Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Even in this dire situation, the man slumped on his horse still tightly gripped the sword strapped to his back. Wisps of black smoke emanated from the sword, emitting a foul stench, and the bodies of the man and horse approaching the sword were shrouded in a thick black aura.

"Wait—a longsword?" Since mastering the Ice Heart Technique, Li Xingzhi's memory had become exceptional. He immediately recognized the black, decaying longsword, which resembled the Qingfeng sword he had glimpsed on the ship that day. He then looked at the man's figure and face and immediately understood that this was the same person from the ship that day.

"Uncle, have you ever heard of Gu poison?" Li Xingzhi asked, looking at Li Shun, who was holding him tightly beside him.

"Gu poison?" Li Shun was taken aback, then immediately understood the meaning behind Li Xingzhi's words, and his whole body trembled. "You mean—" He didn't finish his sentence, clearly very concerned.

Those surrounding the man and horse, upon hearing the mention of 'poisonous insects,' retreated in alarm. This stuff, regardless of whether one had been tainted or not, could lead to the annihilation of one's entire family and clan! Although witchcraft was not as prevalent in the Tang Dynasty as it was in the Han Dynasty, its influence remained significant in certain areas.

Seeing the look of shock on Li Shun's face, Li Xingzhi nodded solemnly.

Li Shun's expression gradually returned to calm, his face grave. He immediately ordered the caravan to be turned around and take another route. Regardless of whether they would be implicated, for these people who were only after money, it was best to stay far away from such matters.

Originally, Li Xingzhi was only somewhat interested in the wandering knight, but when he saw the Gu poison and witchcraft again, he couldn't calm down. The incident in Tanzhou a few years ago still haunted him. Although he had now found ways to protect himself, the witch who had appeared out of nowhere remained a thorn in his side.

Although the person in front of him was nothing compared to the strange witchcraft he had been under that day, it was still a clue.

Li Xingzhi immediately made up his mind.

In order not to cause trouble for his uncle, he traveled with the caravan for a while before making an excuse to leave for a while.

Without even mounting a horse, he used his light-footed skill, leaving no trace in the snow, and immediately his body felt weightless as he floated in the opposite direction of the caravan. With a light step, he covered several feet without raising a speck of dust! His seemingly slow pace returned him to the side of the man and horse lying on the ground in no time.

Only then did Li Xingzhi have a chance to carefully examine the swordsman lying on the ground—black had completely enveloped his body. He was expressionless, staring straight at the sun high in the sky, showing neither submission nor resistance, only calm, calmly awaiting death. Perhaps, for him, this was as ordinary as eating and drinking, the only fate he had long anticipated.

Suddenly, the swordsman felt the sunlight shining on him being blocked by a shadow, and his already chilly body became even colder. He slightly turned his eyes and saw a young man in a blue robe standing in front of him. The young man had an extraordinary air about him, and his face did not show the fear and panic he usually saw, only curiosity and calmness.

The boy crouched down and tapped the swordsman's chest a few times with his fingers like a sword. The swordsman immediately felt the poison gas that was gradually approaching his chest and heart being blocked; his continuously losing life force began to slowly return; and his cold body also regained a little warmth.

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes—it was the legendary Meridian-Severing Technique! It could actually suppress Cheng's witchcraft!

In the Tang Dynasty, a world where Qi cultivation was exaggerated into a kind of immortal art, the miraculous technique of acupoint striking was probably only passed down orally among a very small number of people. When Li Xingzhi used it, the swordsman naturally mistook it for a secret method of cutting off meridians.

Seeing the surprise and confusion in the swordsman's eyes, Li Xingzhi offered no explanation, but instead took out an antidote pill from his pocket. The swordsman swallowed the pill and immediately felt a wave of relief wash over him. He thought to himself, "I wonder what kind of miraculous medicine this is. I've traveled the martial world for years and have never heard of it; moreover, I don't know when such a young master appeared in this world." Although the swordsman had his doubts, he felt mostly gratitude for Li Xingzhi's help, and naturally didn't know that Li Xingzhi had gone to such lengths to save him for a different purpose.

Seeing the faint black lines on the swordsman's face, Li Xingzhi frowned immediately—he wondered what kind of poison it was, that it was so potent, even his tried-and-true antidote was ineffective. Without further thought, he simply placed his right hand on his left wrist and gently touched it, saying, "Let's get started, come out and help!"

Upon hearing Li Xingzhi's words, the swordsman was startled and immediately glanced around, but saw no one else. Just as he was wondering what was going on, he suddenly saw a golden light flash from the sleeve of the young man's left hand. Before he could react, he felt a chill on his right shoulder, which had just regained some sensation, and saw a foot-long golden snake biting his shoulder.

The swordsman, thinking Li Xingzhi intended to let the snake bite him to death, immediately felt a chill in his heart and a surge of resentment. Even someone as indifferent to life and death as him would go mad if someone gave him hope only to extinguish it immediately! Moreover, just moments ago, he had regarded the person before him as a great benefactor and was filled with gratitude.

He looked at the small snake on his shoulder, his face slightly pale, and closed his eyes, awaiting death. After a long while, he felt a warm sensation all over his body, an indescribable comfort compared to before. He suddenly opened his eyes and discovered that the golden snake had somehow returned to the boy's body, staring at him with its small, round golden eyes, its face full of disdain. It stretched its neck and rubbed against Li Xingzhi's neck, just like a spoiled child.

"Alright! Stop fooling around. This is your reward for today." Li Xingzhi pulled out a large, fully formed ginseng from his sleeve, amidst the swordsman's wide-eyed stare.

Before long, the giant ginseng, right under the snake's mouth, gradually shriveled up, eventually turning into a withered skin that fell to the ground and turned into dust.

"Who are you?" The swordsman struggled to sit up and asked Li Xingzhi in a cold voice. His eyes clearly showed gratitude, but his tone made it sound as if he owed Li Xingzhi hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Li Xingzhi was rather curious about this swordsman. Having been in this world for several years, this was the first time he had truly come into contact with the hidden forces of this world. "Who I am is unimportant, and I don't need you to repay any favors. I only hope you can answer some questions for me."

The swordsman was slightly taken aback, but immediately said, "As long as I can speak, I will tell you everything!" Judging from the other party's extraordinary skills, he must be rich and noble, so there was really nothing he could do to help him.

"Who are you? And where did you get your martial arts skills from?"

The swordsman frowned slightly upon hearing Li Xingzhi's words—it was the first time he had been asked such a direct question. Nevertheless, he answered crisply, "My name is Chang Deyun, from Qingzhou. As a child, I was taken in by my master and brought to the Xiling Snow Mountain in Sichuan to learn swordsmanship..."

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I'm not sure if today's chapter is padded. I've been feeling really down these past two days, and I'll probably be dragged out for a "criticism" tomorrow night, so I really don't feel like writing anymore. I'll resume updating with two chapters in a couple of days o(╯□╰)o