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

In the backyard of the prefectural government office in Yuzhou City.

In a secluded side room.

Su Mu sat cross-legged on the bed, his hands resting on his knees, and closed his eyes to rest.

Half a day has passed since we captured Yuzhou City.

Strengthening city defenses, inventorying grain and fodder, resettling the wounded, and comforting the people—Qin Hao and Zhou Huchen led their men to handle each and every task, while Su Mu went to rest in the room arranged by the prefect.

He was about to calm down and sort out the gains and losses of the past few days!

The system's voice came through.

[Congratulations, host, on successfully completing the main quest: Recapture Yuzhou City within thirty days!]

[Rewards: 3 years of reverse aging, 100 days of lifespan, and max-level Divine Archery!]

Su Mu's lips curled up.

The system reward is here again.

Then quickly enter the system to claim the reward.

He received and fused with the three-year age-reversal, the 100-day lifespan, and the max-level divine archery technique.

[Ding! Main quest has been issued. Please check it promptly.]

He sank into his consciousness and opened the golden task panel.

Main Quest: Continue to reclaim lost territory!

[Mission Objective: Host, please recapture the remaining four provinces and thirteen cities in the Northern Territory within six months!]

[Mission Rewards: 10 years of reverse aging, 300 days of lifespan, and max-level Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms!]

Su Mu's pupils contracted sharply, and a burning light flashed in his eyes.

This reward is truly remarkable.

Ten years of reverse aging.

Three hundred days of lifespan.

And there's the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms!

That's a palm technique from Jin Yong's martial arts novels, powerful, domineering, and unparalleled in the world.

If it could be used on the battlefield, a single palm strike would shake not only people but even city walls.

Su Mu took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement.

Half a year.

They recovered four prefectures and thirteen cities.

The task is arduous, but the rewards are substantial.

With these rewards, he will not only live another year.

They can also be invincible on the battlefield.

By then, recovering the northern border and going to the capital to see his granddaughter will be much easier.

But Su Mu was not in a hurry.

He knew very well that the most important thing at the moment was to use the two bases of Yuzhou City and Qinghe County to reorganize the army, recruit soldiers, and expand his strength.

Yuzhou City has high walls and thick fortifications, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. It also has sufficient food supplies. As long as it holds, the Northern Di people will not be able to return for a while.

Once we are fully prepared, we will lead our army north and reclaim lost territory city by city.

Su Mu regained consciousness and slowly lay down on the bed.

He hasn't had a good night's sleep since the day he took his granddaughter's place in the army.

Today, I can finally rest in peace.

……

The capital city, the imperial palace.

The atmosphere in the Golden Palace was extremely oppressive.

The civil and military officials stood on both sides, each with a solemn expression, whispering and exchanging pleasantries.

Emperor Xiao Jinghuan sat on the dragon throne, his brows furrowed, staring at the civil and military officials below.

"The northern barbarians have swept south, and the entire northern border has fallen. General Xu is currently leading his troops to garrison Qinghe County, but there has been no news from him for a long time..."

The Minister of War stepped forward, his voice filled with worry.

"Your Majesty, I am worried that our army may..."

"What are you afraid of?" Crown Prince Xiao Yunfeng stepped forward from the ranks, cupped his hands, and said, "Father, I believe we need not be overly pessimistic."

"Although Xu Shigui was of mediocre talent, he had two brave and skilled sons to assist him, and General Qin Hao had been stationed in the northern border for many years and knew the terrain like the back of his hand."

"No matter how fierce the Northern Barbarians are, they may not be able to break through our Great Qian defense line in a short time."

"Your Highness is mistaken."

The Third Prince, Xiao Jingyu, shook his head and cupped his hands, saying, "At such a critical moment of life and death, how can we underestimate the iron hooves of the Northern Barbarians?"

"Their strength far surpasses that of our Great Qian Dynasty. Otherwise, how could they have occupied five states and thirteen cities in the Northern Territory with only 20,000 troops three years ago?"

He paused, looked at the emperor on the dragon throne, and spoke earnestly.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but Xu Shigui is not a capable general."

"If things change at the front, Daqian should prepare for the worst."

Prime Minister Li Yuan stepped forward and said, "Third Prince, you are boosting the morale of the enemy and diminishing the divine power of our Great Qian!"

"Even if General Xu is incompetent, he still has tens of thousands of troops under his command, and Qin Hao is a fierce general. How could he be so ineffective?"

"Prime Minister, your words are perhaps too optimistic," Xiao Jingyu said without backing down.

"you!"

"Enough!" Emperor Xiao Jinghuan slammed his hand on the armrest of his dragon throne. His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced all the arguing. "What's all the noise about? The situation at the front is unclear. What good will your arguing do?"

