Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Li Xingzhi was stunned by his words, thinking to himself, "Is he going to say next that I am the one chosen by the great god, shouldering the mission of saving the world and the entire universe?"

The thoughts of modern people are absolutely beyond the comprehension of people in ancient times; there is a generation gap of 1,500 years between them! Of course, in reality, things are not that absurd.

"Do you know your own name?" Wang Xiucai asked.

"I don't know, but I chose one myself, Li Xingzhi," Li Xingzhi said, though he dared not say that his original name was Li Xingzhi.

“The surname Li is correct. Xingzhi, Xingzhi, this name is also good, but the name your parents gave you cannot be changed!” He looked at Li Xingzhi deeply and then said, “Your original name is Li Qing, the descendant of a wealthy merchant surnamed Li in the capital. Fifteen years ago, your parents were murdered on their way back with you.”

Without waiting for Li Xingzhi's reply, Wang Xiucai revealed the whole story, including his own background without any reservations.

From the moment Wang Xiucai asked to see his jade pendant, Li Xingzhi had almost completely believed him. Later, after Wang Xiucai explained the whole story, Li Xingzhi had no more doubts. He just wondered when he should go to the Li family in the capital to see them, at least to take good care of the original owner of this body's family.

"I wonder what your plans are for the future, sir."

“The world is vast, there’s nowhere I can’t go! I came out here to do something for Liu Tao, but you’ve ruined it. I can’t stay here any longer, I’ll set off first thing tomorrow morning,” said Wang Xiucai. Although he didn’t say what he was doing, Li Xingzhi knew it was definitely not good news, but since Wang Xiucai didn’t say, Li Xingzhi didn’t ask.

"Who is Liu Tao?" Li Xingzhi studied science and engineering, and his knowledge of Tang Dynasty history consisted of a few famous figures, some major events, and some anecdotes, such as the fact that Emperor Taizong's son, Li Zhi, was a cute little boy who married his father's wife, Wu Zetian, as empress. Most of these were just speculations and gossip from later generations and should not be taken seriously.

"Liu Tao is the manager of Zhenlongzhai in Luoyang, but secretly he works for the Minister of War."

"Minister of War? Who is that?" Li Xingzhi asked curiously, wanting to see if there was anyone he recognized.

“Hou Junji.” When Wang Xiucai said this name, his voice was low and hoarse, which made Li Xingzhi feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Hou Junji? That's a famous person. Li Xingzhi saw him on TV. He later joined the Crown Prince in a rebellion and was killed. I don't know if that's true or not.

Li Xingzhi only knew a few big shots, such as Li Jing, Cheng Yaojin, and Qin Qiong, while Hou Junji was obviously relegated to the second tier at the top of the power center by him.

Li Xingzhi's understanding of Tang Dynasty figures was clearly limited to what he read on paper. He obviously did not realize what the Minister of War represented in that dynasty, nor did he realize just how extraordinary a person was who could leave such a significant mark on later historical records!

Hou Junji was a renowned general of the Tang Dynasty, grandson of Hou Zhi, the General of the Cavalry of the Northern Zhou Dynasty and Duke of Feicheng, and one of the twenty-four meritorious officials of the Lingyan Pavilion. During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he advised Li Shimin. After Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, he was appointed General of the Left Guard and enfeoffed as Duke of Lu. In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, he was appointed Minister of War and concurrently served as Acting Minister of Personnel, effectively holding the power of a prime minister. In the eleventh year, he was enfeoffed as Duke of Chen. In the twelfth year, he was promoted to Minister of Personnel. In the same year, he led troops to repel the Tibetan army. In the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan era, Hou Junji was appointed Grand Commander of the Jiaohe Road Army, leading troops to attack King Qu Wentai of Gaochang. In the seventeenth year, he was executed for treason, but Emperor Taizong pardoned his wife and one son.

What does it mean to rise rapidly in rank? What does it mean to have impeccable political connections? Just look at him. With his status, connections, and the great achievements of conquering new territories, if not for treason, he would have been the next Li Jing, or even surpassed him!

Li Xingzhi clearly didn't know what trouble he had gotten himself into, and even if he did, he probably wouldn't care.

“Where are you headed, sir? Why not stay and help me figure this out?” Li Xingzhi continued. “They could take who knows how long to trace us. I can handle Manager Liu, but as for that Minister of War—why would he bother with insignificant figures like us!”

Despite this, Li Xingzhi didn't actually take the Minister of War to heart. Firstly, he had a martial arts system; secondly, as he himself said, Hou Junji wouldn't personally handle such a trivial matter; and thirdly, it was a common problem for time travelers to not understand the status of imperial power in the hearts of ancient people.

"this--"

Seeing that Wang Xiucai hadn't directly refused, Li Xingzhi knew there was a chance; if all else failed, he could try to persuade him slowly. Li Xingzhi desperately needed someone trustworthy to help him, since he and Xiao Gou Dan were both too young and unfamiliar with the area, making many things inconvenient. This cheap uncle's appearance was like a pillow delivered to someone who was about to fall asleep.

