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

"Mr. Su, what should we do next?"

Qin Hao stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked.

Su Mu turned around and replied:

"First, submit a memorial to the court, truthfully reporting the execution of the Northern Di King and the defeat of the Northern Di army of 100,000, and request Your Majesty to decide on the follow-up matters."

Qin Hao nodded: "This subordinate will go and draft the memorial immediately."

"No rush."

Su Mu stopped, a slight smile playing on his lips, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"There's something even more important."

Qin Hao was taken aback: "What is it?"

"Let's slaughter cattle and sheep and have a good celebration, everyone. You've all worked hard during this time."

Before Qin Hao could speak, Zhou Huchen behind him jumped up first, his face full of excitement.

"Alright! Old Su has spoken! Brothers, go down and find the cooks, prepare some good wine and food, we won't leave until we're drunk tonight!"

"good!"

The soldiers cheered in unison, some clapped, some laughed, and some were already planning how many bowls of wine they would drink that night.

These days, they're fighting for their lives, and they haven't had a single night of restful sleep.

Now that the Northern Di King is dead and the Northern Di army has collapsed, it's time to relax.

"Alright, you can go and get ready."

Knowing that these guys were eager, Su Mu gave the orders.

Zhou Huchen waved his hand and led a group of brothers excitedly towards the direction of the cookhouse.

You Zhongyi, Zhang Heng, and others followed suit.

Su Mu watched their departing figures, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

These young men followed him all the way from Qinghe County. He saw their bloodshed, injuries, and hardships.

Today, it's time to let them have a good drink.

"With Tuoba Lie's matter resolved, the feud between the Northern Border and the Northern Barbarians can be considered completely settled," Su Mu murmured to himself.

He turned around and found Qin Hao still standing behind him, not having left.

"What, aren't you going to go have some fun with the brothers and relax?" Su Mu asked with a smile.

Qin Hao shrugged.

"No, Elder Su just instructed that the war situation be reported to the imperial court. I must go and do it right away. It won't be too late to drink with the brothers after I've finished."

"Indeed, then you should go quickly, this old man will go back to the backyard to rest."

Qin Hao clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and quickly left.

Su Mu walked slowly toward the backyard with his hands behind his back.

……

The snow on both sides of the backyard porch had not yet melted, and it crunched underfoot.

He walked into the backyard, preparing to go back to his room, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure standing in the pavilion.

The man was dressed in black, wearing a bamboo hat, with a long sword at his waist, and a veil covering most of his face.

He stood there, straight and motionless.

His gaze remained fixed on Su Mu's direction.

Su Mu walked toward the pavilion with a smile on his face.

"Old friend, how have you been?"

The black-clad swordsman quickly approached Su Mu.

Just as Su Mu reached the pavilion entrance, the man suddenly knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily.

Su Mu stopped abruptly, his eyes filled with surprise.

"What are you doing? Why are you suddenly kneeling before this old man? Get up, get up now!"

The man in black did not get up. He raised his head, and his eyes behind the veil were red, with tears glistening in them.

His voice was hoarse, filled with barely suppressed excitement and gratitude.

"General Su, I... I thank you so much for avenging me!"

Su Mu frowned slightly, looking puzzled.

"Who is your enemy? When did I avenge you?"

The man in black reached out and slowly removed his straw hat and veil.

Su Mu's pupils contracted slightly.

It was a face that had been disfigured.

Four deep knife scars crisscrossed his face, from his left eyebrow to his right jaw, from the bridge of his nose to the base of his ear, the skin rolled up and the scars were hideous.

The original facial features were no longer visible; only the eyes remained.

Those eyes held tears, hatred, relief, and an indescribable sorrow.

"My name is Liu Yuzhou."

"My enemy is Tuoba Feng, the King of the Northern Barbarians."

Su Mu frowned even more, his eyes filled with doubt.

"The King of the Northern Barbarians? What deep-seated hatred do you harbor towards him?"

Liu Yuzhou took a deep breath and began to tell the story that had been buried for ten years.

"I was originally a merchant in Mozhou City, dealing in silk. My family was well-off, with parents to support and a wife and children to raise. My husband and I were loving and our life, though not wealthy, was harmonious."

"Ten years ago, Tuoba Feng, the King of the Northern Di, disguised himself and sneaked into Mozhou City to investigate the situation in the northern border."

"That day, my wife went out to buy cloth and was spotted by Tuoba Feng in the market."

"That guy took a liking to my wife at first sight and told his men that he wanted to take her back to the Northern Di to be his queen."

Liu Yuzhou's voice choked with emotion. After a moment, he continued, "That night, Tuoba Feng's men broke into my home, secretly kidnapped my wife, and fled the city overnight, heading straight for the Northern Barbarians."

"When I woke up the next day, I found that my wife was missing. I searched everywhere and reported it to the authorities, but they did nothing about it."

"I spent a whole year, almost losing everything, before finally finding out my wife's whereabouts in the Northern Di."

"She was actually kidnapped by Tuoba Feng, imprisoned in the royal court, and forced to become his concubine."

"I know it wasn't her fault. She was kidnapped and forced into it. So I didn't hesitate and resolutely went to the Northern Barbarians, risking my life to infiltrate the royal court. I found my imprisoned wife and was going to take her away, but..."

His fists were clenched so tightly they cracked.

"But Tuoba Feng discovered it and sent people to arrest me. He tortured me severely, and the scar on my face was left from that time. He locked me in a dark and sunless cell and tormented me for a full six months."

