The Way of the Scarecrow was a path of protection.Protecting the grain—rice, wheat—naturally granted them a mysterious force of nature, a life force, which would merge into their bodies, making them stronger. Killing a grain thief would result in a reward from the fields themselves. This power was like faith energy, and it was crucial for scarecrows. It was their unique Dao, the very foundation of their existence.
In particular, a scarecrow's strength lay entirely in its physical body—they were body refiners.
"Guarding the fields is our duty, but we lack enough brothers. We need to birth more of them,"said one scarecrow solemnly.
"But we need time. We must harvest grain, gather straw, and only then can we weave new scarecrow brothers."
In the valley, a closer look revealed tens of thousands of scarecrows patrolling the area. Their numbers were just enough to defend the fields—no surplus, no expansion. If any were taken away, the valley would be left vulnerable. Should any mishap occur, the scarecrow tribe would be caught off guard—something they dreaded most.
"Don't worry, I've already prepared everything for you,"Yi Tianxing said with a smile.
With a wave of his hand, scarecrow bodies began to appear one after another in the open space—densely packed, lined up like an enormous army.
In the blink of an eye, over a hundred thousand.
Each one looked lifelike. The craftsman's skills were exquisite: proportionate limbs, balanced bodies—almost indistinguishable from real people from a distance. They held various tools and weapons, emanating a quiet strength.
Faintly, a grand scarecrow army took form.
"So many scarecrow brothers! This human brought us so many! It's wonderful—our scarecrow clan can grow again!"
"So pretty—I see scarecrow girls! Hooray, I want a scarecrow sister!"
"These brothers look so sturdy—their materials are tough and fine. Top-grade bodies! Once they awaken, they'll definitely be diligent and strong—perfect siblings!"
The scarecrows around them looked at the massive pile of bodies with uncontained excitement.And when they saw female scarecrows, joy was clearly written on their faces.
A hundred thousand scarecrow bodies—once infused with life, they would be a powerful force. This was the growth of the tribe, the rise of the community.
To them, these weren't corpses or lifeless forms—but soon-to-be new family members, alive and vibrant.
For a scarecrow tribe with a Spirit Transformation Pool, these bodies were already considered part of their clan.
"I wonder if the chief is satisfied with this gift,"Yi Tianxing said with a gentle smile.
"Very satisfied. Fighting grain thieves has always been the mission of our scarecrow clan. Wherever there are thieves, there will be us. With so many brothers, we can grow in strength. Perhaps we could even station scarecrows in your city, defending grain and crops."The golden scarecrow spoke excitedly.
"Chief, does that mean you can help cultivate a scarecrow army for Xuanhuang City?"Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up.
If possible, this would be a tremendous benefit.
"No. We scarecrows exist to guard fields, not to wage war. We only protect grain—not join battles."The golden scarecrow firmly rejected the idea.
"I don't need you to go to war. I only want you to protect our fields. You have just one field here. In Xuanhuang City, there are countless acres of farmland—hundreds, thousands. In the future, even more.We need scarecrows in rice fields, orchards, vegetable gardens. And for this, you'll be compensated—with these: Eternal Coins."
Yi Tianxing had sensed their innate obsession—a devotion to guarding fields and grain. It wasn't something they could change.
Sure enough, the moment he mentioned more fields, the surrounding scarecrows trembled with excitement. Their straw bodies quivered with anticipation.
"What is this?"The golden scarecrow took the coin from Yi Tianxing. As gold light flowed into its body, it revealed a blissful expression.
"This is amazing—pure wish power inside. We can absorb it. It strengthens our bodies."
After a while, the golden scarecrow's eyes burned with excitement. It had tried crystals before, but they were hard to absorb and inconvenient. Eternal Coins, however, were perfect—they could directly draw in the energy, merging wish power and energy into one.
This was the first item that could directly enhance their strength.
"If you agree, every scarecrow on duty will receive a salary—Eternal Coins. It's honest labor. Guard the fields, and you get paid."
Yi Tianxing smiled earnestly.
"Let's chase away the grain thieves first,"the golden scarecrow replied, pushing the topic aside for now.
With a wave, scarecrows began carrying the newly woven bodies into the Spirit Transformation Pool cave. Yi Tianxing was not permitted to enter—he waited outside.
One after another, lifeless scarecrows emerged from the cave full of life, minds, and souls. They cheered, danced, and laughed with joy.
Yi Tianxing could only shake his head in amusement. He didn't mind—it was a pure celebration of life.
Soon, the scarecrows began to sing:
🌞 "The sun winks at me, the birds sing to me,I'm a hardworking little scarecrow who doesn't cling."
💐 "Don't ask where I came from, don't ask where I'll go,I'll pick the prettiest flowers for my precious princess."
🥁 "The king sent me to patrol the fields,I'll beat my drums and bang my gongs, life's got rhythm!"
🕸️ "The king sent me to catch a thief,Make him fertilizer, help the rice grow big and sweet."
🧺 "I don't envy lovebirds or immortals,I'm just a cheerful scarecrow guarding my crops!" 🌾
A wave of cheerful music rang out from the scarecrow tribe. Singing, dancing, laughing—it was pure, contagious joy.
But Yi Tianxing couldn't help thinking, Why does this song sound so familiar…?
"The Scarecrow's Song, huh… this tribe has truly received Heaven's blessing.With the Spirit Transformation Pool, their race has a future."
Yi Tianxing watched the new scarecrows join the dancing with smiles and songs, and he felt a profound joy, a touch of emotion at the beauty of life.
"Simple joy is the purest kind. These scarecrows are lucky—they don't need to overthink. Just guard the fields and be happy.The simpler life is, the happier it becomes."
He sighed with heartfelt admiration.
"All the scarecrows have been brought to life.Thank you for your gift. I will personally lead them to protect the grain."The golden scarecrow came out with bright eyes.
Seeing the happy chaos outside, its joy was unmistakable.
"Then I'll thank you in advance, Chief,"Yi Tianxing said."But these grain thieves are clever. If they see all of you coming directly, they might run and hide. So I propose this…"
He leaned in and whispered his plan.
The golden scarecrow nodded.
"As long as we can defeat the thieves, anything goes."
"Good. Please enter the Space Gate."
With a wave, Yi Tianxing opened a swirling portal on the ground.
"Brothers! To protect the grain!"the golden scarecrow shouted.
"Protect the grain! Protect the grain!"
"Guard the fields! Defeat the thieves!"
One by one, scarecrows poured into the gate, eyes blazing with righteous fury.
They would fight any grain thief, no matter how cunning.
To guard the grain.To defend the fields.To protect the harvest.