SCC Chapter 2 Reed and Lily(2)

"How could such a matter have spread if it involves such a high personage?" Reed became puzzled.

"Apparently,she has been going around asking for help." A heavy sigh escaped the lips of Latniss.

"Let me guess... They all refused, with some even intentionally spreading their decision on the matter so as not to earn that man's ire."

"The Federation has progressed all the way to this stage, and yet, there are still those that fear, or want to suck up to the sects."

"It's only because the President hasn't acted in a long time that they think the sects have all the power. Though, it will be better to keep an eye on those powers and individuals that are problematic."

"I have already done that. Anyway, I have heard that even a certain Nascent Soul personage said that he would only help if she became his concubine."

"Not the wife?"

"He must have only wanted to humiliate her."

"Who was that person?" Reed asked. He felt righteous indignation on behalf of the woman. Of course he wouldn't act based on his emotional state, but would keep the name in mind.

"So, what are we going to do about this?" She asked after sending me his name via divine sense. It wasn't safe to utter the names of Nascent Souls, as there could be unknown consequences, with one famous incident being the fact that the powerhouse had, through some esoteric means, been able to track down the person in just 30 minutes.

Even Reed still didn't understand the stage. There was a time when he went to a certain federal state, only to discover one of his spiritual energy particles within a grass field, without any prior journeys to the place!

"Is she willing to get into contact with anyone? I need to know the specifics of her conversation with that man."

"She is. But we will need an excuse to summon her, one which won't prove to be suspicious. Mmmm... Maybe you should try to delay the news of your appearance. It should be maintained that you are still in seclusion. That way, lesser eyes will be drawn our way."

"I will only make a public appearance after meeting her. That also means that I will have to take a trip to Indonesia."

"Have the others also learned of this?" His question was met with a nod of the head.

"Make sure they don't interfere. It will be problematic if they appear."

"I will make sure to wrangle them in line, boss." she said with a vigorous smile that birthed an ugly expression upon Reed's face. She had most definitely fleeced him! He was now certain!

Communications ended with Reed left to sit alone within his office. He had perused the publicly available data on the woman and her clan, yet there was nothing about them that the man would want. What was his goal? Was there something deeper to this? Or would it turn out to be a red herring?

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Only after meeting the woman would he be able to tell. That meant that he had to make preparations to travel incognito. But that would have to wait for the next day. For now, he was simply going to stay seated and enjoy the quiet solitude, while also regaining his energy that had been sapped during his straining conversation with Latniss.

-----

Cultivators are living things. Living things need a variety of resources in order to function in the world, sometimes even the things that they truly don't need. But there is one immutable resource that every single cultivator, young or old, in the first realm of cultivation or in the higher stages of cultivation, need. And that's, food.

Someone had tried to create the pill, the fasting pill that could allow cultivators to survive for days before craving their next meal, yet it hadn't succeeded as they had expected because of the fact that every single cultivator owed their origin from mortal existence.

With the existence of ingredients, pulsing with plenty of nutrition due to the existence of spiritual energy, farmers had thrived.

Lily Toba, a young woman at the time, had taken up the mantle of matriarch after her mother's demise, becoming the youngest clan leader in the state of Indonesia's history. Fast forward to 200 years later, and the clan had become a behemoth with multiple Core Formation cultivators at the helm, controlling a food production industry centered upon spiritual rice. Their farms grew seeds that could support Spirit Gathering to Core Formation cultivators.

Lily Toba, an ambitious young woman had thought that she had reached the peak, being capable of meeting the State Governor any time she wished to, owing to her immense contribution to the economy of the state.

Yet, after a man had declared his desire for her, everything had changed. The State Governor, upon learning of her predicament had only suggested that she accept her fate, while the others she had reached out to for help, even outside the state itself, had refused, or proposed ridiculous conditions.

But she hadn't succumbed to despair. Even as her finger, coated in steely grey, tapped the glassy surface of her table, leaving behind marks that vanished before the finger could drop once again, her mind was churning, trying to come up with a solution to the predicament.

She could run to the Federal Government, directly bypassing the State Governor, but she couldn't predict the results of that action. Apparently, the President had been in seclusion for the past 50 years, with the artificial intelligence running the world in his place. The other ideas were also unacceptable to her.

The man wanted her, not the clan, and not the business empire she had spawned. And her instincts vaguely told her that it wasn't for her gifts in intelligence and administration.

"I must say, sister. You have a very powerful mind. I would have been bawling my eyes out by now, begging people on my knees, and probably accepting some the offered conditions." spoke another in the office. It was Mawar, with pink colored strands of hair cascading down her back, while her hand was in a snack packet, continuously rummaging through it before delivering its gifts to her mouth.

"How could I break down when I have a few thousand clansmen to look after? Besides, the situation hasn't become bleak yet." Lily paused her tapping long enough to answer, with her steely grey gaze holding intense disapproval for Mawar's words.

"Don't sell yourself short, Mawar. Considering that you aren't panicking right now, your mind is sufficiently strong."

"Thats only because you haven't broken down!" Mawar refuted with a shake of her head.

Within a case containing multiple particles of matter, each of a different element, one, a copper atom, started vibrating at a peculiar frequency, subtly influencing the others to also start vibrating, attracting the eyes of both Lily and Mawar.

Someone with an unfamiliar divine sense brand was trying to contact Lily. The question that each had in their minds at this point in time was, who?

Lily didn't even take a second to ponder before her divine sense spread to the particles, after which, she found herself in a gaudy illusory realm.

Pink was the prevalent color, with orange acting as the black of shadows. She asked herself about what kind of person it was, that could lack an ounce of design acumen.

"Beautiful, ain't it?"

A woman, having popped out from the back of a tree asked. For a moment, words failed Lily upon catching sight of her attire. It's repulsive nature had even surpassed the realm itself.

"I don't believe we are familiar." spoke Lily. She had taken the most wisest course of action she could think of, ignoring everything else to jump into the subject matter. There was no reason to offend or suck to this person, whose aura suggested the peak of Core Formation, just like her, yet, Lily could feel that she was dangerous.

"Well... That is true. I am Latniss, an executive of Muti Array Engineering."

That had been one hell of an introduction. Lily's eyes had widened within the span of a microsecond before settling back to their previous position, though, with an even more sharper edge concealed within.

It seemed that man's interest in her had drawn in a big fish. Though, it was one she really wanted to reel in. Her clan, specifically the rice industry, needed the expertise of this big company if they wanted to take a leap out of the small pond that was the state.

"I am somewhat surprised that even you people have been drawn out. So, what are your demands?"

"Demands? Why would we need to list them? Sweety! We don't fear Zeus!"

Those words elicited a chill from within her deepest recesses. The woman, a mere Core Formation cultivator had dared to utter the name of someone who could smite her with a casual flex of his power!

"Someone, a high level personage from our company will be arriving in the state, tomorrow. He wants to have a short chat with you. I am only here to notify you about the venue and the time."

"Your offer sounds suspicious."

"Honey, only we can rescue you from your current predicament."

"Miss Latniss, it seems that you underestimate me-no, you overestimate my need for your mediation." Lily spat out icily.