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

The martial arts training ground in the backyard of the Duke of Zhenbei's mansion.

Four figures were rapidly crisscrossing, their swords flashing like snow, their robes fluttering in the wind.

Su Qingxue stood at the front, her Qingfeng sword seemingly alive, drawing white arcs in the air.

Her figure was light and agile, her steps were swift as the wind, and every move she made carried a composure and sharpness that was beyond her years.

The Dugu Nine Swords had become completely effortless in her hands; the Sword Breaking Style, the Saber Breaking Style, the Spear Breaking Style… each move flowed smoothly and seamlessly.

Opposite her, Xiao Yunchuan, Xiao Zhixia, and Xiao Zhiqi were spread out in a fan shape, each holding a long sword, and were conducting a simulated sparring match with her.

Xiao Yunchuan's swordsmanship has also improved rapidly. His sword moves are sharp yet steady. Although he is still a bit behind Su Qingxue in terms of skill, his seriousness is in no way inferior to Su Qingxue's.

Su Mu sat in the pavilion at the edge of the training ground, with a pot of hot tea and several plates of snacks in front of him, and a blue and white porcelain teacup in his hand, quietly watching the four figures on the field.

"Broken Sword Style - Withdraw!"

With a clear shout, Su Qingxue lightly touched the tip of her sword, precisely deflecting Xiao Yunchuan's thrusting sword.

Xiao Yunchuan flicked his wrist, changed his move accordingly, and thrust his sword at Su Qingxue's left shoulder.

Instead of retreating, Su Qingxue advanced, raising her sword and deflecting his blade with a clang. At the same time, she pressed down with the tip of her sword, aiming directly at Xiao Yunchuan's wrist.

"good!"

Xiao Yunchuan quickly sheathed his sword and retreated, looking at Su Qingxue's eyes, which still held some childishness but were already full of sharpness, with admiration on his face.

"Qingxue, your swordsmanship has improved again!"

Su Qingxue sheathed her sword, her face flushed from the exercise, a few strands of hair clinging to her cheeks, her eyes brimming with undisguised joy.

"Brother Chuan, stop praising me! Grandpa said, 'Don't be arrogant or impatient!' I still need to keep working hard!"

Xiao Zhi Qiu sheathed his sword and walked over, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. He clicked his tongue in amazement: "Qing Xue, your talent is terrifying! I learned swordsmanship at the same time as you, and my skills aren't even half as good as yours! Do you think you were born knowing how to wield a sword?"

Su Qingxue was amused by her and turned to look at Su Mu in the pavilion, sweetly calling out, "Grandpa, how's Qingxue's practice going?"

Su Mu put down his teacup, his eyes filled with affection and satisfaction.

He stood up, his body hunched, and slowly walked to the edge of the training ground, his voice hoarse yet gentle:

"Not bad, you are a gifted child, and you have worked hard to practice. You have mastered the Dugu Nine Swords to this level in just over ten days. Grandpa is very happy."

"but……"

He paused, his voice becoming more serious:

"Once you've mastered the sword technique, you must also know when to draw your sword and when to sheathe it."

"You all need to remember this."

Su Qingxue nodded seriously: "Qingxue will remember!"

Xiao Yunchuan clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Master's teachings are correct! This disciple will certainly keep them in mind!"

Su Mu smiled and nodded:

"Practice hard these next few days, exchange techniques with each other. Once you've become more proficient, I'll teach you a new skill."

"Really?" Xiao Zhi Qiu's eyes lit up instantly, and he became energetic. "Grandpa Su, how many more good things are you hiding from us?"

Su Mu smiled but didn't answer. He simply waved his hand, signaling them to continue practicing.

He turned and walked back to the pavilion, picked up his teacup again, and looked at Su Qingxue's small figure in the distance, his eyes filled with joy.

More than half a year ago, he wondered how much longer his old bones could hold on, and what would happen to Qingxue after he was gone.

But now, he can watch his granddaughter grow up day by day and become stronger day by day.

She transformed from a helpless little girl into a skilled swordsman proficient in the Dugu Nine Swords.

……

In the garden corridor.

Liu Yuzhou strode through the moon gate, his expression solemn and serious.

Behind him followed a disheveled soldier, whose uniform was wrinkled and covered in dust, his lips cracked, clearly having rushed here day and night.

Liu Yuzhou walked straight to the pavilion, stopped in front of Su Mu, and lowered his voice to say, "Elder Su, the Third Prince has sent a message! It's extremely urgent!"

Su Mu paused slightly in his hand holding the teacup, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

"Let him come up?!"

