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

"Hey, that's going too far!"

Zhao Tieniu could no longer suppress his anger.

He took a step forward, his towering figure blocking Su Mu's path, his large, bell-like eyes glaring at the captain, and let out a thunderous roar.

"You not only refused to enlist the old man in the army, but you also tried to steal his horse? Are you even a military officer of the Great Qian Dynasty? What's the difference between you and a bandit?"

The captain, his face turning pale and then red with rage, pointed at Zhao Tieniu and yelled, "You black bastard, how dare you disrespect me? This is a military camp, how dare you commit treason?"

"Men, seize him!"

A dozen or so soldiers were already waiting around with their spears in hand. At a command, they all surrounded him, their spear tips aimed at Zhao Tieniu.

Gu Changfeng wanted to stop them, but before he could even speak, people had already surrounded him.

Zhao Tieniu remained calm and composed. He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and clenched his fist, which was as big as a sandbag, making his knuckles crack.

"Perfect timing!" he chuckled. "I was just looking for someone to vent my anger on!"

Before he finished speaking, he punched the first soldier who rushed up in the chest.

With a muffled thud, the soldier was sent flying backward, knocking over two of his comrades behind him. The three of them rolled around in a heap, groaning in pain.

Zhao Tieniu was like a black bear charging into a flock of sheep, throwing punches and kicks with his left and right, and the soldiers couldn't get close to him at all.

As the spear thrust at him, he dodged to the side, grabbed the shaft with his other hand, pulled himself and the spear together, and lifted them above his head.

The soldier was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he flailed his arms and legs in mid-air.

"Tie Niu, don't hurt people!" Gu Changfeng shouted anxiously.

Zhao Tieniu snorted and threw the soldier to the ground.

Although it was thrown heavily, it deliberately avoided vital points.

The soldier fell to the ground, wincing in pain; his bones were broken, but he was still alive.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, more than a dozen soldiers were all knocked to the ground by Zhao Tieniu. Some were clutching their stomachs, while others were hugging their legs, groaning and rolling on the ground.

The captain's face was extremely grim.

He gritted his teeth, his hand already touching the hilt of the knife at his waist, slowly pulling it outwards.

Su Mu kept watching him, his eyes never leaving the captain's hand.

He's seen far too many people like that in his life.

If they can't win a direct confrontation, they resort to underhanded tactics.

The moment the captain's hand touched the hilt of the sword, Su Mu's fingers tightened slightly.

The horse-slaying sword hung beside him, the rough rope on the hilt digging into his hand, but he gripped it firmly.

Be prepared to act at any time.

"Stop it, all of you!"

Just then, a stern shout came from the direction of the military camp, carrying a powerful and majestic aura.

A general wearing bronze armor and a black cloak strode over.

He was in his forties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a short beard. He walked with a brisk pace, his nails rustling.

Upon seeing the newcomer, the captain's expression changed drastically. He quickly sheathed his half-drawn sword, bowed deeply, and adopted a completely different, respectful demeanor: "General!"

The general did not look at him.

His gaze swept over the soldiers lying scattered on the ground, then over Zhao Tieniu's "I haven't had enough fun yet" expression, and finally landed on the captain.

"I asked you to register, and you've made such a mess of it."

"They're more trouble than they're worth."

The captain lowered his head, his face pale with embarrassment, his lips trembled twice, and he didn't dare to reply with a single word.

"Step back!"

The captain gritted his teeth, bowed, and stepped aside. A look of resentment flashed in his triangular eyes as he lowered his head.

Zhao Tieniu snorted at his retreating figure, muttering, "What a pity I didn't get to beat him up properly; he got off easy."

"Tie Niu, say less." Gu Changfeng pulled him aside and lowered his voice.

The general turned around and looked at Su Mu and the other two.

His gaze lingered on Zhao Tieniu.

He thought to himself: This guy actually took down more than a dozen soldiers by himself. His fighting ability is top-notch in the entire army camp. If I recruit him into the vanguard battalion, he will definitely be of great use in killing enemies and building fortifications.

