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

early morning.

The capital city, the residence of the Third Prince.

Xiao Jingyu sat at his desk, holding a newly delivered document in his hand, a smile on his lips.

The construction of the General of the North's Mansion is nearing completion.

The bluestone path in front of the gate has been paved, and the flowers, trees and shrubs in the yard have been planted. Only the last batch of furniture needs to be moved in before it will be completed.

Xiao Jingyu harbored ulterior motives when building the Zhenbei General's Mansion.

This mansion covers a vast area, with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing water; every brick and tile was built according to the specifications of a Duke's mansion.

"General Su, when you return to the capital and see this mansion, you will surely be satisfied."

Xiao Jingyu muttered to himself, folded the report document, and placed it aside.

He picked up his teacup, about to take a sip!

"Father! Father! Something terrible has happened!"

A series of urgent shouts came from outside the door, accompanied by hurried footsteps, growing louder as they approached.

Xiao Jingyu frowned sharply. Before he could put down his teacup, the study door was pushed open and slammed against the wall with a "bang," causing the door frame to shake.

Xiao Zhi Qiu rushed in, her face pale, her forehead covered in sweat, panting heavily, and looking flustered.

"Zhi Qiu? What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?"

Xiao Jingyu stood up, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

"Qingxue...Qingxue is gone!"

Xiao Zhi Qiu's voice was trembling, and it sounded like she was crying.

Xiao Jingyu's expression changed instantly.

"What? It's gone? Explain yourself! What exactly happened?"

He grabbed the outer robe from the back of the chair and put it on as he walked out.

Xiao Zhi Qiu followed behind, rambling incoherently as he spoke.

"Just now... just now I went to call Qingxue to have breakfast, but I knocked on the door for a long time and no one answered. I thought she was still sleeping, so I pushed the door open and went in... but... but there was no one in the room! The blankets were neatly folded, and the bed was made up perfectly, as if she hadn't slept all night..."

She wiped away her tears, her voice becoming even more urgent.

"I quickly ordered the maids to search together. We turned the entire manor upside down—the garden, the rockery, the backyard, the kitchen, the woodshed, even the outhouse… We couldn't find Qingxue anywhere! Father, Qingxue is gone! Could she… could she have been kidnapped?"

Xiao Jingyu's face was ashen. He didn't say a word and strode towards Su Qingxue's room.

Su Qingxue's room was in the east wing, and it was kept clean and spotless.

The bed was neatly made, the blankets were folded squarely, and there was a book under the pillow. A page was marked with a red string.

The wardrobe was open, and the clothes inside were neatly folded, not a single one missing.

Xiao Jingyu stood in the center of the room, his gaze sweeping over every corner.

There were no signs of disturbance, no signs of fighting, no bloodstains, yet Qingxue was nowhere to be found.

"They were kidnapped."

"There were no signs of struggle in the room, which means the other party was extremely skilled, or... or Qingxue knew the person and was caught off guard."

Xiao Zhi Qiu stood at the door, tears streaming down her face.

"Father, who is it? Who wants to kidnap Qingxue? She's just a child..."

Xiao Jingyu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Several names flashed through his mind: Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng, Prime Minister Li Yuan, and the Xu brothers.

"check."

Xiao Jingyu opened his eyes, a cold glint in them.

Just then, the steward of the Prince's mansion arrived.

Xiao Jingyu quickly gave the order:

"Send the order: everyone in the Prince's residence, go out and search!"

"Contact my informants in Kyoto, seal off all city gates, and search every inn, every temple, and every suspicious place!"

"Yes!" The butler accepted the order and quickly turned and ran out.

Xiao Zhi Qiu followed.

Standing alone in Su Qingxue's empty room, Xiao Jingyu felt a deep sense of guilt welling up inside him.

"General Su, you entrusted your granddaughter to me, but I... failed to protect her properly..."

"Qingxue, you must not get hurt. Uncle Xiao will definitely find you."

……

Kyoto, South Gate.

As the sun sets, it bathes the entire capital city in a golden glow.

The city gate was bustling with people and vehicles, the shouts of vendors, the laughter of pedestrians, and the clatter of horses' hooves all blending together in a lively atmosphere.

Su Mu rode his Ferghana horse and slowly walked into the city gate.

Looking at the majestic city before him, at the mottled bricks on the city walls, and at the three large characters "Chengtianmen" above the city gate, he was filled with emotion.

The last time I came to Kyoto was more than 60 years ago.

At that time, he was full of vigor and came to the capital to take the imperial examination, hoping to gain fame and fortune.

He failed the exam and, disheartened, went into business.

Although that period of happiness was short-lived, it was the happiest time of his life.

Now, when he returns to the capital, he is a centenarian with white hair and a hunched back.

"Grandpa Su, it's time for us to say goodbye."

Xiaoyouchuan rode beside him, dismounted, and clasped his hands in a salute.

His face showed a hint of reluctance, but even more so, an eagerness to return home.

"I need to go home to see my parents. Let's make a pact: meet me tomorrow at noon at Zuixianlou on East Street. I'll treat you to drinks and meat—we won't leave until we're both drunk! How about it?"

He looked at Su Mu with bright, expectant eyes.

Su Mu smiled and waved his hand.

"Child, you should go home and be with your parents. We have plenty of time in the future, there's no need to rush. I have important matters to attend to tomorrow, so we can talk about drinking later."

His important task was to find Qingxue.

Seeing my granddaughter is more important than anything else.

Xiao Youchuan was not disappointed by the rejection and still had a smile on his face.

"Alright! Whatever you say! As long as you're in the capital, we can meet anytime! Grandpa Su, I'll take my leave now, until we meet again!"

