A month had passed since Shao Ling began his journey to Liu Provincial City, and there was still a month and a half to go before he would reach it. The monotony of traveling by ox-drawn carriage for seemingly endless weeks made even the scenic forests, rice paddies, and occasional mountain grow tiresome, and Shao Ling found himself wishing for the convenience of automobile-travel he had enjoyed in his past life. The driver and the two guards were courteous, but acted with stiff formality that made Shao Ling miss the cheekiness of Shao Yun and the stern but sincere attitude of Yao Hu. Although Shao Ling lacked camping experience in this life or his previous one on Earth, other than the summer heat and the occasional rain that turned the dirt road into mud which clung to the wheels of the cart, the journey had been fairly smooth.
