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

"Boss, a soldier has arrived at the gate of the stronghold. He says he wants to see Master Su."

Inside the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, candlelight flickered.

A bandit hurried in, bowed, and reported the news, looking somewhat puzzled.

Why are the soldiers here again in the dead of night?

You Zhongyi frowned, utterly puzzled.

"To see Old Man Su?"

He subconsciously glanced at Su Mu, who had just entered the main hall.

Su Mu already had a good idea of ​​what was going on.

"Let him in."

The man glanced at You Zhongyi, who waved his hand.

He then turned and ran out.

Before long, a young soldier dressed in the uniform of the Daqian army was brought in.

Upon seeing Su Mu, his eyes lit up, and he clasped his hands in greeting:

"Elder Su! Commandant Zhou has sent me to report that the Northern Di have already mobilized! Commandant, please gather your men immediately and be ready to leave the camp to rendezvous at any time!"

Upon hearing this, You Zhongyi's heart skipped a beat.

Meng Ziyi was the same.

The two looked at each other and saw immense shock in each other's eyes.

All their previous guesses and doubts were shattered at this moment.

It turns out the chase was fake, and the siege of the stronghold was also fake.

This white-haired old man was acting the whole time.

Su Mu didn't look at You Zhongyi, but nodded to the soldier, his voice hoarse but steady: "Go back and tell Commander Zhou that I will immediately gather the brothers of the cook camp and go out of the camp to meet him."

"yes!"

The soldier clasped his hands in a fist salute, stood up, turned around, and strode away.

Su Mu turned around and said to Zhao Dazui, "Dazui, it's time. Go and wake up the brothers, get them ready, and leave the village."

The fatigue on Zhao Dazui's face vanished, replaced by excitement in his eyes.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute and said in a loud voice, "Yes!"

He turned and rushed out of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.

Before long, two hundred cooks, clad in armor and wielding swords, lined up and awaited orders, their movements swift and efficient.

Su Mu picked up the Dragon-Slaying Saber, slung it over his shoulder, and turned to walk away.

"Old Su, wait!"

You Zhongyi suddenly stood up, took a few steps to Su Mu, and stopped him.

"What the hell are you up to?"

You Zhongyi's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions.

"The pursuit is a lie! The siege of the stronghold is a lie! Your joining my Qingfeng Stronghold as an outlaw is also a lie!"

"What is real, exactly?"

Su Mu stopped and turned around, slowly speaking:

"Boss, I have said that I will never harm a single soldier in your stronghold, and I will never go back on my word."

"This old man only wants to use your esteemed place to put on a show and lure those Northern barbarians into a trap."

"Now that the show is over and the Northern Di have been mobilized, it's time for this old man to lead his brothers back to fight the enemy."

"I apologize for the previous inconvenience. On behalf of the brothers of the Cooking Battalion, I thank you, Chief."

After saying this, Su Mu clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply.

"Is your claim of being wanted by the imperial court also a lie?"

Su Mu laughed and replied, "That's true. General Xu is so eager to kill this old man."

"I was merely playing along."

"Then why do you still want to go back?" You Zhongyi asked.

Su Mu's lips curled up, his expression resolute: "Because compared to killing the Northern Barbarians, these things are nothing."

After saying this, Su Mu straightened up, turned around, and strode out of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.

His white hair fluttered in the night wind, and his hunched figure stood firm as a mountain.

You Zhongyi stood there, motionless for a long time.

Meng Ziyi looked in the direction Su Mu had left and let out a long sigh.

"Boss, this old man... is truly admirable."

"Even at such an old age, he still thinks about killing the northern barbarians and protecting his home and country."

"He was persecuted by corrupt officials, falsely accused of treason, and chased to the point of desperation, but from beginning to end, he never uttered a word of complaint or thought of taking revenge on anyone."

"His only thought was how to lure the Northern Di people out and how to win this battle."

Meng Ziyi turned around, looked at You Zhongyi, and his eyes were slightly red.

