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

"You're lying, aren't you?"

Ye Qingzhou's gaze swept back and forth between Su Mu and Xiao Zhi Qiu, his tone full of disbelief.

"My cousin wrote to me a month ago, saying that General Su was in Beijing enjoying his retirement with his granddaughter... How come he's here?"

He shook his head, denying everything before him.

"Absolutely impossible."

"Furthermore, what is General Su's status? If he were to travel, he should be accompanied by thousands of troops. How could he be traveling by water with only a few young men and juniors? This..."

Xiao Yunchuan walked forward with a smile and patted Ye Qingzhou on the shoulder.

"Brother Ye, what you said is not quite right."

"General Su has never liked making a big fuss, and besides..."

He turned to look at Su Mu and continued, "Who else in the world could shatter three hidden arrows with a single palm strike from a distance, besides the unparalleled General Su?"

Su Mu smiled, his eyes showing a hint of gentleness.

"Young man, you're quite cautious."

"However, I am indeed Su Mu."

"Since you have corresponded with your cousin, you should know that I ride a white Akhal-Teke horse."

"Now, my old white horse is in the stable under the boat. You can go and take a look."

"My granddaughter is here with me."

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Qingxue had already poked half her body out of the cabin, holding a piece of dry food in her hand, her cheeks bulging out like a little squirrel stealing food.

She looked at Ye Qingzhou, then at her grandfather, and then obediently ran over, tilting her little face up.

"Uncle, my grandpa wouldn't lie! He really is Su Mu!"

Ye Qingzhou was stunned.

At this moment, the boat owner quickly stepped forward.

He rubbed his hands together and bowed to Ye Qingzhou, saying, "Hero Ye, this old gentleman... no, General Su, is indeed riding a white warhorse."

"That horse was pure white, tall and majestic; it was clearly a top-quality steed."

"I've been sailing on the river for thirty years, and this is the first time I've ever seen such a magnificent horse!"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but chuckle, "I never expected this... I really never expected this!"

"My dilapidated boat actually managed to carry the old hero Su for a while!"

"Now I'll have something to brag about to my colleagues! Hehehe..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingzhou could no longer hold on.

He took a step back, clasped his hands together, and knelt down on the deck with a thud, his voice trembling and his eyes reddening.

"This junior, Ye Qingzhou, was blind to your greatness! I have been very rude just now, please forgive me, General Su!"

He kowtowed heavily.

"This junior...this junior never dreamed that I would meet General Su here!"

"My cousin often says in his letters that you are the person he respects most in his life, and a god in the hearts of the soldiers in the North... It is truly an honor for me to meet you in person today."

Su Mu stepped forward and took Ye Qingzhou's arm.

"Stand up and speak."

"Since you are Qin Hao's cousin, you're one of us, so there's no need to be so formal."

Ye Qingzhou stood up, her eyes red-rimmed, but she smiled like a child.

His gaze was fixed on Su Mu, as if to confirm that he was not dreaming.

The Three Fiends of Cold Water, who were tied to the deck, were also dumbfounded.

You Jiuqian's face turned deathly pale, and he said in a low, stammering voice, "Brother... this old man in front of us is actually Su Mu from the Northern Border?"

"The God of War of the North, and also the current... the current Duke of Zhenbei!"

Hong Lang was naturally aware of this.

What does the name Su Mu mean?

The God of War of the North, who slew the King of the Northern Barbarians, reclaimed the northern border, and was revered as a god by the people of the land...

The three of them, oblivious to their own mortality, actually ran into such a person.

"Big brother..." You Jiuqian's voice was trembling with tears, "Are we... doomed today?"

Hong Lang swallowed hard, his voice hoarse: "Shut up, don't say anything."

He lowered his head, not daring to look at Su Mu again.

……

At this moment, Ye Qingzhou asked Su Mu.

"General Su, why did you come here by boat?"

Su Mu's tone became serious.

"I have been ordered by His Majesty to lead the eastern expedition!"

