Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

A creature lay prone in the grass, its legs bent, watching the firelight and the figures around it in the distance. Its moist eyes held a hint of a child preparing a prank.

As night deepened and darkness fell, with only a sliver of light remaining in the west, it stood up.

What is this?

If you call him a donkey, he's much taller and bigger than a donkey, even taller and bigger than an average horse! He also doesn't have the long, round ears of a donkey. If you call him a horse—but do gray horses exist in this world? Do horses exist that, like cheetahs and lions, lie prone on the ground, waiting for their chance to strike? For a horse, bending its legs is a dangerous and somewhat humiliating action.

Let's call him 'horse' for now.

This gray horse was tall and strong, its gray coat swirling from its back to its belly, resembling scales embedded in its belly from a distance. If it were only that, even with its gray coat, it would appear exceptionally heroic. However, the scars covering its entire body, including a large, bowl-sized scar on its back near its neck, along with the dust and hay covering it, completely ruined the horse's image! Like a general with crippled limbs, no matter how valiant, it could not charge into battle.

His physical ugliness did not dampen his spirits; on the contrary, the horse was full of energy, its neck held high and its eyes exceptionally bright, showing no sign of negativity.

He would occasionally lower his head, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth, and take pieces of dried meat from a cloth bag, chewing them continuously with a look of enjoyment and pleasure in his eyes. After finishing the dried meat, the horse's forelegs parted the grass on its chest, revealing a large wine sac. With a quick bite and twist, the sac was opened, releasing a faint aroma of wine. He bit the opening, stretched his neck, and shook it upwards. "Splash—," in no time, the entire sac of wine was poured into the horse's mouth.

"Swoosh—" He let out a long sigh, a wisp of white breath carrying the stench of alcohol escaping from his nose, like a drunkard who had eaten and drunk his fill. He yawned widely, a look of satisfaction on his face. The horse's head was tilted to one side, its ears pressed against the ground, as if it were asleep. However, its ears, much larger than those of an ordinary horse, twitched occasionally.

Just as the horse was sleeping soundly, a faint, slightly pungent fragrance wafted from not far away, teasing his large, moist, and sensitive nose. He snorted, raised his neck in confusion, and curiously examined the campfire ahead with his bright, slightly smoky, and wet eyes. His large nose twitched a few times, and his eyes lit up.

He cautiously surveyed his surroundings, then crawled forward like a predator. He reached the clump of grass closest to the crowd, slowly exhaling a large puff of white breath, his eyes fixed on a fragrant wooden barrel, large and radiating a powerful light.

The horse's forelegs lifted slightly, its hind legs slowly straightening, muscles taut like a drawn bowstring. "Whoosh!" The horse shot forward like an arrow, and before anyone could react, it plunged its head into the nearly empty, reddish-brown spicy meat sauce, its tongue lolling out to scoop up a large chunk. It then raised its rump, flicked its tail, let out a triumphant neigh, and with a kick of its hind legs, prepared to gallop away into the distance.

***

Li Xingzhi sat on the open ground at the edge of the line, picked up a steamed bun, spread spicy meat sauce inside, and grilled it over the fire. Soon, a fragrant aroma wafted into the distance…

Suddenly, a rustling sound reached my ears.

Li Xingzhi frowned, his hand trembled, and he was about to shoot the bamboo skewer when he heard a slight sound. A smile immediately appeared on his face. He ignored it and focused his attention on the steamed buns that had turned golden brown over the fire.

Just as Li Xingzhi was baking his large steamed buns, a strange wind carrying a slightly unpleasant smell blew his hair up, and a huge shadow suddenly rushed out from the side, ignoring the thin Li Xingzhi, and headed straight for the wooden barrel containing meat sauce not far away.

Only then did Li Xingzhi get a clear look at the creature not far in front of him—a strange horse! Its fur was matted with dust and grime, its body was covered in scars, its ears were huge, and it was covered in oil stains and smelled foul—even Li Xingzhi, who had been exposed to various unconventional infections and was well-prepared, found this appearance somewhat unacceptable.

The horse bared its teeth, its large pink tongue licking the wooden tub fiercely before turning tail and galloping back, whistling as it did so, its tail whipping high in the wind, its mane billowing long. It looked like it was about to escape again.

"You son of a bitch! I'll shave you!" It was the burly, dark-skinned man who had brought Li Xingzhi to inspect the horse. He was the first to come to his senses, and with a face full of resentment, he roared as if facing the enemy who had killed his mother, and threw the kitchen knife at his side with all his might!

