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

In the kitchen camp, none of the two hundred or so men were practicing their swordsmanship.

Everyone paced back and forth in front of the camp gate, craning their necks to look towards the central command tent.

"Old Su has been gone for so long, could something have happened to him?"

"That General Xu is ruthless; what wouldn't he do?"

"Shut your mouth! Who is Old Su? A god descended from heaven! What can General Xu do to him?"

"Why aren't they back yet? They've been gone for almost half an hour..."

"Look! Over there! Old Su is back!"

A sharp-eyed soldier suddenly pointed outside the camp gate and shouted.

Everyone turned to look.

Su Mu entered the camp gate.

Zhao Dazui was the first to rush forward, his face filled with anxiety.

He looked Su Mu up and down, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he did not have any other wounds.

"Old Su, how is it? Did General Xu give you any trouble?"

Su Mu stopped and looked at the anxious faces in front of him.

He remained silent for a moment, then recounted in detail how Xu Shigui had appointed him as the commander of the cooks and ordered him to lead the cooks to Qingfeng Town to escort grain supplies.

There was no embellishment or concealment.

After he finished speaking, the camp fell silent.

Then, things exploded like a pot boiling over.

"What? They want us to escort grain supplies to Qingfeng Town?"

"Qingfeng Town? That place was taken over by a group of bandits three years ago! I heard that those people are highly skilled in martial arts, kill without blinking an eye, and even the government doesn't dare to mess with them!"

"Xu Shigui is sending us to our deaths!"

"We're not elite soldiers going to the battlefield to fight. We're good at chopping wood and carrying water, but fighting? That's like throwing eggs against a rock!"

"Exactly! Sending two hundred cooks to transport grain into the bandit's den—isn't that just using someone else to do the dirty work?"

"Old Su saved his son's life, and this is how he repays him? He's utterly heartless!"

Everyone chimed in, filled with righteous indignation.

"Alright! Stop arguing!"

Zhao Dazui shouted, and the crowd fell silent.

All eyes turned back to Su Mu.

Su Mu stepped forward, his body hunched over, and with his hands clasped in a deep bow to the two hundred cooks in front of him.

"This time, it is I who have implicated everyone."

"This journey to Qingfeng Town is indeed fraught with danger, but I hereby swear that I will do everything in my power to protect everyone."

"From now on, I will lead everyone to fight the enemy and make contributions, and I will never let down the expectations of you brothers."

He paused, then continued:

"However, I will not force anyone to accompany me on this mission to Qingfeng Town to transport grain."

"Whoever is willing to come with this old man, please step forward."

The camp fell silent once more.

The two hundred cooks looked at each other, some with their heads down in thought, some biting their lips, and some looking at their comrades, unable to make up their minds.

Su Mu expressed his understanding of this.

Most of these men were conscripted from various villages and towns. Some had elderly parents and young children at home, and some had never even touched a knife before.

Sending them to fight to the death with vicious bandits is something anyone would think twice about.

He didn't speak, just stood there quietly, waiting.

"Count me in!" A young voice boomed from the crowd.

A cook in his early twenties raised his arm and pushed his way out of the crowd.

He had a round face and small eyes, but at that moment they were wide open, blazing with anger.

"What's there to be afraid of? Soldiers are here to fight! Killing bandits is also a way of protecting the people!"

He patted his chest, his voice growing louder and louder.

Even if I die, I'll be a hero again eighteen years later!

No sooner had he finished speaking than another person stepped forward.

Count me in!

He was a man in his thirties, but the wrinkles on his face made him look much older than his actual age.

He was still clutching the broadsword he had used for practice, the tip pointing downwards, when he slammed it to the ground.

"Now that I have become Master Su's disciple, I will follow him unconditionally."

"Old Master Su is a god descended from heaven! I refuse to believe that a few mere bandits can stop us!"

Their words were like two pebbles thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that spread outwards in concentric circles.

Count me in!

"Count me in too!"

"Wow!"

"I'm going too!"

One after another, arms were raised, and voices rose and fell.

Some people squeezed their way from the back of the crowd to the front, while others slung their broadswords over their shoulders and strode to the very front of the line.

Soon, all 207 people stepped forward.

Zhao Dazui looked at the camp full of brothers, his eyes reddening.

He threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the camp.

"Hahaha! Good! Very good!"

He turned around, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Su Mu, and spoke in a loud voice.

"Old Su, there are no cowards in our cookhouse!"

Seeing this, Su Mu secretly clenched his fist.

Even if it costs me my old bones, I will bring them all back alive.

……

"Okay, okay!"

A cheer came from outside the camp, accompanied by crisp applause.

Everyone turned to look, and four figures walked in from outside the camp gate.

Qin Hao was walking at the front, followed by Zhou Huchen, and then Gu Changfeng and Zhao Tieniu.

The four men moved with agile steps, their armor plates rustling as they were gilded with a golden light in the setting sun.

Qin Hao walked up to the group of cooks, his gaze sweeping over their faces, a smile playing on his lips.

"I never expected that all the tough guys in our Great Qian army camp were hidden in the cook camp."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word he spoke was firm and resounding.

"From now on, anyone who dares to look down on the brothers of the cookhouse will be punished with one hundred lashes by this general!"

"Bravo!" the cooks cheered in unison, applauding thunderously and grinning from ear to ear.

Su Mu stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked, "General, what brings you here?"

Qin Hao's smile faded slightly, and his eyes sharpened.

"That scoundrel Xu Shigui, in order to take revenge on Elder Su, actually resorted to such despicable and vile means, disregarding the army's provisions and supplies. He is unworthy of being the General-in-Chief of the Great Qian Dynasty!"

"Old Su has made great contributions to our army, yet he has suffered such treatment. It is truly disheartening. When the time is right, this general will definitely submit a memorial to His Majesty to impeach him!"

Su Mu smiled slightly and shook his head.

"General, do not panic and disrupt the formation."

"Since he dares to do this, I dare to accept it. Now, with the brothers of the cook camp working together to help me, this matter will surely succeed."

Looking into Su Mu's calm, still eyes, Qin Hao's inner turmoil gradually subsided.

He nodded, his tone full of admiration.

Qin Hao has never doubted Elder Su's abilities.

He turned around, glanced at Gu Changfeng and Zhao Tieniu behind him, and his voice suddenly rose.

"In order for Elder Su and all the brothers of the cook camp to return in triumph, I, the general, am sending two people to lend you a hand."

"Gu Changfeng! Zhao Tieniu! Step forward and receive orders!"

"arrive!"

The two stepped forward together, clasped their hands in a fist salute, and stood ramrod straight.

"You two will join the cookhouse immediately to assist Elder Su in completing this mission. You must obey Elder Su's orders without fail!"

"Yes, sir!"

Gu Changfeng and Zhao Tieniu responded in unison, then turned around and walked towards the cooks' team with smiles on their faces.

As Zhao Tieniu walked, he winked at Su Mu and said, "Old Su, now we can fight side by side again! I've missed you so much!"

Su Mu looked at his honest, dark face and couldn't help but laugh.

"it is good."

He turned around, facing the fully equipped cooks, his eyes blazing with fire.

"Listen up, everyone! Prepare the wagons, ropes, and tarpaulins. Bring all the tools you can, and have everything ready before nightfall."

"Once the magistrate of Qinghe County arrives at dusk, proceed immediately to Qingfeng Town!"

"yes!"

Two hundred people responded in unison, their voices resounding far and wide.

Then everyone dispersed, and the camp instantly became busy.

Some people went to fetch horses, some went to move carts, some went to the warehouse to get ropes and oilcloth, and some sharpened their broadswords again and again until the blades were shiny.