After resting enough to recover some strength, the two of them stopped lingering in the hollow tree.
After discussing it, they decided to follow the river upstream. Rivers were the best landmarks in the rainforest, and following the water gave them a good chance of catching up with the main group.
Xeno walked in front, with Li Xiang a few steps behind him. The river flowed at a steady pace, its rushing water constantly filling their ears. Slick pebbles and low weeds covered the bank.
They moved slowly, stopping now and then to take a brief rest whenever the terrain became difficult.
Keeping watch the night before, followed by an entire day in the cold wind, had left their bodies sluggish.
At first, Li Xiang could still concentrate, but as she walked, wave after wave of sleepiness washed over her. Her head felt heavy, her eyelids drooped, and her steps grew unsteady. Her vision drifted in and out of focus, and she followed Xeno on instinct alone.
Both of them were tired, and neither paid close attention to the unusual thing hidden in the grass underfoot.
Xeno stepped down and felt something entirely unlike soil beneath his foot. It was soft, with an eerie wriggling sensation.
He stopped dead, his heart lurching.
Xeno slowly lowered his head and peered through the weeds, finally seeing what lay beneath his foot. A thick python was coiled in the grass beside the river, its heavy body hidden under the vegetation. Without a careful look, it was impossible to spot.
His pupils contracted, and every hair on his body stood on end. He lowered his voice.
"Li Xiang, we've got a new problem."
Still half asleep, Li Xiang answered groggily.
"Huh? What?"
"A python."
The python scared the sleepiness right out of Li Xiang.