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

At dawn, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, lights were lit in the central command tent.

Xu Shigui sat in the main seat, with teacups and several documents on the table in front of him. However, his gaze did not fall on the documents, but was fixed on the middle-aged civil official standing in the tent.

The man was in his forties, dressed in a blue official robe and a black gauze hat. He was slightly overweight and had a somewhat timid expression on his face.

He was Zhang Yu, the magistrate of Qinghe County.

At this moment, Xu Shigui asked in a calm and unhurried tone:

"Magistrate Zhang, how's the matter I asked you to handle?"

Sweat immediately beaded on Zhang Yu's forehead.

He bowed, extending his hands from the wide sleeves of his official robe, and said with clasped hands, "Reporting to the General, this humble official has found a solution..."

"Oh?" Xu Shigui leaned forward slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. "Tell me about it."

Zhang Yu swallowed hard and spoke cautiously:

"Three years ago, the former magistrate built a hidden granary in Qingfeng Town outside Qinghe County, which stored a lot of grain and fodder, originally intended to prepare for drought and flood disasters."

"Qinghe County has enjoyed favorable weather and a decent harvest over the past three years, so that batch of grain has remained untouched."

Xu Shigui raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"The previous magistrate did something wise."

He paused, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"However, Magistrate Zhang, you've served as the magistrate of Qinghe County for three years, and you haven't done anything to this excellent place?"

This statement is quite profound.

Zhang Yu's face flushed bright red, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He could certainly hear the sarcasm in Xu Shigui's words: "Three years as county magistrate, you've amassed a fortune from the people, yet you leave this granary untouched. Who would believe that?"

"General, you are wise..." Zhang Yu's voice trembled slightly, "It's not that I don't want to act, it's just that... I can't."

"Can't move?" Xu Shigui narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Zhang Yu took a deep breath and said with a forced smile, "Three years ago, a group of bandits came to Qingfeng Town and took over the entire town."

"Although the granary is outside the town, it is surrounded by bandits' territory. I have sent people to check it several times, but they were all stopped and turned back."

"So...so that batch of grain has just been sitting there, unused."

Upon hearing this, Xu Shigui's expression changed from surprise to a sneer.

"I see." He slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, startling Zhang Yu.

"Zhang Yu, how dare you! The granary has been occupied by bandits for three years; the grain has probably been emptied long ago. What use is it for you to tell me now?"

He stood up, his eyes flashing with cold light.

"Guards! Drag this corrupt official who's trying to fool me away and give him a hundred lashes!"

"General, spare my life! General, spare my life!"

Zhang Yu knelt on the ground with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly!

"I haven't finished speaking yet! The granary is built in an extremely well-hidden way. The entrance is under a dried-up riverbed, and the outside is sealed with rubble, so it's impossible to see it."

"Those bandits have been entrenched in Qingfeng Town for three years, yet they've never discovered that granary!"

"I swear on my life that not a single grain of rice is missing from the granary!"

Outside the tent, two soldiers had already lifted the curtain and entered, about to reach out to drag Zhang Yu.

Xu Shigui waved his hand, signaling them to step back.

The two soldiers exchanged a glance, released Zhang Yu, and left.

Xu Shigui forced a smile onto his face.

"Lord Zhang, you should have said so earlier! You've made me, the General, misunderstand you."

He stood up, walked over to Zhang Yu, and personally bent down to help him up.

Zhang Yu's legs went weak, and when he stood up, he swayed twice and almost knelt down again.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice still trembling.

"General... as long as you send troops there, I will have the county magistrate personally lead the way to transport that batch of grain back, which will relieve the army's urgent need."

He paused, then added, "However, the bandits in Qingfeng Town are numerous, ruthless, and highly skilled in martial arts. General, you must send elite troops to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Xu Shigui paced back and forth in the tent, his smile growing wider.

"Elite troops? This general will naturally dispatch them." He stopped and turned to look at Zhang Yu. "As you say, Lord Zhang, we will set off tonight. I will trouble you to return to the city and have the county magistrate prepare to lead the way."

Zhang Yu repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting: "Your humble servant obeys! Your humble servant will go and do it immediately!"

He turned and left the tent, his steps so fast it was as if his feet were greased.

The moment he stepped out of the tent, he finally let out a long breath; the back of his official robe was soaked with sweat.

……

noon.

Inside the fire station, steam was rising.

The two hundred or so cooks had just finished lunch, and before they could even clear their bowls and chopsticks, they all stood in a row on the open ground in front of the camp.

Each person held a broadsword in their hand, the blade gleaming coldly in the midday sun.

Su Mu stood at the front of the group, his body hunched over, leaning on his horse-slaying saber, his white hair disheveled by the wind.

His gaze swept across the faces of the cooks, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Are you all full?"

"We're full!" Two hundred people responded in unison, their voices echoing far and wide.

"Eat your fill and then practice. Did you all memorize the first move of the Five Tigers Severing the Gate Saber technique I taught you yesterday?"

"Got it!"

"Alright, practice it one more time. I'll be watching."

Su Mu took two steps back and stood still, leaning on his broadsword.

The two hundred cooks took a deep breath and simultaneously raised their swords.

"The tiger descends the mountain, drink!"

Two hundred broadswords slashed down simultaneously, the wind howling and dust flying.

Although the movements were not yet perfectly synchronized and the strength was far from sufficient, the momentum was completely different from what it had been before yesterday.

Su Mu looked at it and nodded slightly.

Just then, a messenger trotted in from outside the camp gate, stopped outside the crowd, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Old Su! General Xu orders you to go to the central command tent to see him!"

The sound of practicing swordsmanship abruptly stopped.

Two hundred pairs of eyes turned to Su Mu, and then to the messenger.

"General Xu? What does he want with Elder Su?"

"What else could he be doing? It must be because of his two sons!"

"That's right, his son was kicked by an Akhal-Teke horse, so he came to cause trouble for Elder Su?"

"Old Su, please don't go! Who knows what that old bastard is up to!"

"Yes! We'll go for you! Kill or torture us, come at us!"

Zhao Dazui was the first to step forward, shoving his broadsword into the ground and patting his chest, saying, "Old Su, I'll go in your place! I'm the head of the cooks; if the General needs anything, I'll just relay the message!"

"Yes! Let's go!"

"Old Su, you just stay in the camp, we'll cover for you!"

The cooks chattered amongst themselves, each filled with righteous indignation, wishing they could rush to the central command tent right now to confront Xu Shigui.

Su Mu looked at the group of cooks whose eyes were bloodshot, smiled, and waved his hand.

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious."

His voice was unhurried and extremely calm.

"Perhaps the General is thanking me because I saved his son's life."

"Don't panic."

He paused, then his tone became serious.

"Besides, the General specifically requested to see me. If I don't go, that would be disobeying military orders."

"At that time, not only will I be in trouble, but the entire cook camp will also be implicated."

"Practice your swordsmanship well, I'll be right back."

Zhao Dazui opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but looking into Su Mu's calm and firm eyes, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He nodded heavily and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Elder Su, please be careful."

Su Mu did not answer.

He turned around, his body hunched over, and followed the messenger toward the central command tent.

Behind him, two hundred cooks watched him go.

No one speaks.

But in everyone's heart, things were churning.

Su Mu walked along, lost in thought.

Xu Shigui is a man with a mind smaller than a pinhead.

His two sons were kicked by the Akhal-Teke horse, and he will hold the horse accountable not only, but also the person who tamed it.

A thank you?

impossible.

Even if they were to express their gratitude, it would likely be a trap.