Ishin’s stomach rumbled in discomfort, not yet used to the disgusting sustenance that was Vampire Monkey meat. It was early morning—their first day after partnering with the Collective Liberation Alliance—with the sun barely above the horizon. Like his friends, he’d slept on the beach, using his arm as a makeshift pillow. The ocean breeze was a welcome offset to the humidity of the island’s interior, and Ishin could only imagine how miserable it would have been had they slept within the forest.

  Taking a sip from his refilled waterskin—the murky creek water tasted like sewage—Ishin waited patiently with the others, all of them formed into a horseshoe around one of the campfires. The three alliance seniors—Jou, Go Lan, and Koi—stood in the center.

  “We need three groups,” Go Lan announced with her usual irritation. “Scouts, foragers, and guards.” She stabbed a finger toward Ishin and his friends, who all stood together. “Our partners will have scout duty. Under my leadership.”

  Scout duty?

  Ishin wasn’t unfamiliar with the importance of scouting and reconnaissance. The Daihu Tribe regularly sent out scouts to survey the surrounding territory, lest a threat approach unnoticed. But why was Go Lan speaking like it was a punishment?

  “I’ll go with them,” Wen Mei volunteered. She stood only a few feet from Ishin’s group, the ever-eccentric Six beside her.

  “You already had scouting duty,” Jou said. “It’s your turn for guard duty.”

  “I don’t need it,” Wen Mei countered. “Six and I found them—it’s only fair that we go with our new partners for instruction.”

  “We don’t need three sixth-layer cultivators to go scouting,” Go Lan scoffed.

  “Sister Lan,” Wen Mei said pleasantly, “you’re welcome to remain here instead. Take my guard shift.”

  “No chance. I want to make sure our new partners don’t have any problems.”

  “Then we can all go,” Wen Mei pressed. “Surely having three of us can’t hurt. Not for scouting.”

  “I get the impression that scouting is dangerous,” Lei whispered to Ishin.

  “I think you’re right.”

  “Two of us need to remain at the fort for protection,” Go Lan snapped. “You know this.”

  Jou placed a placating hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, Sister Lan. Brother Koi and I will remain at the fort. Why don’t the three of you go with our new partners?”

  Go Lan still looked upset but didn’t protest further. “Fine. The eight of us will scout the northeastern route. Yoa Pen, you will lead a group of four others to forage for more water and meat,” she instructed the tall guard Ishin had seen at the fort’s entrance when they first arrived. “The rest will stay here and guard the fort under Jou and Koi. Questions?” Without waiting longer than a breath, she continued, “Good. Get ready. Scouting team, be prepared to leave in ten minutes.”

  Not having much to grab other than his spear, Ishin was ready within three minutes. Then Wen Mei approached him.

  “Here,” she said, handing him dried dark green jerky. “You’ll want enough food and water for two days.”

  “Two days?”

  “Why so long?” Rhee asked, joining them.

  “We cover a lot of ground during scouting expeditions. I’m not sure of the exact number, but I think it’s around thirty miles.”

  “Thirty-five,” Six corrected. He was lying on the beach just a few feet away, staring distractedly at one of his coins. Ishin hadn’t noticed him until now.

  “Thirty-five miles?” Rhee asked, looking to Six for confirmation. Either he chose not to respond or he simply didn’t hear her. Instead, she asked Wen Mei, “The island is that large?”

  “It is. We haven’t explored all of it yet, but my guess is about a hundred square miles. Just an estimate, though—I’m no surveyor.”

  “That’s far larger than I would have guessed,” Ishin admitted. It was more land than his Daihu Tribe controlled back in the Nine Striped Hills. “It really was just a coincidence that we ran into you yesterday, wasn’t it?”

  Or was it very unlucky that we were transported near that starving archer?

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  “Very lucky,” Wen Mei replied brightly. “Heaven’s fortune, I believe. Now then, take these.” She pushed the jerky into Ishin’s hands. “Do you need some too?” she asked Rhee.

  “I do. I should grab some more water as well,” Rhee said.

  “Me too,” Ishin realized. With the island’s humidity, his single skin wouldn’t last long.

  Ugh. If we’re out there for two days, we’ll have to sleep in the forest.

  That was a depressing thought.

  Wen Mei guided the two toward a rotting crate that served as a makeshift container for the alliance’s dried meat. Along the way, Ishin called out to Lei, bringing him over. Lei grabbed a dozen sticks of jerky, and Ishin had no idea how his friend could stand to eat so much of the vile stuff. Shortly after, all three had their supplies ready.

