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

Upon hearing the sound, Su Mu looked towards the woods.

Two young girls were tied up and squatting under a big tree, shouting at him desperately.

As Su Mu approached, he saw that although the two girls were disheveled, they had delicate features and were dressed like people from the Great Qian Dynasty.

Without saying a word, he shakily raised his saber and pointed it at the two girls.

"No...don't kill us!" The younger one closed his eyes in fear.

With a "snap," the rope broke.

Su Mu sheathed his sword, his voice hoarse: "This old man killed the Northern Barbarians, not the common people of Daqian."

The older sister reacted quickly; as soon as the rope loosened, she stood up and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you for saving me, sir! My name is Xiao Zhixia, and this is my younger sister, Xiao Zhiqi!"

As she spoke, Xiao Zhixia kept looking at the old man in front of her.

His hair was completely white, his face was deeply lined with wrinkles, and he was so thin that he was skin and bones, as if he would sway in the wind.

But this old man, who looked like he might die at any moment, just killed the Northern Di general with a single stroke.

Looking across the entire Daqian army, there are very few who can kill an enemy general with a single strike.

How did this centenarian in a remote mountain village manage to do it?

Xiao Zhiqi, the younger sister, also came over and respectfully cupped her hands in greeting: "Grandpa, we sisters will never forget your life-saving grace."

Looking at the two little girls, Su Mu couldn't help but think of Qingxue at home.

"Little ones, you'd better hurry up and leave." He waved his hand, pointing his withered finger northward. "Those Northern Di people will be coming back soon. If you don't hurry, you really won't be able to leave."

After saying that, he turned around, grabbed the reins, and prepared to mount his horse.

"Grandpa, please wait!"

Xiao Zhixia caught up, her face serious: "We can't just leave like this! We have to go to the village and tell the villagers to escape together. Those Northern Di people will definitely not let them go!"

Su Mu stopped.

He turned around and glanced at the girl again.

To be honest, he was only thinking about Qingxue and completely forgot about the villagers.

These two girls, whom he didn't know at all, were much kinder than him.

In a world ravaged by war, it's not easy to still think of others.

"There are two horses over there, ride them." Su Mu pointed to the two warhorses of the Northern Di people. "Tell the villagers to run quickly, run south."

"And what about you?" Xiao Zhixia asked.

Su Mu had already mounted his horse.

The movements are very slow.

First, step on the tree stump, then grab the saddle, and with a strong push of the arms, the whole body wobbles as it gets onto the horse's back.

That posture looked like an old monkey climbing a tree.

"I still have a granddaughter to take care of at home." He pulled on the reins, looked down at the two sisters, and said, "This matter is up to you two."

Xiao Zhixia nodded emphatically: "Okay, we'll get on it right away!"

The two sisters ran quickly to the two horses, stepped into the stirrups, and mounted them with fluid movements.

It's obvious they've practiced.

Su Mu watched them ride away into the distance before spurring his horse and heading home.

……

In the courtyard, Su Qingxue was waiting anxiously.

Grandpa said he was going out for a while, and it's been almost half a day now, and it's getting dark. Why isn't he back yet?

She sat on the threshold, hugging her knees, her eyes fixed on the gate.

"Qingxue, open the door, Grandpa is back."

A familiar voice came from outside the door. Su Qingxue stood up abruptly, wiped away the tears that had inexplicably welled up in her eyes, and rushed towards the courtyard gate.

When the door opened, she froze.

Grandpa was covered in blood.

His white hair was stained with dark red blood clots, his tattered robes were covered in blood, and his face was also covered in blood, with dried scabs in every crease.

"Grandpa! What happened to you?" Su Qingxue's voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Why are you bleeding so much? Were you injured by those soldiers?"

She rushed over, her little hands groping all over her grandfather's body, trying to find his wounds.

Su Mu felt a warmth in his heart. He touched his granddaughter's head with his withered hand and forced a smile: "Qingxue, don't be afraid, Grandpa is fine. This is all the blood of the Northern Barbarians, not Grandpa's."

"Northern barbarians?" Su Qingxue's eyes widened instantly, fear washing over her like a tidal wave. "They...they've stormed into the village? Will they kill us like they killed our parents?"

Her voice was trembling, and her body was trembling.

She remembers that scene from five years ago very clearly, even though she was young.

Father lay in a pool of blood, and Mother collapsed on top of him. Blood, blood everywhere.

Su Mu felt as if he had been pricked by a needle.

