Hong Fei knelt to search the Hunter’s body but didn’t find anything of note except for the man’s finely-made boots. Also, he saw that the saber had withstood the fight surprisingly well given how poorly the Hunter had treated it.

  Both boots and saber went into Hong Fei’s spatial ring. A moment later, he added the body itself. If the man had been a leader among the Rock Knives, then Steward Zhang might have dealt with him in the past and be able to provide a name and rank. If not, then he would simply add the corpse to the pile of Tiger-Mask dead being kept in the estate’s cold cellar.

  Hong Fei was eyeing the door leading onto the roof when Auntie Ling came shuffling into the kitchen. He felt his gut clench at the sight of how stiffly she moved. She must be in an immense amount of pain, though she gave none of that away on her face. Instead, she was intent on examining him; the relief at finding him unharmed was obvious.

  “Would it help if you retreated to the Void?” The question had been posed in Askalousan.

  Auntie Ling shook her head, refusing to leave him.

  “All right,” he said softly, placing a hand on her head. “Thank you for your care.”

  With a breath, he eased the battle tension spiraling through him so that he could think clearly. The enemy had them penned inside the building. The cargo Hong Fei protected, the rescued laborers, were safe for now, but that would change as soon as the Rock Knives realized the laborers’ potential as hostages.

  It’d be better to keep the gangsters engaged and not give them time to think, he decided. The question is: up on the roof or down in the building? Or… around?

  “Stay here for now,” Hong Fei commanded. “Then, if you hear the fight resume, use the stairs over yonder to come up onto the roof. Kill as many as you can while you’re up there.”

  Auntie Ling glanced toward the stairs, then nodded.

  “If things go badly, retreat to the Void. That’s an order, is that clear? A last stand from you is the kind of fallback tacticians dream of, and I wish to preserve that option.” The words had been gently said, yet the request was galling—he was asking an ally to use their last grip on life for his benefit.

  But the needs of battle drove Hong Fei. The softness inside him had to be put aside for his and her own good. Though he detested the sight of Auntie Ling’s suffering, the cold calculations required of Hong Fei were clear: she wouldn’t really die, not permanently for as long as he lived.

  “Well?” he demanded.

  Auntie Ling appeared torn. A shiver went through her—perhaps the pain spiking in intensity. Eventually, however, she nodded once more, agreeing to do as she’d been commanded.

  “Good. Then we’re both off to do our parts.” Hong Fei patted her head again, then strode from the kitchen to the dining the room.

  A glance behind showed Auntie Ling shuffling up the stairs and holding just shy of the last step. The light from the open doorway fell onto her head, marking the spot a crossbow bolt had passed over her.

  Moving quickly now, Hong Fei checked the residence’s rooms. Servant’s quarters were on the left; none of them had windows. On the right were the family’s living spaces, which did have windows but they overlooked the street. Since the last time he’d checked, the Rock Knives out there had hidden themselves behind cover. A few were craning their necks, attempting to spot his location.

  If they’d been his people, Hong Fei would’ve yelled at them for their recklessness. They weren’t, so he shot twice at the most exposed among the Rock Knives. The first bolt struck a gangster in the shoulder. The second shattered uselessly against a stone wall.

  The attacks had done the work required of them, however. The gangsters all ducked down into safety. They could feel assured that he was still within their trap.

  Hong Fei continued his search. One side of the building abutted an alley, the other the open space where the night market was held, yet he didn’t find windows on either wall. The owners must’ve preferred their security over light, air, or view. Or perhaps they preferred to keep out the worst of the night market’s loud rambunctiousness.

  Then, following a narrow passage leading away from the lounge, he found a steep staircase leading to a door similar to the one in the kitchen. He took the steps three at a time and eased the door open to check the other side.

  His view was of a balcony with a pair of cushioned, rattan chairs and a side table between them. Beyond them were the adjacent rooftops, the low city sloping down and away to the Tistkil River below.

  A narrow walkway connected the balcony to a similar one at the building’s far end, where the kitchen was located. A gangster lurked above that door with a club poised to smash down on the head of whoever walked out through it next. A pair of Rock Knives backed him with their crossbows at the ready.

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  A check of the other direction showed that the rooftop next door appeared to be empty of assailants. Perhaps these three were stationed there and leapt over? Hong Fei wondered. That’s an easy jump. Looks like Auntie Ling and I won’t have any issues escaping once we take care of them. That’s if we’re willing to leave Rock Head and the other laborers behind, which we’re not.

  He took aim with his crossbow. The closest of the Rock Knives happened to turn and she spotted him, but it was already too late for the gangster with the club. Hong Fei’s bolt pierced his side to puncture his lung. He fell forward onto the platform below him with a thud. His club went clattering, coming to a stop against the railing.

  Hong Fei ducked to avoid the gangsters’ return fire. He took a breath, working steadily to re-cock his own weapon, then popped out to shoot. He was just in time to see both Rock Knives falling from the platform. Auntie Ling was there too, watching them smash against the stones below.

