1563 Unappreciative of Favors!

However, the journey of crossing the vast desert without sleep nor rest had taken quite a toll on Duan Ling Tian, not physically but mentally.

Duan Ling Tian first went to look for a place to rest for the time being before he looked for a passerby to ask for directions.

After resting for a night, he continued his journey the next morning and headed north.

Finally, after heading north for an hour, he saw an inconspicuous little village ahead. From afar, he could see smoke coming out from the kitchen chimneys.

The little village sitting on the vast grassland was like perfect scenery in Duan Ling Tian's eyes. He descended from the sky when he arrived close to the little village.

Before he entered the village, he saw two figures quickly coming out to block his way.

"Who are you?" The people who were blocking Duan Ling Tian's way were two sturdy middle-aged men who seemed strong and valiant. They stared at Duan Ling Tian guardedly since he had come unannounced.

"Don't worry, I'm just a mere passerby wanting to ask for directions," Duan Ling Tian replied with a forced a smile on his face.

At the same time, he secretly activated his Divine Eye to probe the two middle-aged men's cultivation. Both of them were Paramount Mortal Shedding Stage Martial Cultivators.

Duan Ling Tian was also greatly surprised that there were Paramount Mortal Shedding Stage Martial Cultivators in such a little village.

In the Dao Martial Saint Land, a ninth-rate force would usually only have a Paramount Mortal Shedding Stage Martial Cultivator guarding it at the most.

However, Duan Ling Tian had felt the Heaven and Earth Spirit Energy had gotten denser when he approached the village. It was obvious there was a Saint Stone reserve hidden underground.

With Duan Ling Tian's current cultivation base, it was easy for him to tell it was a ninth-rate Saint Stone reserve.

'As expected of the Windfall Nation, just a little frontier village is comparable to a ninth-rate force,' Duan Ling Tian thought to himself as he sighed emotionally.

When the two middle-aged men heard Duan Ling Tian's words, their expression eased up a lot but they still asked guardedly, "Where do you want to go?"

"The capital," Duan Ling Tian answered.

"The capital?" When the two middle-aged men heard his words, they were taken back.

In fact, not all Martial and Dao Cultivators dared to go to the capital through their village.

This was the frontier of Windfall Nation. It was a long journey to the capital from here to the capital. Usually, people would not dare to go to the capital alone unless they possessed a certain level of strength. After all, who knew if they would be killed by bandits during the journey

"Yes." Duan Ling Tian nodded and smiled as he asked, "Can either of you please give me the directions there?"

This was an easy task for the two middle-aged men. They quickly pointed in the northeast direction.

"Thank you." Duan Ling Tian expressed his gratitude with a smile as he prepared to leave.

Suddenly, the sound of wind-whistling reverberated in the distance menacingly, taking Duan Ling Tian by surprise. Naturally, the two middle-aged men had not heard the noise yet.

Duan Ling Tian looked toward the source of the noise and saw a group of people in a mighty formation. With just a glance, he could see there were at least several dozens of people. All these people were led by a middle-aged man standing on a wild beast.

The middle-aged man's face was half hidden by his curly beard. He looked awe-inspiring as he stood on the wild beast that looked like a gigantic lion.

"The person at the lead is at the Intermediate Saint Rudiment Stage while the wild beast is at the Early Saint Rudiment Stage. As for the several dozens of people behind him, the weakest ones are at the Mastery Mortal Shedding Stage… They seem to be heading toward this village. I wonder who are these people?" After activating his Divine Eye, Duan Ling Tian immediately probed the cultivation base of this group of people.

These people were nothing in his eyes. Due to this reason, he did not bother to avoid them at all. Moreover, it was apparent these people's destination was the village in front of him. Duan Ling Tian was just passing through, it crossed his mind to not meddle in this matter. However, those two villagers did help him. It would not be nice if he had just left.

Meanwhile, Duan Ling Tian discovered the two middle-aged men's expression had turned glum.

"Haha… Are the people of Cui Village not coming out to welcome us?" The middle-aged man with a curly beard laughed loudly. The people he brought with him hovered in the sky outside of the village like a black cloud, blocking the sun that was shining on the vast land outside the village.

"Huh?" Duan Ling Tian was taken aback since he had initially thought they were bandits here to plunder the village. However, based on the tone of the middle-aged man with a curly beard, it seemed as though he was an acquaintance.

"They're the bandit group at the southern frontier of Windfall Nation. They're comparable to an eighth-rate force. Once in a while, they'll come to our village and take a huge number of Saint Stones as protection fee," one of the middle-aged men told Duan Ling Tian through Voice Transmission with a wry smile as though he understood Duan Ling Tian's confusion.

Duan Ling Tian finally understood the situation. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to meddle at all.

Even if this village was comparable to a ninth-rate force, since it was under the jurisdiction of Windfall Nation, it would be easily annihilated if it did not have any backing. It might be able to survive for a long time if it had the protection of a group of bandits comparable to an eighth-rate force.

Duan Ling Tian saw a group of people soaring up into the sky from the village. The person in the lead was a green-clad old man.