"Boss, we've occupied Qingfeng Village for three years. How many Northern Barbarians have we killed? How many civilians have we protected? Every day we shout 'Acting on behalf of Heaven,' but what Heaven are we acting on? What path are we following?"

You Zhongyi did not answer.

His lips were pressed tightly together, and his fists were clenched.

He recalled that three years ago, his father was murdered in prison by a corrupt official. Filled with rage, he stormed into the county government office and became an outlaw.

He hated the government, the imperial court, and this unjust world.

He directed all his hatred at those officials, forgetting that behind him were the people of Qingfeng Town and this land trampled by the Northern Di.

He recalled what Su Mu had said.

"You hate the government, you hate the court, I don't blame you, but do you hate the Northern Barbarians who kill the people of Daqian and seize Daqian's land?"

You Zhongyi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, they held an unwavering determination.

"military adviser."

His voice was calm and firm, so calm that it surprised Meng Ziyi.

"Boss, please speak."

"From this day forward, Qingfeng Village is dissolved."

Meng Ziyi's pupils contracted sharply, utterly shocked.

"Boss, you..."

You Zhongyi raised his hand, interrupting him.

"The idea is to gather the brothers together and tell them that the chief is going to join Master Su's cook camp to kill the Northern Barbarians."

"Whoever wants to go can go together; those who don't want to go can go wherever they want. The wealth of Qingfeng Village will be distributed among everyone, and everyone can go their separate ways."

"Strategist, you've followed me for three years and given me a lot of advice. This is what I, You Zhongyi, owe you."

"If you don't want to go, I won't force you."

Meng Ziyi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

He bent down, picked up the folding fan, unfolded it, and gently shook it.

"Boss, what are you saying? Although I, Meng Ziyi, am not a hero, I am not a coward either. If you want to kill the Northern Di people, I will naturally follow."

He paused, his eyes slightly red.

"For the past three years, I've been following you. Although I didn't say it, I've been holding back a grudge."

"What kind of heroes are we, who just occupy the mountains and become kings? This time, we can finally be heroes in a proper and honorable way."

You Zhongyi looked at Meng Ziyi and nodded vigorously.

He turned around and strode out of the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.

Soon, Meng Ziyi gathered all the brothers.

Yu Zhongyi stood on the steps, looking at the brothers below, and said:

"Brothers, I, You Zhongyi, have an announcement to make today!"

His voice was loud and clear, and every word he spoke was firm and resonant.

"Qingfeng Village, effective today, is disbanded!"

An uproar erupted in the crowd.

"Boss, why?"

"Is it because of those soldiers? Let's fight them!"

"Yes! Let's give it our all!"

You Zhongyi raised his hand, silencing the commotion.

"It wasn't the officers and soldiers who forced me; I figured it out myself."

"That old man Su Mu, he's a hundred years old this year. He was framed by a corrupt official and is being hunted down by the imperial court. He had nowhere to go and came to our village. But do you know what he came here for?"

He paused, then raised his voice a few decibels.

"He's just putting on an act! An act for the Northern Di people! He's putting on this show to lure them out so he can kill them and protect his homeland!"

"Even a hundred-year-old has his country and its people on his mind. What about us? We're in our twenties and thirties, strong and healthy, yet we hide in these mountains like cowards!"

You Zhongyi's chest heaved violently, and his voice trembled slightly.

"So, I've made up my mind. I'm going to join Old Master Su's cook camp and go kill the Northern Di people."

"Whoever wants to come with me, step forward now."

"Those who don't want to go, the village's wealth will be distributed to you. Go wherever you want. From now on, we're still brothers."

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

Then, the first person stepped forward.

"Boss, I'll go with you!"

the second.

"I'm going too!"

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, most of the hundred or so people in the village had stepped forward.

You Zhongyi looked at his brothers, said nothing, just nodded vigorously, then picked up his spear, mounted his horse, and strode toward the gate of the stronghold.

"Set off!"