Deep in the mountains.
Rustle, rustle, rustle...
The faint rustling of a reptile moving through dead leaves and grass came from somewhere unknown.
Scattered morning sunlight pierced the gaps between the branches and leaves.
Holding the marked Jade-Stone Ball in her mouth, Xiao He poked her head out of the grass.
She wandered through the forest, stopping from time to time to get her bearings.
The Jade-Stone Ball in her mouth glimmered with white light.
"..."
This way.
After testing a little, the little snake slowly slithered in one direction.
This was north of Spirit Source Marsh, at the easternmost edge of the Yanran Mountain Range.
If she went farther north, over the mountains, she would reach Qi Province.
Xiao He searched as she went, looking around along the way.
At last, she spotted something far away by a cliff, giving off a faint white glow.
The glow of the Jade-Stone Ball in her mouth stopped growing brighter, too.
Xiao He looked around. Finding no one nearby, she quickly slithered toward that spot.
"There really is another one!"
Reaching the glow, she took a look. Sure enough, it was another identical Jade-Stone Ball.
It, too, had a mark that was wide in the middle and narrow at either end.
Snake Treasure abruptly took human form, planted her smooth little feet on the blue stone of the cliff, and lay down at her leisure.
Holding one in each hand, she giggled foolishly.
Her "toys" had actually come in a pair.
How could she not be happy?
She raised her little hands, holding the Jade-Stone Balls up toward the morning sun.
"Huh?"
She turned the two Jade-Stone Balls slightly, until both marks stood upright.
"Why..."
Her little face looked a little puzzled.
"They look... like a pair of eyes."
"They are eyes."