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

Xiao Yunchuan drew his longsword.

He flashed forward like an arrow, his sword tip aimed straight for Hong Lang's face.

Hong Lang's pupils contracted, and he instinctively raised his heavy axe to block.

Sword and axe clashed with a crisp clang, sparks flying everywhere.

Hong Lang felt a sharp sword aura emanating from the sword.

His expression changed drastically.

He boasted of his immense strength, claiming that ordinary opponents would be forced back half a step by a single blow from his axe, yet this seemingly delicate young man remained completely still.

"Who are you?"

Hong Lang gritted his teeth, his voice filled with shock and anger.

Xiao Yunchuan did not answer.

His longsword moved swiftly, and the second strike was already unleashed, still using the moves of the Dugu Nine Swords.

This sword strike was faster and more cunning; the tip of the sword, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, bypassed the axe blade and pierced straight into Hong Lang's ribs.

Hong Lang hurriedly dodged to the side, but the sword tip tore through his robe, leaving a shallow bloodstain.

Hong Lang's expression changed completely.

He took two steps back, glanced at the tear in his robe, and looked at it with shock in his eyes.

"This kid's swordsmanship... how can it be so fierce? Just who is he?"

Ye Qingzhou leaned against the cabin door, watching Xiao Yunchuan's fluid swordsmanship, her heart churning with turmoil.

He had thought he was going to die and had prepared for the worst, but he never expected that this boy, who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, would actually help him. Moreover, his swordsmanship was so exquisite, with each move carrying a sharpness and composure that he had never seen before.

"What superb swordsmanship!"

Ye Qingzhou blurted out, her eyes filled with amazement and disbelief.

"Is this the young man who just took the arrow for me? So young, yet so skilled!"

"What a heroic young man!"

Xiao Yunchuan's swordplay continued unabated, and the third sword followed closely behind. This time, he used seven-tenths of his strength, and the tip of the sword carried a spinning energy, heading straight for Hong Lang's throat.

Hong Lang was forced to slide back three steps by the force of the sword.

In the instant of the slide, Xiao Yunchuan's sword pierced Hong Lang's shoulder, and blood flowed down the axe handle.

"Big brother!"

Upon seeing Hong Lang injured, You Jiuqian, who had just climbed out of the water, changed his expression drastically. Ignoring his own chest wound, he brandished his poisoned water spikes and lunged at Xiao Yunchuan.

His movements were effeminate and unpredictable, like a slippery eel, as he attempted to ambush Xiao Yunchuan from the side.

Leng tide, who was standing nearby, also made a move.

She drew back her longbow, and a piercing water arrow was nocked, aimed at Xiao Yunchuan's back.

Su Mu sat on the side of the boat and calmly waved to Xiao Zhixia and Xiao Zhiqi.

"Zhiqiu, Zhixia, you two go too."

"It's time to test the results of your recent training."

Xiao Zhi Qiu had been unable to contain himself for a long time. Upon hearing this, his eyes lit up, he drew his long sword, and rushed out in one stride.

Although Xiao Zhixia was more composed, she drew her sword without hesitation. Her figure was as light as a swallow, and she and her sister stood on the left and right, blocking You Jiuqian and Leng Xi.

"Your opponent is us!"

Xiao Zhi Qiu held his long sword horizontally, the tip pointing at You Jiu Qian's nose, a hint of eagerness in his smile.

You Jiuqian didn't take it to heart.

"Two little girls dare to block my way? They're asking for it!"

He swayed, and the short dagger went straight for Xiao Zhi Qiu's throat.

Instead of retreating, Xiao Zhi Qiu advanced, flicked his longsword, and unleashed the Dugu Nine Swords Breaking Sword Style. The tip of his sword precisely struck the tip of You Jiu Qian's spear, deflecting his attack.

You Jiuqian felt a subtle force travel through the sashimi, his wrist went numb, and the short sashimi almost slipped from his hand.

"What?"

You Jiuqian's pupils contracted sharply, and the smug smile on his face froze instantly.

