In the end, Musi Te's strength was solely due to all the resources, potions, and herbs he had consumed, rather than his own skill, talent, or hard work. His tutors were the best the Musi clan could afford, and countless soulshards were his to pick and choose, but in the end, he was hardly a battle-hardened fighter.

On the other hand, Hong Xi had spent the last two months struggling just to live. She had threaded the line between life and death so many times that she had become inured to it all.

"And this blow's for the ancestors of the Hong...