“Good morning, Senior Sister Zhu,” Ishin said in greeting with a bow.

  Shadows fell from the towering Eight Oaths Resolve School over Ishin, who stood outside the front door as the morning sun rose. He’d arrived half an hour ago, packed and ready to go, to ensure that he wouldn’t keep Zhu Rhee waiting. Zhu Rhee, bearing her own traveling pack and dressed in the same school robes as always, stepped out of the school, a pleased expression evident on her face.

  “Good morning, Disciple Ro Ishin. Have you been waiting long?”

  Shifting the spear leaning against his shoulder, Ishin answered, “No.”

  “Well, I’m pleased to see you’re punctual. Do you have everything you need?”

  Ishin couldn’t help but grin. “I do.” He patted the rough leather pack he bore. “It’s not the first expedition I’ve been on, but I’m eager to see what the Howling Scape Forest has to offer.”

  “Confident, huh?” Despite the remark, Zhu Rhee didn’t seem displeased. She walked down the entrance steps. “I’ll tell you about it while we walk to the North Gate.”

  Ishin followed Zhu Rhee as she led them toward the Northern Quarter.

  “The Howling Scape Forest stretches for about a hundred miles to the northwest of the city. It earned its name due to the abundant canine-type spirit beasts present, like the Thunder Horned Wolf we’re hunting, but there are plenty of other types of spirit beasts. The city actually has several organizations that specialize in hunting them for their chakras and other body parts—pelts, bones, claws, you get the idea. Of course, there are also plenty of spirit plants in the forest, with spirit harvesters frequently making trips.”

  “In that case, why don’t we just purchase the lightning chakras from one of these hunting groups?”

  Zhu Rhee gave him a sidelong glance. “Last I recalled, you had no money. Or did that change?”

  Ishin’s cheeks turned a pale shade of crimson. “No, you’re right.”

  “Besides, this will give me a chance to see your abilities for myself.”

  “You’ve already been doing that though,” Ishin pointed out. “For the past week, based on what Hou Lei said.”

  Zhu Rhee was silent for a moment. “Yes, well… there is a difference between seeing you spar against a comrade and engaging in a true fight against something trying to kill you. I’m guessing you’d never use that lightning technique of yours against Hou Lei.”

  “True,” Ishin admitted. He thought back to his journey to Yellow Dome City and his brief engagement with a Sun Tiger that had left him with the scars across his face. “Fighting for your life is definitely not the same.”

  His grim tone drew Zhu Rhee’s attention. “Is that how you got your…” Instead of finishing her sentence, she traced lines over her own face.

  “My scars?”

  “Yes,” she confirmed awkwardly.

  I didn’t expect her to be so uncomfortable speaking about my scars.

  “I got these fighting a Sun Tiger in the Nine Striped Hills. It almost killed me, but I was fortunate that someone helped me.”

  The two turned a bend in the road. “Was it scary?” Zhu Rhee asked softly.

  Ishin considered the woman beside him. He was used to seeing the commanding prodigy of the martial school.

  “It was.” He wouldn’t deny the truth. Thinking back on the experience, though, he realized that after the encounter, he hadn’t felt true fear since. “Although, in a way, it was a good thing.”

  Zhu Rhee’s brows lifted. “How so?”

  Ishin tapped the shaft of his spear. “After almost dying out on the hills, everything since hasn’t seemed so bad.” He pursed his lips. “I’ve fought a few times between now and then—against Hou Lei and also in the Dueling Pit. It was hard to feel any fear or stress in those fights after having a fight with real stakes.” He glanced at Zhu Rhee. “Did you find the same happened to you after your first life-threatening fight?”

  Another pause. “I… yes, I did.”

  Her words seemed off to Ishin, and he noticed that Zhu Rhee was purposefully staring straight ahead.

  Ishin thought back to his first encounter with Hou Lei and how the Eight Oaths Resolve disciple had so coldly killed the Iron Mantis. His casual attitude about the action had led Ishin to believe that such conflicts were commonplace, but maybe that wasn’t the case.

  The two continued in silence as they journeyed through the neighborhoods. Ishin noticed that the buildings shifted from lavish and colorful designs to simple yellow and square architectures as they progressed further north. The attire of the other pedestrians gradually changed too, with more people wearing simple clothing or outright uniforms, compared to the affluent garbs that were common in the Eastern Quarter.

  “This part of the city is quite different,” Ishin remarked. “More bland.”

