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

The main hall of the Northern Di royal court.

The lights were bright, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.

In the center of the hall, a dozen barefoot dancers, dressed in thin gauze, danced gracefully to the rhythm of the drums. Their waists were like snakes, their arms like willows, and the silver bells on their ankles jingled with each step.

The long tables on both sides were filled with roasted whole lambs, mare's milk wine, and candied fruits. The aroma of meat and wine mingled together, filling the entire hall.

Tuoba Feng, the King of the Northern Di, sat on a golden chair in the center, wearing a black sable coat, a golden crown, and had tiger-like eyes, thick eyebrows, and a neatly trimmed beard.

He held a golden cup, drank wine in large gulps, ate large chunks of meat, and laughed heartily and unrestrainedly.

"Good! Good! Well done!"

Tuoba Feng laughed heartily.

"A reward! Each person will receive a bolt of silk!"

The dancers knelt in unison, their voices like warbling birds: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The Imperial Advisor Xuan Ce sat to Tuoba Feng's right, dressed in a black robe, with a thin face, deep eyes, and a smile on his lips.

Prime Minister Yelü Chucai sat on the left, holding a wine cup, and said with a smile to Tuoba Feng: "Your Majesty, this campaign against the Wuhuan tribe in the northern desert has been a great victory. We have recruited 30,000 strong men and countless cattle, sheep and horses. Our Northern Di territory has expanded another circle. Your Majesty's achievements will be remembered for generations!"

Tuoba Feng laughed loudly, raised the golden cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

"The Prime Minister is right! Those small tribes were ignorant of the times, insisting that I use swords and spears to reason with them. Now, the reasoning has worked, and they have submitted. If only we had known this in the first place!"

The Imperial Advisor Xuan Ce put down his wine cup, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke in a clear and melodious voice.

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, annexing the Wuhuan tribe is merely a small appetizer; the real feast awaits in the Great Qian."

Tuoba Feng's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward.

"The Imperial Advisor is absolutely right..."

Xuan Ce continued:

"His Majesty has already dispatched Generals Man Tu and Man Xiao with 20,000 iron cavalry to Qingzhou to support the Right Wise King." Xuan Ce smiled slightly. "Judging by the days, they should have already captured Yuzhou and Qinghe County by now. His Majesty's southward march to seize the heart of the Central Plains of the Great Qian Dynasty is just around the corner."

Yelü Chucai stroked his beard and laughed, echoing, "The Grand Preceptor is absolutely right. The Great Qian Dynasty is currently rife with corrupt officials, incompetent generals, and widespread public discontent. How can such a court possibly withstand the iron cavalry of the Northern Barbarians?"

Tuoba Feng laughed again:

"The Grand Preceptor and the Prime Minister are right! Now, our Northern Di army is strong and well-equipped, and it is the time for me to realize my grand ambitions! The Great Qian is no longer the Great Qian of ten years ago. What famous generals and elite troops are all empty words! Once my second brother has conquered the entire northern border, I will personally lead an army of 100,000 south, directly attack the capital of the Great Qian, and take over the entire country!"

He paused, his eyes gleaming.

"At that time, all the gold, silver, treasures, and beautiful women of the Great Qian Dynasty will be at the disposal of our Northern Di soldiers and officials!"

The assembled officials in the hall shouted in unison, "May Your Majesty be mighty! Long live the Northern Barbarians!"

The Imperial Advisor Xuan Ce raised his wine cup, a smile playing on his lips.

"Your Majesty, I wish you success in conquering the northern border, seizing the Great Qian Dynasty, and unifying the world!"

Prime Minister Yelü Chucai also raised his cup, his face beaming with smiles.

"Your Majesty, I also wish you a resounding victory and swift success!"

Tuoba Feng laughed heartily, then drank it all in one gulp.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall reached its climax...

A hurried voice came from outside the hall, breaking the celebratory atmosphere.

"Report!"

An official in armor rushed into the hall, his steps hurried, his face pale, and his forehead covered in sweat.

He rushed to the steps, knelt on one knee, and held up a military report sealed with sealing wax, his voice trembling.

"Your Majesty! The Right Wise King has sent an urgent report from Cangzhou: a major incident has occurred in the northern border!"

The music in the main hall abruptly stopped.

The dancers stood frozen in place, at a loss for what to do.

Tuoba Feng's smile froze on his face, and his brows furrowed sharply.

"What's the big deal? Speak!"

The official swallowed hard, opened the military report, and read aloud in a trembling voice:

"The Right Wise King urgently reports: General Man Tu... General Man Tu was engaged in battle with the Da Qian army outside Yuzhou City, and was... was killed on the battlefield!"

The first sentence silenced the hall like a death.

