Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

“Don’t cry, Longlong, your mother is here.” Wu Yue’er came over at some point, stroking the little Longlong’s forehead and comforting him.

"Mother~ Mother~" Little Longlong cried so hard he could barely breathe. With his wet, tear-filled eyes open, he turned to look at Wu Yue'er, then stretched out his hands towards her, trying to squeeze out of Li Xingzhi's arms while calling out to her.

Li Xingzhi turned around, glanced at Wu Yue'er, but his mouth moved without saying anything. He loosened his grip. Wu Yue'er reached out and took Xiao Longlong in her arms, holding him tightly and gently comforting him.

"From now on, Longlong must stay with Daddy, okay? If Longlong doesn't behave, he won't see his mother again," Wu Yue'er said, pursing her lips.

Little Longlong looked at Wu Yue'er with eyes full of confusion, not knowing if he understood. He tightly gripped Wu Yue'er's clothes and called out, "Your Highness, Longlong wants Your Highness~"

Li Xingzhi, standing beside Wu Yue'er, noticed her womanly attire and the weariness of days of travel. He suddenly realized the vast distance between them. He recalled events from several years ago, and something seemed to choke him. After a moment of silence, he finally said, "Stay."

Wu Yue'er glanced at Li Xingzhi, and after a moment's thought, she knew that Li Xingzhi still harbored resentment. She then said, "Brother Li is still blaming me." She didn't explain what had happened that day. Li Xingzhi didn't ask either. He feared that the truth wasn't what he expected.

At this moment, Wu Yue'er said again, "The people in the clan are waiting for Yue'er to go back. Yue'er cannot stay."

Looking at the mature and sensible 'girl' before him, Li Xingzhi listened to her words and suddenly felt somewhat disheartened. After a long silence, he finally said, "If you go back, what will happen to Longlong?"

"Don't you know how to treat Longlong well?"

Silence returned between them. Only the laughter of children broke the stillness and awkwardness...

On the other side, the witch heard the old Taoist priest's voice and could no longer move her feet.

"You old hag, you're not dead yet!" The witch's voice, sharp and high-pitched with agitation, cut like a knife slicing through glass, piercing straight to the heart!

"How can I die before I've even seen you all?" the old Taoist priest sighed.

"Good that you're not dead! Good that you're not dead! If you were dead, how could I quell the hatred in my heart! Back then, you left without a word, making me lose all face and be expelled from the witch clan! And that bitch, that bitch!" The witch suddenly glared and said, "You've already seen that bitch? That bitch isn't dead yet?"

"I've already seen her." The old Taoist's voice sounded slightly off.

"You've seen her?" The witch's expression was somewhat strange, a mixture of joy, worry, and a sigh of relief. "I don't think she'll let you go so easily!"

She looked at the large straw hat on the old Taoist priest's head and said, "Take off your hat and let me see it."

The old Taoist hesitated for a moment, then a thin, slightly dark hand emerged from his cloak. He removed the bamboo hat, revealing a dark human face; pale hair, sparse and drooping, made him look quite terrifying!

"Skin-peeling, flesh-eating, heart-piercing poison!" The witch's voice suddenly became terrifying and strange, the sound straining out of her throat like sand as she shouted sharply, "That vile woman has such a vicious mind! Just like back then, she hasn't changed a bit and wants to destroy everything she can't get her hands on!"

"Judging by this poison, it's probably been around for at least a year. In this world, only you can endure this constant, excruciating pain of having your skin peeled off and your flesh torn away!"

The old Taoist's face was stiff, but it still twitched a few times, revealing a strange expression that resembled a smile. Perhaps only such pain could free him from the torment in his heart.

At this moment, Li Xingzhi also noticed the old Taoist's condition. Looking at the old Taoist's appearance, he couldn't help but feel a chill, pondering: What happened between the old Taoist and those two old women back then that made this old Taoist willing to endure the agony of being skinned alive and having his flesh ripped out, just to find release!

