“Thank the Heavens,” Mei confessed. She slumped forward, but managed to catch herself before falling completely.

  Ishin agreed with her, his muscles almost shaking with unexpected relief now that the fight was over. Isho Nel was dead. Lei, Six, and all the others who had died at his hand had been avenged.

  Chen.

  Spinning around, Ishin found Long and Rhee beside their fallen comrade. The back of her robes had been burned away, revealing blackened, charred flesh that covered the upper half of her back. Long’s arrow was still lodged inside, but he was cradling her to prevent it from sinking in any deeper.

  Ishin rushed over to Chen and found that her back wounds weren’t the worst part. Isho Nel’s desperate stab had pierced through her stomach cleanly. Blood, darkened by poison, flowed freely from the wounds. Rhee had wrapped shadow tendrils around the openings, and while they partially stemmed the bleeding, they were no substitute for true bandages.

  “Mei!” Ishin shouted. “Do you have any bandages?”

  Mei struggled to her feet and began to limp over. “I don’t. I’m… I’m sorry.”

  Rhee jerked her head toward the very much alive Mei, her expression a mix of sorrow and disbelief.

  “You’re alive?”

  “Bandages won’t solve anything,” Long said, ignoring Mei’s presence. He pointed at the dark veins spreading around Chen’s stomach. “It’s the poison.”

  “Damn poison,” Chen coughed. Her body had begun to shake, and it was clearly a struggle to remain conscious. “Always thought I’d die fighting. At least I made it out of the Blood Pit.”

  Ishin knelt beside his dying friend. Her blue hair was plastered to her face, and black sludge had begun to trickle from her lip.

  “Chen, I’m sorry.”

  She coughed up a mouthful of black ichor. “Did you get the bastard?”

  Ishin nodded. “Yes. He’s dead. It wouldn’t have been possible without you.”

  A wretched laugh escaped the dying woman. “At least that’s something. Guess I’ll be seeing Lei in the next life before the rest of you.”

  Long brushed a lock of her azure hair away from her eyes. “I’m sorry, Chen. I didn’t mean to hit you. I…”

  With effort, Chen took the hand Long had rested against her forehead into her own. “It’s alright, Long. I know you didn’t.”

  The two looked at each other in a moment of silence. There was no need for words; they exchanged their complicated feelings through their eyes alone.

  “You all… you all better make it off this damn island,” Chen said between coughs. Her body began to shake more profusely.

  She doesn’t have long.

  “And please. Don’t let me become one of those monkeys. Burn my body or something.”

  A laugh escaped Long, thin and aching. “I’ll make sure,” he promised.

  “Thanks,” Chen replied, closing her eyes.

  Mei had joined the group silently and waited with the rest as Chen’s final moments passed. Her body shook even more violently; sweat poured from her forehead as her breaths grew ragged. After a few minutes, the tremors subsided and her breathing became shallower and shallower. Eventually, the Champion of the Blood Pit drew her last breath and passed into the next life.

  Long gently placed her head onto the forest floor, more solemn than Ishin had ever seen him.

  Another dead friend.

  Rhee quietly got to her feet, and Ishin watched as the former prodigy of the Eight Oaths Resolve Martial School walked up to a still-kneeling Mei, grabbed the collar of the woman’s robe, and punched her squarely in the face.

  Mei fell violently back onto the ground, a rough bruise forming across her cheek.

  “Rhee, what are you doing?” Ishin asked, rushing to his feet and moving between the two, afraid that Rhee might attack Mei further.

  “Why did you wait so long to help?” Rhee demanded, glaring at Mei from around Ishin. “Well?!”

  Mei blinked in astonishment and gently touched her bruised cheek, wincing. Long looked on, not intervening.

  “Rhee, why did you punch her?” Ishin asked.

  “Look at her, Ishin!” Rhee insisted. “Look at her robes!”

  Her robes?

  Ishin obeyed—and understanding dawned when he realized that Mei’s robes were completely intact.

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  “That shouldn’t be possible,” he muttered. Isho Nel had slashed her twice. Mei’s robes should be cut open. She should be bleeding and dying just like Chen and Lei before her. But aside from appearing exhausted and now bruised, she was fine, her robes only frayed from wear and not damaged otherwise.

  Mei’s hair had fallen loose from its bun, and she met his inquisitive look. “I can explain.”

  “Do so,” Ishin commanded. He crossed his arms, very curious to learn what was happening.

  Pressing her hands to her knees, Mei managed to stand and noticeably took a step back from the two. “My robes are made of a different fabric than yours. It makes them more durable.”

  Durable was clearly an understatement. If her robes were capable of absorbing two direct sword slashes, then they were the equal of any armor. Compared to the mere mundane fabric the rest of them wore, Mei was effectively fighting with unmatched protection.

  Ishin thought back to what he’d heard Mei whisper as they watched Bai Hao survive a fire missile without harm: Aunt, someone else is cheating too.

  This is what she meant.

  The implications were immense. Mei had deceived them all, even if just by omission. Had they known she was essentially immune to harm, they could have reformatted their plans accordingly. What’s more, it appeared Bai Hao had a similar advantage.

  No wonder he was such a threat.

