Leaving Nie Hanchang to stand guard outside, Zhao Yunxiao quickly entered the muddy burrow.
The burrow might be deep, but it was not overly complicated.
That was only natural as well.
With its massive body, it would not have been ideal for the black-spotted colossal lizard to create a winding burrow. That would only make things difficult for itself when it came to moving around.
Due to its simple structure, Zhao Yunxiao quickly arrived at the deepest end of the burrow, coming face to face with the very item that he was here for.
Despite being hidden within a pile of dead twigs and branches, the beautiful crystal was still impossible to miss, largely due to its alluring glow that seeped right through the cracks.
This was no simple precious stone.
To be able to give off such a glow despite the absence of other light sources... that alone was proof of how it contained its own source of energy within!
Zhao Yunxiao carefully picked it up from its bed of twigs and branches, carefully examining it in detail from close proximity.
It appeared to be some form of crystal, but he had no idea what its exact uses were.
Nevertheless, this was not the time and place to ponder over such things.
Now that he had the crystal in hand, Zhao Yunxiao quickly made his way out of the burrow to reconvene with Nie Hanchang.
The entire operation was smooth and without hiccups.
"Did you find it?" Nie Hanchang asked when he saw Zhao Yunxiao emerge from the burrow.
"Yes," Zhao Yunxiao showed Nie Hanchang the crystal without hesitation. "Are you able to recognise this?"
"This stone contains energy within..." the was the first thing Nie Hanchang noticed as well. "What is it exactly?"
"I have no idea, either," Zhao Yunxiao shrugged. "I will try to find out more about it when we get back, and will sell it if there's no real use. Should that be the case, I will split the proceeds with you."
"You know, there's really no need for you to keep thinking about splitting the gains with me," Nie Hanchang smiled. "Had I been here alone, I would never have even thought about the black-spotted colossal lizard possessing a precious stone, nor would I have been able to track down its lair even if I knew. You are the only reason why we managed to obtain this stone, so it is only fair that you keep it."
"How can I possibly do that? After all, you were the main person responsible for taking down the black-spotted colossal lizard," Zhao Yunxiao shook his head.
"Then we can share the meat of the lizard monster," Nie Hanchang answered without hesitation. "Not the crystal, though."
"But Senior Martial Bro-"
"If you keep insisting on splitting everything we get, you are only going to make me feel bad for coming along," Nie Hanchang interrupted. "I will feel like a leech who is draining on your resources."
"This... all right, then," Zhao Yunxiao agreed reluctantly. "I will accept this for now. But if we were to obtain anything else through your direct involvement, then you are not allowed to decline."
"Hahaha, all right. Let's do as you say then!" Nie Hanchang laughed.
With that settled, the duo made their way back to their horses.
The sky had already turned dark by then, so they had no choice but to rest for the night.
As promised, the duo shared some lightly roasted lizard monster meat for dinner, personally prepared by Zhao Yunxiao.
It might not be anywhere near as delicious as the meals prepared by Gu Qiansi, but the nutritional value was still undeniable.
The battle earlier might have gone smoothly, but the two of them still had to expend a bit of energy in the process. This meal not only fully made up for it, but also nourished them even further.
Their journey went much smoother the next day, proceeding without any interruptions along the way.
If anything, the only issue they had was that the surroundings became drier as they got nearer to their destination, making it more and more difficult to look for streams where they could let their horses drink.
This forced them to take slightly longer routes that were closer to the relatively larger water bodies – the only ones left that had yet to completely dry up.
And on the third day of travelling, their destination finally came within reach.
Kindness Village.
This was a village located in a secluded corner of the region, away from the common paths taken by most travellers.
That naturally resulted in the village being stifled in terms of trade and technological progress.
Thankfully, despite its poor accessibility, the village was well-positioned at the intersection between a stream and the edge of a forest, thereby allowing the villagers to sustain solely on the bountiful natural resources.
Or at least, that was the case in the past.
Even from afar, Zhao Yunxiao and Nie Hanchang could see the adverse effects that the shortage of rainfall had on the village.
The stream had completely dried up, leaving nothing but a winding trail of mud.
The trees by the edge of the forest did not escape unscathed, either. They might still be standing tall, but their wilting leaves clearly betrayed the current status of their health.
There was no cheerful chirping of birds or abundance of fruits that were synonymous with the coming of spring.
Instead, there was only an eerie silence seemingly devoid of any signs of life.
It was around noon, and they could see an exhausted-looking young man slowly walking out from within the depths of the forest.
This young man looked to be in his late teens, perhaps even a few years younger than Zhao Yunxiao and Nie Hanchang.
But what was most striking about him right now was still the fact that his lips were parched and his breathing was heavy.
In fact, he seemed to be struggling with the basketful of what seemed like freshly-dug roots that he was carrying on his back.
Still, even with those slow and unsteady steps, he was able to gradually make his way to the village, one painful step at a time.
