"Recently, the other generals and I received word that Sword-toothed Country had sent spies to infiltrate our military camps."
Guan Shan's expression was stern as he said coldly,
"Those who failed to show up today have, for the most part, been confirmed beyond doubt as traitors who colluded with the enemy and betrayed their country!"
"Their Lineages will be implicated as well!"
His words made everyone present shiver inwardly!
Every country punished traitors in much the same way.
If one person betrayed their country, all their relatives were implicated!
Though they wouldn't go so far as to wipe out the entire Lineage, once the evidence was conclusive, the traitor's family could forget about living in peace.
No amount of begging by the traitor could change that.
Only this way could the number of people betraying their country be reduced as much as possible!
There were countless powers like the Gu Family of Wushan City throughout the Running Wolf Nation.
If Gu Chen colluded with the enemy and betrayed his country, the Gu Family wouldn't be able to remain in existence.
Once all its members were dispersed and sent across the country to perform forced labor, that would already count as leniency!
A punishment of that severity was enough to make anyone tempted to betray their country think twice.
But there were still people whose convictions wavered, or who clung to wishful thinking, and chose to betray their country.
The military would show no mercy in dealing with such people.
"I hope none of you follow the example of scum like Lei Chao and collude with the enemy!"
Guan Shan's words left those who'd thought Lei Chao had let Gu Chen live because he'd taken a bribe from him utterly stunned.
"Holy crap, I never would've guessed that Lei Chao, with his thick brows and honest-looking face, was a spy!"
"No wonder that guy still wanted to spare Gu Chen when he came to cause trouble at the Warrior Camp. Now that I think about it, he must've taken a shine to Gu Chen's talent and wanted to lure him into joining them!"
"Good thing the generals discovered the problem with Lei Chao and the others early. Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble they might've caused!"
Once the crowd's discussion gradually died down, Guan Shan spoke again,
"This time, Gu Chen and Gu Han played a major role in catching the spies."
"After unanimous approval from the other generals and me, Gu Chen is hereby promoted to War Soldier Platoon Leader and awarded a noble rank!"
"Gu Han is hereby appointed Logistics Soldier Platoon Leader and awarded a noble rank!"
"They are also each awarded armor and a sword!"
"Though they are conscripts, their treatment will be the same as that of officers!"
As soon as Guan Shan finished speaking, two quartermasters came forward carrying a suit of armor and the sword that symbolized the rank of Platoon Leader.
Conscripts weren't officially part of the military establishment.
But because of their outstanding service, Guan Shan had granted them these extra honors!
In the crowd, Li Qiang saw that Gu Han was still standing there, stunned and motionless, and hurriedly gave him an exasperated shove.
"What are you standing around for? Get up there and accept your reward!"
This was the sort of treatment everyone else could only dream of!
Gu Chen and Gu Han hadn't been prepared for this at all. Now they could only follow what they imagined the proper etiquette to be, stepping forward and accepting the armor and swords with both hands.
The hundreds and thousands of War Soldiers and Logistics Soldiers around them stood rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning.
"So Gu Chen and Gu Han were the ones who caught the spy?"
"Damn, they're ridiculously lucky! A blind cat stumbled across a dead rat!"
"Shit, why can't I ever get that lucky?"
Almost everyone thought Gu Chen and Gu Han had merely stumbled into a stroke of incredible luck.
Though the two were stronger than them, they weren't that much stronger.
How could they possibly catch a spy like Lei Chao?
It was just luck!
Luck like that was hard to come by. Gu Han and his brother must've used up all the good fortune they had for the rest of the month!
But however jealous they were, the two had already secured their positions as Platoon Leaders.
According to the Running Wolf Nation's military regulations, conscripts weren't given officer positions unless they distinguished themselves through outstanding service.
The vast majority of conscripts remained mere soldiers until they left the military.
Now, after only half a month, the Gu Chen brothers had become Platoon Leaders.
They had already surpassed the vast majority of people!
"The political situation at court is unstable, and Sword-toothed Country has its eyes fixed on Mushan City."
Guan Shan offered a few more words of encouragement,
"I hope all of you continue to train diligently, so you'll be ready for the war that could break out at any moment."
There was something Guan Shan didn't say.
That was, anyone who hadn't become a true Martial Artist would be nothing but cannon fodder on the battlefield!
After saying this, Guan Shan turned and left, leaving Deng Li and the other instructors to continue training the recruits.
Gu Han and the other Logistics Soldiers returned to their respective camps.
Ma Tie and the others crowded around Gu Han, unable to hide the envy in their eyes.
"Lao Gu, you're seriously incredible!"
"If I could become a Platoon Leader, the folks back home for miles around would be green with envy!"
"That'd bring glory to the family! After you got home, the county office might even find you a job!"
Unlike the Earth Gu Han had lived on before his transmigration, conscripts here weren't paid for serving two years.
Simply surviving the borderlands was already a blessing.
In just the past half month, seven Logistics Soldiers had gone missing in the mountains and forests.
Since their bodies hadn't been found, no one knew whether they'd been killed by Demonic Beasts, killed by people, or simply lost.
But for most people, making it home alive was already a blessing.
Becoming an officer and getting a job back home was the sort of thing they'd only dare dream about.
"If you work hard, you'll all have a chance to become Platoon Leaders too."
Gu Han smiled, not considering the rank of Platoon Leader all that glorious.
Still, he understood that this difference came from their backgrounds and perspectives.
No matter what, his predecessor had been a member of a collateral branch of the Gu Family. Though he hadn't come from a prestigious branch, he was still far better off than ordinary people.
Ma Tie and the others smiled, knowing Gu Han was only trying to comfort them.
The group quickened their pace and soon returned to camp.
As usual, Gu Han headed straight out of camp to hunt Demonic Beasts.
He was busy helping Little Wolf improve its bloodline. He had to venture deeper into the wilderness and hunt stronger Demonic Beasts whenever possible.
For this reason, he had specifically told Ma Tie and the others that he might not come back to rest for the next few days.
Ma Tie and the others trusted Gu Han's strength. As long as he didn't act recklessly, he probably wouldn't run into danger, so they agreed to cover up his absence from camp.
Not long after Gu Han left, the War Soldiers quickly split into several groups.
Led by their instructors, they headed out into the wilderness in a grand procession.
"This time, I'm definitely making the top ten in the wilderness trial!"
Many War Soldiers secretly vowed to themselves.
After half a month of regular training, only two weeks remained until the Tenth Battalion Grand Competition.
To quickly improve the new recruits' combat experience, the instructors had discussed it and decided to open up a training ground in the wilderness.
When War Soldiers sparred with one another, they held back.
Only when they faced Demonic Beasts fighting to the death, in moments of mortal danger, could their potential be unleashed!
What about the danger?
Anyone afraid of danger was welcome to stay in camp and train on their own.
The instructors didn't force anyone to go.
But none of the War Soldiers wanted to admit they were cowards who were afraid of trouble.
Everyone chose to head into the wilderness and face Demonic Beasts ranging from one-star, fourth-rank to one-star, fifth-rank.
Before you continue