My System Is Three Thousand Years Early

As he understood it,

in the world today, there were already many powerful beings and deified figures from the past, revived and intending to compete for the Fate of the Heavenly Dao once again.

When Master Xuanzang died, he might have left some contingencies, or perhaps he was reincarnated—it was hard to say.

The Great Tang Emperor thought of this and couldn’t help but give Cheng Guang a few more glances.

“Have you ever read the scriptures?”

Cheng Guang nodded, not quite understanding why the Great Tang Emperor suddenly asked him this, but he still nodded, “I have glanced through some.”

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Hearing this, the Great Tang Emperor continued, “And how about it, can you understand them, and have you gained any insights?”

Cheng Guang shook his head, “I don’t know much about the scriptures.”

“I only know generally what they are about.”

The Great Tang Emperor gave a slight nod; his purpose in asking was merely to gauge the likelihood that Cheng Guang was Master Xuanzang reincarnated.

On Chen Guang, the Duke of the State’s Heir, the aura of Master Xuanzang had appeared just faintly.

If it weren’t for the Great Tang Emperor himself possessing strong cultivation and keen senses, he might not have connected Chen Guang, the Duke of the State’s Heir, with the Master Xuanzang he knew so well.

And now, Cheng Guang’s understanding of the scriptures, as he described it, did not seem to belong to the reincarnation of Master Xuanzang.

If it were Master Xuanzang, he would naturally have his own understanding of the scriptures, and even after reincarnation, this dedication and insight would not be lost so easily.

At this thought,

a touch of disappointment appeared on the youthful countenance of the Great Tang Emperor, although he didn’t know why Cheng Guang exuded the aura of Master Xuanzang, it seemed certain that he could not be Master Xuanzang.

“The body is like the bodhi tree, the mind like a clear shining stand; always polish it diligently, and do not let dust alight.”

“This verse once chanted to me by Master Xuanzang seems to have a better counterpart, but with the master’s passing, things have changed, and the better verse of Zen poetry is now lost beyond recall.”

“If this Town-Nation Duke’s Heir were Master Xuanzang reborn, perhaps he might know it.”

The Great Tang Emperor closed his eyes, murmuring to himself, rolling the black pearls in his hand as if in pious recitation of something.

Then, he extended his hand, called a writing brush through the air, and wrote from thin air.

The ink hung in space as if solidified, pausing mid-air.

He wrote down the verse he had just recited aloud.

Turning his gaze slightly, he looked toward Cheng Guang.

“Can you compose a Zen verse better than mine?”

“If you succeed, I will agree to let you join Great Tang.”

Cheng Guang, witnessing the Zen verse written by the Great Tang Emperor in midair, couldn’t help but widen his eyes slightly.

Simultaneously, a strange feeling arose in his heart.

What exactly is going on?

Is this a question meant to be givenaway?

Cheng Guang felt that the question posed by the Great Tang Emperor was far too simple; he hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should write down the answer as decisively as he could.

While Cheng Guang hesitated,

the Great Tang Emperor grew a bit impatient.

He found his own actions somewhat laughable.

Not to mention that he could not yet confirm Cheng Guang as the reincarnation of Master Xuanzang, even if he were, it wasn’t certain he would remember how to recite the other verse of Zen poetry.

The Great Tang Emperor reminisced about the days long past spent with Master Xuanzang, with a trace of melancholy surfacing in his eyes.

His youthful face bore an incongruous look of weariness.

Just as the Great Tang Emperor was about to wave and dismiss Cheng Guang’s request to join Great Tang, suddenly, he heard Cheng Guang starting to speak.

“The bodhi is originally without any tree, the mirror also not a stand. Fundamentally there is not a single thing—where could any dust arise?”

The moment Cheng Guang spoke these words, the Great Tang Emperor was left speechless, his intended words stuck in his throat.

His deep, dark eyes intently fixed on Cheng Guang, puzzled as to how the Duke of the State’s Heir could suddenly recite such a verse of Zen poetry.

“From where did you learn this verse?”

The Great Tang Emperor gazed at Cheng Guang intently, attempting to discern clues from any changes in his expression.

Cheng Guang’s expression remained unchanged as he replied, “It seems I have heard it somewhere, and when I heard your excellency recite that verse of Zen poetry just now, I felt it was lacking, so I spontaneously recited the verse that came to mind.”

“Heard it somewhere occasionally…”

The Great Tang Emperor echoed the words softly, then, as if having come to a resolution, he clenched his hand discreetly and opened it slowly.

He smiled all at once, “If the Town-Nation Duke’s Heir wishes to join our Great Tang, then I shall agree to it.”

“Though Great Tang has only just been established, even in secrecy, I have prepared much, and we have some foundation to speak of.”

With that, the Great Tang Emperor breathed deeply and took a Token out from his inner robes, infused it with a breath of energy, and presented it before Cheng Guang.

Cheng Guang instinctively accepted it, and noticed that it bore a prominent “Thousand” character.

Supporting his chin with one hand, the Great Tang Emperor’s deep, dark eyes watched Cheng Guang, “Considering you are the Town-Nation Duke’s Heir, you can’t be placed casually upon joining my Great Tang. For now, you are granted the Thousand-Character Token.”

“It may not be of much use at the moment, probably no more than a symbol of identity.”

“If the city of Chang’an of our Great Tang were still around…”

With these words, sadness touched the young face of the Great Tang Emperor once more, and it seemed he wished no further conversation with Cheng Guang, as he waved his hand dismissively.