"Greetings, sir," Zhao Yunxiao approached him without hesitation. "I am looking for Kindness Village. May I ask if you know the way?"
Following closely behind, Nie Hanchang could not help but shoot a strange glance towards Zhao Yunxiao.
They obviously knew where the village was, so why was Zhao Yunxiao asking this man that?
"You are looking for Kindness Village?" the young man asked in surprise. "What a coincidence. I am a villager from there."
"That's great to hear!" Zhao Yunxiao beamed upon hearing that. "If it is not too much trouble, would it be all right to show us the way?"
"That will not be a problem. In fact, I am currently headed back myself, so you can simply follow me," the young man answered.
"Awesome! In that case, I will have to thank you for the help in advance, sir!" Zhao Yunxiao kept up the same level of energy. "To show my sincerity, why don't I help you with your load on the way?"
"My load? Do you mean the roots on my back?" the young man blinked blankly. "Are you sure? It is quite heavy!"
"Of course! It is only right that I do something as thanks for your help!" Zhao Yunxiao reached out without hesitation.
The young man was initially feeling hesitant, but all his considerations flew right out the window the very next moment.
Instead, his eyes turned wide as he watched Zhao Yunxiao pick up the heavy basket with a single hand.
This basket full of roots probably weighed as much as an adult male, and even he struggled to carry it despite having done so on a daily basis.
Despite that, Zhao Yunxiao actually picked it up so effortlessly that he made it seem like it was empty instead, so how could he not be surprised?
It was also only then that Nie Hanchang caught onto the meaning behind Zhao Yunxiao's actions.
Indeed, some people were not inclined to accept help that had been readily offered to them, and would only feel better when they felt like they had done something to earn the help.
This was a trait most prevalent in people who had worked hard all their lives, which was probably what the villagers were like.
If Zhao Yunxiao's intention had been to help the young man with his basket right from the start, then asking him for directions to the village was likely just an excuse to ease him into accepting the help.
"All right, let's go," Zhao Yunxiao said.
With that, Zhao Yunxiao promptly proceeded to store the basket away in his spatial pouch.
However, the young man did not get going despite having been relieved of his burden.
How could he?
That huge basket full of roots had just disappeared before his very eyes!
"H-How did you...?" the young man stuttered in disbelief before suddenly realising something. "Wait, you two- I mean, could the two of you be cultivators who have come to save us?"
"You guessed right," Zhao Yunxiao nodded with a smile.
"...Really?" the young man asked again for confirmation.
He was the one who had asked, but he was still feeling rather unsure after hearing the answer.
After all, the cultivators in his head were untouchable characters who flew in the skies, capable of summoning winds and rains with a single wave of their hands.
On the other hand, neither Zhao Yunxiao nor Nie Hanchang were people who paid much attention to their dressing.
In fact, Zhao Yunxiao even had the habit of deliberately dressing up in shabby looking clothes whenever he left Purple Plum Mountain, all so that he could prevent getting any unwanted attention.
Seeing that the two men in front of him not only walked on the ground, but were also dressed in a manner that could only be termed as unimpressive, the young man could not help but think that they were far too different from the impression that he had of the mighty cultivators!
Zhao Yunxiao noticed the sceptical look in his eyes as well, and could not help but let out a wry smile.
"Shall I prove it to you, then?" Zhao Yunxiao suggested.
Before the young man could respond, Zhao Yunxiao once again retrieved the basket of roots with a flick of his wrist.
"Woah!" the young man staggered backwards in shock.
It was his own basket of roots, but he still could not help but be surprised due to its sudden appearance.
"Do you believe me now?" Zhao Yunxiao put away the basket once more, secretly pleased to have shocked the young man, treating that as his own little revenge for being looked down upon.
"Y-Yes! I believe you! No, that's not it. Thank you for coming to us, esteemed cultivator sirs!" the young man hurriedly got down on his knees.
The young man might still have some doubts had Zhao Yunxiao chosen to pull out some small knives. After all, there were many skilled tricksters in the world who were capable of such sleight of hand as well.
However, there was nowhere that Zhao Yunxiao could hide something as large as that basket of roots. It was simply not possible unless Zhao Yunxiao possessed special powers!
"Rise," Zhao Yunxiao waved nonchalantly. "What is your name?"
"My name is Ruixiong," the young man answered after getting to his feet. "Shan Ruixiong."
"All right, Ruixiong. You must be tired, so let's get going already," Zhao Yunxiao said. "Please lead the way."
"R-right!" Shan Ruixiong quickly nodded. "Follow me. We are already really close, so it will not take long before we reach the village!"
With that, Shan Ruixiong turned around and started to lead the way.
It was not as though Zhao Yunxiao and Nie Hanchang truly needed him to show them the way, but they patiently followed behind nevertheless.
And so, after more than two days of travelling, Zhao Yunxiao and Nie Hanchang finally arrived at their destination – Kindness Village.