Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and life remained as peaceful as ever.

With the system store, Li Xingzhi no longer needs to worry about food and clothing. The only thing that needs to be changed is his accommodation—it's not good to always be squatting in a dilapidated temple!

Li Xingzhi had originally planned to build a house by the lake, since there was plenty of timber and the lakeside was very peaceful, which would be perfect for someone like him who was fed up with the hustle and bustle of the city. However, after Wang Xiucai's reminder, and considering the safety of the outside world and, most importantly, the future life of Xiao Gou Dan, he decided to buy a courtyard house in the city.

From the fifth day of the lunar new year when the market reopened, Wang Xiucai began to travel around, contacting brokers (what we would call real estate agents in later times) to prepare to buy a house.

Having found out about the house for sale, Wang Xiucai began to look at it. Wang Xiucai had long since become the head housekeeper for this family.

He handled all matters related to money transactions, and in front of outsiders, he began to act as the steward of the Li family. Although Li Xingzhi wanted to treat Wang Xiucai as an elder, he could only retreat in frustration when faced with Wang Xiucai's long list of reasons.

However, he felt a greater sense of respect and admiration for Wang Xiucai. In front of outsiders, he called him "steward," but at home, he respectfully addressed him as "Sir."

As a socialist time traveler with ideals, morality, and culture, Li Xingzhi's requirements for accommodation were clearly not high, which can be summarized in three points: spacious! Quiet! With water!

Such conditions were nothing special in ancient times when the land was vast and the population sparse. However, in Changsha, a city that was not very large, most of the large and quiet houses were occupied by wealthy families, and even if there were any, they were not easy to find.

Wang Xiucai was sent on a whim by Li Xingzhi to wander aimlessly around Changsha. Finally, on the ninth day, Wang Xiucai managed to find a large house that met Li Xingzhi's requirements.

On the tenth day, Li Xingzhi took his dog, Xiao Dan, and prepared to go house hunting with Wang Xiucai.

The house is located at the southwest corner of Guiyifang in the southwest corner of Changsha city, which is the sharp corner of the southwest of Changsha city. The location is indeed very remote. The reason why no one wants it is not only because the location is remote and inconvenient to travel, but also because it is said that the courtyard is haunted. It has scared away several potential buyers and even drove one crazy. So, no one has inquired about it so far.

Entering through the south gate and heading west, the area becomes increasingly remote and deserted, seemingly devoid of human presence. Occasionally, one or two crows will fly out from some corner, cawing loudly. Most people wouldn't even dare to walk on the road. It's a mystery what the original owner of this house did, building it in such a secluded little corner!

The bluestone slabs were covered with water stains and moss, making them slippery and indicating that no one had walked on them for a long time.

Although this place is a bit remote, it has some advantages besides the inconvenience of getting around. For example, if Li Xingzhi wants to do something, he won't attract attention. As for ghosts, Li Xingzhi has already encountered such a strange event as time travel, so what's there to be afraid of? After all, he has the Super System, the biggest bug in the entire universe, protecting him! Compared to ghosts, he believes more that someone is secretly causing trouble.

Walking along the cool stone slabs until you reach the end, then turning a corner, you'll arrive at the Blue Stone Well. This 'Blue Stone Well' isn't actually a well, but rather a narrow alleyway, with the main entrance of the house facing directly into it.

Looking at the dark door in front of me, it wasn't large, mainly because it lacked any grandeur, but it wasn't small either. The door was quite dilapidated, covered in dust, and through the cracks, I could vaguely see the stone wall behind it. Wild grass grew on the wall beside it, and green moss climbed all over the wall. Miscellaneous trees stretched out from the wall, revealing their messy branches, and there were nests made by unknown birds on them.

"Creak—" The door was pushed open, and upon entering, a long stone wall blocked the view a few meters away. The stone wall was carved with various patterns that had become blurred and indistinct due to the wear and tear of time, and the uneven surface was quite unsightly.

This stone wall is also called the Xiao Wall, and the idiom "trouble arises from within the walls" originates from it.

Walking past the stone wall, you'll see a large courtyard overgrown with miscellaneous trees and weeds. There are also two rows of weapon racks on either side, displaying various weapons, though they are already covered in rust.

Directly opposite is the main hall, with side halls on both sides. The side facing the courtyard has no wall, and Li Xingzhi's good eyesight can see the thick dust and cobwebs inside.

The various houses are connected by long corridors, with black tiles and white walls, still showing their original spaciousness and grandeur. Beyond the front courtyard, the extended corridors connect the kitchen, side rooms, halls, and so on.

Further on, you'll see two lakes—one is round like a mirror, and the other is crescent-shaped, each covering about ten acres. The crescent-shaped lake connects to the mirror-shaped lake, with an arched bridge spanning it to the other side. Beyond that, besides a few flower-covered houses, there's a wall, and you can see other people's tiled houses and wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.

Li Xingzhi was very satisfied with the place, especially the lake at the back, which was actually flowing water, suggesting that there were several springs at the bottom or that it was directly connected to groundwater. However, the size of the courtyard far exceeded his expectations, and he wondered who had built it.

Li Xingzhi nodded to Wang Xiucai, and the matter was settled. The broker who had been following them all the way also smiled upon seeing this.