  That left the final question: how had both Mei and Bai Hao obtained superior sect robes? Ishin and the rest of his group had been given their robes by Elder Zhou prior to their arrival on the island. Logic followed that whoever had recruited Mei and Bai Hao had given them the armor-like sect robes.

  Her aunt.

  Mei had mentioned her aunt twice—once regarding the acquisition of information and the other in reference to her “cheating.” Whoever her aunt was, she must be someone with significant influence—likely someone notable in the Crimson Abyss Sect. It would explain how Mei acquired her special robes. No doubt her aunt wouldn’t truly risk Mei’s life on the island. She’d want her niece to pass and appear to go through the Culling like everyone else, while secretly being safe.

  Ishin ground his teeth in fury at the realization.

  “Was it your aunt who gave you those robes?”

  Mei pursed her lips. “Yes.”

  “Her aunt?” Rhee asked in irritation.

  By now, Long was standing as well.

  “I heard her refer to her aunt when we witnessed Bai Hao survive the fire technique last week in the crater,” Ishin said. “She mentioned how he was cheating, and I’m guessing she was too—with those robes.”

  Rhee’s voice turned truly venomous. “I see.”

  Mei took another step back. “It’s true.” Her voice was racked with clear guilt, but it did little to assuage Ishin’s anger at the deceit. “My aunt, she’s an elder in the Crimson Abyss Sect and wanted to make sure I’d be safe. I didn’t mean to deceive you, but she swore me to secrecy on the matter.”

  “This whole time,” Rhee began, “you’ve pretended to be like the rest of us, struggling to survive. But in truth you were never in any real danger. No wonder you were always so cheery and friendly. This was all just a game to you!”

  “It wasn’t,” Mei insisted, shaking her head. “I did want everyone to escape alive, and I fought with all my strength beside the rest of you. It wasn’t a game to me. Every death I saw, it pained me just like the rest of you.”

  Rhee scoffed. “How could it, when your own life wasn’t at risk? You really don’t know what it was like—afraid you would die with each fight. Not against the Vampire Monkeys, the Vampire Ape, or even Isho Nel!”

  “She wasn’t entirely safe,” Long interjected. Both Rhee and Ishin turned at the unexpected comment. Calmly, Long explained, “Her head was still exposed. A cut along her cheek from Isho Nel—or any strike there—would still have killed her all the same.”

  “Semantics!” Rhee snapped. “What was the likelihood of that? Truly!”

  Ishin agreed with her. While Long was right that there was still some element of risk, Mei was still unlikely to be truly harmed.

  “And if you truly cared about the rest of us, why did you wait so long to intervene?” Rhee demanded. “You could have attacked sooner, and if so, Chen would still be alive!”

  Mei noticeably winced at the accusation, and Ishin noticed Long’s expression turn cold.

  “I… thought waiting until there was a clear opening would be the most prudent course of action. I didn’t want to risk losing the element of surprise.”

  “Chen died because of you!”

  Part of Ishin understood Rhee’s fury. At the same time, Mei’s logic wasn’t wrong. It was a ruthless tactic, sure, and perhaps had she acted sooner, Chen would still be alive. Yet it was also because of Mei that he’d been able to kill Isho Nel in the end.

  What would I have done in her situation?

  Perhaps Chen would still have died even if Mei had struck sooner. By that same rationale, Ishin could just as easily blame himself for not attempting his Pale Azure Lightning Force Strike. There were always what ifs after a battle, especially when the losses were great. Regret could drive someone mad, when the truth was that only the Heavens knew what could or could not have been.

  “I’m sorry,” Mei cried. She moved to her knees and bowed toward the three others. “I know I don’t deserve it, but please forgive me. I didn’t mean for Chen or anyone else to die. I didn’t mean to deceive you.”

  At the sight of Mei’s kowtow, Ishin’s anger subsided. Rhee still looked upset. Long’s expression was scarily impassive, and Ishin couldn’t tell how the archer felt.

  A series of piercing notes came from behind them, cascading through the forest. Ishin turned and saw that the musician Chen had defeated earlier was back on his feet, his body battered and bruised.

  He lowered the flute from his lips, a wretched smile spreading across them. “Don’t stop on my account.”

  Chen must not have killed him before helping with Isho Nel.

  It was a mistake that Ishin wouldn’t make. The man was clearly too wounded to fight, and Ishin didn’t feel any adverse effects from the recently played notes.

  Why draw our attention instead of slipping away?

  Long drew one of his three last arrows and quickly loosed it at the man. It struck true, burying in the musician’s chest—the man too injured to dodge.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he taunted, pressing a hand to the protruding shaft. His legs shook before giving out, and he fell onto his rear. “You’ll die with us,” he muttered, then coughed up a mouthful of blood.

  “What do you mean?” Rhee asked.

  The rival candidate sat back, his flute discarded. “You’ll see.”

  A familiar thud echoed through the ground, originating from the northeast. Ishin heard the unmistakable rustling of leaves and snapping of branches as the source approached. He peered toward the sound with his third eye—and saw what he feared. Two chakras, both aspected to blood qi, were nearing them. That meant only one thing: those high-pitched notes from earlier had summoned a Vampire Ape.