The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 724

Who is Yu Zhifu?

Zhou Chu looked at the group of students below and spoke loudly.

"They are students."

Yu Dayou's voice was extremely loud, like a dragon's roar. The students around him all looked at him when they heard this.

They were all secretly thinking that Yu Dayou was so old, yet he was still studying here like them, wasn't he afraid of losing face? But they only dared to think it to themselves. Yu Dayou was tall and strong, with a powerful stride, and every move he made carried an extraordinary aura. Most of these students were thirteen or fourteen years old, and the older ones were only eighteen or nineteen. Naturally, they didn't dare to provoke Yu Dayou.

"Come forward and speak."

Zhou Chu waved his hand.

Yu Dayou was pleasantly surprised to hear this, as he hadn't expected to be noticed by Lord Zhou on his very first day.

Yu Dayou quickly arrived in front of Zhou Chu.

Zhou Chu is now over 1.85 meters tall, but Yu Dayou is actually half a head taller than Zhou Chu when he stands in front of him, and his physique is comparable to Shen Lian's.

Shen Lian, standing behind Zhou Chu, could clearly sense the immense vitality of Yu Dayou's physique. He knew that the man before him was a master, and not just any master. This made Shen Lian tense. He placed his hand on the hilt of his embroidered spring knife, ready to draw it without hesitation should Yu Dayou make any move.

"No need to be so nervous."

Zhou Chu glanced at Shen Liandao.

Shen Lian relaxed a little after hearing this.

"As far as I know, you should be a centurion in Quanzhou Prefecture. Why are you here instead of doing a good job as an official?"

Zhou Chu looked at Yu Dayou and asked.

Yu Dayou was not surprised to hear this. He thought that Lord Zhou must have investigated all the students who came to register. After all, as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it would be very easy for him to investigate a person.

The eunuch standing nearby shared a similar thought. He believed that Lord Zhou must have known all the registered students for a long time and had probably already ordered his Imperial Guards to investigate them.

"The students have acquired a wealth of skills and only wish to serve the Ming Dynasty and the imperial court, not to waste their lives in Quanzhou Prefecture."

Yu Dayou bowed respectfully.

Zhou Chu nodded upon hearing this.

"Good ambition. I know you. Your swordsmanship is very strong. Shen Lian behind me has been learning martial arts from Master Yangming since childhood. His martial arts skills are rarely matched. Would you two like to have a contest to see who is better?"

Zhou Chu looked at Yu Dayou and said.

Zhou Chu's words made Yu Dayou feel flattered. He never expected that Lord Zhou had noticed him so early on. He naturally had no reason to refuse Zhou Chu's words. He knew very well that this was Lord Zhou testing him.

"This student will obey Lord Zhou's instructions."

Yu Dayou bowed and said.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian became instantly excited. Over the years, as his martial arts skills had improved, he had hardly encountered any worthy opponents. Now that such a master had appeared, he was naturally itching to fight.

The students below were also extremely excited upon hearing this. After all, everyone loves to watch a show, especially a duel between two tall and strong masters. No one would not enjoy watching that.

Soon, the crowd made way for the two of them. Shen Lian drew his Embroidered Spring Blade, and Yu Dayou drew his sword. Both of them stared into each other's eyes. In a duel between masters, they always stared into each other's eyes, and could predict each other's next move just by looking at each other's eyes.

Both sides were perfectly integrated, with almost no flaws. Even if there were any, they were fleeting and difficult to catch.

Shen Lian knew that weaknesses weren't something to be waited for, but rather something to be created through fighting. He directly drew his sword and charged at Yu Dayou. Yu Dayou sidestepped and used his Liao sword, forcing Shen Lian to hastily withdraw his strength to dodge.

Both fighters used seven-tenths of their strength in their duel, which allowed them to move freely. If they had used all their strength, they would have been unable to retract their power once they exhausted their moves, and their defenses would have been exposed.

The two fought fiercely, exchanging blows, and the students watching from the sidelines didn't dare to breathe.

In a battle between masters, every move is fatal, unlike the martial arts masters in picture books who exchange hundreds of blows.

After only a dozen or so moves, both sides had basically figured out each other's strengths and weaknesses, and began to unleash their killing moves. Shen Lian and Yu Dayou's martial arts skills were evenly matched. Shen Lian feigned an opening, and Yu Dayou seized the opportunity to hand over his sword. When the sword tip was against Shen Lian's neck, Yu Dayou realized that Shen Lian's knife was now less than an inch away from his throat.

"Lord Shen's skill is profound; I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."

Yu Dayou sheathed his sword and bowed.

"Your swordsmanship is too amazing. Even with a clever trick, I can only manage a draw with you."

Shen Lian said with a helpless expression.

"Alright, stop flattering each other."

Zhou Chu smiled.

Upon hearing this, the two of them immediately felt a little embarrassed.

"I didn't expect your swordsmanship to be so formidable. I'm afraid there are few in the world who can rival you. But I wonder how your military strategy is?"

Zhou Chu looked at Yu Dayou and said.

"The student has a good understanding of military strategy, but compared to the adults, he is far behind."

Yu Dayou said earnestly.

This was not Yu Dayou's flattery of Zhou Chu, but rather Yu Dayou's true thoughts.

At this moment, Zhou Chu felt that Yu Dayou was much better than him in terms of military strategy and large-scale warfare, while Yu Dayou felt that Lord Zhou was far more capable than him in military campaigns.

Both sides overestimated each other and underestimated themselves.

"Chunfu, go and transfer five thousand troops over here so that Zhifu can practice his military tactics and formations."

Zhou Chu looked at Shen Lian and said.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian turned and went outside the academy to mobilize troops.

The other students were in an uproar when they heard this. They realized that the man in front of them, who was much older than them, was no ordinary person, otherwise he would not have been treated so specially by Lord Zhou.

"Zhifu, what military formation are you best at?"

Zhou Chu looked at Yu Dayou and asked.

"The students are best at the Changshan Snake Formation."

Yu Dayou dared not hide the truth and answered truthfully.

"Alright, then demonstrate the Changshan Snake Formation and broaden my horizons."

Zhou Chu smiled.