In the 350th year of the Anping Calendar.
In Nanyuan City, Great Xia Prefecture.
The Su Family.
As soon as Su Yu entered the house, he smelled the aroma of the dishes. He dropped his schoolbag, walked to the dining table, and casually picked up a piece of braised pork and threw it into his mouth.
While chewing, Su Yu looked towards the kitchen and mumbled, "Dad, change the soup tomorrow. Eating meat every day isn't boring at all."
"Be grateful you have something to eat. Don't be so picky!"
Su Long's complaining voice came from the kitchen. "Look at you. You're already eighteen this year. When will you learn to take care of yourself? I've been taking care of you like both a father and a mother for so many years. Finally, I'm going to be free."
Su Yu chewed on the braised pork and said with a smile, "Dad, your cooking skills are so good. You're almost like a master chef. I'd like to cook by myself, but the problem is that I can't make anything edible!"
"Humph!"
Su Long snorted. All talk and no action. Why don't you just go into the kitchen?
Soon, Su Long, wearing an apron, walked out with the dishes.
Nearly six feet three inches tall, with a burly and muscular build, wearing a small apron that looked completely out of place, he looked extremely funny.
Su Yu always mentioned it, and this time was no exception. He shook his head and said, "Dad, can't you get a bigger apron? We're not short of money for an apron!"
"What do you know!"
Su Long didn't bother to reply. He placed the dishes on the table, didn't take off the apron, and sat down, saying, "Let's eat! Save where we can. Besides, this apron is new..."
"You've been saying that for three years!"
Su Yu rolled his eyes. It was okay if you said it was new three years ago, but still saying the same thing three years later? His old man really had the nerve.
Su Long didn't care. He sat down and ate, gobbling up the food at a rapid pace.
Su Yu was already used to it and didn't mind. He sat down on his own and sighed while eating, "Dad, is there another war at the front line? I saw a military recruitment vehicle downstairs just now. They're recruiting soldiers in our neighborhood. I wonder which army it is..."
Su Long's eating movements paused slightly. He quickly put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Defending the country is everyone's responsibility! From your tone, do you think being a soldier is not a good thing?"
"No!"
Su Yu quickly cleared himself. His old man was a veteran. He couldn't talk nonsense. Otherwise, his father's "bear paws" were no joke.
Su Long snorted lightly and then picked up his chopsticks to continue eating.
As he ate, Su Long's tone changed a bit, sounding a bit gloomy. "Ayu, there's unrest at the front line. The major war legions have issued recruitment orders again and again! Recruiting new soldiers and recalling veterans..."
Su Yu's chopsticks, which were about to pick up some food, paused slightly. He looked up at his father, no longer as carefree as before. He frowned and looked at his father, "Dad, this has nothing to do with us, right? You've been retired for 18 years. I've just come of age, and I'm about to take the entrance exams for higher education institutions. The military recruitment won't affect our family..."
"18 years..."
Su Long let out a sigh. Yes, 18 years.
"Since I retired 18 years ago, the Demon Suppression Army has issued the recall order for veterans 5 times! After the age of 50, one won't be in the recall range anymore."
"For the previous 4 times, because you were still young, Dad was worried about you. Worried that you couldn't take care of yourself, so I didn't respond to the call."
Su Yu's face changed slightly. "Dad, our family doesn't have to go. It's allowed by the policy!"
"Yes, it's allowed by the policy!"
Su Long grinned and looked up at his son. "So I didn't go. In 18 years, with 4 recruitment calls, I didn't go! But today, my son has come of age! He's 18 years old!"
"Dad!"
Su Yu's face completely changed. "What do you want to say?"
"You know what I'm going to say."
Su Long looked at his son, looking a bit 欣慰 and cheerful. He smiled and said, "18 years ago, although your dad wasn't much of a use, I was still a small team leader in the Demon Suppression Army, in charge of 30 men."
"At that time, your mother was about to give birth to you. I asked for leave and came back. Who knew... your mother passed away just like that, and you were just born. There were no elders in the family to take care of you. I really couldn't leave..."
"There was no other way. I retired!"
Su Long bared his teeth, smiling bitterly. "When I left the Demon Suppression Army, none of the brothers in my team came to see me off! It wasn't that they wanted me to leave. They were afraid that I couldn't resist and would run back!"
"18 years have passed. No one has contacted me, afraid that I would want to go back. I even dreamed that they were shouting at me, telling me to go home and take care of the baby..."
"Out of 30 men, in the first year after I left, 9 died in battle..."
"None of them retired and went back. Of the remaining 21 men... do you know how many are still on the battlefield?"
"They're all still on the battlefield!"
Su Long's eyes were red. "I was selfish. So I didn't dare to ask or inquire! For the previous 4 recruitment calls, I didn't respond. But this time... Ayu, Dad thinks that even if I die, I should die on the battlefield, wrapped in horsehide. Your old man... doesn't want to die in the rear!"
Su Yu was silent.
He had long known that his father had always been thinking about the front line, always thinking about those old comrades. If it hadn't been for his mother's difficult childbirth and passing away, his father wouldn't have retired from the Demon Suppression Army.
But he thought that after 18 years, his father should have forgotten, should have let it go.
Today, his father told him that he hadn't.
He couldn't let it go.
"Dad..."
Su Yu's face looked terrible, a bit pale. "There's unrest at the front line. More and more soldiers are dying in battle. In 18 years, there have been 5 recruitments of veterans alone, once every three or four years. You were a soldier. You know what that means..."
"I... I haven't gotten married yet, haven't been admitted to a higher education institution, and haven't given you a grandson yet..."