Liu Yuzhou stepped aside, and the dusty soldier stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and held a letter aloft with both hands, his voice urgent:

"General Su! Your humble servant, Wang Yi, has traveled day and night from Ninghai City on the orders of the Third Prince and General Han!"

"General Han said this letter is extremely urgent, and he requests that Elder Su open it personally!"

Su Mu took the letter, tore open the seal, and carefully examined the letter.

In the letter, Xiao Jingyu clearly described the situation in the East China Sea.

The Eastern Yi bandits breached Wanhu City and massacred the people of Ninghai City with horrific and outrageous methods.

He went alone behind enemy lines to find his two sons, Xiao Yichun and Xiao Yidong, who were fighting as guerrillas there.

In his letter, he said that his fate was uncertain on this trip, and if he did not return, he asked Su Mu to take care of Xiao Zhixia and Xiao Zhiqi.

At the end of the letter, there was only one sentence: "If there is an afterlife, I still want to fight alongside Elder Su."

After reading the letter, Su Mu frowned, deeply worried.

Seeing Su Mu's expression, Liu Yuzhou's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly cupped his hands and asked, "Elder Su, what did the Third Prince say in his letter?"

Su Mu handed him the letter and said, "Read it yourself."

Liu Yuzhou took the letter, quickly read it through, and his expression changed:

"The Third Prince is...venturing into enemy territory alone? Has he gone mad? There are so many Eastern Barbarian troops; isn't he just throwing his life away by going in alone?"

He looked at Su Mu, his tone urgent: "Elder Su, the Third Prince is ostensibly entrusting his son to you, but in reality, he's pleading for your help! He's reached a dead end; otherwise, he wouldn't have written this letter!"

Su Mu nodded without saying anything.

Liu Yuzhou continued, "Old Su, what do you plan to do? This is no small matter."

"Without His Majesty's decree, you cannot act on your own. Otherwise, the henchmen of the prime minister in the court will seize on this as evidence that you are abusing your power and disrespecting the emperor."

"Moreover, even if you go to the East Sea, without military power or orders, the Crown Prince will not allow you to interfere."

"If you go, you will not only fail to save the Third Prince, but you will also get yourself killed."

Su Mu slowly stood up, walked to the edge of the pavilion, and gazed into the distance with his hands behind his back.

"you're right."

"Without imperial decree, this old man cannot move."

"But I cannot simply watch the Third Prince go to his death."

He turned around and looked at Liu Yuzhou with a determined gaze.

"Yu Zhou, find a way to send a message to the Northern Border as quickly as possible and deliver it to Qin Hao."

Liu Yuzhou quickly stepped forward: "Elder Su, please give your instructions!"

Su Mu's voice was calm and steady.

"Zhou Huchen is ordered to guard the northern border. Qin Hao, You Zhongyi, Gu Changfeng, and Zhao Tieniu will lead the entire elite special forces team, lightly armed and disguised as ordinary civilians, to secretly infiltrate the East China Sea and penetrate deep behind enemy lines!"

"Their mission was to rescue the Third Prince and his two sons, find them, and bring them safely out of enemy territory."

"Remember, only rescue people, do not interfere in the East China Sea conflict."

"After rescuing the person, leave immediately and do not reveal your identity!"

Liu Yuzhou's eyes lit up, and he immediately cupped his hands and said, "Old Su is wise! The special forces team is an elite force that you trained yourself, specializing in reconnaissance, infiltration, stealth, and rescue."

"Sending them to rescue the Third Prince is perfectly appropriate."

"Moreover, their disguises and clandestine travel will not attract the court's attention, nor will they leave any evidence against the Crown Prince!"

Su Mu nodded, his gaze deep.

"The Third Prince has been kind to Qingxue. I cannot stand idly by and do nothing about what has happened to him."

Liu Yuzhou clasped his hands in a deep fist salute: "Don't worry, Elder Su! I'll take care of it right away! Send a message by carrier pigeon to the Northern Border, and Qin Hao and the others will receive the news within three days!"

He turned and walked away quickly, his steps hurried and firm.

On the training ground, Su Qingxue, Xiao Yunchuan, Xiao Zhixia, and Xiao Zhiqi were still practicing their swordsmanship.

They had no idea what had just happened; they would only glance curiously toward the pavilion occasionally before returning their focus to their swordsmanship.

Su Mu stood in the pavilion, gazing at the young figures on the training ground, and then murmured to himself:

"Third Prince, hang in there."

"This old man will do everything in his power to rescue you."