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

Outside Qingfeng Village, three thousand elite soldiers surrounded the entire village, making it impossible to move.

Zhou Huchen sat on his horse, holding a command flag, his eyes blazing.

He glanced at the bandits on the stockade wall, took a deep breath, and suddenly waved his command flag.

"attack!"

The war drums sounded, and the bugles blared.

With swordsmen and shieldmen in front, archers and crossbowmen behind, and spearmen on both flanks, three thousand elite soldiers surged toward Qingfeng Village like a tidal wave.

Arrows rained down, swarming the stockade walls.

The bandits were pinned down and unable to lift their heads, their screams echoing throughout the area.

The siege ladders were erected, and the battering ram pounded against the gate, producing a dull "thump-thump" sound that made the entire mountain tremble.

But Zhou Huchen had a backup plan.

He did not use rockets, catapults, or deploy his full force.

The attack lasted less than half an hour before he ordered a retreat.

The bandits on the stockade wall turned pale with fright, and some of the newcomers even collapsed to the ground.

But they soon discovered that although the government troops attacked fiercely, they never went all out. The ladders were only half-erected before they were withdrawn, the battering rams were used only a few dozen times before they stopped, and they couldn't even break down the gate.

You Zhongyi stood on the watchtower, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his brow furrowed.

The more he looked, the more he felt something was wrong.

These officers and soldiers could have launched a full-scale attack, but they always stopped at the crucial moment.

After fighting for a long time, only a few brothers were injured on the stockade wall, and the stockade gate didn't even crack.

This doesn't look like they're trying to take over Qingfeng Village; it looks more like they're completing a mission.

They did hit him, but not hard.

"Boss, did you notice?" Meng Ziyi walked up to him and lowered his voice.

You Zhongyi nodded, his expression solemn.

"They didn't give it their all."

"If three thousand elite soldiers were to attack with all their might, Qingfeng Village wouldn't last half a day. But they're all bark and no bite, it's like they're just... putting on a show."

You Zhongyi remained silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around and strode towards the village.

He was going to find Su Mu and get to the bottom of things.

……

Su Mu was sitting in the courtyard where the cook camp was stationed, basking in the sun with his eyes closed.

"Old Su!" You Zhongyi strode in, his voice trembling with suppressed anger. "What's going on with those soldiers outside?"

Su Mu opened one eye, looked at him, and then closed it again.

"Chief You, sit down and let's talk."

"I don't have time to beat around the bush with you!" You Zhongyi walked up to Su Mu, looking down at him. "Three thousand elite soldiers have surrounded my stronghold, but they're not really fighting, and they're not willing to retreat. What exactly are you up to?"

Su Mu opened his eyes, looked calmly at You Zhongyi, and smiled slightly.

"Why does Chief You think they're not really fighting?"

"If I knew, would I need to ask you?" You Zhongyi gritted his teeth.

Su Mu slowly stood up, his body hunched over, leaning on his saber, and walked to the edge of the courtyard, looking down at the soldiers' camp below the mountain.

"Because I am here, with me here, they cannot break in."

You Zhongyi was stunned.

He stared at Su Mu's wrinkled face, trying to discern the truth from his old eyes.

"You mean...those soldiers are afraid of you?"

Su Mu did not answer, but just smiled.

"Chief You, you'll know when the time is right. It's not time yet."

"Then when is the right time?" You Zhongyi pressed.

Su Mu raised his head and looked at the dark red cloud on the horizon.

"Soon."

Su Mu turned around, looked at him, and a deep meaning flashed in his eyes.

"Chief You, I don't blame you for hating the government and the imperial court, but do you hate the Northern Barbarians for killing the people of Daqian and seizing their land?"

You Zhongyi fell silent.

Of course he hates it.

Although his father was killed by corrupt officials, the Northern Di people massacred villages and hamlets, killing ten or a hundred times more people than the government officials.

One of the reasons he stayed in Qingfeng Town with his brothers was to stop the Northern Di people from raiding.

"What I can tell you is that this battle is not against your Qingfeng Village."

"They are the Northern Barbarians!"

You Zhongyi's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill ran down his spine.

"Chief You, all you need to know is that I have no ill intentions toward Qingfeng Village."

"Once this matter is settled, I will lead my brothers away. At that time, not a single member of Qingfeng Village will be missing."

You Zhongyi stared at Su Mu for a long time, and finally had no choice but to turn around and leave.

As he walked out of the courtyard gate, he paused for a moment, then said without turning his head, "Old Su, I'll trust you this once, but remember this: the lives of over two hundred people in Qingfeng Village are now in your hands. If you betray me, I'll haunt you even as a ghost."

