Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Li Xingzhi ignored the scholar's doubts, and didn't even know the scholar's name.

He first greeted Dahuang and Diandian with Little Dog Egg. Dahuang and Diandian sniffed Little Dog Egg, then licked its face, making Little Dog Egg laugh heartily. Only when he truly felt the affection and acceptance of Dahuang and Diandian towards Little Dog Egg did Li Xingzhi gently stroke their fur. The two dogs naturally stood guard on either side of the temple gate.

Then Li Xingzhi picked up the little Jin who was jumping around. Little Dog Egg had obviously been eyeing Little Jin for a long time. Children are not immune to such cute little things.

"See? He has a tuft of golden fur on his head, so he's called Little Gold." Li Xingzhi held Little Gold in his palm, teasing it as he spoke to Little Egg. He then stroked the fur on the back of Little Gold's neck and pointed at Little Egg, saying, "This is your little master."

Little Jin's tiny, round eyes darted around as it looked at Little Egg. Then, with a leap, Li Xingzhi felt his hand lighten, only to find Little Jin already on Little Egg's shoulder.

Little Jin sniffed at Little Egg with its nose, then rubbed its head against Little Egg's neck, making Little Egg ticklish. Little Egg grabbed at it, trying to pull Little Jin off, but unexpectedly Little Jin jumped onto its other shoulder and rubbed its head against Little Egg's neck again... making Little Egg ticklish and laughing non-stop.

Li Xingzhi watched as Xiao Jin teased Xiao Gou Dan, finding it amusing and at the same time relieved that he had managed to get Xiao Jin out. Because of the drastic changes in his family, Xiao Gou Dan usually followed Li Xingzhi around like a little adult, obedient and sensible, but lacking some of the joys of childhood. Li Xingzhi had never seen him laugh so heartily before!

With a flick of his hand, two small golden snakes appeared in Li Xing's palm. She Da and She Er looked at Little Dog Egg and stuck out their tongues mischievously. However, Little Dog Egg showed no fear. After all, he was so young and didn't understand the danger snakes posed to humans; he simply looked at the two cute little golden snakes with curiosity. These little creatures were incredibly attractive to children; unaware of their danger, they only knew how beautiful and adorable the snakes were. Only Little Gold was still perched on Little Dog Egg, baring its teeth and claws.

Li Xingzhi quickly soothed the two small snakes and then introduced them to Little Dog Egg. He didn't want anything to happen to Little Dog Egg because of his negligence.

Li Xingzhi gently released his hand, and She Er wrapped itself around Xiao Gou Dan's wrist. Xiao Jinzi seemed even more unhappy; he had already claimed Xiao Gou Dan as his territory. However, Li Xingzhi ignored him, and the two little snakes ignored his threats as well, while Xiao Gou Dan was more attracted to the golden snake. Xiao Jinzi only barked a few times, and seeing no response, he squatted in the corner and went back to drawing circles.

The little dog, Dan, also imitated Li Xingzhi, gently stroking She Er's head, conveying its affection and joy. Li Xingzhi could feel Dan's acceptance of She Er, and the comfort and joy that Dan felt from the bottom of its heart when stroking She Er. Seeing this, Li Xingzhi felt relieved.

"She Er, you have to protect Little Dog Egg from now on, understand?" Li Xingzhi patted She Er's head and said to him. She Er turned around from Little Dog Egg's comfortable massage and wagged its tail at Li Xingzhi. Li Xingzhi then turned to Little Dog Egg and said, "From now on, She Er will be your best friend, but She Er's teeth have a deadly poison in them, so you can't let him bite people indiscriminately, understand?" Little Dog Egg nodded, but it was unclear whether it understood or not. However, Li Xingzhi had already secretly instructed She Er and She Da not to bite people indiscriminately.

Wang Xiucai looked at Li Xingzhi from the side, and it was as if he was seeing that person from back then!

Wang Xiucai was originally an orphan who wandered around the vicinity of Chang'an. He had long forgotten who his parents were. He was later taken in by an old, childless, and impoverished scholar, who then adopted him, taking his surname Wang. The old scholar always hoped he would pass the imperial examinations and achieve official rank. Unfortunately, just as Wang Xiucai was 15 years old and had passed the examinations, the old scholar passed away. Wang Xiucai then stayed home to observe three years of mourning for his father.

It was right after he passed the county-level imperial examination, and was brimming with pride, preparing to strive for the next level, that he met that person—a figure he would never forget. However, there was no melodramatic separation of lovers, no story of Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying. It was all Wang Xiucai's unrequited love; even the wealthy young lady was unaware of his existence!

Wang Xiucai secretly inquired and learned that she was originally a wealthy young lady from the capital. Her ancestors had been merchants for generations, and her family was quite wealthy, even in Chang'an. Although agriculture was valued over commerce, in the open-minded Tang Dynasty, the status of merchants was not low, especially since she was a wealthy woman from the capital. Why would she look down on a poor scholar like Wang Xiucai? Wang Xiucai only wanted to study hard, pass the imperial examination, and then ask a matchmaker to arrange a marriage.

