Chapter 39: Treading Mountains and Rivers

When Chen Fan led the villagers to other villages, Li Xing felt somewhat envious.

“Lord Chen! You used to be a farmer, right? Your arrangements are so orderly. You even make sure we get rest and sing songs! After singing, everyone feels energized, and your voice is quite pleasant!”

“‘Unity is strength, unity is strength. This strength is iron! This strength is steel! Harder than iron, stronger than steel!’”

“And what was that song—‘Youth Speaks No Worries’—how did it go again?”

Li Xing pulled out a small notebook and read aloud, “For the harvest of the land, for the smile of the mother! ————”

“Also, that song ‘I, the Blacksmith,’ would be good for the old smiths to learn!”

“Yes! Brother Chen Fan, that ‘Shepherd’s Melody’ is lovely too!”

“You little rascal, no wonder you wanted me to buy you a sheep—it’s so you can herd it!”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Chen Fan scratched the back of his head, realizing music truly could uplift spirits. When he served on Earth, his superiors often made him sing. It indeed helped relieve stress. As he cut rice in the fields, memories stirred—it was like returning to Earth again. He began singing those old songs.

Everyone put down their sickles to listen and then joined in. Over time, singing these production songs together made them happy. Men and women started warming up to one another. Some men even began offering water to the women!

Everyone enjoyed playing with Chen Fan because he always had beautiful songs to sing. Li Xing, however, felt left out.

They were all farmhands, skilled with sickles—just like cutting grass. Li Xing couldn’t use a sickle and instead used his long constable’s sword.

“Lord Li, can you manage? Sickles are really handy! You know swordsmanship, yet you can’t even use a sickle? How’s that possible, Lord Li?”

“Yeah! Can you do it or not, Lord Li?”

Li Xing’s face burned fiercely. You might say a man isn’t handsome or rich, but never say he’s incapable.

Hearing this, Li Xing closed his eyes, bent down, squatting almost to the ground. The crowd found his odd behavior hilarious.

“Uh, Lord Li, what’s going on?”

“Lord Li, if it’s too hard, just use the sickle! The long sword isn’t practical.”

Frowning deeply, Li Xing sheathed his sword.

The crowd sensed he might draw it again and seemed angry.

Chen Fan thought Li Xing’s spirit was probably crushed by the crowd. To be called incompetent in front of so many men and women in the field, only Li Xing had such patience. If Chen Fan had a sword, everyone might have been cut down.

He comforted Li Xing and tried to ease the crowd’s mood.

“There’s a sequence to learning, and everyone has their specialty! Don’t blame Lord Li. Though his cuts seem erratic, his swordsmanship is formidable. He’s been practicing since childhood and is truly a master! He’s kindly helping you out. He’s here to investigate a case, so talk to him about it when you can.”

“If Lord Li can’t manage, he can rest. After we’re done, we’ll come talk to him about the case, alright?”

“Rest up, Lord Li! If you can’t keep at it, just rest!”

Then, with a sharp cry, “Iaijutsu slash!”

A cold gleam burst forth from the scabbard, accompanied by a crisp, piercing sound of steel.

In front of Li Xing, within a radius of about one and a half meters, the rice stalks near the ground, about ten centimeters high, were neatly severed.

The crowd was stunned, eyes wide. Chen Fan felt triumphant.

“Now they know the martial prowess of our finest constable! Hope he doesn’t accidentally cut them all down!”

Chen Fan pulled out the standard short knife gifted by Li Xing, preparing to stop him lest he act on impulse and hurt the villagers.

He turned to urge the villagers to flee quickly, but saw only their scattered sickles and farming tools lying on the ground amid swirling dust.

Panic struck Chen Fan.

“They’ve run off, oh no—Li Xing might chase after them!”

He turned, ready to engage Li Xing to protect the villagers, but saw Li Xing had sheathed his sword and was squatting, writing in his notebook.

Chen Fan approached and saw him jotting, “There’s a sequence to learning, and everyone has their specialty!”

Then Li Xing continued to harvest rice using his iaijutsu slash.

Chen Fan thought, It’s just cutting rice—does it have to be with such a grand move?

The iaijutsu slash: abandoning all defense, throwing one’s life into a sweeping cut.

It’s either the enemy dies or both suffer.

If you see a swordsman crouching low, poised for iaijutsu slash, run immediately—lower means more urgent. Run far and don’t look back! Don’t look back! Don’t look back!

Chen Fan watched Li Xing cut rice with over a hundred consecutive iaijutsu slashes.

Surprisingly, Li Xing didn’t tire. Chen Fan went back to gather the villagers to join the harvest.

Li Xing’s method was indeed fast.

But exhausting!

“Lord Chen, are you sure Lord Li won’t cut us?”

“No, no! He’s a good person.”

“Well, no need to worry. He’s been cutting nonstop and probably has no strength left now.”

“True! Shall we go see?”

As they approached, Li Xing maintained the rapid rhythm of his sword, like a mechanical mower.

The villagers took a step back, clinging to Chen Fan’s chest.

“Don’t leave! Lord Li is very gracious! Can you manage? The rice needs to be harvested.”

“Lord Chen, we should go back. Lord Li is quite intimidating!”

Chen Fan held them back from leaving.

As they stood hesitating to look at Li Xing, they heard Chen Fan say, “Let’s head back?”

“Why?”

“Lord Li finished cutting the rice from this morning. Time to rest.”

“Oh!”

“Run! Lord Li is coming!”

Dust flew again.

After this ordeal, Li Xing harvested a thousand jin of grain, leaving stalks strewn everywhere.

No one dared speak to Li Xing anymore. They avoided him like a butcher.

Instead, they clung even more to Chen Fan.

Li Xing felt uncomfortable—he used to stand beside Chen Fan.

But he wasn’t good with words. He sensed they enjoyed talking but he couldn’t join in; no one responded to him.

He could only shake his head and stay alone in the corner, quietly recording their conversations.

However, Li Xing did learn many songs, especially one he found difficult to sing—“Treading the Rivers and Mountains.”

“Long sword pierces the skies, leaving behind worries! Life and death without regret!”

When idle, he would hum a few lines, and now he sang it quite well.

He also learned something important: information could be gathered not only by asking questions but by listening quietly to others’ conversations.