The silence in the room is deafening.

I’ve done two things ‘wrong’ in this first meeting.

First, I’ve slapped the face of a young master and other bad actors. And now I’m calling out the ones listening in out of curiosity.

How do I know they are currently listening in? While normally there would be ‘standard’ listening bugs for this kind of thing in the form of transmitting talismans that could capture a recording and send it back later, those aren’t able to make it through the walls of this building.

For being a prostitute gang, they have surprisingly great security for their high-end buildings.

Or perhaps it is because they are prostitutes, that discretion is critical for their infrastructure.

Either way, the only other way someone could listen in covertly is through a complex technique that is actually remarkably simple in practice.

A qi mark.

By placing an invisible, subtle mark on a non-cultivator person, you can listen in on their surroundings while remaining anonymous to anyone under your level. Depending on the level of the mark made, of course. And as could be expected, the person who the mark is placed on has no idea that such a thing is on them.

But there is an unspoken rule with these. It is practically expected to allow these in some fashion, as long as they pass a certain level. That information will get out eventually anyway, so maintaining a standard of sorts is important.

As an example, if a group put a qi mark that qi condensation experts could find… then it shows they don’t respect you that much. The typical response would be to just remove the person. You don’t call them out.

In this case, it would take a high foundation establishment to find most of them. Some are even core formation. Clearly, a level of respect is being shown.

… but fuck that.

I need these people, so I can’t just send them away. And I will not tolerate my secrets getting out like that.

The whole reasoning behind this is that the marks are quite easy to place on people and have little downside for the placer. But is slightly more difficult to remove for others. Essentially, these rules were made to make it more civilized and structured.

I don’t need to do that, though.

The contract will automatically will cause a backlash to anyone attempting to do so. Using their own qi against them as a ‘sub-contractee’ of sorts. Of course, this requires some qi from myself as maintenance, but it is a trivial amount. Like a few units of qi’s worth.

For this first level of qi condensation, that will be tight, but my qi automatically refills from my healing constitution. Not to mention my healing aura.

Even with my 4 units, I’ll be able to quickly allocate some qi to that and move back to my regular maintenance items. This could be a bit of an issue in a battle, though.

I’ll definitely need to move to the next level of qi condensation once everyone is settled.  

Because of this, though, I need to let them know what they are risking.

Strangely enough, warning them may mitigate the negative response my actions are causing.

 

“My apologies if I have come across as crass. I speak directly, as what I am saying could engender hard feelings, if not known beforehand. The innovative contract that will be signed will cause backlash to any who are using techniques to listen in. As I am not looking to purposely cause harm to any of you, I recommend that you preemptively remove the techniques.”

The room remains silent.

An air of disbelief is floating around, even among the Yellow Sashes and Ai/Lin.

To even suggest such a thing is both face slapping, but also contradictorily courteous, if true.

The people who have been suddenly told they are bugged, are anxious.

What will this mean for them?

Should they leave, to save face for an invisible perpetrator?

Do they really have a ‘bug’ on them?

 

It appears the overall consensus is to stay and find out what happens next. Human curiosity is a powerful thing and the contract Master Ming has made pushes the boundaries of the known contract sphere.

History in the making.

Of course, this is also part of the reason I’ve done this.

When Master Ming appears back on the scene and shows himself to be better than ever and allied with me… it will add credibility to us both. For him, his new prowess. For me, the fact I could bring back a powerhouse.

In the interim, the mysteriousness of the whole situation is a cover for me.

Nonetheless, this is when the contract goes out to every person in the room.

 

I get an automatic denial from one member in the Yellow Sashes. My eyes drift over to her.

It’s the first woman in a position of power I met in the Yellow Sashes, whose name I never caught. She was the one that was interacting with Wu Qing directly, seemingly keeping her in line.

I get a feeling that she is stronger than her mid foundation establishment realm may show.

She nods sagely at me and leaves the building.

Her intention was clear. She was moderating the situation until it was time for the contract to be put into place. In a sense… providing the formal handoff between the Yellow Sashes group to me.

Automatically, I can feel backlashes shoot out, as people accept after reading the contract. They all came here with the general knowledge they were giving themselves over, so I’m not surprised at the speed of decisions.

 

Even with that, Ai and Lin were actually one of the first to accept the contract.

The question might be asked, why would I give such a contract to my closest allies if I can trust them with my deepest secrets?

Because it also serves as an emergency cyanide pill, in case of an emergency. It was actually something we had discussed back in the caves once we got to where we could afford contracts ourselves.

 

While I understand their reasoning… I can’t help but not want them to do so.

It all boils down to this.

If they are captured and tortured, they can end it all quickly while protecting their precious family from themselves (their memories and souls). And with this new contract, even in death, they can protect their memories from being dredged up.

Mostly, of course. With enough resources, investments, and time something could still be found. Though, that’s because the soul isn’t completely erased.

Either way, as more people accept the contract, my qi is being constantly refilled and drained. There were quite a few qi marks on the group members. But there were also other methods being used that seem to still trigger the backlash.

From my estimation, that backlash is no joke either. While the damage wouldn’t be permanent, it definitely can’t be blown off even by higher tiered cultivators. Especially, since it is using the person’s own qi against them.

Warning them about it directly will lessen the political blow and make them more hesitant to make moves against me.

What I’m most surprised about is that even after hearing all of this dangerous talk, no one else walked away. Their faces hardened even further.

That only happens in this world if people have no other option left.

Though, I guess… that really is the case for these people. Most didn’t make it into the sect, so if they want power, they have no choice but to throw everything away.

Not everyone is in that position, though.

My eyes drift over to a few of the nobles in the group.

The all-female posse and their leader, Shi Ji, the blond-haired, red-eyed woman. She hasn’t accepted the contract yet.

Our eyes meet. A blush comes across her face and she touches her nose.

Immediately after, she accepts the contract. Her posse follows soon after.

…

… these pheromones are pretty unethical.