  The Rock Knives must’ve hopped down to the platform, trying to reach the cover provided by the door, but then they’d run into the giant badger instead. One gangster’s head had been broken open from the fall, but the other appeared to be crawling away with both legs shattered. Hong Fei put her out of her misery, then cocked the crossbow again.

  He came out onto the balcony, then jump up to the roof. His new shoes did little to protect his feet from the heat radiating from the tiles. A touch of essence was necessary to reinforce the soles and keep the pain from becoming a distraction.

  Hong Fei made his way toward Auntie Ling. The giant badger was having difficulty joining him on the rooftop, her shoulders unable to support her weight in the climb up.

  “It’s all right—” he started to whisper, then ducked when a bolt whizzed past the giant badger.

  The Marksman across the bridge had fired upon Auntie Ling. A breath later, a second bolt thunked against the railing. The bladed, iron head poked out from the split wood.

  Heart leaping into his throat, Hong Fei commanded: “Jump!”

  Auntie Ling bulled through the railing without a second thought. She fell into the deep shade between buildings, only to be unsummoned halfway to the ground and disappear into the Void.

  Did the enemy see that? Hong Fei worried. He hoped to keep Auntie Ling’s ability to disappear and appear a secret for as long as possible. Even the rescued laborers hadn’t seen her do it; she’d materialized behind them in the attack on the Tiger Mask base.

  Hong Fei withdrew to the side of the roof farthest from the bridge, then made his way up toward where it peaked. He saw that the Rock Knives across the street had taken positions behind their own peak. They fired as soon as they spotted him, and he was forced to retreat, a handful of bolts deflecting off the tiles.

  He moved to return fire, but a Rock Knife had held back earlier. He’d waited for Hong Fei to take advantage of the gangsters’ rec-cocking their crossbows, and the two men loosed their bolts simultaneously, both missing in their rush to shoot first.

  They’ve caught on and will start alternating their attacks now, Hong Fei thought, his mind racing. They’re going to flank me next, unless I go now and get around them...

  He quickly repositioned along the roof’s peak and shot, not bothering to aim. His goal was to continue reinforcing in the enemy’s mind that he was going to hold out at the Odds and Ends. Then, he hurriedly leapt across the alley to the neighboring rooftop. Dashing, he sped across the tiles and jumped to the next building over. He kept running, but at the next edge he dropped down onto the neighbor’s wall.

  He streamed essence into his limbs to make quick work of the climb to the ground below. In the alley, he circled the building toward… The street dipped ahead, yes? I seem to recall the donkey struggled a bit.

  Hong Fei duck-walked across the street, perhaps only the top of his head visible to the gang watching the Odds and Ends. Once he was out of view, he ran into the alley ahead and circled around, the essence flowing in earnest now. The Rock Knives had to be wondering, thinking that he’d perhaps gone back inside.

  The crossbow disappeared from his hands; a sword whose blade shimmered with blue replaced it. He blew past the Healthy Waters and Wholesome Body Bathhouse. His lungs ached from the strain, so he flooded them with essence and a touch of qi, too.

  The shop opposite the Odds and Ends specialized in goods imported from the rest of Wild Green Island. Hong Fei climbed up the back wall in a series of jumps and grabs. At the top, he forced himself to slow and look first, which let him see that all but one of the gangsters were huddled together. A pair were being told to jump to the next building over. The lone Rock Knife, meanwhile, stood at the roof’s edge closest to the bridge, looking out as if searching for a signal.

  Pouring essence into his arms, Hong Fei flung himself onto the roof. He landed only a handful of steps from where the Rock Knives were clustered. He cut down two men in between one breath and the next, his sword sweeping then circling in a motion drawn from the Hongs’ water arts. A pair of vine-like steps then wove him between the other, still-living gangsters.

  A woman with a stone knife braided in her hair went down next. Another of the gangsters had panicked and sent a bolt flying into the crowd. That man, an idiot, then swung his crossbow like it was a hatchet.

  Hong Fei ignored him. Three left: Idiot, Signal, and… a soon-to-be Dead Woman.

  He stabbed the Dead Woman in a short thrust to the heart. Pulling away, he let one hand go from his sword’s hilt, used it to redirect the crossbow being swung at him, and then slid aside to briefly interpose the Idiot between Signal and him. A thrust into the Idiot’s back killed him next.

  The man choked a sob. There was a whimper and perhaps a name, but it was spoken too softly to be heard. When the gangster slumped to the ground, the obstruction between Signal and Hong Fei cleared. The two stared at each other.

  Hong Fei’s breath was full of essence. His eyes watched with intense focus the direction the gangster aimed his crossbow. The man’s face was white with fear.

  Then, a breath later, Signal’s shoulders and hands tensed in preparation for shooting. Hong Fei dodged, the bolt whizzing past. His sword had shifted to strike it away as well, but the motion proved unnecessary. He twirled the blade back into position as he rushed Signal.

  The gangster attempted to retreat but, in his panic, forgot that he’d stood at the roof’s edge. He fell with a scream and landed with a thump and a crunch.

  Hong Fei fell back to avoid a bolt fired at him from across the gorge. The marksman had spotted him. And he’d seen them as well: at the far end of the Wing Span Bridge crouched a hooded figure with a black 2 hovering above their head.

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