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

The smell of medicine had not yet dissipated in the vanguard general's tent.

Xu Zhaowen leaned against the bed. Although his complexion had improved somewhat, the bandages on his chest were still thick, and he frowned with every breath.

He looked at his father, Xu Shigui, sitting by the bed, his eyes full of confusion.

"Father, are you really planning to let that old geezer lead the cooks to Qingfeng Town to escort grain supplies?"

"This grain supply is crucial to the future battle situation of our army. If something goes wrong, the entire camp will run out of food."

Xu Shigui stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his back to his two sons, a sinister smile slowly creeping up his lips.

"Of course I know that supplies are important."

"That's precisely why we should send that old geezer, because it's important."

Xu Zhaowen and Xu Zhaowu were both stunned.

The two brothers exchanged a glance and looked at each other blankly.

Xu Shigui walked to the bedside, lowered his voice, and continued:

"I've disliked that old geezer for a long time. Not only did he take the Akhal-Teke horse, but he also caused you two to get injured like this. He deserves to be held accountable."

"This grain transport mission presents an excellent opportunity."

He straightened up, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the tent, his tone full of calculation.

"Qingfeng Town is teeming with bandits, and they are extremely fierce. If he leads the old, weak, sick, and disabled members of the cook battalion to transport grain, there is a high chance that they will be discovered by the bandits."

"It would be best if he died at the hands of bandits, so that I, the general, would not have to take action."

"What if he comes back in a sorry state?" Xu Zhaowen pressed.

Xu Shigui sneered, a strong killing intent flashing in his eyes.

"He escaped back? That's even better. He was incompetent and lost troops. I, the general, can just deal with him according to military law and behead him."

He paused, a hint of smugness in his voice.

"Then, the Akhal-Teke horse naturally returned to my hands."

Xu Zhaowen's eyes lit up when he heard this, but then he frowned after thinking about it again.

"Father, what should we do with that batch of grain? If the bandits steal it, our army will run out of food."

Xu Shigui waved his hand and said confidently:

"Don't worry, do you think those petty thieves in Qingfeng Town can steal grain from the Daqian army?"

"Once that old geezer fails his mission, I, the general, will send another two thousand elite troops to Qingfeng Town to wipe out the bandits and reclaim the grain supplies."

He turned around, looked at his two sons, and his smile deepened.

"It can get rid of that old geezer, reclaim the Ferghana horses, wipe out the bandits and rid the people of a scourge, and also ensure the safety of grain supplies—killing three birds with one stone."

"No, it's killing four birds with one stone!"

Xu Zhaowen sat up abruptly, which aggravated his wound, causing him to grimace in pain, but he couldn't suppress the excitement on his face.

"It will also show those soldiers who joined the rebellion what happens when they oppose their father!"

Xu Shigui laughed heartily and patted his son on the shoulder: "No one knows a father better than his son!"

Xu Zhaowu also laughed.

……

"Reporting to General Qi! Su Mu has arrived!"

A report came from outside the tent.

Xu Shigui quickly suppressed his smile, his sinister expression vanishing completely, replaced by a dignified yet kind one.

He straightened his armor, gave his two sons a wink, and strode back to sit down in the main seat.

"Let him in."

The curtain was lifted, and a hunched figure walked in.

Su Mu was wearing a faded coarse cloth military uniform, and his full head of white hair gleamed silver in the candlelight in the tent.

He didn't bring his horse-slaying sword in; it was left outside the tent. But his calm and composed demeanor remained undiminished.

He cupped his hands slightly, his voice hoarse yet calm: "Su Mu greets the General."

Xu Shigui, abandoning his usual coldness, stood up and greeted him with a broad smile.

"Grandpa Su, please rise, please rise!"

He reached out to help Su Mu, his enthusiasm as if he had seen his long-lost father.

"The old man saved my son's life on the training ground; I haven't even properly thanked you yet!"

Su Mu straightened up and looked at Xu Shigui's smiling face, which was as bright as a chrysanthemum. He understood everything perfectly.

A smiling tiger hides a knife in its heart the more it smiles.

"It was nothing, General, you needn't worry about it," Su Mu continued.

"No, no, no!" Xu Shigui waved his hand, his tone so sincere as if it were true. "This general always repays kindness. The old man saved my son's life, and this general must repay this kindness."

