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

In front of the camp tent.

Fifty special forces members stood in formation, their backs straight, their knives and guns gleaming.

Su Mu stood at the very front of the line.

Without any further pleasantries, he recounted in detail the story of the Northern Di cavalry's nighttime massacre of the village.

From Qingfeng Town to Lijiazhuang, and then to Wangjia'ao, three villages, more than 300 people, men, women, and children, were all killed overnight.

The soldiers were furious and enraged.

You Zhongyi's face was ashen, veins bulging, and his eyes were red.

Qingfeng Town, that's his hometown.

He was born there and grew up there.

Some of his fellow villagers brought him food, some sewed clothes for him, and some secretly sent him messages when he was wanted by the authorities.

Those were his relatives.

But now, they are dead.

He died at the hands of the Northern Di people.

"Old Su..."

"This humble general requests permission to fight! Lead the brothers back and slaughter those beasts!"

"Count me in!" Zhao Tieniu took a step forward. "The people I hate most in my life are beasts who kill ordinary people! If you're so capable, come fight me on the battlefield. What kind of skill is it to kill the elderly and children?!"

"I'm going too!"

"Old Su, we can't let them get away with this."

"Yes! We can't let them get away!"

"A blood debt must be paid in blood!"

"Kill all those beasts!"

Fifty people, fifty hearts ignited by anger.

The calls to fight grew louder and louder.

Su Mu raised his hand.

The fifty people fell silent instantly.

"I know you are angry."

"Even I am angry."

He paused, his gaze falling on You Zhongyi, and continued:

"But anger cannot be used as a weapon. On the battlefield, anger will cloud your judgment, make you impulsive, and lead you to your death."

There was a deathly silence in front of the tent.

Su Mu looked directly at You Zhongyi, without reproach or reprimand, only with the profound gaze of an elder looking at a junior.

"You Zhongyi".

"Your subordinate is here."

"You are the captain. Remember my words: never act impulsively."

"Your life doesn't belong to you alone; it belongs to these fifty brothers, and to the people who are still alive and waiting for you to save them."

You Zhongyi nodded heavily, suppressing the anger and vengeful flames he had just felt.

"This humble general has remembered, Elder Su, rest assured, this humble general will not let you down."

Su Mu nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"I need fifty of you to act covertly and use combat as training."

"Do not raise flags, do not wear military uniforms, do not leave any traces. Sneak in the dark, find those Northern Di cavalrymen roaming around Qinghe County and Yuzhou City, find one group, wipe them out, and use their blood to commemorate the dead villagers."

"Go and prepare. We will depart immediately tonight."

"yes!"

The fifty people responded in unison, then turned and dispersed.

……

Qingzhou Prefecture, the prefectural government office.

The room was brightly lit by candlelight, and the aroma of wine and meat filled the air.

Tuoba Han sat in the main seat, with a cup of Northern Di liquor beside him, a smug smile on his face.

Man Tu and Man Xiao sat on either side, while Si Kong Yu sat below, gently waving a folding fan. His mood was different from the others, and his brows were filled with sorrow.

"Your Highness, this humble general toasts you!" Man Tu raised his wine bowl, his voice booming. "This plan is flawless. If the Daqian army comes to the rescue of Qinghe County, we will take Yuzhou; if the Daqian army does not come to the rescue, Qinghe County will be ours for the taking. We can maneuver freely, advancing or retreating at will!"

Tuoba Han laughed heartily, picked up his wine cup, and clinked it against Man Tu's.

"General Man Tu is not only a master of martial arts, but also a first-rate strategist."

"I initially thought you were just a rough and unruly man from the Northern Barbarians, but I never expected you to have such strategic acumen."

"If General Yeluqi had half of your strategy, perhaps he wouldn't have died at Su Mu's hands in the Battle of Qinghe County."

"Oh, what a pity!"

Man Tu downed the wine in his bowl in one gulp, wiped the wine stains from his mouth, and said with a smile.

"Your Highness flatters me. I am but a rough man, how could I know anything about strategy? I've just learned my lesson from fighting so many battles!"

