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

Holding the bamboo token, Su Mu walked southeast along the path in the camp.

The sky had darkened, and torches were lit everywhere in the camp, their orange-red light reflecting off his full head of white hair, flickering on and off.

Soldiers came and went all around, some carrying grain sacks, some carrying weapons, and some drilling.

As Su Mu walked, he felt the changes in his body.

He received two awards, which earned him the title of "six years younger than his age".

He is now in the physical condition of a 94-year-old.

There's not much difference in appearance between a 94-year-old and a 100-year-old.

They were all white-haired, with wrinkled faces, and walked unsteadily.

But Su Mu himself knew that the agonizing soreness in his bones had lessened a bit, his breathing had become easier, and his strength had returned to a great extent.

A subtle change has already occurred inside the body.

It was only a little bit, but it was enough.

The feeling of defying aging hadn't completely faded when another memory flooded my mind.

The maxed-out riding skill unfolds before my eyes like a series of paintings.

Mounting, dismounting, charging, turning, horseback fighting—all these skills are ingrained in their instincts.

He closed his eyes, as if he could feel the wind whistling past his ears, the warhorse galloping beneath him, and the saber wielding in his hand.

Su Mu opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them.

He raised his head, looked at the dark night sky deep in the military camp, and exhaled deeply.

Thinking to myself: I've finally successfully joined the army.

From then on, it was time to look for opportunities to make a name for oneself.

Only by achieving merit can one stand out in the military, be promoted, and one day go to the capital to see one's beloved granddaughter.

Thinking of his granddaughter, Su Mu was filled with a myriad of emotions.

He wondered if that girl had arrived in the capital safely.

Will I find it hard to adjust to life in Beijing? Will I miss my grandfather so much that I cry...?

[Ding! A new mission has been issued. Please check your account!]

The system's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Su Mu stopped and moved to the side of the road to avoid the crowd, then focused his consciousness to investigate.

[Main Quest: Host has been detected to have joined the Cook Camp. Please clock in at the Cook Camp for thirty days, and fulfill your duties as a cook during this period.]

[Mission Rewards: 3 Years of Reversal Aging, 100 Days of Lifespan, 5 Brain Rejuvenation Pills, 5 Mighty Pills, Max Level Overlord Spear Technique!]

Su Mu looked at the reward list, his eyes filled with excitement.

Three years of reverse aging, one hundred days of lifespan, five pills, and a set of spear techniques.

He was particularly fond of the Overlord Spear Technique.

Although his current Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Sword Technique is powerful and fierce, it is a foot combat sword technique.

As the saying goes, "An inch longer, an inch stronger!"

On the battlefield, guns are more effective than swords.

You can get these rewards by staying in the fire station for thirty days.

This task isn't too difficult!

Su Mu snapped out of his daze, quickened his pace, and continued walking southeast.

……

The cookhouse was located in the far southeast corner of the military camp.

Before you even get close, a smell that is a mixture of firewood, rice porridge and pickled vegetables hits you.

Several large pots were placed on an open-air stove, with firewood burning brightly underneath, and the pots were bubbling away.

Several shirtless men were busy around the stove. Some were chopping vegetables, some were tending the fire, and some were sprinkling salt into the pot. They were all sweating profusely, and their faces were blackened by the smoke.

Su Mu stood at the camp gate and looked around.

A man squatting on the ground peeling potatoes was the first to see him.

The man was in his forties, with a round face, small eyes, and an honest-looking appearance.

He looked up and sized Su Mu up and down, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Sir, who are you looking for?"

Su Mu raised the bamboo plaque in his hand and asked in a hoarse voice, "This old man is here to report for duty, the cook camp."

"Reporting for duty?" The man was stunned, almost dropping the potatoes in his hand. His eyes widened. "You...you said you're here to report for duty? Assigned to our cookhouse?"

Su Mu nodded.

The man opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

His face was filled with disbelief!

He stood up, wiped his hands on his apron, and called out towards the stove, "Old Zhao! Someone come here! It's the new guy!"

A fat man in his forties peeked out from behind the stove, holding a large ladle in his hand, and walked over with an impatient look on his face.

"What's all the shouting about? Who's here?"

He walked up to Su Mu, looked down at him, and immediately fell silent.

He looked Su Mu up and down, left and right, three times, his expression changing from confusion to surprise, and then from surprise to a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"That's it?" The fat man turned to look at the round-faced man. "You mean the new guy, that's it?"

The round-faced man shrugged, looking puzzled.

The fat man turned around and looked at Su Mu again.

