At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

Late at night, in the east wing of the Mozhou government office.

Su Mu sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes closed, his breathing steady.

His consciousness had sunk into that dark space, and the golden system panel unfolded before his eyes, with lines of text shimmering with a warm light.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the main quest: Slay four fierce generals of the Northern Barbarians, take the head of King Tuoba Feng of the Northern Barbarians amidst a sea of ​​soldiers, and achieve legendary status in one battle!]

[Rewards: 10 years of reverse aging, 200 days of lifespan, max level Wudang Cloud Ladder Leap, and one Loyalty Card!]

"Claim your reward."

[Rewards are being distributed! 】

A warm current surged out from deep within my chest.

A powerful, surging warm current, like the tide of a spring river.

The warm current originated from the heart and instantly surged throughout the body, flowing to every limb, every meridian, every bone, and every muscle.

Su Mu's body jolted violently.

He felt the power that came from defying age by ten years.

At this moment, the bones became harder and denser, the joint pain completely disappeared, the muscles regained much of their elasticity, and even the breathing became longer and more powerful.

Soon after, another wave of memories flooded into his mind.

That was a fusion memory of Wudang's Cloud Ladder Leap.

Ascending the ladder to the clouds, one can ascend to heaven in a single step, soaring like a cloud.

This light-body skill emphasizes skillful application rather than brute force.

By using the opponent's force against them and taking advantage of their momentum to leap into the air, they can make continuous turns in the air as if walking on flat ground.

Memories unfold in my mind like a scroll painting.

Su Mu closed his eyes, letting the memory replay itself in his mind again and again.

Taking the initiative, leveraging the momentum, soaring into the air, turning, landing—repeated hundreds of times, each time more skillful than the last, each time infused with instinct.

The fusion process was completed after one incense stick had burned.

He sat back on the bed and took out the card that glowed with a pale golden light from the system space.

[Loyalty Card: This card grants the user 100% loyalty to the host, ensuring they will always obey the host's commands. The user must be within ten meters of the host during use.]

Su Mu held the card in his palm, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes.

This card was prepared by him for Tuoba Lie.

Tuoba Lie is a talented man, courageous, resourceful, and responsible. Only by letting him return to the Northern Di as king can the Northern Di truly achieve stability.

But people's hearts are unpredictable; today's vows may become lies tomorrow.

With this card, he was no longer afraid of Tuoba Lie turning against him.

Su Mu nodded in satisfaction and put the loyalty card into his sleeve.

Then, he reached under his pillow and pulled out a small cloth bag. Inside were a pair of cloth shoes, a painting, and a letter.

The cloth shoes have dense, crooked stitches, and a small flower is embroidered on the surface.

The painting depicts a white horse and an old man with white hair, with the words "Grandpa won the battle" written crookedly next to it.

The letter was written in childish handwriting, each stroke deliberate and earnest.

Su Mu's fingers traced the crooked handwriting again and again, his cloudy old eyes filled with love and longing.

"Soon," he murmured to himself, "Grandpa will be coming to see you soon."

He rewrapped the cloth bag, placed it under his pillow, and lay down.

He slept soundly that night.

He had a dream.

In his dream, he saw Qingxue. The girl had grown quite a bit taller, with two little pigtails, wearing a new red dress, and skipping and hopping towards him, calling out, "Grandpa, Grandpa."

……

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Gu Changfeng had already followed Su Mu's instructions and found a clean set of clothes for Tuoba Lie to wear.

"General Su." Tuoba Lie clasped his hands and bowed deeply.

"Is everything ready?" Su Mu asked.

"Ready!" Gu Changfeng and Zhao Tieniu clasped their hands in unison.

Su Mu nodded, turned around, and looked at Qin Hao, Zhou Huchen, You Zhongyi, and others gathered in front of the government office.

The soldiers' expressions were complex.

I have many questions in my mind.

Qin Hao was the first to step forward, clasping his hands in a fist salute and saying, "Elder Su, this humble general still feels that letting Tuoba Lie go back is too risky. What if he turns his back on us? What if the various tribes of the Northern Di don't respect him? What if the imperial court..."

Su Mu raised his hand, interrupting him.

"General Qin, I understand your concerns, but let me ask you, what do you plan to do if I don't let Tuoba Lie go back?"

Qin Hao paused for a moment, then pondered and said, "This humble general...this humble general will reorganize the troops and stockpile provisions, and when spring arrives, we will march north in one fell swoop and take over the Northern Di royal court."

Su Mu shook his head.

"What happens after you take over the Northern Di royal court? What will happen to the people of the Northern Di? What will happen to the tribes on the grasslands? If you scatter them, won't they reunite? If you kill Tuoba Lie, won't a new Northern Di king appear?"

Qin Hao opened his mouth, but couldn't answer.

Zhou Huchen couldn't help but ask, "Old Su, aren't you afraid that if you let him go back, he'll regroup and make a comeback?"