At this moment, the old Taoist's entire body turned even blacker, his face began to fester, his eyes bulged, and his hair fell out strand by strand. Seeing the old woman, his last hope was almost gone, and the excruciating pain, like being cut by knives, burned by fire, and frozen all over his body, became unbearable. He decided to give up suppressing it, allowing the deadly poison to circulate and corrode within his body.

The old witch looked at the old Taoist's face and suddenly revealed a strange smile that seemed to be both crying and laughing. She said, "Old man, do you know, before I saw you, I thought about skinning you alive, tearing your tendons, and grinding your bones to dust every day! My heart grew more and more vicious with each passing day. But when I saw you, my heart softened, and I just wanted to look at you. Seeing you like this makes my heart ache."

"I finally understand why I can't win against that woman. Her heart is made of stone, infested with venomous insects. And my heart, it's not so hard after all..."

At that moment, the witch's face softened. Her originally slanted eyebrows slowly drooped, transforming into the shape of a willow leaf, and her slightly narrowed eyes opened into almond shapes. Her fierce and sharp appearance suddenly revealed a touch of feminine charm.

The old woman touched the old Taoist's face as if she were caressing something most precious. Ignoring the stench and disgust, she opened her mouth and covered the old Taoist's black and foul-smelling mouth.

The old Taoist opened his mouth, trying to dodge, but found that all his strength was gone, and he could only let the old woman move his head.

The old woman sucked hard into the old Taoist's mouth, and the black energy emanating from the old Taoist's body visibly began to flow and converge into the old woman's mouth... The old woman sucked for an unknown amount of time, and the black poison from the old Taoist's body poured out like flowing water! The highly toxic energy flowed down from the old woman's mouth and slowly spread to all parts of her body. Her originally pale face suddenly turned dark and gloomy, looking eerily ugly.

Just as the poison was about to dissipate from the old Taoist's body, he suddenly found a surge of strength and pushed the old woman away. He took a few quick breaths and weakly said, "The poison has attacked my heart and corroded my internal organs. Even if the poison is removed, I won't live for more than a few days. Why should you do this, old woman?!"

The witch smiled sadly and said hoarsely, "I'll make you remember me, you'll never forget me, not even in death! No matter how powerful or vicious that bitch is, she can't control a man's heart!"

The old Taoist priest fell silent for a moment, then looked at the witch and said, "I was wrong after all. I shouldn't have avoided it back then, and there wouldn't be so much trouble today."

"If you don't leave, will that bitch let me go? I'll be heartbroken if you become that inhuman 'puppet'."

After the witch finished speaking, a strange smile suddenly appeared on her face. Her cheeks swelled up, and she suddenly spat out a tiny insect, as small as a mosquito, along with a cloud of blood mist! The insect seemed to have its eyes dyed crimson by the blood mist, making it look quite eerie and incongruous.

The little golden snake, swimming among the lotus leaves and in the lake, glanced at the tiny insect. Seemingly uninterested, it darted back into the water.

The little insect had just been spat out of the witch's mouth when it made a sharp, urgent "Ura ura" sound.

Upon hearing the cry, Wu Yue'er knew it was the call of the Heart-Connecting Gu. However, for some reason, the cry sounded so short, shrill, and frantic. It was like a person's mad scream and scream before self-destruction after their faith has crumbled!

Suddenly, another "Ula ula" cry rang out from Yue'er's waist. This time, the cry was excited and high-pitched! The small bamboo tube was struck with a loud "thump thump thump!"

Just as Wu Yue'er was at a loss for what to do, a "crack" sounded, and a crack suddenly appeared on the top of the bamboo tube. The crack quickly widened, and then the bamboo tube split in two, falling to the ground with a thud!

A tiny insect, resembling the one the witch had spat out but much larger, crawled out of the bamboo tube that had fallen to the ground, scratching at the ground with its feet as it quickly moved forward.