He looked into his granddaughter's eyes, his voice hoarse yet gentle: "Qingxue, don't worry, Grandpa killed all those Northern Di people."

"Grandpa, you...you killed the Northern Di people?" Su Qingxue couldn't believe it.

Grandpa is a hundred years old. He's out of breath when he walks and his hands tremble when he holds a bowl. How could he possibly kill the Northern Di people?

"Qingxue, don't ask so many questions." Su Mu didn't have time to explain, and gently patted her shoulder. "Hurry up and pack some clothes, we need to leave the village immediately."

"Good boy, hurry up."

Although Su Qingxue was full of questions, she had known since she was a child that what her grandfather said must make sense.

She nodded, ran into the house, opened the old wooden box, and began stuffing clothes into the bundle.

Su Mu sat on the stone table in the courtyard, leaned his horse-slaying sword against the side, and let out a long breath.

So tired!

At a hundred years old, he had killed dozens of enemies and ridden a horse; now, not a single part of his body was free from fatigue.

He closed his eyes, wanting to catch his breath.

Just then, the system's voice rang in his mind.

[Ding! A new mission has been issued. Please check it promptly, host!]

Su Mu opened his eyes, glanced at the room—Qingxue was still tidying up—then sank into his consciousness and opened the system panel.

[Main Quest: Within twenty days, find the Great Qian army camp and officially become a soldier. Rewards include: 3 years of reverse aging, 60 days of lifespan, and maxed-out riding skills!]

He casually opened the attribute panel!

[Host: Su Mu]

Age: 100

[Remaining lifespan: 33 days]

[Reverse aging: 3 years]

[Skills: None]

Item: None available.

[Weapon: Horse-slaying sword (damaged)]

[Mission: Find the Great Qian army camp within twenty days and officially enlist.]

Thirty-three days.

Su Mu stared at the line of numbers, his heart heavy.

Thirty days were added, and together with the original three days, it only takes a little over a month in total.

What can one do with such a short lifespan?

He had to complete the mission.

But here's the problem: what about clearing the snow?

I can't exactly take my granddaughter with me when I join the army, can I?

In the chaos of war, where swords and spears have no eyes, what could a twelve-year-old girl possibly do?

But what should I do without her?

Su Mu sat on the stone table, his withered hands supporting his knees, his head bowed, his white hair covering half his face.

"Grandpa, I'm all packed. Let's go."

Su Qingxue came out of the house carrying a bundle and stood in front of Su Mu.

Su Mu looked up at his granddaughter's innocent face and the trust and dependence in her eyes. He thought to himself that he could only take it one step at a time.

Let's leave this troublesome place first.

He stood up, took the bundle, and hung it on the saddle.

Then he bent down, grabbed Su Qingxue's waist with both hands, lifted her high, and placed her steadily on the horse's back.

Sitting on horseback, Su Qingxue looked at her grandfather's appearance, and her eyes reddened again.

Su Mu didn't give her a chance to cry.

Using the edge of the stone table as a step, he shakily mounted the horse, sat behind his granddaughter, and reached his arms through her sides to grasp the reins.

The horse-slaying sword hung on the side of the saddle, with blood still on the blade.

"Hold on tight." Su Mu spurred the horse, and the warhorse neighed and started moving, walking out of the courtyard gate.

Soon, the mud-brick house where they had lived for decades was getting further and further away from them.

The horses walked along the village road, and from time to time, villagers carrying bundles and fleeing could be seen on both sides of the road.

The warnings from the Xiao sisters had an effect, and everyone in the village was running away.

When someone saw Su Mu, they were stunned.

"Old Man Su? He...how come he's covered in blood?"

"I heard he killed the Northern Barbarians! He killed dozens of them all by himself!"

"Really? He's a hundred years old, and he has trouble even killing a chicken!"

"I saw it with my own eyes! He chopped off the head of that Northern Di general!"

"Really...?"

The murmurs were carried away by the wind, and Su Mu didn't hear a single word.

His gaze swept across the fields and hills, looking south towards Qinghe County.

He heard a few days ago that there were troops stationed there.

Let's go there first and complete the task first.

As the sun sets, the afterglow is like blood.

A warhorse carrying an old man and a child traveled along the dusty official road.

The old man had white hair, a hunched back, and was protecting a twelve-year-old girl in his arms.

A chipped horse-slaying sword hung from the saddle, the blood on its blade gleaming a dark red in the setting sun…