On the other side, Xiao Zhixia had already engaged in combat with Leng tide.

Leng Xi fired arrows in rapid succession, each one faster than the last, but Xiao Zhixia's movements were as nimble as the wind, dodging left and right, each arrow grazing the hem of her clothes, unable to harm her in the slightest.

She found an opening, lunged forward, and aimed her longsword straight at Leng tide's bowstring.

Leng tide was forced to retreat and create distance, but it was too late for her arrows to be fired.

"These three young men are all experts!"

Ye Qingzhou was utterly shocked as he watched the fierce battle that had suddenly taken a turn for the better.

He had initially thought the people on board were just ordinary people...

An elderly man with white hair and several young men, who looked to be either from wealthy families or daughters of officials.

But at this moment, the three young men made their move, each one more powerful than the last. Their swordsmanship was identical, sharp and tacit, and their cooperation was seamless.

"Who exactly are they?"

Ye Qingzhou muttered to himself, his gaze involuntarily falling on the white-haired old man who hadn't moved at all by the side of the ship.

The Three Fiends of Cold Water were forced into a series of defeats.

Hong Lang's axe was so heavy that he couldn't lift it because of Xiao Yunchuan's longsword.

You Jiuqian's short dagger was useless against Xiao Zhiqi's sword, and he was forced back several times when he tried to get close.

Leng tide had run out of arrows and could only draw the short blade at her waist for passive defense.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all three were subdued.

Xiao Yunchuan's longsword was held against Hong Lang's neck, Xiao Zhiqi's sword tip was pressed against You Jiuqian's back, and Xiao Zhixia stood in front of Leng Xi, the tip of her sword pointing at her throat.

Xiao Zhi Qiu snorted coldly, a hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

"You river bandits must have ravaged countless lives in this area! Today, I, this young lady, will execute you on the spot and rid the people of this scourge!"

Just as she was about to make a move, Su Mu's voice came at the right time.

"Zhi Qiu, stop."

"Keep it for now."

Xiao Zhi Qiu was taken aback for a moment, and although she was somewhat unwilling, she still did as she was told.

"Yes, Grandpa Su."

However, her sword did not leave Hong Lang's neck.

If Hong Lang dares to make any rash moves, she can kill him with a single sword strike.

Su Mu stood up, his body hunched, and slowly walked forward.

Everyone looked at him.

Ye Qingzhou stood up with difficulty, first clasping his hands in a fist salute to Xiao Yunchuan, then bowing to Xiao Zhixia and Xiao Zhiqi, his voice sincere.

"Thank you so much, young heroes, for saving my life! You saved my life. I am deeply grateful and will do anything for you in the future!"

Xiao Yunchuan laughed and said, "If you want to thank someone, thank that old man. If it weren't for him, you would have been shot through the back by a hidden arrow."

Ye Qingzhou turned her head sharply to look at Su Mu, her eyes filled with disbelief: "Old man? He... he made a move?"

Xiao Zhi Qiu chuckled: "What did you think? Those three hidden arrows just now were blocked for you by this old man."

"With a palm strike from a distance, the force of the palm shattered the arrow; otherwise, you would have been meeting the King of Hell long ago."

Ye Qingzhou felt a chill run down his spine. Looking at the gaunt figure before him, he was overwhelmed with an indescribable sense of shock.

He simply assumed he was an ordinary old man on his way.

"Grandpa...who exactly are you...?"

Su Mu waved his hand without answering, but looked at the Three Fiends of Cold Water and said, "Tie them up."

Xiao Yunchuan and his men swiftly tied up the Three Fiends of Cold Water and threw them onto the deck of the boat.

Hong Lang and the other two looked at each other, their faces filled with fear and confusion.

They never dreamed that they would be defeated by these seemingly ordinary young people in an ordinary ship hijacking operation.

Ye Qingzhou walked to Su Mu's side, cupped his hands, and said, "Old man, you remind me of someone."

"Although I have never met him, everyone in the entire Great Qian Dynasty, from north to south, knows his name."

