Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Just as the burly, dark-faced man leading the group to inspect the horses was having some difficulty, a high-pitched neighing of a horse rang out from the outskirts of the camp. This neigh, less sharp than those of the other horses, was more deep and resonant, striking the hearts of everyone like a heavy hammer. The sound was filled with pride and excitement.

Upon hearing the horse's neigh, the burly, dark-faced man's expression changed, and he opened his mouth wide, cursing angrily. Li Xingzhi never expected that this tall, simple-minded man would curse even more fiercely than a shrew who had spent years in the lower classes.

The burly man, just as he was getting into trouble, looked at Li Xingzhi beside him with an embarrassed expression. Clearly, hearing the lewd remarks following the horse's neigh had become a conditioned reflex for him. Li Xingzhi, however, was puzzled. What terrible thing had that horse done to provoke such a burly man to curse like that?

"My lord, please don't be offended, it's just that this damned horse is too despicable!" Seeing Li Xingzhi listening to him with interest, the burly man decided to tell him all about the horse's outrageous deeds. "That horse has been following us since we entered the border. After we entered the pass, it even mingled with the herd of horses and stole the wine and dried meat we had left over from the past few days, leaving us starving for a whole day." As he finished speaking, his face was full of indignation, and he took a deep breath.

"Why not just capture that horse?"

"That beast is more cunning than a fox. We failed several times, and its fur is a mess of gray, with a huge scar on its body. It's really not worth the effort." The burly man with the dark face clearly harbored a great deal of resentment towards the horse. "We've tried to catch that scoundrel a few times, and it's held a grudge. It's been following us all along, and it'll come out and cause trouble whenever we're not careful. Several times, it's stolen our dried meat and wine. Once, that beast almost lured the whole herd away."

"I'd like to see this horse for myself."

Seeing Li Xingzhi's interested expression, the burly man felt a headache coming on and hated that beast even more. "That kind of beast is unworthy of a gentleman's status. You should choose a good horse here!"

Li Xingzhi never forced himself to do things he wasn't interested in. In the end, no matter how much the big man talked, Li Xingzhi still didn't choose a horse. He directly led Zhou Rou'er, whose face was flushed and who was extremely embarrassed, onto the white horse.

Although this action is still somewhat shocking at the moment, it is nothing in the eyes of these burly men who have returned from the Western Regions.

As dawn breaks and the sun rises, it bestows a unique magnificence upon this flat and vast land.

Not long after setting off, Li Xingzhi suddenly heard voices coming from the road, as if they were calling him. If he hadn't had excellent hearing, he would have had a hard time recognizing them.

He walked towards the back of the convoy.

Behind this large caravan followed a group of people. They weren't Li Shun's men, but rather small merchants from the Western Regions, simply taking advantage of the caravan's size and hitching a ride. Of course, this came at a price, but compared to the potential gains from the wealthy Tang Dynasty, it was insignificant. This was a common profit-making opportunity for large merchant caravans that frequently traveled the Western Regions.

Li Xingzhi walked behind him and saw a burly, gray-red, travel-worn man with deep-set eyes, a high nose, and wearing a large fur hat waving at him.

Once the burly Hu man saw Li Xingzhi's face clearly, the doubt in his eyes immediately vanished. He promptly removed his large hat, revealing a face that was both unfamiliar and familiar. "Li Dalang, you don't recognize me so quickly!"

Upon seeing the burly Hu man's face and hearing his familiar voice, Li Xingzhi's face lit up with excitement. "Uncle Kui, what are you doing here?" This Hu man, Kui Xishi, was the second person he had encountered in this world, and also the one who had given him the most help during his difficult times. How could he forget him!

"I have to thank Li Dalang for taking care of me!" As he spoke, under Li Xingzhi's questioning gaze, he bowed deeply to Li Xingzhi. Kui Xishi felt a surge of gratitude and relief; if he hadn't inexplicably helped the down-on-his-luck Li Xingzhi that day, where would he be today?

"Uncle Wei, what is the reason for this?" Li Xingzhi stepped aside and bowed.

“Li Dalang taught me how to make braised meat, and I made a lot of money, which gave me the opportunity to go to the Western Regions and bring my family here, saving my parents and brothers from the suffering of wind, sand, and hunger. Such a great kindness is impossible to repay.” Immediately, Wei Dalang spoke a few more words to the few Hu people close to him. Those Hu people looked at Li Xingzhi with faces full of gratitude, and at the same time, they stood in front of Li Xingzhi and made some gestures that he couldn't understand. The people around, who had initially watched with amusement, became serious—it was the greatest courtesy the Hu people could show to their benefactor, equivalent to the Chinese phrase “willing to be ground to dust to repay the debt.”

In the eyes of the Hu people, whoever gives them meat to eat will be their servant. Not to mention someone like Li Xingzhi, who teaches them a skill to make a living—this is a great thing that benefits generations of people.

"Follow me, and you'll have meat to eat!" This is definitely not just a joke. Li Xingzhi, who has been in this world for several years, has experienced this firsthand.

"If it weren't for Uncle Wei's help back then, there might not be a Li Xingzhi today. Uncle Wei's family is reunited today, all thanks to his kindness. Let's not do that again."

Upon hearing Li Xingzhi's words, Kui Dalang stopped expressing his gratitude and instead inquired about Li Xingzhi's recent affairs.

"So that's your uncle. He's no ordinary man in the Western Regions." Kui Dalang said, then seemed reluctant to elaborate, and instead asked, "Dalang, are you heading south to return to Tanzhou?"

"It's been years since I've been back, and I'm planning to go take a look," Li Xingzhi said, his face full of emotion. Back in that world, he never imagined that something as wondrous as time travel would one day happen to him.

The two walked and talked, and around noon, the convoy suddenly stopped.

It wasn't mealtime yet, and this wasn't a place to set up camp and start a fire—Li Xingzhi was puzzled; could something have happened? He walked to the front of the convoy and saw a group of people gathered there, seemingly doing something.

"Uncle, what happened?"

Li Xingzhi was about to go inside when Li Shun grabbed him, saying, "Don't go over there, there are dirty things."

"Something evil?" Li Xingzhi's first thought was about ghosts and monsters. However, the road was wide open, and the sun was blazing; even a person could get sunburned! Let alone the absence of ghosts and monsters in this world, even if they did, they wouldn't appear at this time.

He peered through the gaps in the crowd and saw a man and a horse lying on the ground. The man was bound to the horse, both still breathing, but their bodies were tinged with an eerie blackness, and strange worms were crawling out of their mouths. These worms, upon encountering the sun, instantly turned into a pool of acidic liquid, dripping from their mouths—a truly disgusting sight. It was fortunate that the sun was shining brightly; otherwise, the man and horse would likely have long since become a rotting corpse.

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Just one chapter today.