Two small insects moved towards each other and soon collided! This should have been a time for kin to meet and exchange pleasantries. But unexpectedly, the smaller insect with crimson eyes lashed out with its claws at the other. Caught off guard, the other insect was impaled and flipped over! The slightly larger insect was stunned by the series of attacks from the crimson-eyed insect, unable even to roll over, its body covered in wounds! If this continued, it might very well die a gruesome death on the spot!

Just as the two insects were fighting, in the distant southern border region, in a place shrouded in miasma and teeming with poisonous insects, deep in a mountain valley, inside a huge black wooden building, a beautiful woman sat upright, teasing several vicious insects, some black, some multicolored, with her hands.

Just then, a black wave rose on the beautiful woman's face, and with a "poof," she spat out a mouthful of dark, cold blood! The black blood touched the vicious insects, and they instantly died!

The beautiful woman's originally gentle face suddenly turned cold and ruthless. She spoke in a shrill voice, seemingly to someone, "So you really are my good sister! Since you've courted death, don't blame me!!" The beautiful woman spat out another mouthful of dark blood, and with a flick of her hands, a series of chilling "swoosh-swoosh" sounds rang out! Upon closer inspection, countless tiny insects were seen crawling out from the woman's sleeves, hem, and collar, crawling over her body and into her mouth!

In an instant, the entire witch village appeared extremely eerie and terrifying! All the slithering of snakes and the sounds of insects vanished! All the witches stood up and looked at the huge black wooden building in the center of the village, their faces filled with fear and dread!

The entire village was immersed in an eerie silence, and a strange chanting of "Ula Luli..." came from the huge black wooden building, enveloping the entire village!

In the backyard of the Li residence, the two insects were still fighting. However, the battle suddenly took a turn! The insect that had been large but seemed clumsy and helpless suddenly appeared as if it had been recharged with strength. It flipped over and pinned the smaller insect down, biting it repeatedly with its large pincers. The smaller insect struggled frantically, but it seemed so weak and powerless in the face of the larger insect!

The witch lying next to it also struggled more and more weakly as the insect struggled, and her pupils slowly dilated!

Finally, the little insect stopped struggling, and with a soft "snap," the insect's neck was severed by the giant claws of the big insect! Then the big insect began to tear and devour the little insect's corpse with a "sizzling" sound!

We are all born of the same root, why should we fight each other so fiercely?

At this point, further explanation was futile. The witch exhausted the last glimmer of light in her eyes, her pupils dilating further and further, as if she wanted to see one last glimpse of this world she so longed for and so tormented. Alas, her pupils, dilated to their limit, could no longer contract. The faint smile at the corner of her eye never faded.

The old Taoist priest sat beside her, leaning on his hand, looking at his wife who had collapsed to the ground, lifeless. He sighed deeply, lost in thought, and then released his grip. He leaned back, swallowing his last breath, and finally fell silent.

Throughout the entire Li residence, the only sound could be the hissing and tearing of the little insect as it devoured the corpse of another little insect.

Just as the little insect finished devouring the corpse of the other insect, its eyes suddenly went glazed over, and its small, somewhat swollen body began to turn black, swell, and rot!

It turned out that when the witch spat out her life-bound love-binding Gu, she injected the extremely potent poison into the Gu worm, suppressing it deep within its abdomen, where it was then swallowed by another Gu worm. This love-binding Gu worm was not a poisonous Gu, so how could it withstand such an extremely strong and ferocious toxin? It instantly suffered internal organ damage and died!

Thousands of miles away, the woman living in the miasma-ridden mountain valley suddenly turned black and red, and vomited several mouthfuls of blood that were both red and black! Her flesh and blood rapidly withered, and her glossy black hair instantly turned pale, dull, and fell out in a rustling sound!

It is a Soul-Sharing Gu. One Gu unites hearts and souls; the Gu lives, the person lives; the Gu dies, the person dies!

The old witch's eyes suddenly bulged, and she began muttering incantations. After a few unintelligible words, her complexion, though not improving, did not age any further. It was as if she had used some secret magic to pull herself back from the brink of certain death!

