The surroundings gradually quieted down, and the sound of snoring began to rise and fall.
Li Yao suddenly leaned closer, pulling something out from the innermost part of his tunic.
It was a palm-sized metal plate, its edges heavily corroded with rust.
The surface was pitted and uneven, but some raised and indented patterns were still visible.
Unlike Ian's piece, this plate wasn't engraved with the trajectories of stars.
Instead, it had a few crooked lines, like a child's scribbles, along with several lines of blurry, ancient text.
"Mom and Dad stuffed this into my hands before they left."
Li Yao's voice was hushed, almost swallowed by the wind.
"They said... if one day the stars can no longer be seen, I should take this and go to the place sung about in our family's ballad."
He handed the metal plate to Ian.
Ian took it, his fingers brushing over the rusted patterns.
It felt coarse and cold, but a faint energy resonance lingered in some of the indentations.