Su Mu watched his retreating figure without saying a word.

……

Qinghe County, Daqian Military Camp.

Central command tent.

Xu Shigui was sitting to the side with Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu, each one more anxious than the last.

"Report!"

A messenger rode into the tent on horseback and knelt on one knee.

"Reporting to General! Su Mu has led his cooks to join Qingfeng Village."

"Commander Zhou has led three thousand elite troops to attack Qingfeng Village, but... but Su Mu, with his cooks, is holding the village firmly. Commander Zhou has attacked several times, but has been repelled each time and is unable to break through!"

"What?!" Xu Shigui jumped up and slammed his hand on the table. "Three thousand elite soldiers couldn't even take down Qingfeng Village? What is Zhou Huchen good for?!"

The messenger lowered his head and dared not utter a sound.

Xu Zhaowu couldn't hold back any longer. He stood up, leaning on his cane, and said through gritted teeth, "Father, I knew that old geezer was no pushover! He and his cooks, relying on their familiarity with the terrain, managed to hold Zhou Huchen back!"

"A bunch of cooks and cooks, can they really hold off three thousand elite soldiers? Zhou Huchen must be deliberately letting them win, right?"

Xu Shigui's eyes narrowed, and the flesh on his face twitched.

"Intentional? He wouldn't dare!"

Xu Zhaowu took a step forward, his voice filled with hatred: "Father, we can't delay any longer! Every day that old geezer lives, we lose face! Now that he's become an outlaw, it gives us a legitimate excuse to kill him. Treason and banditry—which one isn't a capital offense?"

"Yes!" Xu Zhaowen chimed in. "Father, send more troops! Six thousand elite soldiers, and they can't take Qingfeng Village? I refuse to believe that old geezer has three heads and six arms!"

Xu Shigui hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned around and shouted towards the outside of the tent, "Someone! Summon Qin Hao to see me!"

……

Before long, Qin Hao strode into the central command tent, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "General, what business do you have summoned me for?"

Xu Shigui stared at him and cut to the chase: "Qin Hao, I, the General, order you to send another three thousand elite troops to Qingfeng Village to reinforce Zhou Huchen. Within two days, you must take Qingfeng Village and capture Su Mu alive!"

Qin Hao frowned, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

"General, in my humble opinion, this action is inappropriate."

"What's wrong with it?" Xu Shigui's voice was stern.

Qin Hao took a deep breath, trying to keep his tone calm.

"The Northern Barbarian army is in Yuzhou, only a hundred li from Qinghe County. Their scouts are active around our army day and night. Once they discover that our main force has been transferred out, they will definitely take the opportunity to attack. At that time, Qinghe County will be left undefended. Who will defend the city?"

He clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tone earnest.

"General, the Northern Di are our greatest enemy. Su Mu is just a centenarian. Even if he becomes a bandit, he can't cause any trouble."

"The most urgent task is to defend against the Northern Barbarians, not to waste our forces on Qingfeng Village."

Xu Shigui sneered, his eyes full of disdain.

"The Northern Barbarians? They're far away! Didn't the scouts say they were holding back? I refuse to believe it. By the time we capture Su Mu and return, the Northern Barbarians still won't have made a move! Six thousand elite troops, and they can't even take down a Su Mu?"

He slammed his hand on the table, his voice sharp and shrill.

"Qin Hao, I'm not discussing this with you, this is an order! Dispatch troops immediately, without delay!"

Qin Hao's face darkened.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but looking into Xu Shigui's unquestionable eyes, he swallowed the words back.

"This humble general... obeys."

He clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and strode out of the tent.

……

Outside the tent, Qin Hao stood for a moment, took a deep breath, and walked towards the training ground.

Before long, three thousand elite soldiers had assembled on the training ground.

Zhang Heng stood at the front of the group on horseback, his armor gleaming, his expression solemn.

Qin Hao walked up to him and said in a low voice, "When we get to Qingfeng Village, listen to Zhou Huchen. We have to fight, but don't kill them. Commander Zhou knows what's what."

Zhang Heng nodded and replied in a low voice, "This subordinate understands."

"Set off!"

Three thousand elite soldiers marched out of the camp gate in a grand procession, their horses' hooves thundering and dust billowing.

The Northern Di scout, hiding on a small hill in the distance, watched the army depart and a smug smile slowly spread across his face.

He mounted his horse, spurred it on, and galloped off toward Yuzhou City.