  “We’ve entered the Northern Quarter.” Zhu Rhee gestured backward with her thumb. “Four blocks back.”

  “That’s a stark change.”

  “The Northern Quarter is also called the Government Quarter. All of the government institutions and the residences of city employees are located here. The Kurai Estate resides in the center of the quarter too.” With a sly smile she added, “It is a tad drab here though.”

  Ishin couldn’t help but laugh. The tension lessened, and they continued to discuss the city’s layout and politics jovially.

  Zhu Rhee shared the history of the city with Ishin, eventually transitioning to the peculiar dynamic between the Three Martial Schools, the Righteous Mantle Sect, and the Kurai Clan. Ishin was curious about the proxy battles between the martial schools and how that impacted the standing of the clans who led each. It reminded him of the machinations of the elders back in the Daihu Tribe. Ultimately, Ishin found Zhu Rhee pleasant to speak with—especially when they were outside the Eight Oaths Resolve School. She seemed less serious, less imposing to interact with.

  Eventually, Zhu Rhee began to ask Ishin about his own home, curious to learn more about the Nine Striped Hills. Ishin described the five tribes that ruled the region. He then went on to explain the warrior lodges and how they allowed warriors of shared ideologies to interact beyond the limitations of tribal allegiances. Lastly, he told her about Tyrant’s Rest and how it was established by the Golden Tiger Monarch.

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  “There’s a strange phenomenon that occurs when you reach the mountain’s summit,” Ishin explained. “My mother said it was called the Monarch’s Greeting. You hear a tiger’s roar and then see a strange vision of ancient warriors riding sun tigers across the land. It was pretty incredible.”

  “That’s astonishing,” Zhu Rhee replied honestly. “So it’s like a dream?”

  “Kind of,” Ishin agreed. “It felt real—similar to a dream, I suppose.” He shook his head. “I truly can’t understand it.”

  “Ro Ishin, are you familiar with the Twelve Zodiacs at all?”

  Ishin thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m not, Senior Sister. What are they?”

  “Who,” she corrected gently. “They are twelve spirit beasts of legend. Heroic figures who traveled the entire Dragon Fang Continent centuries ago. Everywhere they went, justice followed. They hunted demonic cultivators, purged governments of corrupt officials, and brought peace to war-torn lands.”

  Dragon Fang Continent? Must be the name of our continent. He dismissed the trivia.

  “They sound incredible. You said they were spirit beasts? Not cultivators?”

  “According to the legends, they began as spirit beasts but all managed to form seven chakras, reaching the Paragon Realm!”

  “Really?” Ishin had only heard of two figures who had achieved such a feat: the Eternal Emperor who famously invented the Immortal Path and the Golden Tiger Monarch.

  “Yes. My grandfather told me that once spirit beasts reach the Merit Realm they can choose to start taking on a humanoid appearance, and it only improves the further they cultivate.

  “But anyway, the Twelve Zodiacs are famous. You probably don’t know because of where you grew up, but everyone in the major cities of the Heron Empire knows of them.”

  “I see why,” Ishin said. “Did they all ascend to the Heavens as immortals then?”

  “The stories say that four eventually died, six succeeded in ascending to the Heavens, and that two still remain on the continent.”

  Ishin’s eyes went wide in disbelief. “Two are still here?”

  Zhu Rhee nodded. “The Snake Zodiac is said to reside in the Fallen Rain Kingdom to the southeast, leading a sect.”

  A Paragon leads a sect somewhere. It was like learning that the Golden Tiger Monarch had descended from the Heavens and was somewhere in the world.

  “And the other?” Ishin asked eagerly.

  “People claim that the Rabbit Zodiac wanders the continent on her own. That one I’m less confident about. But the reason I mention this is that the Tiger Zodiac is said to have originated from the Nine Striped Hills six hundred years ago, back when the Heron Empire was still young.”

  Ishin stopped in his tracks. “You’re saying that…”

  “Yes,” she answered. “Because of the region’s isolation, your people don’t know this, but I think the immortal you call the Golden Tiger Monarch is actually the Tiger Zodiac.”

  Ishin’s thoughts spun at the implication.

  How did we not know this?

  Amazed by this discovery, Ishin pressed Zhu Rhee for more information, more stories about the Golden Tiger Monarch and the rest of the zodiacs. Caught up in their own conversation, neither of the Eight Oaths Resolve disciples noticed the disguised Iron Mantis following them through the city.

