Chapter 9

However, the development of things often does not follow people's will. Anyone on the path of struggle will encounter setbacks. Smooth sailing, as if aided by a divine hand, is unrealistic.

When Cheng Pan re-entered Xiaohuang Village, which he had left just a month ago, he felt as if his heart was being gripped by a large hand. The once bustling Xiaohuang Village now resembled a ghost town. The air was filled with the stench of decay, and there were burn marks everywhere. The ground was littered with incomplete corpses, and several stray dogs were gnawing on the rotting flesh. A few crows were pecking and hopping on a corpse. Cheng Pan stared blankly at the scene. After a while, he suddenly ran towards the school. When he was forty meters away from the school, Cheng Pan stopped. Three child corpses lay at the school gate, all of whom he knew. Although they were a bit mischievous and didn't always complete their homework, they were now lying here. Cheng Pan forcibly shut off his extrasensory perception, harboring a glimmer of hope as he walked towards the school. He paused at the door, his right hand trembling as he pushed it open. What met his eyes was the naked and disfigured body of a woman, "Zhang Xue." Cheng Pan choked out a low whisper. Two streams of tears flowed down his cheeks. Cheng Pan once again deeply realized the cruelty of this world and completely abandoned the game-like mindset of imperial ambitions. Although he had already made up his mind to work hard in this plane of existence, he still couldn't shake off the sense of superiority that came with being a穿越者 (穿越者 means "time traveler" or "穿越者" in this context). He lacked a direct understanding of the harsh social realities of the Yuan Dynasty. Now, this bloody scene gave him a profound lesson. Cheng Pan is human, and humans are emotional beings. Since coming to this world, Cheng Pan would inevitably interact with the people here, forming familial and friendly bonds. In this era of constant slaughter, Cheng Pan could not protect everyone around him, and the abnormal deaths of these people deeply wounded his emotions. The heavens would not favor him just because he was a time traveler; he could not control everything. Cheng Pan could not tolerate the social laws of this world. He realized how naive it was to dream of conquering the world and enjoying the pleasure of being on top. Men in this world must take responsibility. Only by driving the wheels of history and changing the dark social rules could one truly achieve greatness. Cheng Pan looked at everything with sorrow, filled with intense dissatisfaction with the dark age and a strong sense of historical mission. At the same time, a crazy idea flashed through his mind. After an unknown amount of time, a voice came from behind him, "Master, is that you?" Cheng Pan noticed someone behind him and quickly activated his extrasensory perception, turning around. "Master, it really is you, you're finally back." Cheng Pan recognized the girl, Zhao Yu, who had stayed with Zhang Xue. Zhao Yu ran over and threw herself into Cheng Pan's arms, sobbing. In the past, Cheng Pan would have scolded her because he disliked girls crying during training, believing that people in this era had no right to cry. Now, Cheng Pan patted her back gently and said, "I'm back. Tell me what happened." Comforted by his words, Zhao Yu's suppressed tears burst forth, and she couldn't form a complete sentence. After a while, Cheng Pan couldn't bear it anymore and shouted, "Stop crying. What good does crying do? Tell me what happened." Zhao Yu was frightened by Cheng Pan's stern tone and managed to stop her tears, speaking in a broken voice about what had happened.

Ten days ago, a large ship arrived at Xiaohuang Village, and a group of soldiers came to the village entrance. The village chief greeted them with two pigs. The Mongol officer in charge said something in Mongolian and then beheaded the village chief. The officer then shouted in Chinese, "The leader of the bandits has been executed. Kill them all." The soldiers, like beasts, rushed into the village. Zhang Xue and Li Yu led the children to the center of the island. However, Zhang Xue and three children were still trapped in the school by the soldiers. Fortunately, the soldiers were only interested in killing and looting and did not search the island.

