The discovery of the bombs changed Elder Shadow’s plans for exploring inside the Rift. They would still explore, but he refused to let Yvonne and I enter for now. He decided it was safer to wait for the other Four Element Sect Elders. Elders advanced enough in their cultivation, that they could survive an explosion if the bombs were better hidden than the ones Shade had discovered.

Instead, he ordered us out of the area, telling Yvonne to return to the Sect and suggesting I spend more time dealing with the burgeoning needs of my territory. Needless to say, I was not happy with Elder Shadow’s decision. I resented his high-handed declaration, his decision to protect us, and felt his edicts were more in keeping with how you might treat a child.

I realized my response and my emotions might be juvenile, a reaction that only supported his contention, but I felt entitled. I had discovered the Rift. I had already ventured inside and explored. I had proven I could infiltrate the cave system without being noticed. To now be dismissed and sent back to the Sect, or to deal with Xiwang after I had proven my abilities were up to the task, was humiliating. We hadn’t worked together much since I had stepped into the Qi Condensing Realm. That might be the reason he ignored my accomplishments.

“We need to try to preserve as many of the beast core bombs as we can,” Elder Shadow instructed Shade, unaware or uncaring of the angst and resentment I felt towards him. “Patriarch Umbra will have them examined. There should be enough of a Qi signature left from whoever constructed and placed them to help identify the person or people involved.”

“How will that help? Even if you can ferret out the Qi signature, is there a way to identify who it belongs too?” I asked.

I was angry, but I had enough experience from my other life to know that it was self-destructive to let me emotions interfere with events around me. I had too much to learn to pass up any opportunity to learn. And to let my anger dictate my actions would only hurt me in the long run.

“The signature can be cross-referenced with those stored in a database each Sect maintains. A database of members, as well as anyone that has purchased or sold resources,” Yvonne answered.

“Exactly,” Elder Shadow exclaimed in agreement. “Normally we wouldn’t have access to those Qi signatures stored and collected in any of the other Sects, but for something like this? I believe the Emperor will demand every Sect do a comparison to anything we might find and report their results to him if no one else.”

“It is a long shot at best,” Shade informed me. “Especially if a Sect is involved. They certainly won’t want that involvement known and will hide any of their findings. They may even use this as an opportunity to frame enemies. A bit of misdirection and falsely planted evidence to trick the Empire into looking in the wrong direction.

“It becomes harder to identify the people involved if they are wandering cultivators or cultivators that have gone rogue. The chances of their signature being recorded, or their last known location being known, approaches zero if they have limited their involvement with the Empire and concentrated their growth as cultivators on this island.

“It isn’t impossible to identify them if that is the case. They might have traded with a merchant or bought and sold goods with a Sect, and that trade would have left records. Evidence of their Qi signature detailed in money transfers. The likely event is that they are being supported by some person, Clan, or Sect influential enough to protect them. And that they have been based out of this island the entire time. In that case, chances are slim we will be able to identify them.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Information like this didn’t really fit into the paradigm I had built for this world. If Qi signatures could be collected into a database and tracked, why couldn’t these databases be linked? Missives used to remain in contact were marvels of runic construction, but they were unwieldy and slow. Four Element Sect had proven that a computer system using illusion, enchantments, and runes was possible, it seemed only logical to advance that intra-net connectivity and expand to something worldwide.

Perhaps the problem was one of infrastructure. This world didn’t have fiber cables crisscrossing the oceans or satellites in orbit that could track and monitor the planet. What we did have was cultivators powerful enough that their Qi perception could blanket large sections of the world. How else would they know when an integration rift had formed and move to take advantage of the influx of new world energy?

I knew now that I had reached the Qi Condensing Realm that the Dharmic made use of aether, and I had some ideas on how to create a communication system that made use of that same energy pool. It was why I had decided to focus on arrays, runes, and enchantment now that my ability to advance my alchemy had been stymied. I wanted to create a communication network that would allow for real-time conversations to take place.

I missed Elder Tye and Elder Cix, even more so as the Elders of Four Element had screwed with me and my ability to access alchemy materials. If I could create something similar to a phone system, I could continue advancing my secondary professions using the connections and relationships I had established in Flowing Water Sect.

A flood of missives arrived as I was considering the vagaries of global communication, most targeting Elder Shadow, but there were a few that made a beeline for Yvonne and me. My missives were responses from Gwen. The last of the people I had recruited had arrived, and she had used this world's version of eminent domain to confiscate a few buildings near the Keep for them to reside in.

My plans had changed, now that Elder Shadow refused to allow me to explore the Rift, so I saved the missives to my spatial device without responding. There was no need now to have her begin instituting the changes I wanted made to Xiwang now that I was set to return.

“Jay,” Elder Shadow said, gaining my attention after he had finished reading the last missive, “Patriarch Umbra has asked that you return to the Sect. The Rift exists in your territory, and she would like to arbitrate and sign an agreement with you that allows egress to the Rift for members of Four Element Sect.”

“You should consider hiring a proxy for any discussions concerning the Rift,” Shade suggested once he had heard Elder Shadow, “someone that knows how valuable this type of phenomenon can be and is able to get you the best terms possible.”

“The Sect can’t just appropriate the Rift, despite the location?” I asked in surprise.

“It can, but only if the Emperor agrees, and he won’t,” Elder Shadow said. “There has been too much bad history when Rifts have been seized in the past for him to allow that. Wars have been started when a Rift was confiscated, and the Empire has learned it is better to negotiate who can enter than to risk even a small-scale war.”

If that was true, and I was a more spiteful person, I could bar Elder Shadow and Shade from entering. Or at least make their passage contingent on my presence. I wasn’t that spiteful or that stupid. To disrespect Elder Shadow in such a manner would mean the end of our relationship. He would disavow my position as his disciple, and I would have no one to blame but myself.

“Talk to Clement, once you return to the Sect,” Shade suggested. “He has worked with and for House Penumbra before and has a great track record for squeezing out even the smallest concession when negotiating. You should be able to track him down in Contribution Hall.”

“Won’t he be working for Patriarch Umbra?” I asked.

“Not if you get to him first,” Shade said, the satisfaction and humor that laced his voice indicative a running game of one-upmanship. His response informing me that he would relish pulling one over on the Patriarch and was hoping I would be the stooge of whatever enmity existed between the two of them.

“Shade,” Elder Shadow said in warning.

“It’s harmless,” Shade answered before Elder Shadow could continue. “Jai will get some much-needed help in negotiating a fair settlement, and Umbra is reminded not to take anything for granted.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to know or get involved in whatever prank war Shade and Umbra were involved in, but I would contact Clement. I needed too many contribution points to continue to improve my territory not to take all the help I could get.