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

"My God! A centenarian can lift a bronze cauldron weighing a thousand pounds, and with one hand at that!"

"If that were in his hands, wouldn't he weigh two or three thousand pounds? Just who is this old man?"

The scarred soldier's eyes widened in shock, so much so that he didn't even notice the spear in his hand clattering to the ground.

"That cauldron...could it be fake?" someone muttered under their breath.

Someone immediately retorted, "Fake? You go up and try moving it yourself! Young Master Ding said it's been here for hundreds of years!"

The surrounding villagers were also in an uproar.

"Grandpa Su, how...how is this possible? He's usually out of breath just walking, how could he lift such a heavy cauldron?"

"Yes, I've lived in this village for thirty years and never knew Old Man Su had this skill!"

"That's what they call 'keeping a low profile'! These days, if you have real skills, why would you dare to flaunt them?"

"That's true... In this world, knowing some kung fu can actually make you more vulnerable."

"Do you think the centurion will actually kowtow and call me 'Grandpa'?"

"And what about those two who said they'd do a handstand to poop and eat poop? Why are they so quiet now?"

"Shh, keep your voice down! Are you out of your mind?"

……

The centurion stood at the front of the crowd, his face twitching slightly.

He fought for ten years and saw many strongmen.

Take the Northern Barbarians for example. There was a fierce general named Yelü Qi there who was said to be able to lift a stone lion weighing 800 jin (400 kg), making him the strongest man in the Northern Frontier.

But this old man in front of me!

At one hundred years old, hunched over and as thin as a withered twig, swaying in the wind, he could still lift a thousand pounds with one hand!

"This old man... could he be using some kind of illusion?" he muttered to himself, taking a step forward and cautiously approaching Su Mu.

He circled around Su Mu, his steps light, ready to jump backward at any moment.

If the old man loosens his grip and the massive cauldron crashes down, he'll be either killed or maimed because he's standing too close.

The centurion reached out and touched the legs of the cauldron; the cold metallic texture and rough rust were unmistakable.

The tripod is indeed real.

He looked up at Su Mu.

The centenarian stood before him, holding the tripod in both hands, as steady as Mount Tai.

He simply couldn't understand it.

How could an old man, frail and nearing the end of his life, possess such strength?

"You...you put the cauldron down." The centurion's tone was much softer than before.

Su Mu turned his head, his eyes fixed on the centurion, his voice hoarse but steady: "Sir, will you fulfill your promise to me?"

The centurion's face twitched.

Of course he remembered what he said: If you can lift this cauldron, I, Han Bao, will not only let you join the army, but I will also kneel down and kowtow to you three times, and call you grandpa three times!

These words were heard by dozens of people present.

His face flushed red and then turned pale.

But he was a seasoned veteran, and his skin was thicker than a city wall.

He coughed twice, then adopted a businesslike demeanor: "Alright, alright, I promise you, you can join the army. Put the cauldron down first."

Su Mu glanced at him.

There was no mockery, no unforgiving attitude.

What hasn't he seen? What hasn't he endured?

He didn't need a soldier to kowtow to him; all he wanted was to join the army in place of his granddaughter and save her life.

That's it.

"it is good."

Su Mu responded, slowly squatted down, and placed the bronze cauldron down.

His movements were slow.

The heavy bronze cauldron seemed weightless in his hands, falling lightly and silently back to its original position.

But the moment the tripod's legs touched the ground, a dull thud was heard, and the ground trembled violently. Even the centurion was so frightened that he took several steps back.

"This...this old man..."

The centurion steadied himself, his face still showing shock. He took a deep breath and roared at his men, "What are you all standing there for? Take this old man away, pack him up, and get ready to go back to camp!"

He then turned to the villagers who had gathered around, his eyes glaring at them: "What are you looking at? You want to join the army too?"

The villagers scattered with a "whoosh," each running faster than a rabbit.

Several soldiers rushed over and led Su Mu to the last of the conscripted men.

Su Mu, leaning on his cane and with a hunched back, slowly walked to the end of the line.

The able-bodied men were all secretly watching him, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

The old man's incredible feat of lifting the tripod just now stunned them all.

