Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Led by the servant, we passed through a landscaped garden, completely masking the surrounding noise, and arrived at an elegant residence. The residence had no doors or walls on any side, but was instead covered by screens, with shadowy figures that perfectly blocked the view from the outside.

The servant had already left.

Li Xingzhi walked to the door with a hint of curiosity. Just as he was about to pass by the screen, suddenly, the sound of a zither rang out, like a clear spring flowing into his heart. Then, a clear and cold voice rang out, melodious yet indescribably poignant. When it rang out, it was like a cuckoo crying blood. When it turned back, it was like a cold spring sobbing, making people feel a chill rise up from within!

Even a cultivator with such strong self-control as Li Xingzhi couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow!

As Li Xingzhi listened to the lingering, melodious music, he paused, shook his head slightly, sighed, and then passed behind the screen as if he were in the main hall.

On a protruding wooden platform in the hall, a woman with a slender figure, her face veiled, and her robes flowing, her long sleeves fluttering, subtly concealing her alluring charm. Her dance, while graceful, inexplicably carried a hint of strength, which blended perfectly with the mournful and eerie melody she sang! The listeners felt as if they were witnessing a brutal scene of war, bloodshed, and carnage! The horses neighed, the wind wept!

For some reason, Li Xingzhi could always sense an unyielding and resolute spirit in his voice!

How could a prostitute be so sentimental? Li Xingzhi didn't quite understand, but he simply appreciated the beautiful dance and music.

Beside the wooden screen, a woman watched the woman dancing in the center, her brows furrowed, her eyes flashing with a fierce light. Her once charming oval face was now contorted with malice! "You brat, I only asked you to have some fun, why are you singing such mournful tunes! Looks like I need to teach you a lesson..."

After the dance and song, the hall was quiet. Suddenly, applause and shouts erupted, and people showered the silk with compliments! At this moment, the ferocity on the woman's face vanished, replaced by a gentle smile, and her eyes were full of laughter!

Only then did Li Xingzhi notice that there were countless tables and chairs in the hall, and most of the people sitting there were young men or self-proclaimed romantic scholars.

"Excellent! Miss Ying'er sang so well! I, Qian Youde, offer you one hundred pieces of silk, just to invite you to have a chat!" A young man with slicked-back hair and unsteady legs stood up, watching the departing figure, and shouted.

Those around frowned deeply at the man who had stood up and was shouting, clearly disapproving. No one dared to reprimand him. The woman standing by the screen, however, had a smile playing on her lips, her face crinkling into a large chrysanthemum shape, her thoughts preoccupied with the half-cartload of silk and other gifts.

"Hmph! Son of a cunning merchant, don't you dare disgrace a fairy-like figure like Miss Ying'er!" Someone, already captivated by the beauty on stage, blurted out in a fit of anger.

Once someone took the lead, everyone around him chimed in, and the noise grew louder! The few people sitting next to the slick-haired, powdered-faced man seemed to feel ashamed and quietly moved away.

As Qian Youde listened to what the people around him were saying, his face kept changing color, from pale pink to bluish-black to flushed red!

"You, you..."

Surrounded by either young masters or learned and talented men, Qian Youde dared not utter a single word of his grievances, his breath rising in his chest!

At this moment, music came to the rescue, its melodious notes like a clear mountain stream, silencing the noise in the hall and instantly calming the tense atmosphere.

Li Xingzhi also found a small table, calmed down, listened to the gentle melody of the deep mortal world, and tasted the slightly fishy natural goat milk. He swayed his head slightly, feeling completely at ease!

Suddenly, the young man with the fair complexion and hoarse voice sitting in the hall started yelling at his cronies again, as if afraid they wouldn't hear him. His words were laced with smugness, "Of the four great merchants of Chang'an—Zhao, Qian, Sun, and Li—my Qian family has risen to prominence and is now almost on par with the Zhao family. But the Li family… hehe…"

The men beside him, dressed in fine clothes and clearly from merchant families, tactfully chimed in after Qian Youde's words: "The Li family? What happened to the Li family? I heard that the once-declining Li family has now found a powerful patron, and their fortunes are about to turn around!"

"Although the Li family is not something my Qian family considers worthy of our attention, they are still quite formidable! However, what you don't know is that the fiancée of the Li family's eldest grandson is about to fall into my hands, Qian Youde!"

"The direct grandson of the Li family?" Several people around Qian Youde looked at him with some suspicion. "Didn't the Li family already die out?" The malice in their words was obvious! Hearing this, the few upright people around him shook their heads and sighed.

"Childless? The bloodline has been found again! But whether it's a bastard or a mongrel, the Li family probably doesn't even know!" Qian Youde's eyes flashed with malice. He continued, "You don't know, the Zhou family's daughter from Chang'an and the Li family's son were betrothed since childhood. However, the Zhou family has taken a liking to me, with my handsome looks and immense wealth, and they're planning to give the Zhou family's daughter to me to play with..." As he spoke, his face became lewd, and he grinned repeatedly. The people around him laughed knowingly...

The Qian family? Li Xingzhi listened to Qian Youde's words, his eyes flickering with a cold glint, thinking to himself: Since you Qian family members have delivered yourselves to my doorstep, I'll take you in as soon as possible!

"So you're the infamous Qian Youde of Chang'an! We've heard that old man Qian Buyong of the Qian family has homosexual tendencies and is having an affair with old man Zhou, which is why he broke his promise and forced his poor granddaughter to marry someone else? A few days ago, I heard from the Zhou family servants that Miss Zhou was threatening to die at home, saying she'd rather marry a chicken or a dog than marry you, Qian Youde!" Just as Qian Youde and his group were talking animatedly, a young man in blue robes suddenly stood up, his voice so loud that it silenced the entire room! Everyone heard what he said!

"Oh! I remember now!" the boy exclaimed in surprise. "That's what Miss Zhou said back then—'A woman follows her husband wherever he goes, whether he's a chicken or a dog; if she marries a wicked man, she'll lose her soul!'"

"Good! 'A woman follows her husband wherever he goes, whether he marries a chicken or a dog'? A perfect couplet, indeed a fine line!" A seemingly bookish young man stood up and shouted, his face serious as if he were genuinely appreciating the words. However, a hint of mockery in his eyes betrayed him!

Other self-proclaimed literary figures, upon hearing the young man's praise, chewed on it briefly and found it easy to recite, but didn't think it was anything special.

Only then did Qian Youde realize what was happening. He looked at the people beside him muttering to themselves, and his face turned green with rage! That 'bookworm's' cheer only fueled his anger! He knew that this whole mess had completely humiliated him! If this got back to his old man at home…

"You, you, you all, I'm going to kill you!" Qian Youde stared at the young man in blue who had started speaking, his eyes flashing with ferocity. He could no longer care about anything else and rushed over.

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It's too late! Enough said, debts must be repaid eventually!