Tuoba Feng's pupils contracted sharply, and the color drained from his face instantly.

The official, steeling himself, continued reading: "General Manxiao is severely wounded, an arrow piercing his left shoulder, his fate unknown. His 50,000-strong army... has been routed! Qingzhou and Yuzhou have both fallen! The Right Wise King has led his remaining 3,000 troops to retreat to Cangzhou!"

After the official finished reading, he knelt on the ground, trembling all over, and dared not raise his head.

The main hall was completely silent.

Tuoba Feng froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning, without moving an inch.

His mouth was slightly open, his eyes were wide open, and his face was filled with shock!

"Impossible!" He slammed his hand on the table, knocking over the golden cup and spilling mare's milk wine all over the table. "Barbarian Butcher was my personally trained disciple, the number one spearman of the Northern Barbarians! He roamed the grasslands for over ten years without encountering a worthy opponent! How could he possibly be killed on the battlefield? Who killed him? Who has such great skill?"

The official raised his head, his voice trembling.

"The military report says... the one who killed the Barbarian Butcher was an old general with white hair in the Great Qian army named Su Mu, who was over a hundred years old. This man... this man killed the Barbarian Butcher in six rounds."

"A centenarian?" Tuoba Feng's pupils contracted again, his face twitching. "It's that Su Mu again!"

"He was the one who killed my General Yeluqi last time!"

Yelü Chucai's expression also changed. He stood up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"How is this possible? Su Mu, a centenarian, actually killed several of the Northern Di generals?"

The Imperial Advisor Xuan Ce did not speak, but his brows were furrowed deeply.

"Su Mu! Su Mu!" Tuoba Feng gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with rage. "A hundred-year-old man actually killed several of my Northern Di generals! Yeluqi and Mantu were both among the top ten warriors of my Northern Di! They all died at his hands!"

He whirled around, staring at the Imperial Advisor Xuan Ce and the Prime Minister Yelü Chucai, his tone accusatory:

"Grand Preceptor, Prime Minister, didn't you tell me that the generals of the Great Qian were incompetent and easily defeated? Didn't you tell me that taking the northern border would be as easy as taking candy from a baby? And now? The barbarian chieftain is dead, the 50,000-strong army has collapsed, and Qingzhou has been lost! Tell me, what happened?"

Yelü Chucai's face turned ashen. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I... I did not expect that there would be such a person in the Daqian army..."

Grand Preceptor Xuan Ce slowly stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, getting angry now will not help. The most urgent task is to find out who this Su Mu is and how to deal with him."

Tuoba Feng took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and stared coldly at Xuan Ce.

"What are the Imperial Advisor's insights?"

Xuan Ce pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "This person was able to kill Yeluqi and Man Tu, which means that his martial arts have reached a superb level."

"Such a person is definitely not an ordinary person."

"Your Majesty suspects that this person may be a peerless master hidden by the Great Qian Dynasty for many years. Now that the Great Qian court has no one else to rely on, they have pushed him out."

Tuoba Feng's brows were furrowed.

"A centenarian, a reclusive master?"

"Your Majesty, do not be blinded by age." Xuan Ce's voice was calm. "Some people become more powerful with age. This person was able to kill the barbarian at the age of one hundred, which shows how terrifying his cultivation is. If we do not get rid of him soon, he will become a major threat to our Northern Di."

"And the Left Wise King has many martial arts masters under his command; perhaps if he were to take action, he would surely be able to kill Su Mu!"

Tuoba Feng gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and spoke with a fierce expression.

"Su Mu... Su Mu... I swear, if I don't kill you, I'm not worthy of being called a human!"

He suddenly turned around and shouted towards the outside of the hall.

"Guards! Summon the Left Wise King, Tuoba Lie, to come before me immediately!"

"Yes!" The guards outside the hall ran off.

Yelü Chucai asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, what do you want to do...?"

A cold glint flashed in Tuoba Feng's eyes.

"The Right Wise King Tuoba Han is incompetent. His 50,000 troops could not defeat the weak soldiers of the Great Qian Dynasty, and he also lost so many of my Northern Di generals."

"Then let's change the player!"

"My third brother is brave and skilled in battle, and has many talented and capable men under his command. Let him go to Cangzhou, take command of the army, and kill that Su Mu for me!"

The Imperial Advisor Xuan Ce nodded slightly, a profound meaning flashing in his eyes.

"Your Majesty is wise. If the Left Wise King were to take action, Su Mu would surely die."

Tuoba Feng walked back to the golden chair, plopped down, picked up the wine cup, and took a big gulp.

The liquor dripped down his chin, soaking the mink coat on his chest.

"Su Mu..." he muttered to himself, his voice filled with hatred, "I will show you the consequences of killing my Northern Di general."