"So we're going to fight the Eastern Yi bandits?" Ye Qingzhou asked excitedly. "That's wonderful!"

"With you, the God of War, in charge, the Eastern Barbarian bandits will surely suffer a crushing defeat."

"Why!"

At this moment, Ye Qingzhou let out a deep sigh.

"In fact, His Majesty should have summoned you long ago."

"Even with the Crown Prince as Grand Marshal, 50,000 soldiers couldn't defeat the 30,000 Eastern Yi bandits, leading to the fall of Ninghai City."

"General Su, the Eastern Yi bandits are extremely cruel and inhumane to us, the people of the East China Sea."

"I heard a few days ago that the Eastern Yi bandits were actually holding a slaughter competition in a village."

"That's terrible."

"Such a deep-seated blood feud must be avenged."

After Ye Qingzhou finished speaking, he knelt down again with a "thump," clasped his hands together, and looked determined.

"General Su! I humbly beg you to let me become one of your soldiers!"

"I grew up by the water and am a decent swimmer. I am familiar with the waterways and topography of the East China Sea."

"The Dongyi people are skilled in naval warfare, and I am willing to lead the charge for you! Even if it's just as a scout or a foot soldier, I'm happy to do it!"

His gaze was intense, and his voice carried an unwavering resolve.

"My greatest wish in this life is to follow General Su into battle, just like my cousin, to fight for our country! I beg General Su to grant my wish!"

Su Mu looked at him, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

In such turbulent times, it is truly rare to find young people with such patriotism who are willing to defend their country.

Su Mu replied, "Very well, I will take you as my soldier."

Suddenly, Ye Qingzhou remembered something and said, "Elder Su, I have another request."

"Go ahead!" Su Mu gestured.

Ye Qingzhou nodded and continued, "General Su, the brothers in Qianlong Village are all chivalrous heroes."

"Most of them were forced to go up the mountain to become outlaws because they couldn't stand the government's oppression of the people."

"But they never forgot the greater good of their country!"

"They also wanted to join the army to serve their country, but unfortunately they did not meet a wise ruler, so they had no way to serve their country."

"The brothers always say that if they ever meet a commander like General Su, they would be willing to go through fire and water for him!"

"Therefore, I humbly request... that General Su accompany me back to Qianlong Village!"

"Let the younger generation persuade the brothers in the village to follow General Su to the East China Sea to fight the enemy and serve their country!"

Su Mu was overjoyed to hear this.

He was already worried about a major battle in the East China Sea.

The battle in the East China Sea will inevitably degenerate into a naval war.

The Dongyi people were most skilled at naval warfare.

If we could subdue the heroes of Qianlong Village on the water, it would be tantamount to gaining an elite navy out of thin air.

Moreover, Ye Qingzhou's mention of the name "Qianlong Village" reminded him of Qingfeng Village in the Northern Territory.

They both became outlaws, and both met their tragic ends.

But ultimately, these people who were forced into this situation all had a heart that wanted to serve their country.

Just as he was about to speak, the system's voice came into his mind.

[Ding! Side quest has been issued!]

Side Quest: Go to Qianlong Village and recruit the heroes!

[Mission Objective: Head to Qianlong Village, persuade the brothers in the village to submit to the Great Qian Dynasty, and join the Eastern Expeditionary Army!]

[Mission Rewards: 100 days of lifespan, 1 year of reverse aging, max level swimming skills, and the Nine Yang Turtle Breathing Technique!]

Su Mu's brow twitched slightly.

Max level water-based ability?

Nine Yang Turtle Breathing Technique?

This reward came at just the right time.

He snapped out of his daze, a slight smile playing on his lips, looked at Ye Qingzhou, and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I'll go with you on this trip."

A look of surprise suddenly flashed in Ye Qingzhou's eyes, and he clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Thank you very much, General Su!"

He stood up, turned around, and called out to the boat owner.

"Boatman, turn around! Heading to Qianlong Village!"

The boat owner responded smugly.

"Okay, I'm going right now!"