"Whoosh!" The blade whistled through the air as it hurtled towards the gray horse.

Unlike other horses with poor eyesight, this gray horse was prepared when the burly man threw the gleaming cleaver in his hand. It stopped abruptly, reared up, dodged the cleaver aimed at its chest, and then galloped towards Li Xingzhi.

Watching the gray horse stop, yield, and turn with such fluid and smooth movements, Li Xingzhi's heart stirred, and his eyes suddenly lit up!

Upon reaching Li Xingzhi, he gulped down the porridge that Li Xingzhi had placed on the wooden stake. Only then, with a smug look on his face, did he continue whistling as he crossed the towering fire and casually strode forward once more.

His demeanor completely disregarded the group of people behind him who were already furious.

As for Li Xingzhi, he was ignored from the very beginning. And the smug gray horse, oblivious to Li Xingzhi, was unaware that his tragic life was about to begin…

It only takes a moment for the gray horse to charge out and run back.

Just as the gray horse was feeling smug, suddenly, a fiery heat spread from the tip of its tongue throughout its entire body.

"Hoo—" Gray Horse exhaled a heavy breath of hot air, his tongue lolling out as he panted rapidly.

"Splash, splash—" The sound of water startled the miserable gray horse awake. He turned around and saw a thin, upright creature pouring water from a jug into a large wooden bowl. Hearing the splashing water, the gray horse felt the burning sensation in his chest and on his tongue lessen considerably. He looked at the bowl of water, his eyes filled with intense longing.

Gray Horse glanced at the thin figure not far away, then at the crowd still standing there—these people all thought they wouldn't be caught again this time—after a slight hesitation, he ran to Li Xingzhi's side and gulped down water.

Li Xingzhi stroked the horse's head, and the gray horse trembled. It instinctively felt that the creature in front of it had no ill intentions. With years of experience, it felt that the creature in front of it was no threat, so it focused more on drinking the carbonated water.

In fact, drinking water did little to alleviate the burning sensation on the tip of the tongue. By the time the water was finished, the crowd had already approached, and several people were even riding horses towards them.

The gray horse's tongue burned, but it dared not linger and was about to leave. Suddenly, it felt a weight on its body; the creature it had disregarded had sat on it.

The gray horse was startled! It leaped up!

The horse's legs were taut as it charged forward, sometimes rearing up, sometimes turning sideways, and then dashing into the grass, creating a whistling sound as its mane whipped out, pulling away from the crowd that was chasing after it.

Li Shun was startled and worried when he saw Li Xingzhi suddenly mount the gray horse. He couldn't care less about anything else, grabbed the horse beside him, and slapped its rump mercilessly, chasing after it. "Get down! Get down quickly!" Li Shun shouted urgently. Watching the gray horse gradually disappear into the distance, he felt even more angry and anxious.

Just then, Li Xingzhi's clear voice, followed by the wind in his ear, came from afar, "Uncle, I'll be right back. Don't worry!"

Hearing Li Xingzhi say this, Li Shun was still worried, but he gradually calmed down. Li Xingzhi was still able to answer while sitting on his horse, which showed that he was very good at riding. It was just that he was worried and confused!

Just as Li Shun watched Li Xingzhi run away, seemingly hopeless in his pursuit, suddenly, a gust of wind swept by, and a fiery red figure, accompanied by a black horse, leaped out from behind him. A girl's tinkling voice rang out from the horse, filled with excitement, "Brother Li, wait for me—!" Not long after the black horse passed, a girl in white rode up slowly on a white horse, her eyes filled with envy as she watched the red-clad woman galloping swiftly on horseback.

Li Xingzhi rode his horse, the wind howling through the heavens and earth! The stars were already shining, and the world suddenly appeared vast and mysterious.

The gray horse, gleaming with a silver light under the stars, unlike its daytime appearance, swept across the plains like a sharp arrow flashing with a cold glint.

The horses neighed loudly, and a clear, long cry came from their backs, filled with unparalleled exhilaration!

This is the voice of freedom! It's the howling wind between heaven and earth!

Li Xingzhi let out a long howl, expelling the suffocating atmosphere of the deep courtyard he had lived in for many years. He felt light all over, all the obstruction in his chest disappeared, and his body swayed as if about to take flight—this is the life I have always wanted, Li Xingzhi thought to himself.

On this vast, flat plain, the wind howled. The gray horse ran faster and faster, its momentum rendering it unable to do anything else but continue forward, accelerating forward, galloping wildly! The strong wind rushed in, and the intense heat within its body radiated outwards. The gray horse felt a warm, swirling mass of energy within it, urging it to gallop forward...