He poured himself another bowl of wine, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. The wine dripped down his chin, soaking the iron armor on his chest.

"As for that old man..." Man Tu put down his wine bowl and sneered, "He's just a hundred-year-old man, half his body is already in the ground, what real skills could he possibly have?"

"Yeluzzi lost to him simply because Yaluzi's skills were not up to par."

"If I were to encounter him, I would kill him with a single spear thrust; there would be no need for any flanking maneuvers."

Barbarian Owl sat to the side, saying nothing.

He lowered his head and slowly wiped the bowstring in his hands.

Upon hearing Man Tu's words, he raised his eyelids, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, revealing a disdainful smile.

"Big brother is right. No matter how good a hundred-year-old man is at fighting, how far can he really go?"

"On the battlefield, I can take his life with an arrow from three hundred paces away, without even needing to see his face."

As Tuoba Han listened to their conversation, he worried that they, like Yeluqi, had underestimated their opponent.

"Generals, underestimating the enemy is a grave mistake. I hope you will take Su Mu seriously when you encounter him."

At this moment, Man Tu laughed and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, we are just a bit rough and arrogant in our daily conversations. If we were really on the battlefield, we would never underestimate our enemy."

For a moment, Tuoba Han was unsure whether the two men were underestimating him or just indulging in empty talk.

"Very well, with the two generals' answers, I am relieved."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Sikong Yu, who was sitting at the lower end of the table.

The strategist never smiled from beginning to end; he waved his folding fan at varying speeds, his brows furrowed.

"Strategist, why aren't you saying anything?" Tuoba Han asked.

Sikong Yu closed his folding fan, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and spoke cautiously.

"Your Highness, I did not mean to spoil the fun, but... Your Highness and I have personally witnessed the prowess of that Su Mu."

"I am aware of General Yeluqi's martial prowess. Looking across the Northern Barbarians, there are no more than ten people who can reliably defeat him."

"But that old man killed Yeluqi with a single stroke, without even giving him a chance to fight back. Is someone like that really so easy to deal with?"

Barbarian Tu snorted coldly and waved his hand.

"Strategist, you've been scared out of your wits by that old man!"

"What is Yeluzi? His marksmanship wouldn't last ten moves against me."

"This humble general studied under Ge Lie, the spear god of the Northern Barbarians, and has dominated the Northern Barbarians for more than ten years without ever encountering an opponent."

He stood up, his tall figure casting a huge shadow in the candlelight, a contemptuous smile on his lips.

"Strategist, just you wait and see! Once we take Yuzhou City, I'll personally bring that old man's head to you and show you what a true warrior is!"

Barbarian Owl also raised his head and added a sinister remark.

"Strategist, you are too cautious. You are a centenarian, very old and frail."

"No matter how fast his sword is, can it be faster than my arrow?"

"No matter how strong he is, can he outshoot his older brother's gun?"

"Your Highness, once our squad reports another victory, our army can then march on Yuzhou. Victory is assured!"

Tuoba Han laughed heartily, picked up his wine cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Very well! With the two generals expressing such confidence, I am relieved!"

He put down his wine cup, his gaze sweeping over the generals in the hall, his voice steady and powerful.

"Gentlemen, let's rest for a few more days. Once our Iron Cavalry squad reports their victory, the entire army will set off, splitting into two forces: one to feign an attack on Qinghe County, and the other to head straight for Yuzhou City!"

"Yes, sir!"

The barbarian butcher and the barbarian owl clasped their fists in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

Sikong Yu sat at the lower end of the table, looked at the three men's spirited appearance, shook his head, and remained silent.

There's always an inexplicable unease in my heart.

Is that centenarian really that easy to deal with?

he does not know.

But he knew that last time he also felt he had victory in his grasp, but in the end, all 30,000 cavalry were wiped out, and Yeluqi was beheaded.

Hopefully, this time he's overthinking it.

Hopefully, the abilities of Barbarian Butcher and Barbarian Owl will be enough to remove Su Mu as an obstacle!