had mine from potion-making. Do you think only cultivators can make breakthroughs?”

There was another pregnant silence in the lab as Hartley and Qin Li exchanged looks.

The man's voice rose once more, ”12 stalks of ice flowers, 24 stalks withering oil plants, 2 metal cylinders lined with lead...”

The man named a list of ingredients and equipment, before bringing out a dingy piece of parchment which was full of illegible text scribbled all over for Hartley to inspect.

Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please clickfor visiting.

Hartley's face twitched, the ingredients and equipment the man had named was the exact list of things he'd provided to Alrick but he could not make heads or tails of the parchment presented to him.

As the man explained further Hartley started to look at him in disbelief, not daring to believe the evidence presented.

Qin Li too was looking on in baffling amazement....

Even though the man made a convincing argument. Hartley wouldn't just take the man's words at face value, this had to be proven beyond doubt.*****

Hartley and Qin Li shadowed the man in the lab for the next 3 days. Meals were dropped at the door and the man wasn't allowed contact with anyone outside. The man went through the process of producing the elixir once more with both men watching keenly.

There was only enough materials left for five attempts. The man had stated that his odds of producing the elixir was somewhere around one in five.

If he couldn't produce the elixir with the remaining materials then he would have to be tortured, interrogated, killed and disposed of as a spy.

Hartley would take no chances.

With three men and the complex array of equipment snaking around the room, space in the lab was limited but it wasn't a hindrance. The mature man moved effortlessly around the cramped confines of the lab like fish taking to water.

On the third day, on the man's third attempt, there's was a loud ping as a drop of yellow liquid hit the bottom of the jade container placed beneath one the tubes.

The man's face lit up with elation. He excitedly started to explain the process to a bewildered Hartley and Qin Li.