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

early morning.

The drill ground at Qianlongzhai was already packed with people.

Chu Tianba was dressed in a brand-new black outfit, with a thick-backed cleaver hanging at his waist. His tiger-like eyes were bright and piercing, and he was full of energy.

Wei Honglie changed into a clean blue robe, tucked a folding fan into his waistband, and calmly surveyed the departing team.

Hundreds of brothers from Qianlong Village lined up in two rows, some carrying knives, some carrying bows, and some carrying harpoons, their weapons a motley collection.

At this moment, each of their eyes revealed an eagerness to try.

Because they have been waiting for this day for far too long.

……

"Old Su!"

Ye Qingzhou stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked, "What should we do with the three prisoners?"

Behind him, the Three Fiends of Cold Water were tied to a wooden stake outside the Hidden Dragon Hall, their expressions filled with trepidation.

They didn't know what their fate would be.

The brothers immediately shouted, "Kill them! Let's end it all!"

"Yes! Those people from Thousand Waves Fortress have been going against us quite a bit!"

"If it weren't for them, the third leader wouldn't have been injured!"

The crowd was furious, and some had already drawn the short knives from their waists.

Hong Lang's face paled, You Jiuqian lowered his head and dared not speak, while Leng tide remained expressionless, prepared to be killed at any moment.

Chu Tianba glanced at Su Mu, strode forward, cupped his hands and said, "General Su, this humble general has a favor to ask."

Su Mu nodded in acknowledgment.

"Old Su, although our Qianlong Village and Wen Jiuyuan have always been at odds, everyone knows that the people of Qianlang Fort were also forced into the reed marshes by the officials."

"Although Wen Jiuyuan is a solitary man, he never harms the local people. He only robs the boats of unscrupulous merchants and corrupt officials who are rich but heartless."

"Over the years, our opposition to Qianlong Village has been nothing more than a struggle for territory."

"Now that the Eastern Yi bandits have reached Haizhou City, if Wen Jiuyuan is willing to bring his men to join the army, they will be a considerable force."

"Therefore, Tianba humbly requests Elder Su to give them a chance and let these three go back to report the news."

"Let Wen Jiuyuan know that Qianlong Village has already submitted to Su Mu, the God of War of the Northern Border."

"If he still has the will to serve his country, he will come of his own accord. If he does not come, we can settle accounts with him after we have finished fighting the Eastern barbarian bandits."

The Three Fiends of Cold Water were all stunned when they heard these words.

Hong Lang looked up at Chu Tianba's back, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He originally thought that, having fallen into the hands of these mortal enemies, he never imagined he would have a chance of survival.

Unexpectedly, Chu Tianba actually pleaded for them!

Su Mu could tell that although these three men were fierce, they did indeed possess a certain degree of loyalty and courage.

Moreover, they are quite skilled in martial arts; if they were to join the army, they would certainly find a place to use their talents.

This is much more cost-effective than killing them directly.

He spoke slowly, his voice neither hurried nor slow.

"You three, did you all hear that?"

Hong Lang nodded vigorously.

"I heard you, thank you... thank you General Su and Chief Chu for sparing my life."

Su Mu's gaze sharpened.

"I'm not killing you; I'm giving you a chance."

"Go back and tell your fortress lord that the Eastern barbarian bandits have occupied our Great Qian territory and killed our Great Qian people. If he still has even a shred of the spirit of a Great Qian man, he should bring his men to Haizhou City to join the army."

"If he doesn't come, after I've wiped out all the Eastern Barbarian bandits, the next place I'll wipe out is Qianlang Fort."

"By then, no one will be able to escape."

Hong Lang replied, "General Su, rest assured! I will certainly convey your message!"

Su Mu waved to the side.

"Untie them and let them go."

Several brothers from Qianlong Village stepped forward and cut the ropes.

The Three Fiends of Cold Water stretched their numb wrists, bowed deeply to Su Mu, then turned and ran quickly to the shore, jumped onto a small boat, untied the rope, and soon disappeared into the depths of the reeds.

Watching the ship sail away into the distance, Xiao Yunchuan asked, "Master, do you think Wen Jiuyuan will come?"

"Who knows..."

"Let's go, let's set off."

Chu Tianba's spirits lifted, and he turned around and waved to his brothers behind him.

"Brothers! Get on board! Destination: Haizhou City!"

"good!"

Hundreds of people responded in unison and rushed to the boats on the shore.

A dozen or so boats of various sizes quickly left Qianlong Village, slowly passing through layers of reeds along the waterway, heading towards the main channel of the Henghe River.

……

Ninghai City, the main military tent of the Eastern Barbarians.

Ryunosuke Shimazu sat in the main seat, discussing the East China Sea battle situation and the plan to attack Haizhou City with his generals and soldiers.

Inside the tent, generals such as Otomo Tetsumu, Murakami Kaito, and Takenaka Hyōe stood on both sides, waiting for their commander to speak.

