Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Chapter 220

After Li Xingzhi and his companions left, Li Shun spent the Spring Festival in Brazil. Before the lanterns were lit, he traveled down the river, out of Jianzhou, down to the Three Gorges, and gathered his troops in Jingzhou. Then he entered Dongting Lake, exited the Xiang River, and arrived in Tanzhou.

At this time, spring is gradually fading, the grass and trees are lush and green, and the sun shines hotly on the earth!

A group of several people, covered in dust and exhausted, led a gray, ugly horse into the city. Ignoring the bustling scenery, they followed the path indicated by Li Xingzhi, led by Li Shun, heading straight for the northwest corner.

As the crowds thinned and the road narrowed, the oppressive heat and restlessness gradually dissipated, and the hard, cold bluestone brought a touch of coolness and desolation.

Just as everyone was getting a little dizzy from walking around, the alleyway turned and became slightly more open.

Before your eyes stands a spacious three-story wooden building. The eaves are upturned, adorned with mythical beasts raising their heads; the main entrance faces north, neither too large nor too small, lacking any imposing presence, but rather exuding a generous and open feel. Upon entering, a horizontal plaque above the entrance bears three characters: "Library Pavilion!" A couplet is inlaid beside the door, reading: "No trespassing for idlers, no entry for thieves!"

People often came and went at the entrance, all in silence, exuding a scholarly air, with thin faces, clearly not commoners.

"This is the 'library' that my little nephew was talking about!" Li Shun thought to himself.

As he thought this, he was secretly shocked. Having just arrived and not having set foot in the Central Plains for several years, and even in Chang'an he had never seen what this library looked like. He had only heard from his uncle that his nephew had established such a business, but he hadn't paid much attention to it. Now, seeing it for the first time, he was astonished by its magnificence! If the library in Tanzhou City was so grand and extraordinary, what must the libraries in the capitals of Chang'an and Luoyang be like!

Li Shun was secretly shocked, but his feet didn't slow down. With the library as a clear landmark, the main gate of the Li residence was easy to find.

Continuing onward, the crowds thinned and the path narrowed, but after a while, the road suddenly opened up! A large, heavy, pitch-black gate stood before them. Understated yet not extravagant, grand yet not intimidating, it was polished to a gleaming shine, reflecting several people's shadows.

Li Shun walked to the door and banged on the lion head bronze ring several times.

"Clang clang clang!"

The sound of metal and jade clashing rang out and echoed throughout the alley.

Soon, the door cracked open, and a boy peeked out with his big head.

"Who are you, and what are you doing knocking on the door of our Li residence?" The boy's eyes darted around, sizing up the several burly men covered in dust and exuding an intimidating aura in front of the door. His gaze then lingered on the grotesque horse behind them.

"Is this the residence of Li Xingzhi, the eldest son of the Li family?"

"Yes!"

"I am his uncle, please open the door and welcome him!"

The young boy's eyes darted around, and with a bang, he slammed the heavy door shut again. A moment later, the door swung open, and three or five servants and several burly men emerged, all dressed in extraordinary clothes. Leading them was a woman with fair skin; though not particularly beautiful, her delicate complexion and radiant aura gave her an extraordinary presence.

Upon seeing the burly men, Li Shun and his companions' expressions subtly changed, turning serious. Having spent years traversing the martial world, they recognized the men's imposing, mountain-like demeanor. Though not tainted with ferocity, they knew these men were no ordinary individuals. A sudden tension gripped them, but they quickly relaxed. After all, this was their nephew's residence; they didn't need to be constantly cautious like when traveling the martial world. With this thought, their gaze towards the men softened, revealing a newfound appreciation. Their gaze towards the plump woman at the head of the group softened even further.

“This young man must be my husband’s uncle!” Aunt Wu said.

"Hmm!" Seeing that Li Xingzhi hadn't appeared yet, Li Shun knew he wasn't in the mansion and asked, "Where is your husband? Where did he go?"

"My lord is still outside the city. I have already sent someone to invite him. He will be back in a while," Aunt Wu said with a smile. "My lord had already given instructions, but I didn't expect him to arrive so quickly, so I had to rush to welcome him."

As he spoke, he was about to lead the group into the mansion. A servant came out from the side, intending to take the horse, but when he saw that the ugly gray horse was neither saddled nor reined, he was at a loss for what to do.

Just as he was in a dilemma, Li Shun walked over to the ugly horse and said a few words, as if giving instructions. As soon as he finished speaking, the gray horse showed no appreciation. It shook its head, turned its body, and its huge tail swept across Li Shun's head and face, its eyes revealing a mischievous look like that of a child.

Getting hit by that ponytail wouldn't be dangerous, but you'd definitely be in a sorry state.

As if he had anticipated the gray horse's movements, Li Shun quickly dodged and jumped back, the tip of the horse's tail whipping up a gust of wind that swept past his nose.

Seeing Li Shun dodge away, Grey Horse did not pursue him, but just looked at him indifferently, without making a sound or any other move.

"Hey! Only my little nephew can handle you!"

The gray horse seemed to understand him, and swept its tail across him again.

Having no other choice, Li Shun called over a servant boy and said, "Go and cut a plate of good meat, and bring me a jar of good wine! Remember, it must be good wine!"

The servant was puzzled by Li Shun's words. He glanced at Aunt Wu, who nodded, and then he ran in through the side door.

The other people in the Li family didn't understand what Li Shun was planning to do either. On the contrary, the few burly men with Li Shun seemed to understand, but they remained silent.

A short while later, the servant came out carrying a large plate of steaming hot pork slices cut into thin pieces, and in his other hand, he was carrying a large jar of wine.

Li Shun instructed his servant to place the plate of meat in front of the ugly horse, and then took the jar of wine himself.

Upon seeing the fragrant, steaming plate of meat, the gray horse let out a long neigh with delight, licked its tongue, and began to devour the slices of meat.

The people in the Li family were speechless as they watched the strange horse happily eating meat.

"Don't be surprised, you'll have plenty to deal with later. This is your husband's precious treasure!" A burly man next to Li Shun said sourly, looking at the plate of fragrant meat.

He hadn't even gotten any meat to eat yet, but he was being treated to good wine and meat every day. How could he be happy about that? If Li Xingzhi hadn't given them some benefits earlier, and if they hadn't received instructions from Li Shun, the group would have quit long ago.

At this moment, Li Shun slammed his hand on the large wine jar.

"puff!"

With a muffled thud, the wine jar was smashed open, and a rich aroma of wine wafted out!

"call!"

Several burly men, their eyes gleaming at the aroma of the wine, panted heavily, like lustful ghosts who had taken potent drugs and were seeing a naked beauty.

"It smells wonderful! It's delicious wine!"

If Li Shun hadn't held the wine jar tightly in his hand, the burly men probably would have snatched it away.

Among the Li family members, quite a few were also fond of drinking. Although they were much better looking, they still couldn't help but swallow hard.

Just then, a loud and clear neighing of a horse rang out, piercing through the clouds and jolting the group, who were lost in the aroma of wine, back to reality.

Li Shun, carrying the wine jar, suddenly felt his vision blur and saw a huge horse's head. Two crystal-like eyes were embedded in the horse's head; it glanced at him with displeasure before staring intently at the wine jar. The horse's head lowered, its long snout disappearing into the jar…

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Thank you 'Swallowing Heaven Daoist' and 'reamaker' for the monthly tickets!! (To be continued.)