“You’re saying,” Rhee began, “that the carpet should be up there and that this path wasn’t here before?”

  “Yes,” Wen Mei answered, her eyes still lingering on the opening that had torn through the forest.

  “I see.” Rhee looked to Six. “Same with you?”

  While everyone else focused on the blasted clearing farther along the crater, Six kept his gaze fixed on the empty sky where the carpet should have floated. “Same.”

  “That’s too many unexpected findings for my liking,” Rhee said, crossing her arms.

  “It is concerning,” Wei Long agreed. He considered the open sky. “Most importantly, I wonder if the Elder’s absence will impact the Pill Drop tomorrow.”

  Rhee frowned at his words. “You’re right. Heavens, what happens if there is no Pill Drop?”

  “There has to be a Pill Drop, right?” Lei asked, joining the conversation. “If not, how are we going to get off this island?”

  Ishin’s own expression grew grim at that question. With no ambient qi and no pills, they would be trapped here until they died. He thought again to the pill Rhee had won from the Exhibition Tournament. She still had a way out. He just needed to ensure she took it.

  “There will be a Pill Drop tomorrow,” Wen Mei insisted, though her words sounded forced. “There always is.”

  “Always,” Six echoed. The bald eccentric wandered to the edge of the crater and peered down at its red depths.

  Wei Long seized his collar and yanked him back into the treeline. “Are you trying to expose our position?” the archer snarled.

  Six had the grace to look sheepish. “No.”

  “Then you’re an idiot.” Wei Long shoved him to the ground. “Someone make sure he doesn’t get us all killed.”

  Wen Mei went to her oldest surviving comrade and helped him up. “Sorry about him. Six, please be more careful.”

  Rubbing the back of his scalp, Six replied, “Sorry.”

  “We should proceed with our current plan,” Ishin said, drawing everyone’s attention.

  Rhee looked conflicted, Lei nodded readily, Tan Chen’s gaze turned thoughtful, and Wei Long narrowed his eyes at him.

  “You think it’s worth the risk?” Wei Long asked.

  “I think we have no choice.”

  “No choice?” Wei Long scoffed. “We can always fall back. Find a place to set up shelter and return next week to see if the carpet has come back. Caution is the wisest course here.”

  “Caution will cause us to linger on this island longer, bringing undue risk,” Ishin countered. “Look at Lei, look at me.” He gestured at his wounded shoulder. “We’ve been here only a few days and in that time we’ve almost died twice. The entire Collective Liberation Alliance died during that period—and they chose caution.

  “No. We should continue with our plan. Camp here and see if the Pill Drop still occurs tomorrow at dawn. If it does, we proceed. If not, then we can retreat quietly without conflict.”

  “Your logic is flawed, Ro Ishin,” Wei Long said with icy calm. “We may not be able to retreat without conflict once others have gathered around the crater. If we leave now, we can escape with limited risk of detection.”

  “A risk I am willing to take. The truth is we need pills to leave this island. This place is death. The Crimson Abyss Sect is salvation. Our only hope of reaching it is through acquiring pills. You would have us abandon the one path to survival. I will not wait around for a week, hoping to avoid death, when I can remain here half a day longer to possibly obtain the resources needed to escape.”

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  He looked around at the others. “What about the rest of you?”

  Lei spoke first. “Brother Ishin is right. A true martial would take the risk. We need the pills, and I am not afraid to face danger to earn them.”

  “Your martial pride will be the death of you,” Wei Long retorted. “Caution is not dishonorable. Not when unknown dangers lurk throughout this island.”

  “It is also risky to linger on this island longer than necessary,” Tan Chen said evenly.

  Wei Long whipped his head toward the blue-haired warrior. “You agree with him?”

  “In this, yes, Long,” Tan Chen replied sympathetically. “I think it’s worth waiting until dawn to see if the Pill Drop still happens. You’re right that we may encounter enemies retreating, but I don’t want to wait another week here if I don’t have to.”

  “If there is no Pill Drop, then you’ll still have to stay on this island for another week all the same,” Wei Long pressed. “With my plan, you’re at least more likely to survive tomorrow.”

  “True,” Tan Chen conceded. “But if the Pill Drop still happens, then your plan makes us risk an extra week of danger.” She looked at Ishin. “His proposal offers us hope. The same hope we had when traveling here this morning. I can’t abandon it yet.”

  “Since when do you believe in hope, Chen?” Wei Long’s question carried no scorn, only the familiarity of long friendship.

  Tan Chen sighed. “Perhaps I just can’t let myself give in to despair yet.” She gave him a tired smile. “Let’s just try to make it out of here as quickly as possible, okay?”

  Remarkably, her words seemed to soothe Wei Long. The practical archer remained silent.

  “For what it’s worth,” Rhee murmured, “I think we should wait too.” Her eyes flicked to Ishin, then to Wei Long. “But we can take precautions. Perhaps most of us remain deeper in the woods while only two of us watch for the Pill Drop. It would be easier for two to escape unnoticed than all seven of us.”

  “Logical,” Six chirped.

  “I can agree to that,” Wei Long sighed. “But the other five should remain fifty yards away, watching all directions. If the Pill Drop does happen, our two scouts can gather us quickly.”

  “Agreed,” Ishin affirmed. Good. He was glad the group hadn’t been shaken from their path by the strange developments. “Since I advocated for it, I can be one of the scouts.”

  “I should be the other,” Wen Mei said, stepping forward.

  Rhee gave the white-haired beauty a quizzical look. “You?”

  “Yes. If the Pill Drop happens, I’ll need to see which candidates move for the pills. Remember, we can’t ambush anyone too dangerous.”

  “Bai Hao,” Wei Long said.

  “Precisely. Or Isho Nel.”

  “Very well,” Rhee sighed. “So if the Pill Drop does occur, you’ll both come back to grab us?”

  “I can do it alone,” Ishin offered. Looking at Wen Mei, he added, “That way she can keep track of the candidates who arrive.”

  Wen Mei nodded. “That’s a good idea. How long will it take you to get there and back?”

  Ishin examined the dry earthen forest floor, lined with a layer of ashen leaves. Fortunately, shrubbery was scarce on the island, making travel easier. “Three minutes if I cycle qi.”

  “I’ll be fine for that short period alone,” Wen Mei replied with confidence.

  “Before we get too optimistic,” Wei Long cut in, “let’s first find where we’ll set up camp.”

  The archer led them through the woods, covering dozens of yards before settling on a spot he deemed suitable. He had taken them away from the direction of the newly formed path through the forest, convinced it was too dangerous to linger near. The location he chose was a cluster of a dozen trees nestled close together, offering a natural barrier from the south and west.

  “This will do,” he declared, seating himself against a trunk.

  Above the treeline, the last rays of light vanished, heralding night’s approach.

  “I’ll take first watch,” Ishin offered.

  “Take the last,” Wei Long directed.

  Ishin frowned. “Why?”

  “Since you and Wen Mei need to be at the crater before dawn, you should take the last watch so you’re awake well before you leave. You can wake the rest of us then.”

  “That… makes sense. Alright.”

  Wei Long gave a curt nod and returned to restringing his bow.

  He really is an expert at this.

  Ishin found his own spot on a patch of clear ground and lay down to rest. With the Pill Drop looming tomorrow, sleep proved difficult. To settle his mind, he began meditating to the cadence of the Silent Storm technique. Even without qi to cultivate, the familiar motions stilled his thoughts, and eventually he drifted into unconsciousness.