Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

The great monk's enlightenment greatly moved Li Xingzhi, and finally enabled him to break through in his cultivation of the Ice Heart Technique.

After the monk left, Li Xingzhi remained alone for a long time, drinking by himself.

The next day, Li Xingzhi and Wang Xiucai discussed finding a tutor for Erlang.

The old master's surname was Shi, and he was generally called Scholar Shi or Master Shi. Although he was a bit rigid, he was proficient in poetry, literature and etiquette, and was not pedantic. This suited Li Xingzhi's taste perfectly. No one knew how Scholar Wang found him.

Shi Xiucai was furious today. After all, no one would be happy to be coerced or bribed, let alone a scholar with integrity and pride like him. However, Wang Xiucai's conditions forced Shi Xiucai to give in.

Today, before dawn, the sky was still somewhat overcast. Scholar Shi was preparing to leave for his master's house. As soon as he stepped out the door, he saw two strong servants already waiting. Scholar Shi breathed a sigh of relief. Firstly, he appreciated his master's respect; face was very important! Secondly, the place was too remote, and the residence was in a notorious haunted house in Changsha. Although "Confucius did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits," there were still some taboos, and he didn't know if he might encounter any villains on the way!

Shi Xiucai walked quietly through the alley of Qing Shi Well. The bluestone was cool and green, and perhaps because many people had walked there, it didn't seem particularly eerie. His somewhat turbulent emotions calmed down, and Shi Xiucai's mood immediately improved. He really liked this tranquility! Two strong servants followed behind, not uttering a word. Their movements were quite disciplined, showing that their training over the past few days had been quite effective!

We walked to the front of a large mansion with two characters hanging on the gate: "Li Mansion." The characters weren't particularly fine, but they still exuded a certain grandeur.

The gate was no longer the dilapidated one. In Shi Xiucai's eyes, it looked quite sturdy, and the black color made it appear even more solemn. Although it was grand, it had no trace of dust or grime, and it was not as extravagant as the gate of a newly rich merchant's house. Shi Xiucai nodded.

At this moment, the main gate had already been opened. Seeing the host's solemn attitude, Shi Xiucai's displeasure from the previous incident had mostly dissipated. This was something Li Xingzhi hadn't expected. Li Xingzhi didn't know anything about ancient rules, and there were only a few people in this mansion, so there was no need for so many rules.

Shi Xiucai walked past the stone wall and saw the front yard. He was amazed. The yard was really too big, and in fact, it was quite magnificent. Even the most powerful families were no bigger than this. Of course, this refers to the small powerful families in Changsha. It couldn't compare to the great families like the Seven Surnames and Five Families.

At this moment, Li Xingzhi came out to greet them with Erlang and Wang Xiucai. As soon as Shi Xiucai saw Wang Xiucai, his expression changed. Although he no longer cared much about it, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed and still had some lingering resentment.

"Sir, I have offended you greatly before, please forgive me!" Scholar Wang was quite straightforward, bowing deeply to Master Shi, which made him appear very upright and honest!

However, Li Xingzhi noticed that Wang Xiucai couldn't shake off his bandit-like air no matter where he went. After all, he had lived in that den of thieves for so long, so he didn't really care about such things.

Seeing Wang Xiucai's behavior, Master Shi quickly turned to the side, his stern face vanishing. He forced a smile and said, "A true man doesn't concern himself with trivial matters. Young master, there's no need for such formality!"

Seeing Shi Fuzi's demeanor, Li Xingzhi nodded, acknowledging him as Erlang's mentor—rigid and strict, yet adaptable, which was exactly what Li Xingzhi needed.

"Erlang, this is your teacher. Aren't you going to pay your respects?" Li Xingzhi said, pulling Erlang along. He then introduced him to Master Shi, "Master, this is my Erlang. What do you think?"

Only then did Master Shi notice the two people beside him. It turned out that the host was here. He realized that he had been impolite, but he ignored everything else and looked down. He saw a child wearing a long robe with delicate features, bright and clear eyes, red lips and white teeth. What surprised him even more was the extraordinary temperament he possessed.

What a bright and handsome little boy!

"Good!" Master Shi knew that the person in front of him would be his future student. He patted Erlang's head with a smile and asked, "What's your name?"

"My name is Wang Sheng, and I am the second child in my family." Erlang's voice was clear and crisp, though still somewhat childish, but his tone was neither humble nor arrogant, which pleased Master Shi once again. Such a bright and well-behaved student was a rare sight. Suddenly, Master Shi frowned. "Why is your surname Wang?" He had just entered the Li residence. After speaking, he realized that his words were somewhat inappropriate, as this was one of the several times he had lost his composure today.

At this moment, Li Xingzhi said, "Erlang's whole family was killed by bandits, leaving only him. He and I have been through thick and thin together, so he has been living in my house."

