In a light gait, Arash walked through many hayas to reach his own; for the first time, he felt his newfound 'ability', if he could call it that way, to be quite useful. He finally understood why his boss was so eager to recruit him and even said it was his natural gift. Moreover, thanks to the Soul Energy Particles, the validity of the information could be reasonably high.

Now, knowing the truth made him somewhat relieved. If it was just a power struggle in the corporate world, he felt that he could live with it. He just had to be very careful with where he step on in the future.

In his excitement, he never noticed the Blood Flame quietly dissipate as if it never existed in the first place.

Arash rushed over to the haya next to him and unceremoniously knocked three times before entering. He didn't wait for Tok Silihan to respond; for better or worse, the cranky elder might still be sulking in a corner.

"Tok!"

Tok Silihan was lying down in a very awkward position; as if he fainted to the side while sitting cross-legged on the haya's exposed stone-like platform floor. Arash rushed over, feeling concerned and worried. He tried supporting Tok Silihan's head with his arms and planned to carry the frail-looking old man to his makeshift bed stuffed with fresh leaves.

As he mustered his strength for the task, the Tok Batin won't budge! He was so heavy! Like a lump of rock!

Arash tried a few times until his face turned green. After a while, he finally could lift the elder's head with great difficulty. His arms and legs were so sore, it felt like he had done some serious weight-lifting. Suddenly, Tok Silihan opened one eye with a suppressed mirth, "Boy, what the heck are you doing, barging in?"

Arash was so shocked he inadvertently let go of Tok Silihan's head. The old Tok Batin's iron head hit the large stone platform with a loud thud.

The rock-like platform cracked.

Tok Silihan, =____________=

Arash, = ___________ =||||||

"Er, sorry, Tok. I thought you fainted. It's just a tiny crack. We can just superglue it back later, you know. By the way, I got good news!" Arash quickly changed the subject. He was really hoping that the stone platform wasn't Tok Silihan's personal cultivation platform. In books, the platforms were usually made from precious materials which could assist the cultivators in various ways. The old Spiritual Healer would be livid! If he asked for payment, Arash needed to oblige since it was technically his fault.

"What good news?!" Still irritated, Tok Silihan replied rather curtly. However, secretly he wanted to know badly! Although Tok Silihan listened in on Arash's conversation with the ugly demon-like foreigner, he couldn't understand squat! They were talking in English! Helpless, Tok Silihan could only guard vigilantly and observe the Expert's body language to determine whether to attack or defend. It was pretty tiring, especially when the talk... was just a talk, like what Arash said.

"I'm going back today! However, I will bring my kids along a week later, Tok! We will stay for at least two weeks this time huhu. The Boss gave me a month-long holiday! PAID in full! He's super generous!"

Arash shamelessly placed his arms over Tok Silihan's shoulder and looked at nothingness in an imaginary horizon.

"Tok, imagine, what I can bring for you this time. The future is so sweet, Tok. By playing with my kids, you will get all the MILOs you like! I could bring over some other 3in1s for you to try. You will sink into an unexpected burst of emotions. It might even trigger enlightenment!"

Overwhelmed with the sudden burst of information, Tok Silihan's mouth was in the share of an O. One could stuff a boiled A-grade egg directly inside with ease. He wasn't sure what he should be feeling at the moment; he wasn't particularly fond of little kids, but the range of new beverages and possibly, new RTEs would really help him get new inspiration.

As usual, Arash was just bullsh|tting his way through, but unexpectedly, he hit the right spot.

"However, for this to happen, I have a teeny, weeny request. I promise it will be super easy for Tok. It won't take long for Tok since Tok is a magnanimous and kind-hearted Expert. That's why the Deity chooses you."

Arash had started thumping Tok Silihan's back with his fist while showering the Elder with excessive compliments. He observed the little pulses entering Tok Silihan silently, and judged the right time to voice out his request.

"What is it this time?" Feeling good, Tok Silihan thought of giving the boy the green light even before he heard the request. Truthfully, besides Arash, the others who tried to flatter him sounded so fake and only made him angrier.

"I've heard the story of my Boss, Tok. He is sooo sooo soooo, pitiful. His family had been very harsh on him. Besides that, he believed someone in his clan tried to kill him, and it is not just one person."

"WHY?! Why is that?!" As usual, Tok Silihan would be easily worked up with dramatic events. Technically, he didn't lie. It was a true story.

Arash tried his best to build the drama that would bring Alan into Tok Silihan's good graces.

"Power struggle. He was supposed to inherit the Clan Head's position when he grew up after two of his elder siblings passed. But, as fate wills it, his dear mother passed too, due to some strange illness, just like his siblings. He became an orphan at the age of nine and has suffered many assassination attempts since then. The Clan Head is still his father, but he doesn't care. As a father to my dearest Aira and Aina, his father's behavior is unacceptable! Isn't that right, Tok? I would never do that to my own daughters and let others bully them like this."

Tok Silihan went quiet. He scrunched his brow as complex emotions fleeted through his expression. Tok Silihan's response was out of the ordinary; it was not within Arash's expectations. He suppressed the panic building inside and tried again, this time, in a much subtler way. Arash could smell internal conflict within the capricious elder. He had to be careful, lest he might trigger Tok Silihan's wrath in an unexpected way.