The old man had a helpless look in his eyes, but he still tried with all his might to smile.

"Third Chief, this is the protection fee from our Cui Village for this year." The man behaved humbly in front of the middle-aged man with a curly beard. At the same time, he took out a Spatial Ring and passed it to the other party.

After the middle-aged man with a curly-beard took hold of the ring and inspected it, he chuckled immediately. "The amount is correct! See you next year, Old Man Cui!" After saying that, the middle-aged man with a curly beard turned the wild beast beneath his feet around and prepared to lead the group of people away.

As Duan Ling Tian and the group of people from Cui Village watched the middle-aged man with a curly beard and the others leave, one of the two old men behind the middle-aged man with a curly beard suddenly shifted his attention to Duan Ling Tian. The old man's eyes lit up instantly.

In the next instant, he saw the old man looked at the middle-aged man with a curly beard.

Duan Ling Tian instantly sensed the turn of events would not be good, and he frowned immediately.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man with a curly beard had turned the wild beast under his feet around again. His attention was focused on Duan Ling Tian.

"You're not from Cui Village?" The middle-aged man with a curly beard asked in a deep voice. His eyes flashed like a bolt of lightning as he stared at Duan Ling Tian.

At the same time, the group of bandits behind the middle-aged man with a curly beard and villagers from Cui Village all shifted their attention to Duan Ling Tian.

The Village Head of Cui Village, that green-clad old man, frowned immediately.

"I…" Duan Ling Tian opened his mouth, he was about to say he was indeed not from Cui Village when someone interrupted him.

When the Village Head of Cui Village learned from the village's two middle-aged men that Duan Ling Tian was just a passerby asking for directions, a sense of compassion washed over him, and he instantly said, "Third Chief, he's also from our Cui Village, it's just that he rarely comes out."

At the same time, the Village Head of Cui Village's voice also entered Duan Ling Tian's ears, "Young man, they're not to be trifled with. It's better for you if you pretend to be from the village."

When Duan Ling Tian heard his words, his heart felt warm even though he was not afraid of the bandits at all. He closed his mouth, he did not plan to refute the Village Head's words. After all, the Village Head did this out of kindness.

"Old Man Cui, do you really think that I, Third Brother Deng, is blind? Do you think your Cui Village has such a young man with such a temperament?" The middle-aged man with a curly beard asked.

When the Village Head of Cui Village heard the words of the middle-aged man with a curly beard, he was instantly rendered speechless. At the same time, he studied Duan Ling Tian from the corner of his eyes. With just a glance, he noticed Duan Ling Tian had an extraordinary bearing. One could easily tell he was not from a little village.

"Old Man Cui, I'll pretend I didn't hear your earlier words, so I'll ask you again. Is he from your Cui Village? Let me remind you to think this through before you answer me. You know the consequences of lying to me." The middle-aged man with a curly beard smirked.

Cold sweat immediately broke out on the Village Head's forehead. He could only look at Duan Ling Tian guiltily. Now that things had progressed to this stage, it was only natural he no longer dared to help Duan Ling Tian.

Duan Ling Tian smiled appreciatively at the Village Head of Cui Village before he turned to look at the middle-aged man with a curly beard. He said nonchalantly, "You have good judgment. I'm indeed not from Cui Village. I merely stopped at Cui Village to ask for directions."

"No wonder. I was wondering how's it possible for Cui Village to have someone with your bearing." The middle-aged man with a curly beard had an 'As I've expected' expression on his face when he looked at Duan Ling Tian as he said, "My mood is good today, and I don't want to see any blood spilled. So just hand over your Spatial Ring and scram!"

"Your mood is good? You don't want to see any blood spilled?" When Duan Ling Tian heard the words of the middle-aged man with a curly beard, he chuckled. "Based on your words, it seems like you think you have the upper hand."

As soon as he finished speaking, he did not wait for the middle-aged man with a curly beard's reply and flew out immediately. His speed was not fast, he maintained it at the speed of an Early Saint Rudiment Stage powerhouse.

However, even with such a speed, the middle-aged man with a curly beard and his group of bandits were still taken by surprise. When they regained their senses, Duan Ling Tian had already flown quite far away.

Duan Ling Tian was headed northeast, the direction of Windfall Nation.

"You really do not appreciate favors at all!" When the middle-aged man with a curly beard regained his senses, his expression darkened immediately as killing intent gleamed in his eyes. He immediately prompted the wild beast beneath his feet to chase after Duan Ling Tian. The group of bandits followed behind him in a mighty formation.

"That young man is doomed now." When the villagers from Cui Village saw this, all of them sighed.

They could see the young man's speed was not too fast.

At the very least, it seemed as though he did not have any advantage at all against the middle-aged man with a curly beard.

"He's too young and rash… So what if he hands over his Spatial Ring? Don't tell me that material items are more important than his own life?" The Village Head of Cui Village sighed deeply. He had advised the young man earlier, but the young man did not heed his advice at all, causing him to feel helpless.