However, Wang Xiucai had barely returned home when he learned of his father's passing. He hurriedly arranged the funeral and began the mourning period, having no time for anything else. When the three-year mourning period ended, he learned that the wealthy young lady had married six months prior. He secretly inquired and learned that she was living a very happy life, so he dared not disturb her!

Disheartened, Wang Xiucai returned home. Remembering his father's wishes, he studied diligently day and night. In less than two years, feeling his knowledge was exceptional, he prepared to travel and study, just in time for this year's provincial examination. However, on the way, he heard that the wealthy young lady and her husband had been murdered by bandits, leaving only their son missing. Wang Xiucai, a sentimental man, couldn't bear the blow of hearing that the woman he had loved day and night was dead, and fell ill on the journey. Suffering from poverty and illness, he was rescued by his elder brother, who took him to a bandit's den. Unable to resist his brother's persuasion, and to repay his life-saving debt, he had no choice but to become a thief!

However, with the help of this gang of thieves, and after years of investigation, they managed to wipe out the thieves who had ambushed the wealthy young lady, along with her entire family, but they never found the child from that incident. Finally, they learned that the crime had been committed by a wealthy man surnamed Qian in the capital, who had bribed the gang. However, the wealthy man was located in Chang'an, making it difficult to act directly. While they could cause them some trouble, it wouldn't be a significant problem; they could only wait for the right opportunity!

Unexpectedly, this time he came across a child. Although the child was dressed in rags, he possessed an extraordinary air about him, and his face bore a striking resemblance to the person from years ago. Upon seeing Li Xingzhi, he was already seventy or eighty percent certain of his suspicions. However, Li Xingzhi, with the soul of a modern person, was truly unfathomable, and his behavior and demeanor were quite different from ordinary people.

Even with Wang Xiucai's keen eyes honed over many years, he couldn't see through him. It was precisely because of this that Wang Xiucai decided to test him first, refraining from rashly approaching to acknowledge him. Little did he expect that three seasoned thieves would be defeated by a mere child!

Even so, he still didn't acknowledge Li Xingzhi. Firstly, it would seem like he was submitting, making him look down on; secondly, Li Xingzhi had too many secrets, and he was even certain that there was a powerful figure behind Li Xingzhi. Otherwise, how could he possess such a rare poison as "Sad Breeze," a poison he had never seen or heard of even after more than a decade of wandering the wilderness? Moreover, he couldn't be completely certain whether Li Xingzhi was the same child from back then.

However, the more Wang Xiucai learned, the more alarmed he became.

When Wang Xiucai woke up in the morning, he saw Li Xingzhi practicing Taoist cultivation and was greatly surprised. Having lived among the common people, he knew a little about Taoist cultivation and qi practice; without the guidance of a master, ordinary people simply couldn't grasp it. This further convinced him that Li Xingzhi had a reclusive master behind him.

What surprised him even more were the two guard dogs in front of him. He knew about guard dogs; once, when they went out on an errand, out of a dozen or so people, only five or six returned in a sorry state, the rest had been killed by the guard dogs of that large village.

True mountain guard dogs are revered on the mountain, to be worshipped! Even one or two ordinary wolves wouldn't withstand their fright. But these two before him were far more imposing and majestic than any he had ever seen before; every glance from them sent chills down his spine. The intelligent mouse behind them, however, didn't surprise him as much, even though it was entirely white with golden hair.

Then, the small golden snake that Li Xingzhi took out terrified him even more. He had never known that there were two venomous snakes beside him. Every time one of those snakes glanced at him, he felt his hair stand on end, a chill running down his spine, as if a demon's fangs were pressed against his neck, and its cool, foul-smelling saliva dripped onto his chest, making his heart clench. He had no idea where this kid got these monsters from!

Li Xingzhi practiced the Yi Jin Jing with the little dog, Dan, for a while, strengthening his muscles and improving his blood circulation. Then he prepared some breakfast. Li Xingzhi hadn't forgotten the mouthwatering items in the system shop.

Li Xingzhi returned to the temple not long after, carrying a steaming bowl of cooked beef and half a bowl of fine soup, along with a pot of Daughter's Red wine. He had loved beef in his previous life, and this cooked beef with a jar of top-quality Daughter's Red wine was the legendary hero's combo!

He didn't hide much about his past, after all, Little Dog Egg had lived with him all along and would know some things. As for others, what could they do even if they knew? With the confidence the system gave him, Li Xingzhi wasn't afraid much anymore. Of course, whether he would spread it around himself was another matter entirely!

The aroma of steaming beef and broth filled the small temple, making Xiao Gou Dan keep swallowing his saliva. Li Xingzhi was no better off, while Xiucai's stomach had been growling for a while, making him quite embarrassed!

Looking at the scholar still lying on the ground, Li Xingzhi felt that things couldn't continue like this. With the guard dog and the little golden snake protecting him, Li Xingzhi wasn't worried that he would cause any trouble. He took out the antidote from his pocket, let the scholar smell it, and the smell made his eyes water and he felt like vomiting!