Su Mu ignored those gazes. He lowered his head and was about to catch his breath when the system's voice rang in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing the mission and receiving the following rewards: 3 years of reverse aging, 30 days of lifespan, and the max-level Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber Technique!]

Immediately afterwards, a warm current surged out from deep within my chest.

The current of energy was like spring water in spring, seeping into his limbs, bones, and internal organs little by little.

Su Mu trembled all over.

He felt changes happening in his body!

The aches, stiffness, and creaking sounds that he had been used to for decades receded like the tide.

The spine straightened out vertebra by vertebra. Although it was still outwardly hunched, the internal supporting strength had returned considerably.

On his withered arms, the muscle fibers that had atrophied for decades gradually began to fill out.

Even breathing became easier, and the stale air that had been stuck in my chest for decades was dispelled by that warm current.

He took a deep breath and felt that even the air was sweet.

Su Mu lowered his head and looked at his withered hands.

The hands were still the same, with bulging veins, skin as thin as paper, and dense age spots.

But he clenched his fist slightly, his knuckles making a crisp "crackling" sound, much stronger than before.

This is the effect of three years of reverse aging.

His current body possesses the physical abilities of someone who is "three years younger".

Three years old.

That doesn't sound like much.

But for a centenarian, three years of reverse aging means going from "dying at any moment" to "being able to hold on a little longer".

Su Mu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and calmed the turmoil in his heart.

Immediately afterwards, a massive flow of information flooded into my mind!

That was the max-level Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber Technique.

Every move of the sword technique, every application of force, and every breath rhythm was etched into his memory, stroke by stroke, like a carving knife.

When he closed his eyes, he was a centenarian who had never even touched a knife.

When he opened his eyes, he had already practiced this sword technique in his mind a thousand times.

With a single slash, a tiger roared through the mountains and forests.

With a single sweep of his blade, a tiger descends the mountain.

……

"Let's go! Stop dawdling!"

The centurion, mounted on his horse, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hurry up, get back to camp before dark! I still have to report back!"

The soldiers waved their whips, herding the able-bodied men into a line and heading north along the official road.

Su Mu walked at the very back of the group.

He turned around and looked in the direction of the village.

As the sun sets, the afterglow is like blood.

The old locust tree at the village entrance is still there, and the bronze cauldron is still there, but that dilapidated little courtyard is getting farther and farther away, and more and more blurred.

Qingxue is still at home.

She was all alone, guarding that drafty mud-brick house, waiting for her grandfather to return.

Su Mu's throat tightened and his eyes reddened.

It's been a hundred years.

He saw off his wife, his son, and his daughter-in-law.

Now, he has to leave his granddaughter again.

"Qingxue, you must live well." He murmured to himself, "After Grandpa reports to the army and settles down, I'll find a chance to come back and see you."

"Don't worry, Grandpa won't abandon you."

"Absolutely not."

"Old man! What are you dawdling for!" The scarred soldier rode up from behind on horseback, brandishing a long whip and lashing it at Su Mu's back!

"Snapped!"

The whip cracked in the air, about to strike Su Mu's hunched back.

"Whoosh!"

A black feathered arrow shot out from the woods on the right, as fast as a black lightning bolt.

"puff……"

The arrow pierced the scarred soldier's chest with pinpoint accuracy, entering from his back and exiting from his chest with a puff of warm blood mist.

Before Scarface could even scream, his eyes widened, his mouth opened, his body swayed, and he fell off his horse with a thud, landing motionless in the dust.

"There's an ambush!"

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The team instantly erupted in chaos.

The able-bodied men squatted on the ground, covering their heads and wailing loudly.

The soldiers frantically drew their swords and raised their spears, looking around with terror on their faces.

A series of hurried footsteps came from the woods.

They were densely packed together, getting closer and closer.

Along with the footsteps came a sound that Su Mu would never forget in his life!

The sounds of battle cries in the Northern Di language.

The centurion's face changed drastically. He drew his sword abruptly and roared, "It's the Northern Barbarians! The Northern Barbarians are attacking!"

"Prepare for the enemy! Prepare for the enemy!"