He cupped his hands in greeting to Su Mu, then led his horse into the bustling street and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"This young man is quite interesting."

Riding a horse on a busy street can easily injure pedestrians.

Therefore, Su Mu also dismounted and walked.

Only then did he realize that he was facing an awkward problem.

The capital city is so big, he had no idea where the Third Prince's residence was.

He hadn't been here for over sixty years. The streets had changed, the houses had changed, even the city gates had been rebuilt. He was completely in the dark.

Su Mu led his Akhal-Teke horse slowly through the crowd, looking around, trying to find someone to ask for directions.

He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped.

At the corner on the right, a familiar figure flashed by.

The man wore a bamboo hat, dressed in black, with a long sword at his waist. He moved with light steps, like a falling leaf, and disappeared silently into the alleyway.

He recognized the man; it was Liu Yuzhou.

Su Mu knew that Liu Yuzhou must have something to tell him, which was why he deliberately showed up.

Without hesitation, he led his horse through the crowd and turned into the alley.

The alley was narrow, with high walls on both sides and dim lighting, allowing only one person or one horse to pass at a time.

Su Mu walked at a leisurely pace, his gaze fixed on the black figure ahead.

Liu Yuzhou didn't turn back, nor did she quicken her pace; she simply walked straight ahead.

As you walk through alley after alley and turn corner after corner, the surrounding buildings become increasingly old and the population increasingly sparse.

Finally, Liu Yuzhou stopped in front of a quiet courtyard, pushed open the half-closed wooden door, and stepped aside.

Su Mu led his horse inside.

After Su Mu entered the courtyard, Liu Yuzhou immediately closed the gate, turned around, knelt down on one knee with a thud, clasped his hands in a fist, and spoke in a low and respectful voice.

"Elder Su, Yu Zhou has finally been waiting for your return to the capital!"

"Since our last parting, Yuzhou has missed you dearly. These days, Yuzhou has been waiting for you in the capital."

Su Mu helped him up, patted his shoulder with his thin hand, and looked at him gently.

"Stand up and speak. Although you are not my soldier, I still consider you one of my own."

Liu Yuzhou stood up and got straight to the point.

"Old Su, Yu Zhou has something important to report."

His expression turned serious.

"Last night, the informants of the Listening Wind Pavilion discovered that people from the Blood Robe Tower had secretly infiltrated the Third Prince's residence."

"This morning, news spread from the Third Prince's residence that Su Qingxue had gone missing."

Upon hearing this, Su Mu's pupils constricted, and a terrifying cold light flashed in his eyes.

"Qingxue has disappeared?"

His voice was calm, but beneath that calm lay a raging magma, ready to erupt at any moment.

Liu Yuzhou nodded quickly.

"Yes, the Third Prince has mobilized all the manpower in the Prince's Mansion, and even his Jianghu advisors in the capital. They are searching the whole city, but there is still no news."

Su Mu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He believed in Xiao Jingyu's character and that he genuinely cared for Qingxue.

No matter how much you guard against it, you can't guard against the venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

The ministers in the court were capable of anything to bring him down.

"Who do you think did this?" Su Mu opened his eyes and asked.

Liu Yuzhou answered without hesitation: "Blood-Clad Tower".

He paused, then continued, "The Blood-Clad Tower is one of the most mysterious assassin organizations in the martial arts world. They take money and never fail. Their people appeared at the Third Prince's residence last night, and Qingxue disappeared the next day. This cannot be a coincidence."

"and……"

"A few days ago, my subordinates discovered through Xu Zhaowen's informants that the brothers Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu had been seen at Wanbao Pawnshop, which is a stronghold of the Blood Robe Tower in the capital."

A cold smile appeared on Su Mu's lips.

That smile held no warmth, only murderous intent.

"The Xu brothers... the Blood Robe Tower... dare to touch my granddaughter? They're courting death."

"Yu Zhou, take this old man to Wanbao Pawnshop. This old man wants to personally meet that Blood-Clad Tower."

Liu Yuzhou said urgently, "Elder Su, should we inform the Third Prince and have him send men to seal off all the city gates to prevent the Blood-Clad Tower from moving Qingxue out of the city?"

Su Mu stopped and shook his head.

"No need. Making a scene would only alert the enemy and cause more trouble."

"If they find out that I have gone to the capital, they will be desperate and do something rash, and Qingxue will be in even more danger."

He looked up and glanced at the sky.

The sun had already sunk below the horizon, and the sky gradually darkened, with twilight enveloping the entire capital city like a veil.

It's getting dark.

"It's easier to get things done when it's dark."

Liu Yuzhou clasped his hands and said, "Elder Su, I will go with you. I am familiar with the terrain of the capital and the distribution of the Blood Robe Tower's hidden agents. Moreover, I am quite skilled in lightness skills and will not hold Elder Su back."

Su Mu glanced at him and nodded.

"Alright, go ahead, I'm at ease."

"You just need to guard my escape route and make sure the Blood-Clad Tower people don't escape. I'll handle the fighting myself."

Liu Yuzhou clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir!"

"Also, we need to operate covertly this time, so please leave your horse here for the time being."

"Don't worry, no one else will come in here."

Su Mu nodded.

Then, the two walked out of the courtyard one after the other.

……

As night deepened, fewer and fewer pedestrians appeared on the street.

The two walked silently down the dimly lit street, heading towards Wanbao Pawnshop.

Su Mu was burning with anger, muttering to himself:

"The Xu brothers, the Blood-Clad Tower..."

"You dare to kidnap my granddaughter, Su Mu? I'll make you wish you were dead!"