The old witch's lips moved, about to utter a few curses, when suddenly she felt a tingling, itchy sensation all over her body, though she didn't know when. The evil worms she had hidden on her body had gone out of control!

She never imagined that the little thing she used to play with and manipulate would one day take her life!

Instantly, the old witch was covered in venomous insects, and she slowly withered away, enveloped by these tiny creatures... When the witch clan members came to check on her the next day, they could only find a few tattered pieces of clothing on the ground.

It is said: People fear the wicked but not Heaven; people bully the kind but not Heaven; good and evil will eventually be rewarded, it's just a matter of sooner or later!

Both insects perished. The three of them went to the underworld together. In the backyard of the Li residence, several corpses lay scattered in a filthy mess…

Wu Yue'er placed the sleeping Xiao Long'er into Li Xingzhi's arms. She looked at Li Xingzhi deeply, as if trying to etch him into her heart. Then, a clear, silvery bell rang, and the house was deserted.

Li Xingzhi held the child, watching the figure quietly disappear into the distance. He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

The next day, as the east turned a pale blue and the west a deep, dark blue, everyone in the Li household awoke with a start. No one knew what terrifying events had unfolded the previous night.

The Li residence quickly became busy.

Today is the day of Cui's young lady's return to her parents' home. Although Wang Erlang is not here, the necessary things still need to be done. So, under Li Xingzhi's arrangement, Li Linzhi accompanied Cui Ru'er to the Cui residence. He believed that with Li Linzhi taking care of her, his sister-in-law wouldn't suffer any losses.

Two large white oxen steadily pulled a large cart carrying passengers ahead, moving at a leisurely pace, followed by dozens of large blue oxen with red knots tied around their heads! These were the betrothal gifts!

A procession of several carriages and dozens of people arrived at the Cui residence. The Cui family elders and parents did not come out to greet them; only a few servants and young men stood sparsely at the gate, occasionally whispering amongst themselves, their conversation unclear. Upon seeing the procession of dozens of carriages and horses, all their faces showed surprise. One person went straight inside to inform the head of the household, while the others composed themselves and stood respectfully to one side of the gate.

Upon hearing the news of the young lady from the Cui family being abducted to the Li residence, the Cui family members displayed a variety of expressions, which changed constantly. However, upon seeing the dozens of cartloads of betrothal gifts, their expressions softened considerably.

"Go and see what kind of betrothal gifts the Li family brought! If they're not to your liking, just return them! My Cui family doesn't lack such things!" What do you mean by "not lacking"? They're probably dissatisfied! The Li family kidnapped a young lady, yet the betrothal gifts are still being returned—they're really losing face!

The steward nodded in agreement upon hearing what the head of the Cui family said. Although there were many oxcarts, in his mind, the Li family was, after all, just an ordinary merchant family with little wealth and nothing of value to offer! If they hadn't been forced into this situation, why would the Cui family have married their daughter into such a family?

Not long after, the steward came running over with a strange expression, holding a gift list in his hand, and said, "Master, take a look."

Seeing the steward's unusual expression, the person in charge of the Cui family did not hesitate to speculate. He quickly took the list from the steward's hand, looked at it, his expression changed slightly, and then it was filled with a smile. He said, "This Li family is really different from ordinary merchants. They have some remarkable people."

It turned out that the gifts on the list were almost identical to the betrothal gifts that the Zheng family had sent that day, only of a higher quality! If the Zheng family saw this, they would be furious! The Zheng family, one of the three great families and five noble clans, was being overshadowed by the small Li family. Wasn't this a slap in the face?

The Cui family didn't care whether it was a slap in the face to the Zheng family or not; as long as the dowry was good, nothing else mattered. The Li family had the ability to come up with such a large dowry, so what could anyone say? Many people wanted to slap the Zheng family in the face, but very few had the means to do so.

The head of the Cui family reviewed the list again, and seeing no omissions or errors, he looked up and said to the steward, "Where is the betrothal gift kept? Come with me to see it!" Although he had seen the gift list, he was still somewhat hesitant and needed to see it for himself. (To be continued.)

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