Then he looked at Su Mu.

White hair, hunchback, deeply lined face, emaciated.

The general's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he quickly returned to normal.

He cupped his hands slightly, his tone polite yet distant: "Since the three of you have come to join the army on your own initiative, I am very pleased. What the Great Qian Army needs most right now are loyal and patriotic men like you."

He pointed to the registration area on the right: "You can register over there."

Su Mu looked at the general, a knowing glint in his eyes.

This man was different from the triangular-eyed captain. He spoke politely, had a kind attitude, and didn't give anyone a chance to complain. He was a capable leader.

But he also knew in his heart that the general had his eye on Zhao Tieniu, not him.

A fierce man who can take down a dozen soldiers with his bare hands is stronger than a hundred able-bodied men.

As for this centenarian, in the general's eyes, he was nothing more than a favor he accepted incidentally.

"Old man," the general's gaze fell on Su Mu, "you are getting on in years, and fighting on the battlefield is really not suitable for you anymore, but your passion is so great that I cannot refuse you."

He paused, seemingly thinking of a proper arrangement.

"How about this, you'll be assigned to the cookhouse?"

"Although the cooks are not on the front lines, the entire army relies on them for food, drink, and sanitation. They serve the army and share the burden for the country."

Su Mu remained calm and composed, his expression serene.

He wasn't surprised to be assigned to the cookhouse.

Logically speaking, it's already a great honor for someone to accept a centenarian as a host.

His most important task at the moment is to get into the military camp and complete the system's mission.

With the system at your back, once you get through this door, are you afraid you won't have any opportunities?

"I will follow the general's orders." Su Mu cupped his hands, his voice hoarse but calm.

He paused, reached out and untied the reins from the saddle, handing them to the general.

"General, I will offer this horse to the army. It was born to be a warhorse, and the battlefield is its true home."

Zhao Tieniu was stunned for a moment, opened his mouth as if to say something, but was stopped by Gu Changfeng.

Su Mu's actions were not impulsive.

Having lived for a hundred years, he understood one principle best: the martial world is not just about fighting and killing, but also about human relationships and social interactions.

The general took him into his camp, partly out of respect for Tie Niu and the other man, but it was still a favor he did for them.

Keeping the horse by his side would require him to take good care of it at the cookhouse, so it was better to avoid trouble.

Why not give it away and make a good connection?

The general took the reins, his eyes lighting up.

Having fought in many battles, he could tell at a glance that this was no ordinary horse. It had a strong frame, long legs, and not an ounce of excess fat on its body; it was a warhorse chosen from among thousands.

"This is indeed a fine horse." The general stroked the horse's neck and nodded with satisfaction. "Old man, you have a kind heart; I will accept it on behalf of the army."

He turned and ordered his personal guards, "Someone, take the old man to register and assign him to the cook battalion."

He then pointed to Zhao Tieniu and Gu Changfeng: "You two, you'll be assigned to the vanguard battalion."

The guards obeyed and led the three men toward the registration office.

……

The registration desk was a simple wooden table with a roster on it, and an old soldier sat behind it, holding a pen in his hand.

"Name?"

"Su Mu".

"age?"

"One hundred years old."

The veteran paused for a moment, looked up at Su Mu, opened his mouth, and was extremely surprised.

But thinking that it was the general's permission, he didn't say anything more, lowered his head and wrote the character "百" on the roster.

"Place of origin?"

"Qin Family Village, Qinghe County, Qingzhou Prefecture".

"Assignment to the cookhouse." The veteran tore off a bamboo tag and handed it to Su Mu. "Take this to the mess hall to report for duty. The mess hall is in the southeast corner of the camp. Just follow this road and you'll see smoke coming from there."

Su Mu took the bamboo plaque, his withered fingers tracing the rough characters on it.

He nodded in satisfaction.

Just then, the long-absent system voice rang in my mind:

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have been enlisted in the Great Qian Army and successfully completed the mission. You have received the following rewards: 3 years of reversed aging, 60 days of lifespan, and maxed-out riding skills!]