It was only then that Master Shi noticed Li Xingzhi. It's not that Li Xingzhi was inconspicuous; first, he and Scholar Wang were like enemies meeting with intense hatred, and later he was so busy looking after his apprentice that he forgot about the real head of the family.

Master Shi looked up and saw a rather handsome face, dressed in a blue robe, with a square scarf binding his hair. This perfectly revealed Li Xingzhi's unique temperament from later generations, combined with the ethereal air he had acquired through cultivation. Master Shi was stunned. "What a divine figure!" He had been somewhat dissatisfied with Wang Erlang living under someone else's roof, but now he felt relieved.

Recalling his several rudenesses after entering the door, Master Shi's old face couldn't help but blush. However, he couldn't save face by admitting his mistakes in front of two teenagers!

Regardless of how their first meeting went, from this day forward, Shi Xiucai became Erlang's teacher, and began teaching Erlang to read and write in the small study.

Another warm spring day!

As Qingming Festival approaches, the chill is gradually fading, and the warm sun rises in the east. The lingering chill makes one more awake in the lazy morning light! The crisp air seeps into one's body imperceptibly, reminding one of winter's footsteps in these final days; it makes one vaguely recall the harshness of winter even as all things revive and rejoice!

Li Xingzhi awoke from his meditation, the morning dew refreshing him. From inside the courtyard came the sound of powerful, loud breathing; the servants had begun their training. "In a few more days, they can go on to their real training," Li Xingzhi thought to himself.

The chirping of birds outside seemed to be discussing something; they gather every morning.

Today, Li Xingzhi was suddenly a little different. The sound of children reading aloud reached his ears. Although they were far away, he could hear it clearly, adding a touch of liveliness to the morning!

Li Xingzhi tidied his clothes, then fetched some cool water and wiped his face with a towel. Of course, a toothbrush and toothpaste were also essential.

What he found most unbearable in this world was not anything else, but the bad breath of the people here. There was no toothpaste or toothbrush at the moment. Every day, even the richest and most powerful families would just rinse their mouths with salt water. Only the top nobles would use some fine spices. Therefore, Li Xingzhi had to face those smelly mouths every day, especially those who came into contact with meat every day, whose body odor was even more unpleasant!

Since the system store opened, Li Xingzhi has been making toothbrushes and toothpaste with various materials, and he also has to carry high-quality sachets with him. Until a few days ago, he finally made them!

He first selected ash wood with good toughness to make the handle, carving it into the shape of a toothbrush. Then, he tightly bound a layer of plant fiber about five millimeters thick to one side of the toothbrush head. Next, he inserted a layer of bamboo slivers from the inner wall of a three-year-old bamboo, which had been roasted and dried, out from the other side of the toothbrush head, leaving half of the inner length on the brushing side. He then fixed it in place, and a simple toothbrush was made!

Li Xingzhi used the newly made toothbrush and found it quite good. The treated bamboo fibers were more resilient and had a perfect balance of softness and hardness, making it no less superior than toothbrushes from later generations. The plant fibers at the bottom could rub against the tooth surface, while the bamboo fibers penetrated deep into the gaps between teeth for cleaning. It was truly excellent! It seemed worth promoting!

Li Xingzhi was still not used to being served, and even set a rule in the Li family that he should do things himself and never rely on others!

After washing up, Li Xingzhi practiced the Yi Jin Jing again to stretch his muscles and bones. To Li Xingzhi now, the Yi Jin Jing was no different from the Tai Chi he practiced in later generations. He had almost forgotten that it was a real martial art!

After finishing his morning exercise, Li Xingzhi slowly strolled towards the backyard, where he would take a walk by the lake every day.

When we arrived at the lake, we found Erlang already sitting there, loudly and earnestly reading what Master Shi had taught us yesterday!

Li Xingzhi listened, and the more he listened, the more his brows furrowed. This was utter nonsense; it neither rhymed nor matched, and it was incredibly difficult to pronounce. He had no idea what it was!

"Erlang, what did the Master teach you yesterday?" Li Xingzhi took the book from Wang Erlang's hand, on which were written the three large characters "Thousand Character Classic".

Li Xingzhi had heard of the "Thousand Character Classic," which, in later generations, was known as one of the three major primers for traditional Chinese learning, along with the "Hundred Family Surnames" and the "Three Character Classic." However, he had read the "Hundred Family Surnames" and could recite a section of the "Three Character Classic," but he had only heard of the "Thousand Character Classic."

The "Thousand Character Classic" was originally a rhymed text composed by Zhou Xing of the Southern Dynasties using one thousand characters written by Wang Xizhi, that is, a text that does not rhyme or parallelism. In later generations, the "Thousand Character Classic" underwent some changes, but the general principles remained the same.

