Starting from his vigorous old age, he began to conquer Liaozhai.

[This is a discarded chapter, don't read it. I'll add it later after I finish working on it all night.]

[This is a discarded chapter, don't read it. I'll add it later after I finish working on it all night.]

[This is a discarded chapter, don't read it. I'll add it later after I finish working on it all night.]

……

……

Cao Xiong recognized the two men outside the gate; they were the steward and guest of the clan chief in the village.

As for the purpose of seeking him out, it was nothing more than for the twenty acres of fertile land that he had inherited.

In the eyes of many, a 60-year-old military household without children is a fat sheep waiting to be harvested.

Guobei County is located outside the mountains, but most of the land is barren land far from water sources and has no value for cultivation.

Even if you invest in cultivating the land, you will still have to bear heavy taxes.

But military farms are different; they only need to pay five shi of grain each year.

The clan chief had a clever plan: he wanted his son to recognize him as his godfather so that he could inherit the fertile land after his death. He would then have to pay the regular grain tax and military service fee every year, thus avoiding sending anyone to the army and getting twenty acres of fertile land for free.

"That's fucking shameless."

If it were before he awakened his cheat ability, Cao Xiong might have chosen to avoid it.

But now, the situation has reversed.

Cao Xiong kept walking.

"Were you waiting for me?"

The two men's eyes lit up when they saw Cao Xiong. The older one, wearing a silk robe with coin patterns, was the clan chief's steward, named Cao Que.

Cao Xiong and he didn't get along when they were young.

"Hehe, Cao Xiong, I heard you killed a dog demon. Be careful not to hurt yourself."

Cao Xiong sneered inwardly. Was he hoping Cao Xiong would die sooner?

Cao Xiong was a member of the military, unlike ordinary people who only need private consent to adopt a son.

However, for a military household like his to adopt a son, he had to report it to the authorities.

Previously, his reason for refusing the clan chief's adoption was that he was still physically strong and far from that point. In short, he would avoid it if he could, and if he couldn't avoid it, he would make excuses.

It seems the clan chief really couldn't wait any longer; a month ago, he sent someone to assassinate him.

"Cao Que, I know why you've come. Go back and tell Cao Zheng that I will not recognize his son as my adopted son."

Hearing Cao Xiong's words, Cao Que was somewhat incredulous. The Cao Xiong of the past, while not exactly subservient, had never spoken with such arrogance.

"Cao Xiong, you're practically half-buried, and you have no relatives or children. Do you think you can take the land with you when you die?"

"The clan chief used to treat you fairly politely because of our shared kinship. You probably don't know this, but the clan chief's eldest son has been promoted to chief banner officer."

"And you'll be transferred back to Guobei County soon." "Frankly, you wouldn't want what happened last month to happen again, would you?"

"You're threatening me?" A cold glint flashed in Cao Xiong's eyes.

"Haha, so what if it is, Cao Xiong? You're sixty years old, why are you so upset?"

Cao Xiong was thoroughly annoyed by Cao Que's arrogant demeanor and decided not to pursue the matter any further, as he was eager to practice his martial arts.

"Get lost. Just tell Cao Zheng what he wants to do. I'll play along."

"Hmph, ungrateful wretch!"

Cao Que gave a look to the man next to him. The man was a warrior raised by the clan chief Cao Zheng, and after receiving Cao Que's signal, he sneered.

He swung his fist and charged straight at Cao Xiong. Cao Xiong hadn't expected Cao Que to dare send someone to attack him directly. After all, he, Cao Xiong, was a legitimate active-duty military household member.

It seems the clan chief's eldest son really gave them courage. Good, it's been many years since they've sparred with anyone.

Cao Xiong focused his energy in his dantian, stepped forward with his left foot into a bow stance, and raised his fist as well.

"Bang!"

"Click~"

Cao Xiong's body trembled slightly. The man who made the first move had his arm at an abnormal angle, his entire arm seemingly useless.

Cao Xiong, seizing the advantage, pressed forward and threw the man to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw.

Cao Xiong looked at the fallen warrior with some lingering satisfaction, "Young man, don't be too impetuous."

"Also, last month, you should have been one of those two people, right? I remember it all."

Cao Xiong kicked the man away, and he only managed to stop at the gate of the courtyard.

Cao Xiong turned to look at Cao Que, "Are you getting out of here or not?"

Cao Que swallowed hard, clearly intimidated by Cao Xiong's skills.

The fear of being dominated by Cao Xiong when I was young came to mind.

"Let's go, I'm leaving now."

After helping the man up, Cao Que left without saying a word.

"The jumping clown~"

Cao Xiong clapped his hands dismissively and knocked on the door.

The man who opened the door was in his forties. He smiled when he saw Cao Xiong.

He kept making hand gestures, "Aba aba~"

"Hey kid, you're talking nicer than before. Come on, I'll take you to report for duty and get your lamellar armor and lancet."

"Our usual task is very simple: we take turns on duty every five days. Each squad in the camp has a room to rest in, and we need to stay in the camp during our shift."

Cao Xiong kept Chen Dali's words firmly in mind. The original owner of this body had never thought about joining the army and had no memory of these rules.

As for Chen Dali's explanation that he arrived at an inopportune time, he knew that a demonic corpse had appeared nearby and they needed to deal with it.

In less than two hours, Cao Xiong had finished handling the enlistment matters in the camp.

Cao Xiong didn't need to be on duty these past few days, so he took his armor and scalpel and returned home.

Next, Cao Xiong continued to immerse himself in martial arts training and also investigated Li San's movements every day.

Cao Xiong is about to take his turn on duty and cannot stay at home all the time.

Li San is a potential threat to Cao Xiong. Rui Yun, a weak woman, might be in danger if she stays home alone. He must be dealt with first.

Finally, on the evening of the fourth day after the reporting ended, Cao Xiong got his chance.

After drinking in the neighboring village, Li San returned to Xiahe Village alone.

Cao Xiong lay in ambush behind a sloping hill, waiting quietly. As midnight approached, Li San's figure appeared swaying at the end of the path.

Cao Xiong looked up at the moon, which was obscured by dark clouds.

"What a dark and windy night! As the old saying goes, a gentleman takes revenge from morning till night..."

Cao Xiong got up at 3 AM as usual today and practiced the "Fierce Tiger Stance" for two hours, which has become his daily routine.

After breakfast, Cao Xiong went to the camp to report for duty.

Cao Xiong belonged to the First Banner of the Hundred-Household Office in Guobei County. The First Banner's camp was located only two kilometers away from Xiahe Village.

They arrived in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Rows of newly cultivated farmland are arranged in an orderly fashion, guarding the camp.

Several soldiers wearing yellow military jackets and armored tunics were resting and chatting around a dead tree.

"Hey, have you heard? Recently, evil corpses have appeared over Luocaopo. At least ten people have died, and they've all been drained of their life force and turned into dried-up corpses."

"This time, the task of exterminating the evil corpses will probably fall to us again."

"Damn it, why does this dirty work that could easily cost us our lives always fall to the First Battalion Commander? We've already lost three brothers this month..."

Cao Xiong overheard their conversation intermittently as he passed by.