  *                 *            *

  Qu Yan swung her arms, warming up her muscles. Her first fight of the day was about to start, and she couldn’t wait. Standing across the dueling platform was a man dressed in muted green robes, a few years younger than herself. With her third eye, Yan discovered that he was a wood cultivator—explaining the staff he carried.

  The referee called for both combatants to approach the center. Yan stepped forward and handed over the required silver tael before returning to her position. These were mere formalities—necessary hassles—for what she truly wanted: a brutal fight.

  “Begin!” the referee shouted.

  Yan had never been one to hold back. After her near-fatal match against Ishin weeks ago, her intensity had only increased—much to the regret of her unlucky opponents.

  Extending both arms, Yan unleashed a barrage of burning fire darts at her opponent, who had chosen a cautious, defensive stance instead of attacking. That was his mistake. Yan’s Ember Dart technique could now continue for thirty full seconds without requiring a reprieve.

  Her opponent spun his staff, no doubt attempting some technique to defend himself, but it was for naught. Yan wasn’t sure why, but about a week ago, her control over her fire techniques had noticeably improved. The unrelenting barrage of flames tore through her opponent’s meager defenses, engulfing him in fire.

  Yan grinned madly as she watched her foe scream and flail, consumed by her blazing chakra.

  The wood cultivator staggered across the platform, his cries of pain echoing throughout the entire Dueling Pit—until he stumbled off the edge and fell. Yan lowered her arms, dismissing the technique, and watched the referee walk over to check the condition of the fallen man.

  “Victor,” the referee said flatly. “Qu Yan.”

  No applause came from the small crowd of onlookers.

  Yan marched over to the referee, collected her winnings, and departed without a second glance. For the past two weeks, she had fought at the Dueling Pit nearly nonstop, preparing herself to face her brother’s murderer once more. The constant combat had sharpened her techniques and earned her nearly two gold taels. But more than that, it had changed her.

  Her fighting style had always been aggressive, relying on the rapid-fire Ember Dart technique to overpower her opponents. Now, though, she didn’t just seek victory—she wanted her enemies to suffer. The memory of Ishin’s spear piercing her stomach had never faded, and Yan was certain it never would. She would ensure that her opponents left their battles with her scarred—physically and mentally.

  After all, who could forget the sensation of their skin burning?

  It was all preparation for the day she faced Ishin again.

  Yan studied her hands as she stepped off the platform, still feeling the soothing burn of residual fire chakra pulsing through her palms. That fight had felt good. Her flames had swallowed her opponent like a true fire should. Her chakra thrummed in agreement, and Yan felt today might be the day she finally broke through to the third layer.

  She clenched her fists. And then I’ll bathe that murderer in righteous fire.

  As she debated whether to return to the registration line or go home to cultivate, she was surprised to see Ruiwen panting as he rushed toward her.

  “He’s finally left,” Ruiwen gasped. “This morning.”

  Yan’s expression darkened instantly. While she had been sharpening her skills at the Dueling Pit, Ruiwen and Yun had been secretly watching the Eight Oaths Resolve School each day—waiting for Ishin to leave the safety of its grounds. Now, her opportunity had arrived.

  “Alone?”

  Ruiwen shook his head. “With a girl. They both wore disciple robes and carried travel packs. We followed them north. Don’t think they noticed us. We’re pretty sure they’re heading into the forest.”

  The forest? Why would he head there?

  “You’re certain?”

  “Can’t think of another reason they’d be carrying travel packs. And there’s nothing north of here but the Howling Scape Forest.”

  That was true. Yan considered the situation. The Howling Scape Forest was teeming with dangerous spirit beasts. If someone disappeared out there, few would bother to investigate.

  A devilish smile curled her lips. The Heavens had truly blessed her today.

  “Is Yun still following them?”

  Ruiwen nodded. “Yes. I left him after they entered the Northern Quarter. We agreed I’d grab you and then race to the Northern Gate so we could ambush them.”

  “No,” Yan said sharply.

  Ruiwen blinked in confusion. “No?”

  “We’ll wait for them to get deeper into the forest, where there will be no witnesses,” Yan explained, excitement growing in her voice. “If we’re lucky, they’ll run into a spirit beast that’ll wear them down first.”

  She didn’t mind letting the local fauna help her on her path to vengeance—so long as she got to deal the final blow. The world wasn’t fair, after all.

  “Then, when they least expect it…” Her eyes gleamed. “We’ll strike.”