Li Xingzhi flipped through the thin book, but found it unappealing. Firstly, he wasn't used to traditional characters; secondly, he wasn't comfortable with the top-to-bottom, left-to-right layout; and thirdly, he still couldn't get used to such large characters. He handed the book to Wang Erlang, thinking to himself that he needed to produce some books, especially good things like the "Three Character Classic" and the "Hundred Family Surnames"—it seemed he should bring them to fruition ahead of schedule.

After breakfast, it was already Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

At this time, Wang Erlang had already been taken to the small study by Master Shi for instruction. Li Xingzhi was quite satisfied with Master Shi's dedication. Little did he know that Master Shi was drawn to Wang Erlang because he saw that Wang Erlang was clever and adorable, and had a high level of comprehension. He could quickly memorize a thousand-word article and was inspired by his talent. Otherwise, it would have been very good if he could teach him for two or three hours a day.

Wang Xiucai was quite surprised to see Master Shi intimately leading Erlang into the small study. Just because Li Xingzhi didn't understand the various ancient etiquettes didn't mean he was ignorant of them. Holding hands might not seem like a big deal in later generations, but it would be a huge problem in ancient times!

At this point, there's a term called "supporting and guiding." Usually, even if someone is being supported, it's just a matter of holding hands. It's not like they're holding hands like this all the time. It's as if they've already regarded Wang Erlang as the one who will inherit their mantle!

Li Xingzhi entered the main study. Inside, besides some ordinary writing brushes, ink, paper, and readily available mainland Chinese books like the *Classic of Poetry*, *Classic of History*, *Zhuangzi*, *Classic of Changes*, and *Analects*, there was nothing else. Fortunately, servants cleaned it periodically; otherwise, it would have been covered in dust. Li Xingzhi felt a little embarrassed. In his later life, he loved reading, especially classical Chinese literature and poetry; he felt restless if he didn't read every day. Here, however, he was so busy he was dizzy. Ultimately, it was the inexplicable insecurity in his heart that was causing this reclusive young man's troubles! After all, when in Rome, do as the Romans do; he had to be able to write a few lines of calligraphy properly!

Li Xingzhi's heart stirred, and rows of various books appeared on the bookshelf, most of which were rare copies, and many of which had been lost. Of course, there were also books that he thought might be useful and that had not yet appeared.

Master Shi was teaching Erlang to read and write. Seeing Erlang's intelligence, one was happy to teach and the other was happy to learn. Suddenly, Li Xingzhi called him out. Although he was a little unhappy, he didn't say much. After all, Li Xingzhi was the master of the Li family. He was usually kind and treated him very well. "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding."

Half surprised and half puzzled, Master Shi followed Li Xingzhi to the main study. The study was indeed very large, built by the original owner, with several rows of bookshelves at the back.

When Master Shi entered the study, he saw the huge space and the bookshelves at the back filled with books. The large bookshelves made him look much shorter!

Upon seeing the bookshelf filled with books, and upon closer inspection, he noticed over a dozen different versions of the Book of Poetry and the Analects. Even more astonishing was the presence of epic works like the Records of the Grand Historian, works usually kept secret by powerful families and wealthy clans, inaccessible to ordinary people! Beside it were various other rare and unique books, including many ancient texts rumored to be lost. Master Shi's heart pounded! If he had known this beforehand, he would have eagerly come and volunteered even if Scholar Wang hadn't invited him!

"Master, what do you think?" Li Xingzhi asked with a smile.

"Okay, okay..." Master Shi was already babbling incoherently, his hands trembling as he stroked the various books on the bookshelf. The way he carefully touched them was as if he were caressing a long-lost lover! Li Xingzhi felt a chill run down his spine; these people were all mentally unstable!

"This, this," Master Shi looked somewhat embarrassed, touching the books with reluctance, his eyes filled with hope. The brilliance that burst forth in his eyes made Li Xingzhi feel a pang of pity. For the first time, he felt the people of this era's longing for books. "May I borrow them to take a look?"

"Of course you can, but," a sentence made Master Shi's heart jump again, "the books cannot be damaged, and they can only be read in this study. You can also copy them and take them out. You can use the brushes, ink, paper and inkstones in the study at will."

"That's how it should be, that's how it should be!" This condition was really nothing. In Shi Fuzi's heart, he was happy just to be allowed to see it. Even if he didn't get paid for teaching because of it, or even had to pay out of his own pocket, he would be willing! He just didn't expect that Li Xingzhi would be so generous as to allow him to copy it and let him use paper and pen as he pleased. Shi Fuzi didn't know how to thank him and was even more glad that he made the decision back then.

Master Shi stood up and bowed deeply to Li Xingzhi, a truly great courtesy! Li Xingzhi stepped aside, unable to accept it, for in his view as a person from a later era, this was hardly a big deal!