Within a few days, with the gold given by Li Xingzhi, the matter was quickly settled. After tidying up the dilapidated temple, they were ready to move!

There were quite a few things to do during this period, but fortunately Li Xingzhi had plenty of money. Wang Xiucai bought dozens of strong slaves, plus dozens of servants and maids, so things were handled relatively smoothly. Under Li Xingzhi's instructions, Wang Xiucai squandered money extravagantly, almost alarming the government.

Finally, the courtyard was cleared before the fifteenth of the month. Although Li Xingzhi was not very satisfied, it was barely habitable.

That day, Li Xingzhi was packing his luggage, preparing to move to his new home, when suddenly he heard his little dog, Dan, anxiously searching for something.

"Little Egg, what are you looking for?"

"Brother Ya Zi, Xiao Jin Zi is missing..." came the clear, slightly anxious, sobbing voice.

Hearing this, Li Xingzhi felt relieved. Relying on the connection in his heart, he summoned Xiao Jin. At this moment, a rat with golden fur scurried out from under the Buddha statue, holding a small jade Buddha between its paws, showing off and boasting.

"Hey—Little Jin, did you take the jade Buddha out from under the Buddha statue?" Li Xingzhi asked. At this moment, Little Dog Egg was no longer in a hurry and looked curiously at the jade Buddha that Little Jin was holding.

Little Jin squeaked a few times and gestured with its two paws. Li Xingzhi understood what it meant and became interested.

"I didn't expect there to be such a treasure in this temple," Li Xingzhi said happily. He patted Xiao Jin's head and said, "I didn't expect our little Jin to be a treasure-hunting rat. Once we move to our new home, you can drink as much as you want!" Xiao Jin heard the word "drink" clearly and squeaked excitedly.

Li Xingzhi summoned several powerful servants and ordered them to push the Buddha statue away. During the Tang Dynasty, Taoism was the state religion, and Buddhism was declining. These servants were rough men with no sense of propriety.

Three burly men pushed the Buddha statue with all their might, but the large statue only moved slightly before it stood firm again, as if it had been trained to withstand a thousand-pound weight. Even with the veins bulging on the men's hands, it did not move an inch.

"I didn't expect it to be solid wood." Seeing that the three big men couldn't move it, Li Xingzhi went up and gave them a hand, and the Buddha statue was slowly pushed open.

The other servants beside him looked at Li Xingzhi differently. After all, the Tang Dynasty was an era that valued military strength. Even if they couldn't choose their masters, following a powerful master would still ensure a better life, wouldn't it?

After consuming the Ten Thousand Year Stone Milk, Li Xingzhi's Yi Jin Jing progressed rapidly, his arm strength increased dramatically, and his Quanzhen Inner Strength Technique also advanced at lightning speed. If he channeled his already minor internal energy into his arms, even three or five ordinary strong men wouldn't be able to compete with him in strength. Keep in mind, he is only fourteen years old now, and with his physical development, his arm strength will likely increase several times over in a few years!

Pushing aside the Buddha statue, a large wooden box was found embedded in the stone base beneath it. A small hole had been cut in one of the corners, which explained why he hadn't been seen much lately; he had apparently gone to the Earth Cave. Opening the box, Li Xingzhi was dazzled by the various gold and silver jewels inside. However, he quickly composed himself, realizing that the system had plenty of such things and he didn't care much for them.

What Li Xingzhi valued even more were the various books wrapped in kraft paper. He gently unwrapped the paper, revealing the scent of ink, and carefully flipped through the pages. The printing quality, by his modern standards, was quite poor. Some of the content was repetitive, including Confucian classics, Buddhist texts, and Taoist books; he wondered what the owner did for a living.

Li Xingzhi glanced at them briefly before setting them aside. He couldn't understand why the man had placed these books, which didn't seem particularly exquisite, alongside gold and silver jewels. He couldn't comprehend the ancients' deep appreciation and attachment to books. Especially in the Tang Dynasty, a time of numerous powerful families, aside from common classic texts, most books were kept secret and kept hidden away in high places by these aristocratic clans.

"Everyone who sees it gets a share!" Li Xingzhi was not stingy. He took some gold and silver jewelry from the box that he didn't like and gave it to the servants, who were deeply impressed by their master's generosity.

Li Xingzhi is now experiencing some of the downsides of the system shop, which aren't necessarily bad. Like this time, he found so much gold and silver jewelry; he should have been thrilled, but so far, he hasn't felt any excitement at all. Seeing too much stuff in the system easily desensitizes one, and one stops appreciating it.

On my second visit to Qing Shi Jing Lane, perhaps due to the increased foot traffic, it felt more lively, with servants already waiting at the entrance. Passing through the stone wall, I arrived at the courtyard. The weeds in the courtyard had been cleared away, and the rotten weapon racks beside it had long been moved away. The main hall and houses had been tidied up, and although they were still somewhat dilapidated, they were already showing signs of improvement. Renovation is not something that can be done in a short time.

Li Xingzhi walked around and looked at everything. It was all in pretty good condition, except that many tiles on the long corridor were broken. He walked to the lakeside and found that the embankment was completely rotten, filled with deep silt, making it impossible to walk for at least ten meters. He had no choice but to give up.