Chapter Fifty-Nine: Seasoned by Countless Battles
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Fifteen days remained until the Chef God Tournament.
The Mischievous Child System issued a side quest: within ten days, he was to assemble a guard squad to ensure his own safety.
“Why has the system suddenly given me such a task?”
“Could it be that I’m in danger?” Li Zhi pondered deeply.
Whenever the system issued missions, it always based them on actual circumstances. For instance, with the Chef God Tournament, the system had foreseen the participation of the Nanni tribe and thus required him to use yellow clay as the main ingredient.
This time, it must be the same.
“This isn’t good. I need to act fast—survival is paramount!” Li Zhi hurried off to find Luo Tong.
He pulled him aside, questioning him about the status of the guards at Lizheng Hall.
Luo Tong replied, “Your Highness, rest assured. With me leading them, I can guarantee your safety!”
“With you and your carefree attitude, how can I be at ease?”
“Me? Carefree?” he protested.
That term was usually used to describe street ruffians.
Luo Tong, born to a family of generals, could not tolerate such an insult!
“Your Highness… though you are royalty, you shouldn’t insult me like this! When have I ever been carefree? Since I learned the Nine Swords of Dugu, I consider myself unrivaled in martial arts—only lacking an opportunity to prove myself!”
“You learned the Nine Swords of Dugu? How come I didn’t know?”
“Well…” Luo Tong stammered. “Forgive me, Your Highness. You train in the courtyard every day, so I managed to observe a bit and picked up the basics!”
“But rest assured, I will never divulge it!”
If Luo Tong mastered the Nine Swords of Dugu, he could protect him better.
That was hardly an issue!
Yet Li Zhi remained anxious—the system’s task was clearly a warning that danger was imminent, more intense than before.
“You, come with me!”
“Where to?”
Li Zhi took him to the Imperial Study.
He requested more Imperial Guards from Li Shimin to protect Lizheng Hall.
“Zhi’er, why would you suddenly ask for reinforcements at Lizheng Hall? Did you get yourself into trouble?” Li Shimin instinctively suspected Li Zhi was hiding something.
What could it be, to warrant Imperial Guards for his protection?
“Father, please don’t ask… I’ve recently offended quite a few people, and I fear they might harm me. So… just grant my request. I only need twenty guards!”
“Fine, fine… Father will agree!” Li Shimin instructed Luo Tong, “Go find Hou Junji, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and dispatch troops to protect Lizheng Hall. Do not fail!”
“Your servant obeys!”
Lizheng Hall originally had thirty guards.
Now, it had fifty.
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With Luo Tong, a martial prodigy, at their head, it should be foolproof.
Yet Li Zhi still felt uneasy.
After all, previous assassination attempts had been perilous, and the system had never warned him in advance. This time, not only was there an early warning, but a related quest had been issued—he had to assemble a guard squad.
“I have a feeling… I’m about to be targeted again!” Li Zhi suddenly said.
“What?” Luo Tong was startled, shaking his head. “How could anyone know in advance? Are you a fortune teller? I don’t believe it!”
“You’d better believe it!”
“Even if assassins come, I’m not afraid! With my current skills, I can easily defeat Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde! Tomorrow, I’ll challenge them, so Your Highness can see my abilities!”
…
Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde were veteran generals, battle-hardened warriors.
They had aided Li Shimin in quelling chaos and founding the Great Tang.
Luo Tong wasn’t yet thirteen—could he truly win?
Li Zhi was curious!
He laughed, “If you’re so confident, then go and compete with them. Let’s see who’s superior!”
“Sure, who’s afraid?”
Luo Tong showed no fear!
To prove himself, Luo Tong practiced martial arts through the night, focusing on the Nine Swords of Dugu, which Li Zhi, moved by conscience, had formally taught him.
Such a profound sword technique deserved careful study.
Swish, swish, swish…
The sound of sword movements echoed in the courtyard.
Li Zhi woke up, glanced outside—the sky was still dark.
“This kid—has he practiced all night?” Li Zhi remembered that Luo Tong was training when he went to bed, and now he was still at it.
Swish!
Luo Tong sheathed his sword and excitedly approached the window. “Your Highness, you’re awake?”
“You practiced all night?”
“Yes! Didn’t you say we’d challenge Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde today? I’ve practiced the Nine Swords of Dugu hundreds of times. I can wield them skillfully now. Heh… just wait, I’ll beat them so badly!”
…
Li Zhi got up and washed.
He changed into commoner’s clothes.
Taking advantage of the guards’ inattentiveness, he slipped out of the palace.
He headed straight for the Duke’s Mansion!
“Your Highness, I have an idea, but I’m not sure if it’s feasible,” Luo Tong hesitated.
“What idea?”
“I’m about seventy percent confident I can defeat Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde. If we fight at the Duke’s Mansion, the stage is too small. I wonder… could we go to the military camp and set up a challenge ring? Heh, I want all the soldiers to see their generals lose to me!”
Luo Tong’s ambitions were not small!
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He wanted to step over two veteran generals of the Tang and make a name for himself in one stroke?
Li Zhi smiled awkwardly, “That’s fine! As long as the two Dukes have no objection, I fully support you! But if they know how skilled you are, will they accept your challenge?”
“Well…”
Luo Tong was concerned, too.
He had been too high-profile before, and many military officers were spreading tales of his martial prowess. Even Cheng Yaojin often praised him as being highly skilled. Would those two still dare to set up a challenge ring?
…
Duke of Lu’s Mansion.
Cheng Yaojin wasn’t home.
His wife, Lady Bigfoot, said Cheng Yaojin had gone to the military camp early in the morning.
Luo Tong was thrilled and shouted, “Perfect! Let’s go to the camp, and we can compete right there, hahaha…”
He got exactly what he wanted.
If Yuchi Jingde was also at the camp, it would be ideal. They could duel immediately, saving another trip.
“Your Highness…”
“Do you know who’s more skilled, Yuchi Jingde or Cheng Yaojin?” On the way to the camp, Luo Tong asked with a grin.
“Of course, Yuchi Jingde!”
“That’s right! Hmm… Your Highness, how did you know?”
Li Zhi was only three, hadn’t met Yuchi Jingde, yet he knew their relative strength?
Li Zhi smiled, “I guessed!”
Naturally, he wouldn’t tell Luo Tong that he was a man who had read official histories and knew all about Tang’s figures.
“Your Highness is amazing—spot on with just a guess!”
“Cough, cough…” Li Zhi asked, “Are you planning to challenge Yuchi Jingde first?”
Luo Tong replied, “Yes! If I fight Cheng Yaojin first, Yuchi Jingde will become wary after watching, which isn’t good for me. If I challenge Yuchi Jingde first, while he underestimates me, I can defeat him! Even if Cheng Yaojin takes the fight seriously afterwards, he’ll find it hard to win!”
Li Zhi nodded, “Good idea!”
“I can’t wait to see how they look when they lose!”
…
…
Northern Army Camp.
Here, the most elite regular troops of the Great Tang were stationed.
There were seventy or eighty thousand soldiers.
Since the uprising in Taiyuan, they had followed Li Shimin, fighting east and west for more than ten years.
Until the founding of the Tang dynasty, they battled Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande, and others.
They were truly battle-tested!