"My lord, I believe there's no need to wait any longer!"

Otomo Tetsumaru was the first to speak, his voice booming like a bell.

"After the last battle at Ninghai City, we've figured out the strength of the Daqian army! Without the city walls, they're just a flock of sheep waiting to be slaughtered! If we attack directly, Haizhou City will fall in less than three days!"

Murakami Toto nodded in agreement.

"General Ōtomo is right. The Crown Prince of Daqian is a good-for-nothing, not to mention his generals."

"Our vanguard Xu Cheng is still seriously injured, and the other generals are either cowardly or reckless. No one can stop our blades!"

Another general chimed in.

"General, our spies who infiltrated Haizhou City have reported that many generals in the Daqian army are not obeying the Crown Prince's orders, and there is discord among the generals. It's now a complete mess."

"Why don't we take Haizhou City in one fell swoop before they recover?"

The generals in the tent echoed his sentiments, each one eager to fight, wishing they could march to Haizhou City right now.

Their faces wore confident smiles, their eyes filled with greed for gold, silver, and the fertile lands of Jiangnan.

Takenaka Heibei remained silent, stroking his chin, his gaze fixed on the river behind Haizhou City.

He was constantly thinking about strategies to deal with the enemy.

He looked at the Nanjiang Pass and muttered, "If only we had a navy right now."

Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps came from outside the tent.

A scout entered, knelt on one knee, and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, His Majesty the Emperor has dispatched General Mikami-no-miya with an army of 30,000 men, who are currently en route to the Wanhu City River area by boat and will arrive in Ninghai City tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Takenaka's eyes lit up with immense joy.

"It came at just the right time."

"This is truly a stroke of luck!"

Ryunosuke was stunned when he heard this.

"Strategist, what makes you say that?"

The guard in the bamboo grove walked excitedly to the map, cupped his hands in greeting, and said:

"General, esteemed generals, in my humble opinion, a direct frontal assault is not the best course of action."

Otomo Tetsumaru frowned: "Strategist, what do you mean?"

Takenaka Guard continued to explain:

"Although the Great Qian suffered a defeat, even if the Crown Prince is stupid, he knows that if Haizhou City is lost again, he will have no way to return to the capital to explain himself."

"He will definitely order a desperate defense, concentrating all his forces on the city walls. Even if we manage to capture the city by attacking it head-on, we will suffer heavy losses."

"Moreover, the long duration of the process gives the Great Qian Dynasty a chance to regroup."

"Please look, everyone..."

He pointed to the map and continued.

"The grain and supplies for Haizhou City were all transferred from the Nanjiang Pass."

"Once we capture Nanjiang Pass, it will be like cutting off the lifeline of Haizhou City. With tens of thousands of troops in the city cut off from supplies, how many days can they hold out?"

Ryunosuke was also pleasantly surprised and said, "The strategist means to divide the troops?"

"Exactly." Takenaka Hyōe's lips curled up.

"Now, His Majesty the Emperor's newly dispatched army of 30,000 has arrived in the waters off Wanhu City."

"We can split into two groups."

"Let General Oden lead 30,000 troops by sea, bypassing the main force, and sail straight up the Nanpan River to seize the Nanjiang Pass while the Daqian people are unprepared!"

"With 30,000 troops on the front, personally led by the Grand Marshal, they marched in a grand manner to the gates of Haizhou City, drawing all of Daqian's attention to the front."

"Once the Nanjiang Pass falls, Haizhou City will be cut off from its rear and run out of supplies. Caught in a pincer attack, it will collapse without a fight!"

The tent was quiet for a moment, then suddenly erupted into chaos.

"Brilliant! Strategist, your plan is brilliant!"

"Cut off their supplies and see how many days they can hold out!"

"A pincer attack from both sides, and Haizhou City will surely fall!"

A satisfied glint appeared in Shimazu Ryunosuke's eyes. He stood up, walked to the map, and pointed his finger heavily at the location of the Nanjiang Pass, his voice filled with excitement.

"The strategist is right—taking Nanjiang Pass is to cut off the lifeline of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Pass on the order..."

He turned around and glanced at the generals in the tent.

"Immediately send a message ordering General Oden to advance north along the Nanpan River and capture the Nanjiang Pass within seven days!"

"I will personally lead the army in a frontal assault! Otomo Tetsumaru will be the vanguard. The entire army must attack, ensuring that the Daqian troops in Haizhou City focus all their energy on the city walls and have no time to spare!"

Otomo Tetsumaru grinned, hoisting the iron rod onto his shoulder.

"Rest assured, Commander! This humble general guarantees that those Daqian soldiers won't dare to sleep!"

Ryunosuke Shimazu smirked, "In this battle, we must completely conquer the East Sea! We will open the gates to Jiangnan and let the prosperous lands of the Great Qian Dynasty fall entirely to the Eastern Barbarians!"