Chapter 61

"Next, I will personally award the three of them!"

Guan Zhen handed the Illusion Water Pearl and three mid-grade yellow-tier weapons respectively to Gu Han and Zhang Lang.

The Illusion Water Pearl is an extra reward.

The mid-grade yellow-tier weapon that second and third place can obtain, Gu Han can also obtain.

Zhang Lang and Pan Hu accepted the reward with bitter expressions, repeatedly thanking Guan Zhen.

After Guan Zhen lightly nodded at the two, his gaze toward Gu Han was full of admiration.

He satisfiedly patted Gu Han's shoulder.

"I will eventually retire; in the future, this Mu Shan Cheng will still need to rely on rising talents like you!"

Zhang Lang and Pan Hu standing on either side of Gu Han felt as if they had eaten a lemon, their hearts sour to death.

Zhang Lang even roared in his heart.

"All of this should have been mine, mine!!!"

But now, it all belongs to Gu Han!

Gu Han knew this was merely Guan Zhen's expectation for the younger generation, and immediately nodded and said,

"General Guan, rest assured, I, Zhang Lang, Pan Hu, and the other soldiers will not let you down."

On Zhang Lang and Pan Hu's faces, a flash of strong bewilderment appeared, they looked at Gu Han blankly.

They never expected that, at the moment when General Guan placed high hopes on them, Gu Han would actually think of pulling them along.

Zhang Lang's heart instantly welled up with shame.

Just a moment ago, he was still envious, even jealous of Gu Han.

But Gu Han's such magnanimous behavior only made him appear petty and narrow-minded.

Zhang Lang let out a long sigh, throwing all his previous jealousy to the back of his mind.

At this moment, he sincerely began to admire Gu Han.

Had he been in Gu Han's current position, he would likely have already become conceited under General Guan's praise.

Where would he still remember the people around him?

Guan Zhen also glanced at Gu Han in surprise, his satisfaction with his performance growing.

"If you have any questions about martial skills in the future, you can seek guidance from Guan Shan."

This sentence alone is enough to show how much Guan Zhen values him.

Although Guan Shan holds the title of chief instructor of the Second Camp, he actually does not participate in teaching.

To receive Guan Shan's guidance is an honor for any Combat Soldier!

Gu Han, holding the Illusion Water Pearl, a mid-grade yellow-tier azure-edged sword, and fifty Quenching Blood Pills, stepped down with Zhang Lang and Pan Hu.

Guan Zhen's gaze swept over the tens of thousands of people present.

"The scouts' recent intelligence shows that the Jian Chi State is eyeing our country covetously, having already sent people to remove seven of our outposts in the mountains!"

Upon hearing this, the populace originally immersed in the joy of the Ten Camps Competition all shuddered.

Although they live in the frontier, under the protection of the Mu Shan Army they can be said to live in peace and prosperity.

Here, there has been no warfare for twenty or thirty years!

If not for Guan Zhen speaking up, they would never have thought that war would come so close to them.

The crowd of civilians and soldiers couldn't help but become tense.

Even the instructors who had long prepared for war all had Furrowed Brow.

"Why would Guan Zhen bring this up to the populace at this time?"

Many instructors felt puzzled.

War easily causes public unrest.

Announcing this news to the public now is absolutely not good for the governance of Mu Shan Cheng and surrounding towns.

Guan Zhen continued speaking at this time,

"However, you need not worry excessively; our military personnel exist precisely to protect you."

"Our scouts have likewise removed many outposts of the Jian Chi State; they think invading our Mu Shan Cheng is absolutely not as simple as they imagine."

"If anyone wishes to leave Mu Shan Cheng to avoid the suffering of war, they may also pack their belongings in advance and head to interior towns to rely on relatives and friends."

As Guan Zhen's words fell, the surroundings fell into a chorus of discussion.

Not long after, someone in the crowd raised their arms and shouted,

"We are here in Mu Shan Cheng either because our ancestors were military personnel, with families stationed to guard the frontier,"

"or for the purpose of going abroad to engage in trade, using this as a base."

"No matter the reason, we are bound by countless ties to the Mu Shan Army; today's peaceful days would not be possible without its protection!"

"Now that war is imminent, how could we abandon the Mu Shan Army and flee on our own?"

The person who raised their arms and shouted infected countless surrounding people.

Heads gathered from all directions, and the crowd unanimously agreed with his view.

"That's right; without strong national defense, when we go to the Jian Chi State to trade, we would only be bullied, and all this is thanks to the Mu Shan Army."

"Earlier, a caravan was detained by the Jian Chi State; since our goods can no longer be exported, we might as well hand them over to the Mu Shan Army's soldiers as provisions and rewards for everyone!"

The tsunami-like roar of support for the Mu Shan Army left the instructors of each camp deafeningly shocked, their spirits greatly shaken.

Some instructors who only cared about personal gain and vied for camp rankings were now even more ashamed, their faces flushed.

These civilians, despite everything, could still abandon home and livelihood, forsake profit, merely to provide the army with good supplies.

Yet these soldiers still thought of their own interests.

How shameful this is!

Guan Zhen was also deeply moved by the support of the elders and villagers, tears welling in his eyes as he pressed his hands together.

"The war hasn't started yet, so there's no need for everyone to be so nervous."

"Next, we need to reinforce the border defenses, and the soldiers' training also requires more cultivation resources."

"I don't ask everyone to donate resources; I only hope everyone can help transport more resources from other towns here, and all resources will be purchased by our Mu Shan Army at market price."

The military naturally also has its own resource transport channels.

However, the border between Ben Lang Guo and Jian Chi State is not just Mu Shan Cheng alone.

Other border passes also have their own needs.

When military resources are difficult to supply, civilian channels become one of the very important channels.

Countless civilians shouted in support, strongly backing Guan Zhen's policy, mobilizing their own business or family connections to other inland towns to transport resources here.

All the Deputy Generals and Bijangs repeatedly praised Guan Zhen's means of winning over hearts.

"General Guan's move is truly excellent!"

"It's easy to say but hard to do; General Guan differs from other border generals in personally arranging for soldiers to guide the populace in martial practice and study, earning deep affection from the people, which is why he gets such an overwhelming response."

"With General Guan here, Mu Shan Cheng's defense can absolutely be described as impregnable!"

"However, we cannot be careless; Jian Chi State's momentum is formidable, and once hostilities begin, they will certainly not end easily."

"Sigh, I only hope fewer people will die."

The Combat Soldiers in each camp are now gripping their weapons, worried and anxious.

Although they are Combat Soldiers, they are merely conscripts.

To put it bluntly, if war breaks out now, they are merely cannon fodder.

Those veterans who have remained from previous batches, who have reached the Martial Practitioner realm,

only they can be considered true Combat Soldiers!