Chapter 515: Before The Government Do

Edmund slowly closed his fingers around the compass, allowing its familiar weight to settle into his palm. His expression remained composed, but his thoughts were focused on the implications of what had happened.

The ancient records had repeatedly warned that certain objects were connected to events whose significance could only be understood when the appropriate conditions returned.

If the compass was one of those objects, then its awakening might be evidence that the conditions described in those records were finally beginning to reappear.

He could not yet determine whether the compass had detected the return of Qi itself, the location where the phenomenon had originated, or some other event connected to the changes occurring throughout the world.

However, the direction in which the needle pointed was too consistent to ignore, and the timing of its awakening was far too suspicious to dismiss as coincidence.

Until he discovered more, he would have to treat the artifact as a potential source of information that could give his family an advantage in understanding the situation.

After a final glance at the compass, Edmund turned toward the family members gathered behind him. The conversations around the table gradually subsided as the elders noticed his movement, and their attention shifted toward the patriarch. Everyone present understood that the recent developments had elevated the significance of the family’s ancient records.

Whatever had once seemed like an academic exercise had become a matter of practical importance, and Edmund was not the kind of man who would allow such an opportunity to pass without taking action.

"Find out where the tide began," he ordered.

Several people exchanged uncertain glances. The phrase was unfamiliar to some of the younger members, while others immediately recognized that Edmund was referring to the apparent beginning of the current phenomenon. Before anyone could ask him to clarify his meaning, the patriarch continued speaking.

"And do it before the governments do."

His words left little room for misunderstanding. Edmund did not intend to wait until official investigations uncovered information that his family might have been able to discover first.

Governments possessed enormous resources, sophisticated technology, and the authority to investigate unusual events on a scale that private families could rarely match.

However, the Sinclair family had something that those institutions might lack: access to ancient records, inherited traditions, and artifacts whose significance could become apparent only when interpreted through the knowledge preserved by earlier generations.

If the return of Qi was connected to events described in their oldest manuscripts, then the family might be able to identify clues that modern investigators would overlook.

Even an incomplete understanding of the phenomenon could prove valuable, particularly if the changes continued and began producing consequences that affected human society more directly.

Edmund wanted his family to discover as much as possible before outside organizations established control over the investigation or began treating people with relevant knowledge as potential threats.

Nobody laughed at his instructions, and nobody dismissed them as the paranoia of an elderly man who had become too attached to the family’s traditions.

The events unfolding across the world had already demonstrated that the situation was more serious than anyone had initially assumed.

Even the most skeptical members of the family had begun reconsidering their opinions after learning about the compass’s sudden awakening and comparing it with the strange reports emerging from different countries.

For generations, the Sinclair family had survived by remaining hidden, carefully protecting the remnants of knowledge their ancestors had preserved.

They had watched the modern world develop around them, observing the rise of new technologies and the gradual disappearance of beliefs that once formed an important part of human civilization.

As science advanced and society became increasingly confident in its understanding of the natural world, the family’s inherited traditions had grown more difficult to explain to outsiders.

Remaining discreet had therefore become a practical necessity, allowing them to preserve their history without attracting unwanted attention from people who would neither understand nor respect it.

That strategy, however, had depended on the assumption that the modern world would continue moving in the same direction.

The Sinclair family had expected to preserve its secrets indefinitely, maintaining its traditions as the world outside became increasingly distant from the beliefs of their ancestors.

Now, the circumstances that had allowed them to remain hidden were beginning to change.

Reports of unusual phenomena were spreading rapidly, and the possibility that ancient methods might once again become effective threatened to make their accumulated knowledge relevant on a scale they had never anticipated.

If the old records were correct, the return of Qi would not remain a quiet phenomenon for long. The first signs might be subtle, appearing as unusual physical recoveries, unexplained changes in animal behavior, or the sudden activation of forgotten artifacts.

However, if the underlying cause continued to develop, then more obvious consequences could follow. Individuals might begin discovering abilities that had once been associated with ancient practitioners, while families that had preserved cultivation methods could find themselves possessing knowledge that gave them an advantage over those who had dismissed such traditions as meaningless.

The governments of the world would eventually notice the pattern, if they had not already begun investigating it.

Scientific institutions would seek to understand the underlying mechanisms, while military organizations would naturally consider the implications for national security. At the same time, public awareness would make secrecy increasingly difficult to maintain.

The more frequently extraordinary incidents occurred, the harder it would become to convince the population that every event was merely a coincidence or an isolated anomaly.

Edmund understood that his family could not afford to remain passive while those developments unfolded.

They needed to identify the origin of the current phenomenon, determine whether their ancient records contained useful information, and establish what role the Sinclair family might play in the changing world.

Their survival had once depended on remaining hidden, but the same strategy might no longer be sufficient if the world itself was returning to conditions that had existed before the modern era.

He looked down at the compass one final time, his expression becoming more resolute as he considered the path ahead.

The artifact had remained dormant for generations, and its sudden awakening had given him the first tangible indication that the stories preserved by his ancestors might contain more than fragments of forgotten history.

Whatever had triggered the change, it had opened a door that his family had spent centuries waiting to see move.

Edmund carefully secured the compass before turning away from the table.

Around him, the elders returned to their manuscripts with renewed determination, while the younger members began preparing to carry out his instructions.

The atmosphere in the vault had changed considerably since the beginning of their meeting.

What had started as an investigation into a strange occurrence had become the beginning of a larger effort to understand a transformation that might reshape the entire world.

Whether they were ready or not, the age of hiding was drawing to a close.