After listening to Li Yu's account, Cheng Pan clenched his fists and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "How many people are left, and where are they?" Li Yu replied, "Including me, there are 28 students. We are all in the center of the island, and most of us are weak due to lack of food." Cheng Pan took out a bag of steamed buns from his mental space and handed it to Li Yu, saying, "Go and distribute the buns to fill your stomachs, and bring the people to the village entrance." Li Yu took the bag, stared at the buns, swallowed hard, nodded, and turned to leave. "Wait," Cheng Pan called out. Li Yu turned back, puzzled. "Eat half a bun first." Li Yu's nose tingled, and she held back her tears, taking small bites of the bun.

Half a day later, Cheng Pan looked at the nearly two hundred people gathered a mile away from the original Xiaohuang Village. Most of them were new recruits he had brought from elsewhere, and the rest were his students.

"Today, you will live with me. I will tell you my rules." The people looked at Cheng Pan numbly. A young man in his twenties with a sallow complexion bowed and said, "Master Cheng, you are our savior. Our lives are yours. Whatever you say, we will do." Cheng Pan glanced at him, remembered him, and continued, "I will lead you to cultivate and farm this land. After the harvest each year, you will get 70%, and I will arrange the remaining 30%." The crowd began to murmur. "But," Cheng Pan suddenly raised his voice, "not everyone will farm. Men, women, the elderly, and children will all follow my arrangements." The crowd fell silent, looking at Cheng Pan intently, wondering what he had in mind. "Those who farm will follow my commands, work together, and share the harvest equally. After ten years, those who do not wish to continue working can draw lots to receive 20 acres of land, but they must still pay 30% of their harvest." The crowd became lively, praising Cheng Pan's fairness. Cheng Pan noticed the sallow-faced young man looking doubtful and shouted, "Quiet, I'm not finished." The crowd fell silent again. Cheng Pan continued, "You all know about the destroyed village nearby, right?" The crowd's faces changed. "It was done by a group of pirates," Cheng Pan said, not wanting to scare the refugees by revealing it was the soldiers. "So, I will organize a 20-person village guard. Those who join will be provided with food and lodging. After 20 years of service, the village will provide 30 acres of land, and they will only need to pay 10% of their harvest for 40 years. If they are injured, I will support their families. After they pass away, their 30 acres of land will be passed to their descendants, who will still pay 30% of their harvest. If they die in battle, I will ensure their families are taken care of until their descendants grow up, and then they will receive the 30 acres of land with a 30% tax." After saying this, Cheng Pan paused and looked at the crowd's reactions. The people looked at each other, some nodding and others shaking their heads. The sallow-faced young man stepped forward and said, "Master Cheng is right. Without self-defense, one cannot live in peace in this world. I am willing to join the village guard." "Good, what's your name?" Cheng Pan asked. The young man respectfully replied, "Report, Master, my name is Wang Gouzi." Cheng Pan said, "Call me Commander after joining the village guard, understood?" Wang Gouzi: "Understood." Cheng Pan: "Loudly." Wang Gouzi raised his voice, "Understood." Cheng Pan: "Louder." "Understood!" Wang Gouzi shouted loudly. "Good!" Cheng Pan said, satisfied. "Answer me loudly in the future. I don't want sissies." "Understood!" Wang Gouzi shouted again. "Good, stand behind me." Wang Gouzi stood tall and walked behind Cheng Pan, showing that speaking loudly indeed made one stand tall.

The nearly two hundred people watched the two men in amazement, unable to comprehend how a subordinate could speak so loudly to a superior. This was beyond their understanding in this era.

Cheng Pan then turned to the crowd again and said, "A village guard alone cannot ensure the village's safety. I will also organize all adult men to train during their free time from farming. I will provide food during training, and no one can be absent." As he said this, a long spear appeared in his hand, and with a swift motion, he threw it. The spear flew like lightning and embedded itself in a tree trunk, the shaft buzzing. Everyone looked at Cheng Pan and the spear. After a while, they all agreed.

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