Spring gave way to autumn, and the seasons turned. A full year had passed since Cheng Yu and Niu Ba left that village.
Now Cheng Yu and Niu Ba sat aboard a small boat, while a white-haired old fisherman steered with an oar.
The old fisherman said to Cheng Yu with a cheerful smile,
"Young man, we'll reach the Tianlan City region in another four hours. We should arrive at Tianlan City itself early tomorrow morning."
Cheng Yu smiled.
"All right. Sorry for the trouble, venerable lay Buddhist."
The old fisherman waved a hand with a chuckle.
"Oh, it's business. There's no trouble at all. Just sit tight."
The boat carrying Cheng Yu and Niu Ba was sailing down the Tianlan River, one of the main waterways in the southern Eastern Continent. Its mouth lay within the Tianlan City region, hence its name.
Though called a river, the Tianlan River was certainly no narrow stream. At the very least, Cheng Yu could not see its far bank.
The river was busy, too, with large ships passing by every so often.
And while Cheng Yu and Niu Ba's boat was called small, it was not actually that small. It even had two cabins: one for the old fisherman and a guest cabin, which now belonged to Cheng Yu and Niu Ba.
Traveling by boat had been Cheng Yu's decision. The Tianlan River ran from southwest to northeast, and they were heading downstream, which made their journey much faster.
Of course, saving money was another reason. The Tianlan River passed through the territories of six cities.
Cheng Yu reckoned that he and Niu Ba would need at least another year if they traveled overland.
By water, however, it would take only two months. More importantly, the old fisherman was a kind man,