Ascension failed, the system took me away

As the sky gradually darkened, the accompanying guards lit torches.

The dancing flames illuminated the darkness.

Zhu Youjian suddenly said, "Left way."

"The minister is here."

"I heard that you are very skilled in martial arts and are one of the best among the thousand households. I wonder how you compare to Wang Chengen?"

Hearing this question, Zuo Dao was stunned for a moment, and then said frankly: "Your Majesty, I have never competed with Eunuch Wang, so I have no way of knowing."

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly and said with a smile: "My great companion also practices martial arts. What...what is the manual he practices?"

"Your Majesty, it's the Sunflower Manual." Wang Chengen whispered on the side.

"Yes, that's right. He is practicing the Sunflower Manual. I don't know how well he has practiced it. You two can compare and let me see Wang Chengen's level." Zhu Youjian smiled and looked like he was watching a show.

Zuo Dao was a loyal man with no other ideas. He did whatever the emperor said.

Hearing the words of the duel, he said without hesitation: "I obey your command."

Then he and Wang Chengen walked to an open area and stood opposite each other.

He drew the sword from his waist, pointed the tip of the sword at the ground, and said, "Eunuch Wang, please give me some advice."

Wang Chengen said nothing more. He swung the whisk in his hand, and the bristles at the end grew to a length of ten feet and attacked towards the left.

This move was not some kind of magic, but the bristles of the whisk were originally this long, but they were folded up normally.

Now when it is put into use, it is like a whip. Under the influence of true Qi, it can be controlled easily and freely.

As a close attendant of a royal family member, he is naturally not an ordinary person who is powerless.

After passing the test of loyalty, one can obtain the Sunflower Manual, a martial art most suitable for eunuchs to practice.

This martial art does not require any aptitude, and the only cost is krypton, so the progress of practice is very fast.

It is a kind of evil martial arts that can be learned quickly.

Its characteristics are speed, quick reaction, quick attack, and even faster movement.

It is very suitable for protecting its owner, as it can arrive first after being struck later and block attacks such as arrows and hidden weapons.

However, Wang Chengen had always been following Zhu Youjian and had no chance to take action.

He is very powerful with his sunflower qi, but his combat experience is not as good as that of Zuo Dao, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Besides, Zuo Dao’s martial arts skills are not weak, and Wang Chengen has no advantage in a head-on confrontation.

I saw Zuo Dao holding a knife in his right hand, and with a flick of his left hand, several stones were ejected.

It whistled through the air and directly hit the incoming whisk, accurately breaking the barrier of the true Qi circulation.

The whisk that was wielded by the arm instantly became limp and collapsed to the ground, like a snake that had been hit in the vital spot.

Zuo Dao took advantage of the situation and rushed forward, slashing at Wang Chengen with his long sword.

At the same time, the stone's left hand touched his waist, and a rope was thrown out, wrapping around the whisk that was trying to refill with true energy.

Seeing that his weapons were restricted, Wang Chengen was about to give up the whisk and use other means.

However, due to lack of experience, he did not grasp the timing of the battle well.

The moment he let go, Zuo Dao's long knife was already on his neck.

"Eunuch Wang, thank you for giving me your favor." Zuo Dao sheathed his sword and clasped his fists.

He is a straightforward person and never thinks of giving in or trying a few more moves to save face for his opponent.

He followed the emperor's orders very seriously, and as soon as the fight started, he showed his true skills and defeated Wang Chengen in seconds.

The Jinyiwei who were watching the scene were trembling with fear and secretly thought that it was not good.

They are really stubborn. Who are their opponents? They are the favorites of the emperor.

Such a ruthless and direct defeat, isn't this a slap in the face of the emperor?

You don't understand the ways of the world at all. How are you going to survive in the future? I'm afraid you'll be bullied.

While the Jinyiwei were worried, Zhu Youjian clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent! Only with such martial arts can you be worthy of being my loyal minister. Reward."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen picked up the whisk on the ground and took out a piece of soft armor from the eunuch who was accompanying him.

Its body was jet black, reflecting a metallic luster under the firelight, and it looked like it was woven from some kind of metal wire.

The manufacturing process of this soft armor is many times more complicated than that of chain mail.

The production of each piece is time-consuming and laborious, and ordinary nobles simply cannot afford it.

Besides being relatively close-fitting and comfortable, its defensive capabilities are only average.

It is considered a luxury item, with more ornamental and collection value than practicality.

Seeing Wang Chengen coming over with the soft armor, Zuo Dao immediately bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."

Then he reached out to take it. It felt a little heavy, cool and smooth to the touch.

Just as Zuo Dao was about to put it away, he paused because he felt a layer in the soft armor, and there was something hidden inside.

His eyes moved slightly, somewhat confused.

At this time, Zhu Youjian said, "Put it on and see if it fits you. If it doesn't fit, ask Wang Chengen to change it."

Looking at the emperor's burning gaze that seemed to be full of deep meaning, Zuo Dao accepted the order and nodded.

Just take off your outer clothes and put on your soft armor.

This thing has no elasticity at all and is a bit small. It stretches my body tightly and makes me feel uncomfortable.

But he still said respectfully: "Your Majesty, it fits me very well."

He was just honest, not really stupid. He knew that the things in this soft armor must have been specially given to him by the emperor.

And since it is hidden in the mezzanine, it means that they don't want others to know.

"Haha, Captain Zuo, we are so envious of you for receiving the reward from His Majesty. You must keep it well." Wang Chengen said with a smile.

Zuo Dao nodded solemnly: "I know, I will always wipe it to keep it free of dust."

Zhu Youjian was very satisfied to hear such an answer.

It started off smoothly and put him in a good mood.

"The follow-up will all depend on whether this unconventional approach can succeed." Zhu Youjian thought to himself.

Then he showed great interest and asked other Jinyiwei and guards to show off their skills.

The winners were rewarded, and the one with the most outstanding performance received the same golden soft armor as Zuo Dao.

Zhu Youjian also asked them to put them on and asked if they fit them well.

How could the guard who received the reward dare to say that it was not suitable? Even if he was stretched to the point of choking, he could only say that it fit him very well.

After retreating, looking at Zuo Dao who remained calm, he couldn't help but admire him.

This captain was able to endure such discomfort, he really is someone who will be made difficult for others.

……

The next day.

The sacrifice was held as scheduled and nothing unexpected happened until the end.

But Zuo Dao felt a little uncomfortable.

The soft armor that the emperor secretly gave him must have been of great importance, so he never took it off after putting it on.

The tense feeling made him feel uncomfortable all over, but he still endured it.

It was not until he returned to Beizhenfusi at night when everyone else was asleep that he dared to take it off.

The things taken out from the soft armor were an imperial edict and a letter.

The imperial edict had no shaft, only a roll of brocade that was folded and sewn together.

And that letter was for him.

Zuo Dao carefully opened the letter, and his expression became more and more solemn as he read it.

After he finished reading, he quickly burned the letter and swallowed the ashes with tea.

He put the imperial edict back into the soft armor and put it on again.

After doing all this, I touched my forehead and found that it was covered with cold sweat.

Now he finally understood why the emperor gave it to him secretly.

The imperial edict on his shoulders was of great importance and he felt that the responsibility was heavier than a mountain.

However, there was still a doubt in his mind: why the emperor trusted him so much.

He couldn't figure this out, and didn't think about it any further.

No sleep for one night.

The next day, Zuo Dao found a case in the north and rode out of the Forbidden City.

He disguised himself and changed his appearance during the journey, and even gave up the official horses of the Jinyiwei because it would be easy to be discovered.

He changed his horse and turned to gallop towards the southeast area.