Su Mu turned around and looked at Tuoba Lie.

Tuoba Lie met his gaze.

"I'm not afraid." Su Mu's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resolute. "Because I believe that Tuoba Lie is a smart man. He knows what is good for the Northern Di and what is bad for them. If we continue fighting, the Northern Di will only be destroyed. If they submit to the Great Qian, the Northern Di can continue to exist. I know which path he will choose."

He paused, his eyes sweeping over the soldiers.

"Besides, even if he turns against me, I can capture him once, and I can capture him a second time. What's there to be afraid of?"

The soldiers exchanged glances. Although they were still somewhat worried, Su Mu had already said so much, and they couldn't persuade him any further.

You Zhongyi said in a low voice, "Elder Su, it's not that we don't trust you, it's that we're afraid of the court... Not everyone in the court is as upright as the Third Prince. You've made such great contributions in the Northern Frontier, they're envious. Now that you've taken it upon yourself to release the Northern Di Prince, they'll definitely seize the opportunity to cause trouble and accuse you of treason and harboring military power..."

Su Mu smiled, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"The imperial court? Where was the imperial court when I was fighting bloody battles in the north? Where were the imperial court's reinforcements when I was short of soldiers and generals? What were those court officials doing when I risked my life to conquer the north?"

"I am not afraid of them. I am an old man who has seen and experienced everything. If they want to impeach me, let them impeach me; if they want to sue me, let them sue me. I am upright and have nothing to fear."

He turned around, looked at Qin Hao, and his gaze was piercing.

"General Qin, you say this matter requires a decision from the imperial court. I ask you, how long will it take for the court to make a decision? A month? Two months? Or half a year? By the time the imperial decree arrives, the situation on the Northern Barbarian side will have already changed. If a new king ascends the throne and the various tribes submit, getting them to submit again will be harder than climbing to heaven. Opportunities in war are fleeting; how can we sit and wait for the imperial court?"

Qin Hao's pupils contracted slightly, as if deep in thought.

Su Mu continued, "Moreover, once the imperial court learns of an opportunity to defeat the Northern Barbarians, it will certainly order us to immediately head north and launch a war against them."

"At that time, the endless war will begin. When we enter the Northern Barbarian lands, we will be outsiders, unfamiliar with the terrain and climate, and the people will be hostile to us. There will be traps everywhere. Even if we can take over the Northern Barbarian royal court, we will pay a heavy price. Those brothers who have risked their lives with me will die there."

His voice lowered, carrying a touching sincerity.

"I don't want to see my soldiers lose their lives in vain. Everyone should live well."

Qin Hao's eyes reddened slightly as he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Elder Su, this humble general understands. This humble general supports your decision!"

Zhou Huchen, You Zhongyi, and others also clasped their hands in a fist salute, saying, "This humble general also supports Elder Su!"

Su Mu nodded, turned around, and looked at Tuoba Lie.

Tuoba Lie drew his longsword from his waist. Without hesitation, he gripped the blade with his left hand and slashed it sharply. Blood gushed from his palm and flowed down the blade.

He raised his blood-stained sword high, his voice booming.

"Tuoba Lie hereby swears in blood that upon returning to the Northern Barbarians, he will unify them, submit to the Great Qian Dynasty, pay tribute annually, and never invade again! If he breaks this oath, may this sword be his witness!"

He gripped the sword with both hands, snapped it sharply, and with a "crack," the steel longsword broke in two, falling to the ground with a crisp metallic clang.

The entire audience fell silent.

Su Mu looked into his determined eyes, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

He nodded, took out a loyalty card from his sleeve, and secretly activated it.

[Ding! Use a loyalty card on target "Tuoba Lie"?]

"Yes."

The golden card transformed into a barely perceptible ray of light and disappeared into Tuoba Lie's brow.

Tuoba Lie's body trembled slightly, and he blinked, his eyes revealing something he hadn't seen before.

That was absolute, heartfelt, and unwavering loyalty.

He knelt down again and kowtowed three times to Su Mu.

"General Su, I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Su Mu helped Tuoba Lie up.

Then he turned around and looked at Gu Changfeng and Zhao Tieniu.

"Changfeng, you are brave and resourceful. I will send you with three thousand soldiers to accompany Tuoba Lie to the Northern Di to assist him in unifying the Northern Di. After the mission is accomplished, return to the Northern Border to report back."

Gu Changfeng clasped his hands in a fist salute: "This humble general obeys!"

"Tie Niu, you come too. With you here, I can rest assured."

Zhao Tieniu grinned, his large, round eyes brimming with excitement: "Don't worry, Old Su! If anyone dares to cause trouble, I'll smash them flat with one slap!"

Su Mu nodded, then looked at Tuoba Lie.

"Go, I await your good news in the North."

Tuoba Lie stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Su Mu, bowed deeply, and then turned and left!