For a while, the only sound in the temple was the crackling of burning firewood. Little Dog Egg was already bored and playing with Little Gold, occasionally petting She Er. He was no longer as lonely as usual.

Li Xingzhi sat to the side, having nothing else to do, and went to the store to take a look and pondered for a while.

He originally preferred the Taoist Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing and Bone Strengthening Manual), but since he had already practiced the Buddhist Yi Jin Jing, there was no need to open another one; moreover, it would be easier to teach it to Xiao Gou Dan later. Of course, most importantly, the Yi Jin Jing in this system was just a body-refining method for strengthening muscles and bones and circulating qi and blood, which was perfect for his current needs!

Li Xingzhi exchanged for the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic). Having learned from his previous experience, he focused his mind on it.

He saw a bald monk practicing, which was somewhat similar to what the big-eared, big-bellied monk had taught him, but also somewhat different.

After reading it once, a mysterious feeling arose in his heart, as if he were the monk and the monk was him, no longer distinguishable! When Li Xingzhi suddenly realized this, he felt lost and disappointed, with only a vague feeling lingering in his heart. He had completely forgotten what the monk had taught him!

As Wang Xiucai was deep in thought, he suddenly saw Li Xingzhi stand up and do some strange movements that seemed unbelievable to others. The little dog Dan next to him also looked at Li Xingzhi with some curiosity. However, unlike Li Xingzhi, who had practiced the Yi Jin Jing, he was somewhat familiar with these movements, yet he was not quite sure if they were true or not.

After completing the set of movements, Li Xingzhi was drenched in sweat. He had only managed to finish because he was so immersed in the essence of the Yi Jin Jing; in reality, the Yi Jin Jing had seven sets of movements, and he was unable to complete the rest. Seeing Wang Xiucai and Xiao Gou Dan watching him, he felt a little embarrassed by his obliviousness.

"I learned the Yi Jin Jing from a great monk, but my master modified it a bit," Li Xingzhi explained. He never bothered to prepare a lie now, though it seemed strange to outsiders.

Although the Tang Dynasty promoted Taoism and suppressed Buddhism, and even many supernatural tales depicted how ugly Buddhist sects were, it did not affect the reputation of Shaolin Temple. The story of "Eighteen Shaolin Monks Saving the King of Qin" is also widely circulated.

Having spent many years mingling in the wilderness, Wang Xiucai had naturally heard of the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic), but he wasn't surprised, as he had seen many extraordinary things happen to this young man.

This is not a martial arts world. Even if there are some amazing skills, not many people would fight to the death for them.

There are many profound techniques, but few people can understand them, and even fewer can truly master them.

Li Xingzhi practiced the set of movements again, but felt that the effect was not as good as the first time. After practicing for the third time, he felt his body start to ache and become weak, so he dared not continue practicing. Too much of a good thing is bad, and his current body was already at its limit!

To give Xiao Gou Dan a high starting point, Li Xingzhi taught him the entire first set of movements from the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic). Xiao Gou Dan was young and flexible, so the first set of movements wasn't too difficult for him. Wang Xiucai watched from the sidelines but didn't intend to learn; in his view, martial arts practitioners who fought to the death were ultimately not on the right path.

Li Xingzhi was pleased to see how clever Xiao Gou Dan was, and decided to teach him the Ice Heart Technique. However, learning the Ice Heart Technique was much more difficult. Even with the guidance of Li Xingzhi, a good teacher, it took Xiao Gou Dan a long time to enter a meditative state, mainly because he was young and had few distracting thoughts.

Just look at Wang Xiucai, who is trying to enter a meditative state. People like him, who have been mingling in the wilderness, have many thoughts and even more distractions. Although he is much better off than people in later generations who are bombarded by information every day, and with Li Xingzhi's help, he doesn't need a hundred days of foundation building. However, without several dozen days of self-cultivation, it would be impossible for him to enter a meditative state.

Hearing Li Xingzhi say this, Wang Xiucai calmed down.

In truth, Li Xingzhi already had some ideas about Wang Xiucai and Xiao Gou Dan's cultivation. But regardless, they needed to experience hardship first; the easier something is to obtain, the less it is valued. In later generations, books were so plentiful they were often used to wipe one's backside, but the number of people who truly internalized their knowledge wasn't necessarily much greater than today. True literary masters and great scholars have largely disappeared. Why?

After finishing a set of Yi Jin Jing, Li Xingzhi began to meditate silently, practicing the Bing Xin Jue. He needed to reach the minor success level as soon as possible so that he could practice internal energy cultivation techniques.

Once you truly get the hang of it, the experience becomes unforgettable, quite unlike the dry and boring descriptions in books. Of course, for Wang Xiucai, it was incredibly dry!