After an unknown amount of time, the horse's mane was straightened by the wind, making it impossible to tell whether it was the wind or the horse running. The gray horse could no longer feel the weight on its body; it galloped wildly, experiencing the exhilaration of breaking free of its shackles and pushing its limits! It had completely forgotten that there was a person on its back.

At this moment, Li Xingzhi stood with his hands behind his back on his horse, as if standing on flat ground. The wind howled, yet it couldn't stir his clothes. Under the starlight, a hazy blue light emanated from him, blurring his features, making him appear like an immortal standing on a celestial horse soaring through the wind...

Sweat rolled down the horse's body, the heat subsided, and a long wind swept across its body, bringing a slight chill. Its large hooves gradually slowed down. Even this grey horse, a rare breed known for its daily gallops and speed and endurance surpassing even the king of horses, felt somewhat exhausted and weak. Although it was more tired than ever before, the exhilaration of pushing its limits made it all worthwhile.

He believed that in a couple of days, once he recovered, he would be able to run even faster and better follow the wind's path.

Just as the gray horse strolled to the edge of a pond and slowly drank water to recover its strength, it felt a slight heaviness followed by lightness on its body, and the thin humanoid creature it had seen earlier appeared before its eyes.

A hint of panic appeared in the gray horse's eyes.

Li Xingzhi stood beside the ugly horse, gently stroking its head. A trace of green wood energy seeped into the gray horse's broad veins, constantly surging through it—the gray horse felt a surge of pleasure in its previously aching body, and its weak muscles tensed up once again.

"Swoosh—" The gray horse exhaled a breath of stale air, its somewhat dirty head rubbing against Li Xingzhi, its big eyes filled with gratitude. Then, it lowered its head and slowly began to drink water.

The gray horse drank a few sips of water, chewed a few tender grasses, paced a few steps, and suddenly its hind legs buckled, propelling it forward. After galloping several feet, it turned back to look at Li Xingzhi, tilted its head back and snorted, its eyes revealing a hint of smugness and provocation, like a child who had tricked his way into snatching candy. Then, it continued galloping forward.

Li Xingzhi stared at the fleeing horse, feeling a mix of astonishment and amusement. Didn't television and books always say that as long as you weren't thrown off, the horse would naturally be tamed once it ran out of steam? Why was this strange horse behaving this way?

He shook his head, looking at the strange horse that was wiggling its butt and occasionally turning back to look at Li Xingzhi with a smug look in its eyes, and thought to himself: Today we'll see how you little horse can escape my grasp!

Immediately, he used his newly mastered "Treading Snow Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill, lightly touching the ground with his feet, and naturally traversed several meters. Just as the gray horse snorted and prepared to look back again, suddenly, a dark shadow magnified infinitely in his eyes. Before he could react, Li Xingzhi appeared beside him.

Seeing Li Xingzhi's smiling face, the gray horse quickly pushed off with its legs, widened the distance, snorted in dissatisfaction, and ran forward even faster. Just as it was about to turn back again to look around smugly, it found that Li Xingzhi had appeared beside it once more, like a shadow.

This time, the gray horse dared not look back. It exerted all its strength, unleashing the speed it had just broken through, and galloped forward with all its might.

Watching the horse gallop like the wind, Li Xingzhi's eyes gleamed with deep affection. Not daring to relax, he mustered his strength and gave chase. The two of them began to race across the open field. Li Xingzhi's steps were so powerful they seemed to fly, his footsteps stomping directly over the fluffy grass. The grass, as if blown by the wind, bowed slightly.

In the distance, a caravan passed by on the main road and witnessed this scene. They all gaped in astonishment, and only after the man and horse disappeared into the distance did they awaken from their reverie...

A night passed, and Li Xingzhi still hadn't returned. Li Shun's eyes were bloodshot, and his brows furrowed with worry. Meanwhile, Li Linzhi, who had rushed out to look for Li Xingzhi last night, had returned sullenly and slept soundly. Zhou Rou'er, however, also showed a pale, worried expression on her fair face.

The convoy remained stationary, and even as the sun approached its zenith, it still hadn't moved. The small vendors following behind, though disgruntled, kept their discontent to themselves.

Just when countless people were worried, a clear whistle rang out, followed by a heavy neighing of horses like thunder.

Li Shun suddenly stood up and saw the grass parting on the horizon, and a man and a horse charging out...