His question appeared to surprise Wen Mei. “You’ll join us then?”

  She seems quite desperate.

  Ishin looked to Wei Long at his side. “Think it’s safe to hear them out?”

  “Probably.”

  Peering over his shoulder, Ishin asked the others the same.

  “They don’t appear hostile,” Rhee replied, though her guard remained raised. “We could probably risk meeting with them as long as we retain an escape route.”

  “You’re awfully trusting,” Tan Chen lectured. “These two might not be a problem, but once they bring us to the rest of their alliance we might not be able to leave.”

  That’s a valid concern.

  “Does your group have any food?” Lei asked, completely derailing Ishin’s train of thought.

  “We do,” Wen Mei answered quickly, seizing the opening. “And water!”

  Annoyingly, Ishin’s stomach growled at that exact moment. It had been hours since they’d last eaten, and his water skin was nearly empty. Between the exertion of combat and the island’s tropical climate, dehydration would soon become a serious concern.

  Even Tan Chen seemed to accept the danger Lei identified. “I guess if we stick together it can’t be too dangerous. How far away is your alliance?”

  Wen Mei pointed to the right. “We’re two hours southwest of here along the beach. If we leave soon, we should reach our camp before night falls.” She glanced fearfully at the canopy around them. “We really don’t want to be in here at night.”

  Rhee lowered her arms. “Because of the—what’d you call them? Vampire Monkeys?”

  “Yes. They’re sensitive to sunlight and won’t leave the shade of the forest during the day. At night though, nowhere is safe.”

  That warning removed Ishin’s remaining hesitation. He shouldered his spear as another growl escaped his stomach. “Alright, please lead us to your camp.”

  Almost three hours later, Wen Mei led them out of the forest and onto a wide stretch of beach. The journey had been stressful, with everyone staying constantly alert for Vampire Monkeys or hostile candidates. More than once, they heard the distant howling of spirit beasts, and Wen Mei ordered everyone to halt until she was certain it was safe to continue.

  By the time they finally escaped the forest, night was nearly upon them, only a thin sliver of the sun visible on the horizon.

  “That’s our camp,” Wen Mei told them, pointing at a massive wooden wall constructed from fallen trees.

  It stretched two hundred feet across the beachhead and stood twenty feet tall. A single entrance at the front was just wide enough for three people to walk side by side. Two cultivators in black and red robes stood guard at the gate. Through the narrow gap, Ishin glimpsed the flicker of firelight inside.

  “More of a fort than a camp,” Tan Chen muttered beside Ishin.

  “A sound defense.”

  The walls curved back toward the ocean, blocking any approach by land except through the front gate. It was clearly designed for security, showing the alliance’s leadership had some level of organization.

  Is this just because of the Vampire Monkeys, or were they attacked by other candidates before?

  “Good evening, Yoa Pen. Que Gi,” Wen Mei greeted the guards.

  The taller of the two men smiled. “Welcome back, Wen Mei.” His eyes drifted over the group behind her. “Who are they?”

  “New candidates on the island. They were interested in joining our alliance, so I brought them back.”

  “Go Lan is in a bad mood,” the shorter guard warned. “You should speak with her before they enter.”

  Wen Mei’s face fell. “What happened?”

  “Zai’s group never returned. She led a search party herself and found his spear and the remains of four Vampire Monkeys in the forest. She just got back an hour ago.”

  “Oh.”

  Lei stepped forward. “Apologies, but I couldn’t help but overhear something happened.” Both guards turned toward him. His bandaged arm and shoulder were obvious. “Sounds like something bad. We’d be more than happy to assist however we can.” His stomach growled loudly. “After we get something to eat.”

  “You should wait here,” Wen Mei told him tiredly. She turned to the group. “My apologies, everyone. I need to speak with someone inside. Six can stay with you. I’ll be quick, I promise!”

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  “Is Go Lan your leader?” Tan Chen asked.

  “Not exactly,” Wen Mei replied. “It’s complicated, but I’ll be quick. Again, sorry.” She slipped through the entrance and disappeared inside.

  With her gone, Ishin looked over to Six, who was staring at three coins lying in the sand.

  “Guess we just wait out here,” Rhee said unhappily. Her gaze drifted to the dark treeline, more ominous now than ever. They were still only fifty feet from the forest—easy targets for predators.

  “How long have you two been on the island?” Lei asked the guards.

  The question caught them off guard.

  “Six months,” the tall one said.

  “Five months,” the other added.

  That long?

  Ishin could only imagine the strain of being trapped here for so long.

  Does it normally take that long to escape?

  It made sense though, if the only way to progress cultivation was from the periodically dropped pills. Suddenly, the fort’s construction became clear. Anyone without some kind of shelter probably died quickly.