The Soul Energy Particles entered the Tok Batin in copious amounts as Arash made sure he was in direct contact with the elder. The massage session wasn't just empty flattery like what others thought, it did have another task, a more important one. Since Arash knew how important being in direct contact with his target was, he was ten times more shameless towards Tok Silihan. He had no other options since he couldn't control the little pulses at his own will.

"What do you expect me to do, Boy? Become his guard? There is no need for that, you know. If that guy couldn't do anything, I would be helpless too." Tok Silihan asked exasperatedly. Did the Boy even notice the helper of his boss? The same guy the Boy hugged amicably before. That guy was way stronger than him. He just didn't want to admit it. Once he left the forest, he would be as weak as a chicken when compared to the helper.

Arash was stunned.

Just from this comment, he could glean ample information. He knew Tok Silihan was super strong, like a superhuman. Ignoring the sidekicks, the only other person worth mentioning besides Boss Alan, would be Uncle Miles, whom Tok Silihan was hostile against without reason.

Uncle Miles was inhumanly stronger than Tok Silihan, and Tok Silihan knew about it.

That was the only explanation.

The hostility might come from being vigilant over a stronger foe. If Tok Silihan was stronger than Uncle Miles, although he disliked the butler, he would just show disdain. Right now, Tok acted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on everytime when the butler was near.

This boils down to the meaning of a 'Specialist' within Boss Alan's explanation. Although Boss Alan has narrated quite extensively, he didn't truly mention the real definition of certain terms succinctly. Arash assumed that Specialists were akin to a group of highly-trained mercenaries with technological prowess in firepower. Just like a group of spies with numerous advanced gadgets.

It seemed that it might be more interesting than he thought.

"No, no, no. I remembered Tok's comment on Boss Alan. Why don't we meet up with them? Tok can have a look at my Boss, you know, like how a doctor sees a patient to be treated? You are a Spiritual Healer, right? Can you please do this favor for me? You know right, a doctor can always demand proper payment. You said you lack resources. This is a chance, Tok! A win-win-win situation for both of you. A bit of advice because I care, spread it out, Tok, the treatments, I mean. Spread it out into a few sessions. Don't think too much, they're rich tycoons. They will be able to handle it. On another hand, you can focus on your cultivation once all of this is over!"

Arash smiled gently as he continued to coax the capricious Elder. He had to let Tok Silihan see the big picture. Like in the novels, as someone who cultivates, Tok Silihan would definitely welcome more cultivation resources. True, he could find it himself, but getting them without expending his time or effort would be way better!

Additionally, the Godfreys were stinking rich! They practically owned nearly 30% of the world's industry, if they really dabbled in cultivation-esque advancement as a Specialist, they would definitely have multiple mega warehouse-level cultivation resources. This kind of Capitalist should be milked accordingly once in a while to benefit the common people.

He won't say it to Tok Silihan's face out of respect, but Tok Silihan looked very miserable compared to Uncle Miles. They have such a huge disparity. Uncle Miles conformed more towards an Expert with a structured background financed by a big investor group, while Tok Silihan looked like a demonic cultivator who had to pillage to survive, although both had clans that should be backing them in their cultivation journey. It was evident that he urgently needed quality resources for himself.

Tok Silihan's eyes shone brightly as his gaze turned kinder towards Arash. This boy was really something! Why hasn't he thought of that before?! Without Arash reminding him, he would've passed this off and might even incur trouble by assassinating the foreigners.

He had been too focused on the warning from the ancestors about foreign beings with unknown intentions!

THIS was his opportunity!

"Alright! You really are my lucky star, Boy! Before you go back, let me see the runt first. Only him. I don't want that Expert to step inside the village."

Arash struggled for a few seconds before he let it go. This opportunity was so precious for his Boss, he mustn't do something that might change Tok Silihan's mind!

"Tokkkkk.."

"What now?!"

"Can Uncle Miles be present via teleconference? He won't really be here, but we could set up a connection using a smartphone. I think the connection here is strong enough to support just this. Even just using an open phone call is enough. Please~"

Tok Silihan, #$@+|||#$%^&*!

...

Watching how happy Arash was, Tok Silihan could only shake his head as he sighed. Arash's previous words stung him deeply. He wasn't there when his kids were growing up. Like all other Spiritual Healers who pursue the pinnacle in assimilating with the Deity, he wasn't obsessed with worldly desires and mortal love. But he did care about his descendants and the village as a whole.

His youngest, Rami, left the village and never returned even once. He left after a big fight with Tok Silihan over his eldest, Lela's death, so many years ago.

He did get secondhand news about his son and descendants from the Elders of the clan, but that was it.

Sometimes, when he rested from arduous cultivation sessions, he wondered whether he did the right thing. Pushing his family away for the sake of protecting them.

The whole reason he was pushing himself was for his people. He was the only one left to protect the village from whatever calamities in the future. Without a proper heir to succeed the Spiritual Healer arts, he knew his people were heading towards doom. The herbs for assisting cultivation had been reducing in quality since the last Hell's Gate breach, making them so scarce to support even him. He had been stuck in this cycle for far too long. It affected his mood to be stormy and at an all-time low.

He had no choice but to breakthrough to prolong his lifespan, but lacking resources.

He had never come to terms with Rami over Lela's premature death.

Maybe when he finally succeeds, he could leave the forest to find Rami to make amends.

One day, just one day.

...

mrs.mooncat's note:

Lela : Name of Tok Silihan's other child. Meaning = honorable/excellent behavior