He reached out his hand, seemingly hesitant about whether to take the bamboo plaque, but finally did. He held it in his hand, turning it over and over to look at it, and then looked at Su Mu.

"Grandpa, how old are you this year?"

"One hundred years old," Su Mu replied.

The fat man's hand trembled, and the bamboo sign almost fell to the ground.

"One hundred years old?" His voice suddenly rose considerably, causing several people near the stove to crane their necks to look in his direction. "You're one hundred years old, and you're still assigned to the cookhouse?"

He looked Su Mu up and down, his brows furrowed.

"What can a 100-year-old man like you do at the kitchen camp?"

"Our place isn't like the front lines, but it's not a place to retire either!"

"Can you chop wood? Can you carry water? Can you lift that big pot?"

As he spoke, he pointed to the large iron pot, about half a person's height, next to the stove.

Su Mu remained silent.

He stood there, hunched over, his white hair fluttering slightly in the evening breeze, his eyes fixed on the fat man, his face expressionless.

"Alright, alright, we can't refuse what's been allocated from above." The fat man stuffed the bamboo token into his pocket, sighed, and said, "Old Li, take him to get his clothes and bedding, find a tent to settle down, and get to work first thing tomorrow morning."

He turned and went back to the stove, shaking his head as he walked, muttering to himself, "These days, after all the able-bodied men have been conscripted, they're even stuffing centenarians into the army. This war is... sigh."

The lean man called Old Li walked over, tugged at Su Mu's sleeve, and lowered his voice: "Old man, don't take it to heart. Zhao Huotou is just like that, foul-mouthed but not mean-spirited. Come on, I'll take you to get your things."

Su Mu nodded and followed him to the back of the tent.

The place where we received our supplies was a dilapidated tent, piled with bundles of coarse cloth clothes, quilts, and straw sandals.

Old Li rummaged around for a while, found the smallest size of clothes, handed them to Su Mu, and also took a thin quilt and a pair of straw sandals.

"The clothes might be a little big, but you'll have to make do with them."

"Our cook battalion has these conditions; it can't compare to those combat battalions."

Su Mu took the clothes and touched the rough fabric.

It was rough, hard, and had a musty smell.

But he didn't feel the slightest bit disgusted.

Having clothes to wear, a place to sleep, and food to eat is far better than being displaced by war.

"The tents are over there, you can go there yourself." Old Li pointed to a dusty tent not far away. "There are five people living in there, all veterans from the cookhouse. Just go in and find an empty bed. If they ask, just say you're new."

Su Mu nodded, carrying his clothes and bedding, and walked hunched over toward the tent.

The tent flap was torn, letting in the wind.

He lifted the curtain, bent down, and slipped inside.

It was pitch black inside, with only a tiny oil lamp flickering in the corner.

Five simple wooden plank beds were arranged on both sides, covered with straw, and several dirty quilts were thrown on top of them.

There were footprints, cigarette ash, and a half-eaten dry bun on the ground.

Five people, some lying down, some sitting, and some picking their toes.

Upon seeing Su Mu enter, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

That look... was filled with doubt, curiosity, and a hint of amusement.

"Oh, a new person has arrived?"

An old soldier lying on the bed sat up, looked Su Mu up and down, and grinned, "This... how old is he? Are there no one else to arrest? They're even sending old men like this to us?"

Another veteran scoffed, "What's Zhao the cook thinking? Our cooks' battalion isn't a charity. With this old man here, are we taking care of him, or is he taking care of us?"

"Alright, alright, that's enough." The old soldier picking his toes waved his hand. "These were assigned to us by the higher-ups, are we going to kick them out? Old man, there's an empty bed over there, you can tidy it up yourself."

Su Mu remained silent.

He carried his clothes and bedding to the empty bed, put them down, and slowly sat down.

He reached out and touched the thin blanket, then looked at the expressions on the faces of the veterans around him.

Su Mu didn't take the disdain, the indifference, or the apathy to heart.

He came here not to make friends, nor to hear flattery.

He came here to save his life.

It was to accumulate enough lifespan, so that I could live to see Qingxue.

Su Mu spread out the quilt, folded his clothes neatly and placed them next to his pillow, then leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes to rest.

During this period, he never had a full night's sleep.

This time I can finally get a good night's rest.

Outside the tent, the night wind howled.

From the distant military camp, the sounds of soldiers drilling, horses' hooves, and blacksmithing could be faintly heard.

Su Mu was not asleep.

He closed his eyes, listened to the sounds, and gradually became familiar with this new environment.

Fire Station.

Thirty days.

He can get the reward if he stays here for thirty days.

We'll make plans again in thirty days.