  The scout team of eight gathered at the fort’s entrance, Go Lan at their head. “This is simple,” she began. “We’ll travel along one of our normal routes to see if there are approaching groups of other cultivators or Vampire Monkeys. If we encounter groups of four or fewer, we’ll engage them. The monkeys we’ll kill and bring back for food. Cultivators will be killed as well.”

  Quite ruthless.

  It truly was life and death out here.

  “Sister Lan, we shouldn’t attack other candidates unless they’re hostile,” Wen Mei objected. “That’s how we’ve always handled it.”

  “Our strategy has changed,” Go Lan stated flatly. “We aren’t looking for more allies anymore. The more competitors we eliminate before the Pill Drop, the better.”

  “You want us to just kill them?” Rhee asked, her voice laced with disapproval. Ishin remembered how sheltered her experience had been so far, their trip into the Howling Scape Forest being the one exception.

  “Do you have a problem with that?” Go Lan challenged.

  “It’s just… not very honorable.”

  Go Lan scoffed. “Save your honor for when you’re off the island. The Crimson Abyss Sect is no place for the weak. Does anyone else have a problem with killing others?”

  Rhee’s expression was troubled, but Ishin kept silent. The fact was, this test was designed to force conflict among candidates. It was brutal, even cruel—but it was the truth of their situation. And Ishin had killed before. He would do so again if needed.

  “Not an objection,” Wei Long said, “but a question.”

  “Go on.”

  “Why only groups of four or fewer? With our numbers we could handle larger groups.”

  “Our mission is to scout the direction we’ll travel to reach the Pill Drop in three days. Eliminating easy targets is fine, but we don’t want unnecessary risks. We need our numbers intact for the Pill Drop. Four or fewer allows us to engage opponents in pairs.”

  Wei Long nodded. “Very logical.”

  “Let’s get going then,” Go Lan ordered.

  The group left the fort and entered the dry, dead forest that covered the island. Go Lan took the lead while everyone else walked in pairs behind her. Six lingered alone in the rear, while Ishin strode beside Rhee. Ahead of them, Wei Long and Lei traveled together, chatting about the archery contest Wei Long had won. Behind Ishin and Rhee, Wen Mei attempted conversation with Tan Chen, though the blue-haired woman remained guarded. Ishin and Rhee chose to walk in silence, each paying close attention to their surroundings.

  For three hours they trekked through the forest, leaves and splintered bark crunching underfoot. The lack of wind, birdsong, and the meager streaks of sunlight made the atmosphere unsettling. Combined with the humidity, it made travel exhausting.

  At first Ishin was tense, expecting Vampire Monkeys or some other threat to burst from the trees, but after hours of nothing he began to relax.

  Given the size of this place, our chances of encountering another candidate are slim. Most of the fighting must happen during the Pill Drop. Though I wonder how many Vampire Monkeys there really are here? Even if there were hundreds, we still aren’t likely to cross them often.

  “Here’s our first point,” Go Lan declared, stopping at last.

  “Is it time to eat?” Lei asked hopefully.

  “Eat as you walk,” Go Lan chided. “We’ll continue east from here.”

  Ishin and Rhee finally saw what she referenced: a large pond of night-black water, spanning nearly a hundred square feet.

  “We should refill our water here,” Wei Long suggested.

  “Don’t,” Go Lan cautioned.

  “Why not?” Wei Long challenged.

  “Because last time someone tried, a hand reached out and dragged them under. We never saw her again. No one goes within twenty feet of the pond.”

  “You didn’t go after her?” Rhee asked, horrified.

  “You’ll be less sentimental after a few weeks here. Now come on—we’ve got more ground to cover.”

  The group pressed onward, though Ishin could tell Rhee was still troubled.

  “You don’t like her, do you?” Ishin asked quietly.

  “She seems to only care about herself,” Rhee admitted. “It’s hard to trust someone like that.”

  “You’re not wrong, Sister Rhee.” Ishin lowered his voice further, careful not to draw Wen Mei, Go Lan, or Six’s attention. “If she tries anything—using us as bait or a distraction—we should deal with her while she’s alone.”

  Rhee was stunned. “You want us to sink to her level? What about our promise of partnership?”

  “It means nothing if she betrays us.” Rhee flinched at his tone, and Ishin exhaled slowly, calming himself. “It may not come to that, but I won’t stand by and do nothing if she tries something. Are you with me?”

  Rhee didn’t answer immediately. She stared at him as if he were a stranger.

  Go Lan was right. She’s too soft for this place.

  Ishin liked Rhee—a lot—but she didn’t have the right temperament for something like this.

  “Are you with me?” he pressed.

  “I…” She nodded. “Yes, Brother Ishin. I’m with you if that happens.” Her gaze shifted to Go Lan’s back. “Though I hope it won’t be necessary.”