Su Mu asked curiously, "Who?"

Ye Qingzhou's eyes lit up, and his tone was filled with admiration.

"The War God of the Northern Frontier, General Su Mu, Duke of Zhenguo!"

"Although he was over a hundred years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, fighting his way up from a cook to the General Who Guards the North, recovering five prefectures and thirteen cities in the north, slaying the King of the Northern Barbarians, and becoming a figure of great renown throughout the land!"

"In this world rife with corruption and an incompetent court, General Su is truly a ray of hope for the Great Qian Dynasty!"

His voice grew more and more excited as he spoke.

"Most of our hundreds of brothers in Qianlong Village are admirers of General Su!"

"Especially our chieftain, whenever someone mentions General Su's deeds, he can talk about it for hours!"

"If I were fortunate enough to meet General Su even once in my life, I would gladly give up ten or even twenty years of my life!"

Xiao Zhi Qiu was suppressing her laughter, her face almost turning red.

Xiao Yunchuan also pursed his lips tightly, his shoulders shrugging slightly.

Xiao Zhixia turned her head and looked at the water outside the boat, pretending to admire the scenery.

Ye Qingzhou noticed their odd behavior and scratched his head, "What are you laughing at? I'm telling the truth."

Xiao Zhi Qiu asked, "Since you admire General Su so much, why don't you join the army in the Northern Border? With your martial arts skills, you could definitely become a captain or even a general and make contributions by General Su's side."

Ye Qingzhou shook his head and sighed.

"Why!"

"If I were all alone, I would definitely go."

"But I have an elderly mother who is sixty years old at home. How can I travel far away?"

"I had hoped to follow Elder Su to serve the country and make contributions, but unfortunately, loyalty and righteousness have always been difficult to reconcile."

When Ye Qingzhou said this, there was a hint of regret in his eyes.

"If you want to serve your country, there is also the Great Qian army in Jiangnan. Why don't you join the army instead of choosing to be a bandit in this so-called Qianlong Village?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingzhou's tone suddenly became firm.

"Young lady, you are mistaken."

"Although there are armies in Jiangnan, they are all a rabble, colluding with local corrupt officials. They are called soldiers, but in reality they are just guards for those officials."

"Although Qianlongzhai were river bandits, they did Robin Hood-like deeds in this area, and many poor families within a hundred miles benefited from their kindness."

"So, it's much more enjoyable to stay in Qianlong Village than to join those armies."

"Sigh!" Ye Qingzhou sighed, "I really envy my cousin, who was able to make a name for himself by General Su's side."

This statement came out.

Everyone, including Su Mu, was stunned.

"Your cousin?"

"Who is your cousin?"

Xiao Zhi Qiu asked impatiently.

Ye Qingzhou's face revealed a smug look: "My cousin is Qin Hao, a general who serves General Su!"

This sentence immediately surprised Su Mu and the others.

Xiao Yunchuan couldn't help but shout, "What? Your cousin is Qin Hao?"

Ye Qingzhou was stunned, scratched his head, and looked at the group of people curiously.

"What, you know my cousin?"

"We know each other more than just acquaintances!"

"We're still very good friends."

Ye Qingzhou frowned and asked in confusion, "Who exactly are you people? How come you're friends with my cousin?"

Xiao Zhi Qiu finally couldn't hold back any longer; he looked at Su Mu.

Su Mu naturally understood what she meant and shook his head in acknowledgment.

So, Xiao Zhi Qiu crossed his arms, raised his chin slightly, and looked somewhat smug.

"Didn't you want to see General Su?"

"Look... this old gentleman is your cousin Qin Hao's superior, the War God of the Northern Border, the Duke of Zhenbei, General Su Mu!"

Ye Qingzhou's mouth suddenly opened wide, his eyes widened, and he froze on the spot, as if he had been struck by lightning.

He looked at Su Mu's white hair, at his cloudy yet deep eyes, and his mind went blank.

"You...you are General Su...General Su?"