He paced back and forth in the tent a couple of times with his hands behind his back, then said:

"Alright then, I, the General, will appoint you as the head of the cook battalion."

Su Mu's brow twitched slightly.

The head of the cookhouse?

Zhao Dazui is doing a good job. Why should he, a new recruit who has only been here for a few days, be in charge?

This is clearly putting him on the hot seat.

"Old Master Su, don't be modest." Xu Shigui, as if he had anticipated his reaction, preemptively cut him off. "This position is rightfully yours. Your prestige in the army is now higher than mine. If I don't grant you an official position, what will the brothers in the army think of me?"

He paused, his smile fading slightly, and his tone became serious.

"This is an order, and it must not be disobeyed."

Su Mu looked at Xu Shigui's expression and sneered inwardly.

An order? What a huge hat.

But he couldn't refuse.

Refusing is disobeying military orders.

Xu Shigui was just looking for a pretext to use against him.

"Thank you, General." Su Mu cupped his hands in thanks, his voice remaining calm.

Xu Shigui nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject, his smile deepening.

"Now, I, the General, have a matter that I need Old Master Su to handle."

Su Mu's heart skipped a beat.

A hint of wariness appeared in his eyes!

"What is it?"

Xu Shigui sighed, his face showing a look of concern for the country and its people.

"That night, the Northern Barbarians launched a surprise attack and burned nearly half of our army's food supplies. Now, the food stored in the camp is only enough for ten days. If we don't replenish it, we will starve before the Northern Barbarians even attack."

He walked back to the desk and sat down, placing his hands on the table and staring intently at Su Mu.

"I have found out that there is a hidden granary in Qingfeng Town, which contains a large amount of grain. I want you to take the brothers of the cook battalion to Qingfeng Town and escort that batch of grain back to the camp."

He paused, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"This general knows that Old Master Su is a master of martial arts and will surely be able to complete the mission successfully."

Su Mu remained silent.

They led the cooks to escort grain and fodder.

The meaning of these words together is crystal clear.

This is a trap.

A pit dug specifically for him.

The cookhouse had about two hundred men. They were good at chopping wood, carrying water, cooking, and making meals, but what about escorting grain and fodder?

If they ran into Northern Di scouts or bandits who ruled the mountains, wouldn't that be suicide?

Xu Shigui wanted him to fail his mission so that he could be severely punished!

【Ding! 】

A crisp mechanical sound exploded in Su Mu's mind.

[Side quest has been issued!]

[Mission: Proceed to Qingfeng Town and escort grain supplies! Successfully escorting the grain supplies back to the military camp will reward you with: 30 days of lifespan and the Dragon Slayer Saber (from "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber")!]

[Friendly reminder: Side quests are optional; the host can decide whether to accept them.]

The Dragon-Slaying Saber is a peerless treasure that can cut through iron like mud.

With it, his combat power can at least reach a new level.

Moreover, with only thirty days left to live, time is what he lacks most right now.

He never intended to refuse Xu Shigui.

If you reject this one, there will be another.

Xu Shigui is the kind of person who will not give up until he achieves his goal.

Rather than passively taking hits, it's better to take the initiative.

Now that there's a system reward, there's even less reason to refuse.

Su Mu looked up at Xu Shigui, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I will obey the General's orders."

"I will go back and prepare now."

After saying this, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, turned around, and strode out of the tent.

The curtain fell, blocking Xu Shigui's view.

Inside the tent, three faces were filled with shock.

The Xu brothers, Zhaowen and Zhaowen, stared with their mouths agape, unable to close them for a long time.

Xu Shigui, sitting in the main seat, was also extremely surprised.

"He...he agreed?" Xu Zhaowen's voice changed.

"He agreed so readily?" Xu Zhaowu chimed in. "Didn't he understand? Qingfeng Town is a bandit's den!"

Xu Shigui had expected the old man to make excuses, refuse, or beg for mercy; he had even prepared how to deal with those excuses.

Unexpectedly, the old man agreed without hesitation.

"That old geezer..." Xu Shigui muttered to himself, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes, "What exactly is he planning?"

The tent fell silent.

The three men looked at each other, none of them able to give a clear answer.

Outside the tent, Su Mu had already walked far away!