Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Chapter 208

I didn't expect to write this late. I had a big meal tonight, thankfully I didn't starve.

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The next day, it was still dark.

On the large bed, the night passed without mention of the soft, beautiful woman.

Li Xingzhi opened his eyes, gently removed Li Linzhi's delicate little feet from his body, and slowly withdrew his arms from Zhou Rou'er's embrace. He carefully moved out of the silk quilt, and without any apparent movement, he seemed to be carried away by a gentle breeze, floating lightly to the floor below the bed without making a sound.

With a wave of his hand, a gentle breeze suddenly arose, lifting up several thin garments. He simply slipped one on, and he was once again a handsome young man.

The door opened silently, and a handsome young man stepped out, keeping the chill outside at bay.

Li Xingzhi stepped outside and saw a sea of ​​white under the starlight; the air was faintly cold but not biting, and even in the depths of winter, it carried the warmth inherent in the south.

The shimmering white light and the gentle chill instantly cleared Li Xingzhi's mind, dispelling most of his drowsiness from the previous night.

With a gentle wave of his thin long sleeves, he brushed away a layer of the floating snow. He scooped up a handful of fine, white snow and gently rubbed it against his face, giving his already fair complexion a soft rosy glow. His eyes, clear as water, shone even brighter. He then took a mouthful of snow water to moisten his throat.

Having cultivated to such a level, he was already free from worldly defilement. This action, besides being a long-standing habit, was more about wanting to experience the purity of snow and the chill of winter.

He teased the two fire carp for a while before leaving the courtyard and strolling towards the backyard.

The closer one gets to the back courtyard, the more desolate it becomes. Houses gradually become sparse, and there are no traces of people. Grass and moss disappear, and withered branches lie askew. The entire view is a vast expanse of pale white, desolate.

Continuing onward, amidst a withered forest, a patch of tender yellow and two patches of deep red suddenly appeared, accompanied by a faint, lingering fragrance.

Take a few more steps forward, and you'll see several wintersweet trees standing proudly!

He had never seen such beautiful plum blossoms, nor smelled such a delicate fragrance!

In my past life, for some reason, whenever plum blossoms bloomed, it was always under the warm spring sun, and I always saw withered branches and decaying blossoms, a few pale or gaudy ones clinging listlessly to the branches. Therefore, whenever I read poems praising plum blossoms, I always feel a bit insincere, and what I read takes on a different meaning.

Perhaps it is precisely because of winter's desolation that the beauty and rarity of the plum blossom are so apparent. When spring arrives and all the flowers bloom, who will remember those withered branches and a few faded blossoms? Perhaps only "when the mountain flowers are in full bloom, she smiles amidst them."

Continuing forward, the view opens up again, the fallen branches have disappeared, revealing two still lakes. In winter, the lakes are shallow, and without the reflection of green trees, they appear even clearer.

Across the lake, nestled among several trees, a tall, upturned building emerges.

Compared to the ancient trees around it, the eaves tower is relatively young and lacks the rustic and weathered feel of the old buildings. However, its elevated position gives it a majestic and imposing presence. The weathering of the past few years and the influence of the scholarly atmosphere have also given it a unique charm.

To the left of the eaves building, near the lake, three houses—one large and two small—have been built at some point. These three houses are all made of bamboo and wood, exquisite and elegant, with half of them extending into the lake, adding to their charm.

By this time, it was already bright outside.

Suddenly, one or two tiny, pink-haired little radish-heads, all wrapped up tightly and dressed neatly, appeared out of nowhere, carrying small bamboo baskets, and walked into the lakeside houses.

Before Li Xingzhi could even go over to investigate, a clear, slightly stumbling voice of a child reading aloud rang out from inside the house. One could imagine a little boy inside, holding a book large enough to cover his face, 'pretending' to read aloud, swaying his head and reciting.

Before long, groups of three or five little rascals skipped and hopped into the house, and soon, a chorus of uneven, childish reading voices filled the house, suddenly filling the originally desolate backyard with life and energy.

At that moment, a sliver of white light appeared on the horizon, spreading through the glistening snow and quickly illuminating the entire earth.

The child's reading voice grew louder and louder. Before long, the old man, with his hands behind his back, appeared out of nowhere and headed straight for the house. Behind the old man followed a child carrying a small bamboo basket.

The old man, Li Xingzhi, recognized him as Master Shi, who had once taught Erlang. He hadn't seen him for several years, and now he had actually started a primary school.

Master Shi looked radiant and even more robust than when they first met. He had a few more black hairs and a few strands of white hair that gleamed with a silvery sheen.

And that child was none other than the 'Little Stone' that Li Xingzhi had seen yesterday.

At this moment, the cunning, intensity, and curiosity of yesterday were gone from Little Stone's eyes. His posture was upright, his clothes neatly arranged, one hand carrying a small bamboo cage, the other behind his back, as he walked steadily behind Master Shi. He looked exactly like another old scholar. However, coupled with his deliberately serious, youthful face, it was undeniably amusing.

The front courtyard of the Li residence also became lively at this time.

The servants were all dressed neatly and appropriately. Although their clothes were a little thin, they looked more efficient. They all had rosy complexions and clear minds, and their movements were extremely swift. Perhaps it was because the Li family was usually too leisurely, or perhaps they wanted to make a good impression on their master, but they all rushed to do the work. Although it was cold in winter, a layer of fine sweat appeared on the foreheads of all the servants.

Just as the servants were scrambling to do their work, a group of burly men appeared out of nowhere. Led by a one-armed giant, each carrying a stone lock, they ran around the front yard.

"One two one, one two one..."

Loud slogans rang out from the Li residence, echoing throughout most of Tanzhou City.

The people of Tanzhou City seemed to be familiar with the shouts. No one was surprised or curious. When the slogans were shouted, the doors of the houses opened, and then the people who were working went to work and the people who were playing went to play. For a time, Tanzhou City became lively.

Old Man Luo came out of the house, finished washing up, and just then heard the deafening slogans ringing out in the courtyard.

He walked to the front courtyard and watched dozens of strong men running with synchronized steps, carrying stone locks weighing dozens of kilograms, looking quite relaxed.

Old Man Luo's pupils contracted involuntarily.

When he first met them yesterday, he didn't take these burly men too seriously. In his view, only the one-armed man at the head posed any threat to him.

Upon seeing them again today, he realized he had misjudged them—these burly men were all incredibly strong, possessing exceptional martial arts skills, and were far from ordinary. If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad, but what shocked him most was that these men could maintain perfect synchronization even during vigorous movement. If they coordinated, even he would have to give way. If one day they were to fight again, unless surrounded by a large army, how many people in the world could subdue them?

Thinking this, a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead, and a shadow fell over his eyes.

If he knew that Li Xingzhi, with the help of Wang Xiucai, had already trained several such armored soldiers, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep well.

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It's so late, and I'm typing on the balcony. The mosquitoes are biting me.

Finally, thank you 'Undying Heart' for the monthly pass. I really didn't expect to get any more passes for me.

I also want to thank a few people I don't know if I've thanked yet: last month's fan 'Bai Xiaocheng', the top vote-getter 'Hongchen Wuhui Yisheng', and the commentator 'Qinchai Gongzi'.

Lastly, thank you all for your continued support, encouragement, and understanding, for tolerating my typing shortcomings and whims. Thank you everyone. (To be continued.)