Golden Sands was still three hundred li from Fragrant City, the capital of the Fragrant Kingdom, and there were two ways to get there. They could continue upriver by boat along the inland waterway, or disembark and travel overland. Ships were strictly regulated at the Golden Sands estuary, and every vessel entering the interior had to undergo a thorough inspection first. Hundreds upon hundreds of ships were queued at the harbor to enter the inland waterway, and they had happened to arrive during the busiest season. By their rough estimate, they would have to wait at least five days for permission to proceed, which would seriously delay their journey.
After discussing it, Hu Xiaotian and Xu Mubai decided to disembark early and travel overland from Golden Sands to Fragrant City. This would save them a great deal of waiting. Even at a leisurely pace, they could arrive within two days and nights at most, while enjoying the scenery along the way and experiencing the charms of a foreign land.
Hu Xiaotian had Xia Changming remain aboard, both to command the ship and to look after Xiao Rou. He was to wait patiently for permission to enter the inland waterway and proceed to Fragrant City by boat. Hu Xiaotian, Xu Mubai, and Zhao Wusheng selected four warriors from their personal retinue to accompany them overland.
Xu Mubai had visited the Fragrant Kingdom many times before and was thoroughly familiar with the region. He knew its scenic spots and historic sites like the back of his hand, and his extensive learning and remarkable memory allowed him to recount their associated stories as though counting treasures in his own home. Even Zhao Wusheng deeply admired the scholarship of Hu Xiaotian's cousin.
By dusk that day, they had traveled seventy li from Golden Sands.