Su Long bared his teeth and smiled. "It's okay. Dad will wait! Don't you think that Dad is going back to die? I'm going back to win battles!"
"Dad!"
"Kid, stop talking nonsense. Eat!"
Su Long interrupted his son. While eating, he mumbled, "After this meal, you'll have to cook for yourself! If there's nothing to eat, go out and eat. There's money in the card. You know the password."
"There are people waiting for me downstairs. I can't delay too long."
"If you get admitted to a higher education institution, remember to write to me. I'll be able to receive it when I have time."
"Just aim for the Great Xia Civilization Academy. You're really making your dad proud. It's almost a sure thing. Your teachers have talked to me. As long as nothing goes wrong, you'll definitely get in. Finally, someone from our old Su family has become a talent!"
"You say, how did you get such a smart brain? I even suspect that you're not my biological son... But luckily, you look just like I did when I was young..."
Su Yu's face was a bit pale. Hearing this, he couldn't help but complain, "Dad, are you sure you looked like me when you were young?"
"Of course! What else could it be?"
Su Long looked up, showing his rugged face, and grinned. "Ask the neighbors next door if we look alike?"
Su Yu was helpless. He knew his father was changing the topic. He brought the topic back again and said, "Dad, are you really going? I don't mean to look down on you, but you've been off the battlefield for 18 years and haven't practiced cultivation anymore. You're only at the Ninth Level of the Qianjun Realm now. Will it be of any use if you go?"
"Who are you looking down on?"
Su Long got angry. "What's wrong with the Ninth Level of the Qianjun Realm? On the battlefield, it's not just about martial strength. If it were only about martial strength, there wouldn't be any wars! Anything can happen on the battlefield. Back then, when I was at the Seventh Level of the Qianjun Realm, I even killed a powerhouse at the Wanshi Realm!"
Su Yu was troubled. He didn't know if this was true or not, but his father had been saying it for many years, so there was a good chance it was true.
The key point was that he didn't want his father to go to the front line.
There was unrest at the front line. Every year, a large number of soldiers died in battle. The situation was getting more and more critical. His old man was almost 50 years old. Returning to the battlefield at this moment... Su Yu didn't dare to think about it.
"Dad..."
"Shut up!"
Su Long interrupted him. He stood up, cleared the dishes, and said seriously, "I've already registered. If I don't go, I'll be a deserter! It would be okay if I hadn't registered, but once registered and not going, you know the consequences! Being a deserter means death too!"
"Dad, couldn't you have waited for me to come back and discuss it?"
Su Yu was furious!
At this moment, he already knew that he couldn't change anything. As his father said, if not registered, it would be okay. For these veterans, the recruitment order wasn't a compulsory summons. These veterans who could retire alive had all made contributions on the battlefield back then.
But once registered, it means re-enlisting, becoming a soldier again. If not going at this moment, that would be a deserter.
"Discuss what?"
Su Long didn't take it seriously. "Don't worry. I won't die. Even if I really die in battle, the pension will be quite a lot. Remember to go and collect it! It'll be enough for you to get married and have children. I've already thought it all out for you!"
With that, Su Long picked up the luggage he had already packed, took off the apron, picked up his backpack, as if he was just going on a long trip. He casually instructed, "Study hard for the exams. Supporting the human race from the rear is also fine. When you get to the Civilization Academy, make the old Su family proud!"
"The Civilization Academy... When I go back, I'll brag about it. My son got admitted to the Civilization Academy. He's much better than those guys!"
"It's a bit of a pity that I won't be able to see the admission notice. Remember to take a photo and send it to me with a letter later. Otherwise, those guys will think I'm lying..."
"Dad!"
Su Yu quickly stood up and chased after his father, looking a bit panicked.
His old man was really leaving!
In the past 18 years, he had been used to depending on his father. Today, his father was suddenly leaving. He didn't have any mental preparation at all.
"You're an adult now, not a kid. Don't act like a baby!"
Su Long grinned and said with a smile, "If you weren't an adult, Dad wouldn't leave! But now, I have to go back. 18 years ago, in my team, there were a few guys your age. Ayu, do you know? I had a dream. I dreamed about them... In the dream, they were crying and shouting that it hurt, saying they wanted to kill all those beasts. Your dad, I'm a bit regretful. Back then... I should have sent you to the military dependents' courtyard. Anyway, someone would have taken care of you."
Su Long's eyes were red. "There have been 5 recruitment calls. For the previous 4 times, I had already packed my luggage. But each time I saw you, I became selfish. I couldn't bear to leave! This is the 5th time. Will there be another one? If there is another one, when I reach 50 years old, the Demon Suppression Army won't accept me anymore!"
"I'm leaving. The Battlefield of the Heavens... Dad is going back!"
"This time, your dad will kill a few powerhouses at the Wanshi Realm for you to see. I'll definitely leave evidence so that you have nothing to say!"
Su Long waved his hand and walked forward.
For the first time in 18 years, Su Yu saw his father so carefree and majestic.
But this... wasn't what he wanted to see.
"Dad..."
"I've already told you not to talk nonsense..."
Su Yu stood in front of the door, biting his teeth, and suddenly shouted, "If you don't come back, I'll become a live-in son-in-law! I'll marry into another family! I'll change my surname and cut off the incense of the Su family. If you don't care, then I'll really do it!"
"I..."
Su Long's footsteps staggered. He almost turned around and cursed.
He suddenly didn't want to leave. He wanted to go home and beat this kid up!
This kid really could do it!
Finally, someone from the old Su family had become a talent. If he married into another family, he would die with regret!