  A shiver ran down his spine as he wondered what would have happened if they hadn’t met Wen Mei and Six.

  We probably would’ve kept wandering and maybe found the beach. But without food? We’d have been in trouble.

  He thought back to the two times they’d heard the Vampire Monkeys howling.

  We’d have run into them sooner or later. Probably lost another one of us.

  The realization was sobering.

  We need to get off this island as quickly as possible.

  Ishin rubbed at the grimy bridge of his nose.

  Is there a way to get pills faster?

  Then it struck him. He quickly sought out Rhee, who was still watching the treeline, and walked over.

  “Rhee.”

  “Hmm?” The moonlight reflected off her midnight hair and sharp features. Even in their situation, she was radiant.

  “Do you have a moment to talk?” Ishin gestured toward a quieter part of the beach.

  “Sure.”

  The two walked a short distance away. Lei was still talking to the guards. Wei Long and Tan Chen were deep in their own conversation. Six remained fixated on his coins.

  “What is it?” Rhee asked once they were clear.

  “The pill you earned from the Exhibition Tournament. You haven’t taken it yet. Why?”

  “Oh. That.” She looked away. “I thought you wouldn’t notice. Lei didn’t.”

  “It took me a while,” Ishin admitted. “But you’re still only at the fifth layer. Why haven’t you taken it?”

  Rhee bit her lip. “At first, I didn’t have time. We only had a day to prepare before leaving, and the instructions said it would take a week to process.” She sighed. “Then I thought I could take it while we traveled to the sect, but…well, you know I struggled with flying.”

  He nodded. He remembered.

  “But you could take it now,” he said. “That would put you in the Adept Realm, right?”

  “Probably.” Rhee looked back toward the others. “But I’d need a week, and if I did that, I’d leave you all behind. I can’t do that, not with the island this dangerous.”

  Ishin appreciated her concern, truly. But—

  “We don’t know how long it’ll take the rest of us to reach the Adept Realm. The Pill Drop only happens once a week. And you heard those guards—we could be stuck here for months. You could get out in a week.”

  Defiantly, she met his gaze. “I won’t leave you. We’ll all get out together.”

  “We can meet you at the sect,” Ishin pressed. “You should go now and wait for us. It’s wasted time for you to stay.”

  He didn’t like the thought of being separated, but it was a necessary risk. What’s more, the strange qi-barren nature of the island meant Rhee would lose months of cultivation progress.

  “I will remain on the island with you,” Rhee declared firmly. When Ishin opened his mouth, she cut him off. “Your concern is appreciated, Brother Ishin, but I will not leave you or Lei. My decision is final.”

  Brother Ishin.

  Back in the Nine Striped Hills, the honorific meant more than friendship. It meant found family. A commitment.

  “Very well, Sister Rhee.”

  He half expected her to rebuke him. Normally, such a bond took years to form, and they had only known each other for months.

  Instead, she smiled brilliantly. “I’m glad we understand each other. Besides—” she jabbed a finger at Lei, still chatting cheerfully with the guards—“I think he’ll need both of us if we want to get out intact.”

  Ishin chuckled. “Likely true.”

  “She’s back!” Lei called out.

  Rhee raised an eyebrow. “Shall we see what she has to say?”

  “Let’s.”

  They returned to the group and waited as Wen Mei approached.

  “Thank you for your patience.”

  She looks even more tired than before.

  “Our senior members would like to meet you.”

  “Why does that not sound like a good thing?” Tan Chen asked. “And I thought you said your alliance has no leaders.”

  Wen Mei sighed. “We don’t, but three of our most senior members are our strongest and most influential.”

  “Those sound like leaders,” Rhee pointed out.

  Wen Mei didn’t argue. “They’d like to meet you.”

  “So we’re in your alliance?” Wei Long asked.

  Wen Mei pursed her lips. “They…aren’t certain yet. We just lost four members, so some are understandably frustrated.”

  They must have been Zai’s group.

  “If you lost a fourth of your members, shouldn’t you want new ones to replace them?” Ishin asked.

  “Please,” Wen Mei said. “Just come inside and speak with them. I’m sure they’ll accept you after a brief conversation.”

  “Let’s just go,” Lei suggested brightly. “We were planning to meet our new friends anyway.”

  I guess that’s true.

  “Alright,” Rhee said. “I have no objections.”

  “Me neither, I guess,” Tan Chen muttered.

  Ishin didn’t bother arguing further, and Wei Long seemed willing to go with the majority.

  Wen Mei’s friendly demeanor returned. “Then let me welcome you to the Collective Liberation Alliance!” she announced, motioning for them to enter the fort.