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

It was nighttime, about 100 miles outside Qinghe County.

The Northern Barbarian army camp.

The night was as dark as ink, and the cold wind was as sharp as a knife.

In the open space in the center of the camp, there was a tall pile of firewood.

A corpse lay on the pile of firewood.

That was Chi Na, the younger brother of Chi Lie, the Northern Di general who was killed by Su Mu!

His body was already wrapped in a white cloth, with only his pale face showing.

The deep indentation in his chest, which had almost split him in two, was visible even through the white cloth.

Chi Lie stood in front of the woodpile, holding a torch.

The firelight illuminated his burly body, revealing his fleshy face and bloodshot eyes.

"Brother, rest in peace." His voice was low and deep, like muffled thunder squeezed from his chest. "I will find the person who killed you, bring his head to your grave, and offer it as a sacrifice to your spirit in heaven."

He held the torch out.

The dry firewood burst into flames with a "whoosh," the flames licking at Akana's body, and thick smoke billowing up, turning into a black cloud in the night sky.

Chi Lie stood there, motionless.

The burning flames were just like the rage in his chest, blazing and surging!

Just then, a soldier rushed over, knelt on one knee, and cried out urgently, "General! The scout has returned!"

"He said he saw General China's warhorse and his horse-slaying sword!"

Chi Lie was shocked upon hearing this.

Then he turned around and strode back to his tent.

Inside the tent, the brazier was burning brightly, and several generals sat on either side.

A gaunt man in leather armor stood in the middle; he was the scout who had been sent out for some time.

"Greetings, General!" the scout bowed.

"Get up and speak." Chi Lie plopped down in the main seat, waved his hand, and asked excitedly, "Speak quickly, where did you see General Chi Na's warhorse and the sword? Tell me the whole story from beginning to end, without missing a single word."

The scout took a deep breath and slowly said, "General, I saw it at an inn on the official road leading to Qinghe County."

"And General China's warhorse and horse-slaying sword were taken away by an old man with white hair."

Chi Lie's pupils suddenly contracted.

Another old man?

The fleeing soldiers who had escaped earlier also said that an old man had killed China.

He didn't believe it at all at the time, thinking that those people were shirking responsibility and making things up.

But now, even the spies are saying the same thing.

"Who is that old man?" Chi Lie asked in a low voice.

The scout shook his head: "I don't know, but I saw it with my own eyes. The old man killed seven or eight bandits one by one with each slash, clean and efficient."

He paused, a hint of lingering fear in his voice: "General, I originally intended to take the opportunity to retrieve General Chi Na's warhorse and horse-slaying sword, but seeing that old man's swordsmanship... I gave up."

"If I try to rob it, I'll only end up dead."

The camp fell silent.

The generals looked at each other, their faces filled with shock and confusion.

"An old man?" a general with a full beard couldn't help but ask. "Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"Is it possible that they were in disguise?"

"Absolutely not." The scout's tone was very certain. "That old man had a full head of white hair, was hunched over, and looked to be at least ninety years old, if not a hundred."

"That kind of old-fashioned demeanor is absolutely impossible to act out."

"How is this possible?" The bearded general slapped his thigh, his voice filled with disbelief. "An old man nearing his grave could kill General China? General China was one of our hundred brave warriors of the Northern Barbarians!"

Another general shook his head: "I also find it outrageous. A centenarian, struggling to walk, how could he possibly kill people? How could he possibly kill dozens of elite soldiers and a general?"

"But..." A young general who had been silent spoke up, silencing everyone. "The brothers who escaped back before said the same thing. They said it was an old man, a white-haired old man, who killed General Chi Na with a single stroke."

Silence fell again in the tent.

The group of people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Everyone is wondering, could this really be true?

Chi Lie sat in the main seat, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged out.

Where did that old man go?

The scout bowed and said, "I overheard bits and pieces of what he said at the post station that the old man was going to Qinghe County to join the army."

"Join the army?" Chi Lie narrowed his eyes and leaned forward slightly.

"He must be in the Daqian army camp by now."

Chi Lie slowly stood up.

His body was as tall as a mountain. When he stood up, he blocked most of the light from the brazier, plunging the tent into darkness.

"Join the army." He repeated the two words, a slow, chilling smile spreading across his face. "Perfect."

He turned around, looked at the generals in the tent, and his voice was filled with bloodthirsty excitement.

"We're about to attack Qinghe County. When that happens, I'll personally go into battle and chop off that old man's head!"

"Report!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a hurried shout came from outside the tent.

A messenger lifted the curtain, knelt on one knee, and held a sheepskin envelope high above his head with both hands.

"Reporting to the General! An urgent order from the Right Wise King!"

Chi Lie strode over in three quick steps, snatched the sheepskin letter, tore open the seal, and quickly scanned it.

His brows furrowed at first, then slowly relaxed, and finally revealed an excited expression.

"Great! We've come at just the right time!"

The generals looked at each other, then stood up and asked anxiously:

"General, what did the Right Wise King say in his letter?"

Chi Lie turned around, clutching the sheepskin letter in his hand, his eyes shining like two burning flames.

"Our Northern Barbarian army is finally going to attack Qinghe County!"

He looked around, his voice passionate and impassioned.

"The Right Wise King ordered that troops be deployed to Qinghe County in three days."

"When the two armies officially engage in battle, order my troops to secretly raid their rear, burn their supplies, and slaughter their cooks!"

"Let them run out of food and supplies, and they'll collapse without a fight!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the camp.

"Very good!"

The bearded general was the first to stand up, slamming his fist on the table, making the wine bowl jump.

"Once we take Qinghe County, we can advance unimpeded and the entire Qingzhou Prefecture will be ours!"

Another general chimed in, his voice brimming with greed: "With Qingzhou Prefecture in hand, all five prefectures and thirteen cities in the northern border of Daqian will fall into the hands of our Northern Di! After a few months of rest and reorganization, our army will march south and seize the heart of Daqian's central plains!"

"Those spineless cowards from Daqian are no match for us!"

"Conquer the Great Qian Dynasty, and you'll have gold, silver, treasures, and beautiful women galore—whatever we want!"

The generals became more and more excited as they talked, their eyes shining, rubbing their hands together, eager to charge out right now.

Chi Lie glanced around at the generals in the tent, a knowing smile spreading across his face.

"Pass on my order..."

All the generals stood up straight, clasped their hands in greeting, and received the order.

"All troops stand by! Ready for battle at any time!"

"I obey the general's orders!"

The sound was as loud as a bell, echoing throughout the camp.

Chi Lie raised his head and looked at the night sky outside the tent.

He muttered to himself, "You old bastard, you just wait."

"I will find you and cut off your head with my own hands."

"In remembrance of my brother's departed soul."