The hall fell silent.

Just then, a loud shout came from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty! General Xu Shigui... has returned! He is requesting an audience outside the palace!"

All the officials turned their heads in unison, their faces filled with anticipation and unease.

came back?

What's going on at the front?

Did they win or lose?

"Announce!"

The emperor's voice was urgent.

Before long, Xu Shigui stumbled into the Golden Palace.

He was no longer the imposing and arrogant general.

His official robe was covered in dust and stains, wrinkled like a rag, making him look disheveled.

As soon as he entered the hall, he knelt down on the ground with a thud, his shoulders trembling as he sobbed.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty...I am incompetent! I am guilty!"

His voice was choked with sobs, so mournful it sent chills down your spine.

The emperor frowned, leaning slightly forward: "Minister Xu, what's the situation at the front? Where have the Northern Di advanced to?"

Xu Shigui raised his head, his face covered in tears.

"Your Majesty, the Northern Barbarians' iron hooves are unstoppable! Our army... our army has suffered a crushing defeat! Qinghe County... Qinghe County has fallen!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the main hall.

"What? Qinghe County is lost?"

"Won't that mean the Northern Barbarians are going to move south?"

"It's over... it's over..."

"Silence!" the emperor roared, silencing the commotion.

His face was ashen as he stared at Xu Shigui. "Tell me the details! What exactly happened?"

Xu Shigui wiped away his tears, his voice choked with emotion.

"Your Majesty, I have been leading troops to garrison Qinghe County, training day and night without slackening my efforts."

"But that scoundrel Qin Hao disobeyed my orders and actually gave an important position to a centenarian of unknown origin!"

"A centenarian?"

The ministers were stunned upon hearing this.

"Exactly!"

"The old man's name was Su Mu. He was originally a farmer from Qinjiacun Village in Qinghe County. He was over 100 years old and had somehow learned some unorthodox skills, which he used to play tricks on the army."

"Qin Hao was deceived by him and actually obeyed his every word!"

"That old man rode off without permission the Akhal-Teke horse that I had prepared to present to Your Majesty. That is a divine steed that appears only once in a hundred years! I originally intended to present it to Your Majesty so that Your Majesty could witness its magnificent beauty, but that old bastard beat me to it!"

A collective gasp filled the hall.

Xu Shigui continued, "Later, the old man revealed his true colors. He led the cooks to defect from the camp, became an outlaw, and joined the bandits in Qingfeng Town!"

"Our generals were at odds, and the morale of our troops was low. The Northern Barbarians took advantage of this and launched a surprise attack... I fought my way out of the encirclement and escaped with my life..."

He lay prostrate on the ground, his voice shrill and mournful.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty! But the real culprits are Qin Hao and Su Mu!"

"If Qin Hao hadn't disobeyed my orders, and if Su Mu hadn't colluded with the enemy and disrupted morale, how could Qinghe County have fallen?"

"How could the North have collapsed? I beg Your Majesty to do me justice!"

After he finished speaking, he kowtowed heavily several times, his forehead hitting the ground with a thud.

The main hall was deathly silent.

The civil and military officials looked at each other in bewilderment.

The emperor's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth.

"Qin Hao... Su Mu..."

The Third Prince, Xiao Jingyu, frowned and stepped forward:

"Your Majesty, General Xu's one-sided account may not be credible."

"General Qin has been stationed in the northern border for many years and has been loyal to the end. How could he easily trust an old man of unknown origin? This matter is suspicious. I urge Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."

Prime Minister Li Yuan scoffed, "Your Highness, General Xu escaped back to the capital with his life on the line. Would he lie? Qin Hao trusted the sorcerer, leading to the fall of the northern border. His crime is unforgivable!"

"Report!"

Just then, another loud shout came from outside the hall, and a eunuch rushed in, knelt on the ground, and held up a document with both hands.

"Your Majesty! Vice Minister Wang of the Ministry of War requests an audience outside the palace! He says... he says an urgent military report has arrived from the northern border! Prefect Wu Wenyuan of Yuzhou has an important letter to present!"

The emperor was stunned, utterly astonished.

Yuzhou?

Wasn't Yuzhou occupied by the Northern Di people three years ago?

Wasn't Wu Wenyuan imprisoned? How could he have letters?

"Bring it here!"

The eunuch presented the document, and the emperor unfolded it for a detailed examination.

His pupils contracted, his mouth opened slightly, and his face showed utter shock.

Then comes joy!

Looking at the emperor's expression, the officials in the court were also filled with anxiety.

Xu Shigui knelt on the ground, a sudden sense of foreboding welling up inside him.

Yuzhou!

Wu Wenyuan's letters?

What exactly is going on?

Could it be... that something unexpected has happened in the North?