Su Mu didn't speak, he just listened quietly.

"Later, a civil war broke out in the Northern Di royal court, and some people broke out of the prison. I took advantage of the chaos to escape."

"When Tuoba Feng found out, he was furious and sent men to infiltrate Mozhou, where they killed my entire family—my parents, children, and servants—leaving no one alive."

Liu Yuzhou's tears finally fell, landing on the bluestone slab.

"When I fled back to Mozhou, all I saw were corpses everywhere and charred houses. My home was gone, my parents were gone, my children were gone... everything was gone."

"When my wife learned of this, she felt that she had caused the death of my entire family, so she committed suicide in the royal court."

"Even on her deathbed, she was thinking of me."

Liu Yuzhou wiped away her tears, raised her head, looked at Su Mu, her eyes filled with determination.

"From that day on, I swore that I would kill Tuoba Feng to avenge my family."

"I have joined the Listening Wind Pavilion, concealed my identity, changed my name and surname, diligently practiced martial arts, and gathered information from all directions to look for opportunities."

"But Tuoba Feng has many fierce generals by his side. I have tried countless times, but failed every time. Several times I almost died at his hands."

His voice became low, carrying a calm that came from having experienced many hardships.

"Until I heard about you..."

"General Su, you fought your way from Qinghe County, killing Yeluqi, killing Mantu, capturing Tuoba Han and Tuoba Lie, and recovering Yuzhou and Qingzhou. I know that the opportunity for revenge has come."

He looked intently at Su Mu, his gaze burning.

"Therefore, I took the initiative to approach you, provide you with information, and help you deal with Tuoba Han and Tuoba Lie."

"I do not see you as a tool for revenge, but rather as someone who believes that only you can kill Tuoba Feng, that heinous villain."

"As it turns out, I was right."

Su Mu remained silent for a long time.

Looking at Liu Yuzhou's face, scarred by knife wounds, and at the fire in his eyes that had burned for ten years without being extinguished, he felt an indescribable respect welling up in his heart.

"In the battle outside Mozhou City, I disguised myself as a soldier of the Great Qian Dynasty and mingled in the vanguard camp, charging alongside you."

"I personally witnessed you send Ge Lie and his three companions flying with a single palm strike, I personally witnessed you kill Hu Erchi with a single spear thrust, and I personally witnessed you behead Tuoba Feng with a single slash."

"At that moment, the stone that had been weighing on my heart for ten years finally fell, and my revenge was finally complete."

He kowtowed heavily again, his forehead hitting the bluestone slab with a thud.

"General Su, I did not mean to conceal anything. Please forgive me."

"From this day forward, my life belongs to General Su."

"If General Su needs me, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Su Mu bent down, grabbed his arms with both hands, and pulled him up.

"Get up, I don't blame you."

"I not only don't blame you, but I also thank you."

"Without your help and information, I wouldn't have been able to deal with Tuoba Han and Tuoba Lie so smoothly. You deserve a lot of credit for the rapid reconquest of the Northern Territory."

Liu Yuzhou stood up, her eyes red-rimmed, and shook her head repeatedly.

"I dare not take credit; I only did what I could."

Su Mu patted him on the shoulder, his eyes full of admiration.

"Yuzhou, I greatly admire a man as loyal, righteous, and courageous as you."

"Today, the army is celebrating its victory. I would like to introduce you to the soldiers so that they may get to know you, this courageous and spirited man."

Liu Yuzhou shook his head, his attitude resolute.

"Old Su, you mustn't."

Su Mu frowned: "Why?"

"I am now a member of the Listening Wind Pavilion. The Listening Wind Pavilion has its own rules, and I cannot reveal my identity."

"Moreover, only by staying in the Listening Wind Pavilion can I continue to gather information for Elder Su."

He lowered his voice, a wary glint in his eyes.

"I have recently learned that there are people in the court who want to harm Elder Su. I must continue my investigation and eliminate this threat for Elder Su."

"Don't worry, Elder Su, I will not allow anyone to harm you."

Su Mu remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"What merit or ability have I possessed to warrant such treatment from you?"

Liu Yuzhou smiled, a frank and sincere smile.

"Old Su, you will always be my great benefactor and the great benefactor of the people of the North. I am willing to go through fire and water for you and die ten thousand times over."

He put his straw hat back on, pulled up his veil, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Su Mu.

"Elder Su, I will definitely investigate the matter in the court thoroughly and inform you in a timely manner."

"Take care, Elder Su. I'll take my leave now."

Su Mu nodded and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "Yu Zhou, be careful on your journey."

Liu Yuzhou nodded, then lightly touched the ground with his toes, his figure like a falling leaf, rising gracefully from the pavilion, skimming over the courtyard wall, and disappearing into the morning light in the blink of an eye.

Su Mu stood in the pavilion, gazing in the direction where he had disappeared.

"What a passionate and devoted man!"

"Ten years of forbearance, ten years of honing the sword, all for the sake of avenging that blood feud. Such affection and loyalty are rare in this world."

"And also, is someone in the court plotting against me?"

"Is that Xu Shigui?"

At this moment, Su Mu began to worry.

"If they investigate, will Qingxue's presence at the Third Prince's residence be exposed?"

"No, I'll set off for the capital tomorrow!"

"Anyone who dares to touch my precious granddaughter, I'll make sure they die a horrible death!"