"So, why did you try to kill me?" Ken asked the cooperative woman.
"We didn't plan to kill you… we planned to abduct you," Tiffany said in an embarrassed tone. By now she herself believed to be in the wrong.
"For what reason?" Since Maria was involved, Ken could guess it had to do with his talent in the Alchemy field.
"To force you into giving away your recipes and techniques. We also wanted to force you into labor for us so you can come up with other powerful and improved recipes for other pills," She explained. However, Ken felt like she was choosing her words carefully.
"Octavia, is she hiding something?" He turned to the other woman. While Tiffany could hide a few details by not being specific, the other woman would notice it and be forced to tell the truth.
"Yes. I'm so sorry, Team Leader!"
"Argh, it's all right, you can't control yourself under the influence of the truth drug," Tiffany sighed. Since it was only a matter of time until Ken gets the answers he wants unless she kills herself, she chose to just come clean. She didn't plan to kill herself for anyone.
"We met a sixth-rank alchemist called Mr. Darma from the Osirisus Empire in Ice Feather Sect a while back, and we have been cooperating with each other. Mr. Darma crafts our pills and, in return for our services, sells them to us at discounted prices. Maria approached him and presented him with a top-quality fourth-grade pill you had made and proposed planning an ambush to capture you the next time you reached out to her," Tiffany glanced toward Maria in disdain.
"I assume her request was to be cured?" It was the main thing Maria needed if she wanted to be free.
"Yes, and to get enough pills from your labor to continue her cultivation. She told us her foundation was too poor to advance to the fifth stage no matter what pills she purchased, but you made the impossible possible. Mr. Darma was interested in the deal and hired us to execute the plan after hearing of your prowess from Maria."
"Did he manage to detoxify the poison?" Ken asked curiously. He fed her with a fifth-grade poisonous pill, thinking she couldn't afford to commission someone capable enough to cure it. However, it seems that she was creative enough to come up with a better type of currency – Ken himself.
"He researched her blood and Qi for 3 months until he managed to find a way to replicate the pill you gave her to suppress its effect, and he claims to have found a way to completely detoxify it but agreed to give it only after you're delivered to him."
Tiffany was getting embarrassed by telling Ken about the time she treated him like merchandise, but the pill forced her to keep talking. Ken didn't mind the offense; he was also the type to see others as tools to achieve his goals.
"Why does he hire you to find resources for him instead of going out himself? You're a stage lower than him, and there are many things you can't obtain," Ken inquired, attempting to grasp the complete situation.
"He hires us when he wants fifth-grade resources. He also has a team for fourth-grade resources and lower, and another team for sixth-grade resources. This way he spares a lot of money by not hiring sixth-stage cultivators for trivial matters. He is too busy in his research and training to gather resources outside, so he uses his money instead."
It did make sense. Just like Ken let his subordinates sell his pills to spare time and paid them some fees for their job, others also didn't mind spending money to spare time for cultivation and training. Mr. Darma managed his budget as wisely as he could to avoid overpaying as well.
"What about his prowess? How strong is he in combat? What are his attributes?"
Since someone was after his life, Ken didn't plan to sit around passively. He wanted to get rid of the threat, especially since the threat knew of his identity and talent.
"He is at the intermediate sixth stage. His foundation is stronger than others since he is an alchemist, but he is still weaker than his peers for the same reason. His only other attribute is Fire Qi, and he is not well-versed in using weapons," Tiffany revealed her employer's strengths and weaknesses unwillingly. She didn't want to invite trouble to him because of her incompetence.
Alchemists facilitated the effect of their pills with their Alchemical Qi, amplifying their effects and gaining better results and foundation compared to other cultivators.
"If your group of five fights against him, can you win?" Ken needed a better reference to his strength. The only sixth-stage cultivators he fought were Vivienne and Felix, and both were much stronger than him. However, they were geniuses and probably stronger than the random alchemist, so he didn't know how to assess the man's strength.
"I think we would lose and only inflict some superficial wounds. We are not even at the peak of the fifth stage, and our cooperation would be our only advantage," She answered truthfully.
"Octavia, is there a way for you guys to win against him?" Again, he resorted to asking Octavia in case the leader 'forgot' to mention something.
"I don't think so," Octavia didn't provide any new insights this time.
"What about the usage of formations?"
"He always carries a sixth-rank Formation Suppression Scroll on him. We wouldn't survive long enough for the formation to be depleted of energy and crumble."
"Hmm, let's meet the man and see if we can negotiate then," Ken said gently. A pained expression appeared on his face as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"No, you shouldn't! I will tell him you found out about his plan and ran away. He will be forced to run out of the Phoenix Feather Sect territory in fear you report it to your clan or to your sect. As a foreigner, he won't get lenient treatment for attempting to abduct a disciple of a top sect. If you go to meet him, he will just take advantage of the opportunity to assault you. You should go away, you're… you're a good boy."
Tiffany burst out to stop Ken from making a bad decision that might cost him his freedom. She saw him as the victim, a pure child that humanity mistreated.
"Thank you, but I must put an end to the enmity. If I report to the sect and your part in the ordeal will be found, you will get killed too. But if I don't report, I will never feel safe again. I can rent a house in a populated place where he won't be able to attack, will you help me bring him there to talk?"
Ken said with worry. His concern for her team's well-being touched the woman's heart, and her countenance changed into one of determination.
"Of course. My team and I will make sure that nothing happens to you. And also… I'm sorry for planning to harm you," the proud team leader lowered her head in apology.
"Don't worry about it. Maybe our encounter was fated, and our cooperation will be long-living," Ken smiled, giving them the idea they might benefit from his pills in the future.
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