The God of War Who Protects the Nation: Starting with Saving a Mother and Daughter in Distress

"You traitors, don't run!" Qin An roared, his spear pointing directly at the rebel group. "Song Yu, stop pretending, I know you're in there!"

Behind the boulder, Song Yu's heart sank.

He didn't expect that even though he had specially changed into ordinary soldier's clothes, Qin An would still recognize him.

Qin Huo, who was standing beside him, could no longer contain himself. He gripped his double-edged sword and was about to rush out: "General, let me kill this brat!"

"Come back!" Song Yu grabbed him, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes, before she put on a sorrowful expression. "Brother Qin, are you confused? Our most important task now is to break through, not to act rashly."

He patted Qin Huo on the shoulder, his voice choked with emotion: "Qin An's target is me. I'll stay behind to cover their retreat. You take the brothers and leave quickly. Be sure to report the situation here to General Wang!"

Qin Huo, being a straightforward person, was deeply moved by Song Yu's words and shook his head vigorously.

"General, what are you saying! You are the commander-in-chief, how can you stay behind to cover the retreat? If anyone should stay, it should be me!"

"No way!" Song Yu deliberately put on a stern face. "You're one of the Five Tiger Generals, far more important than me! Only if you return alive will we have any hope of revenge!"

"General!" Qin Huo's eyes were red-rimmed. "If anything were to happen to you, how could I, Qin Huo, face my brothers? I'll stay here today no matter what!"

During the struggle, Qin Huo suddenly knelt down and kowtowed three times to Song Yu: "General, take care! Qin Huo will go and take Qin An's life to avenge our brothers!"

Having said that, he suddenly stood up, brandishing his double-edged sword, and charged out from behind the boulder, roaring at Qin An, "Qin An! Your grandfather is here, come and fight if you dare!"

Song Yu watched Qin Huo's retreating figure, her eyes flickering for a moment. Then she whispered to the guard beside her, "Quick, while they're locked in combat, let's break through through the side path on the right!"

Clearly, Song Yu's behavior just now was deliberate.

If he truly didn't care about life and death, he wouldn't have abandoned his men and fled first.

That was all just for Qin Huo's benefit.

However, he knew that Qin Huo, though strong, was a reckless brute.

Moreover, he had been brainwashed by the slogan of brotherhood and deliberately acted righteously, just to make Qin Huo choose loyalty first and stay behind to cover the rear.

As it turned out, this performance was effective, and the brute fell for it.

Qin An looked at Qin Huo rushing towards him and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

He had already seen through Song Yu's tricks, but he didn't expose them.

Compared to the fleeing Song Yu, the fierce Qin Huo in front of her was a more valuable prey.

"Well done!" Qin An spurred his horse forward, his spear flashing as it pierced the air and aimed straight at Qin Huo's face.

斩杀

Qin Huo's eyes were bloodshot. He completely ignored Qin An's spear and slashed at Qin An's waist with his double-edged sword, which whistled through the air.

Knowing he was no match for Qin An, he decided to risk his life and perish together with him.

"You're courting death!" A cold glint flashed in Qin An's eyes. He twisted his wrist rapidly, and the spear, like a serpent, curved and slammed heavily onto the back of the double-edged sword.

With a crisp clang, Qin Huo felt a tremendous force, and the double-edged sword almost slipped from his hand.

Using the force, he flipped off his horse. The moment his feet touched the ground, he pounced on Qin An's warhorse like a tiger descending a mountain, his long sword thrusting straight into the horse's belly.

"Despicable!" Han Quan was furious upon seeing this and spurred his horse forward to help.

"No need!" Qin An stopped him, and suddenly pulled on the reins. The black horse reared up, its front hooves slamming into Qin Huo's chest.

Qin Huo was prepared. He rolled on the spot to avoid the horse's hooves, and at the same time, he swept his long sword horizontally, aiming straight for Qin An's ankle.

This strike was swift and ruthless, clearly indicating a willingness to perish together with the opponent.

Qin An snorted coldly, used the momentum of his horse to leap over Qin Huo's head like a roc spreading its wings, and thrust his spear downwards in the process.

With a "thud," the spear tip grazed Qin Huo's shoulder blade and pierced the ground.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qin Huo turned around and slashed at Qin An's calf, but the blow was blocked by the armor.

"Captain!" Han Quan exclaimed in surprise.

Qin An remained unfazed. Using the recoil from his spear piercing the ground, he spun in mid-air and kicked Qin Huo in the chest.

With a crisp "crack," Qin Huo's ribs were broken in several places. He coughed up blood and flew backward, crashing heavily into a boulder.

But a mad flame still burned in his eyes as he struggled to get up, the double-edged sword in his hand still trembling.

"What a mad dog." Qin An landed on the ground, drew his ring-pommel sword from his waist, and slowly walked towards Qin Huo.

"The imperial court... your lackeys..." Qin Huo coughed up blood, his voice hoarse, "Even as a ghost... I will not let you go..."

He suddenly threw the double-edged sword at Qin An, and then pounced forward like an arrow, wanting to embrace Qin An and die together.

Qin An dodged the flying longsword by sidestepping it, and thrust his spear forward in the process.

With a "pfft," blood gushed out.

Qin Huo fell to the ground, his eyes still wide open, staring intently at Qin An.

But Qin An had no interest in paying attention to him. He wiped the blood off his face, looked in the direction Song Yu had fled, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Qin Huo's delaying tactics did have some effect; in a short time, Song Yu had vanished without a trace.

But Qin An was not prepared to give up.

"Luo Sheng, you take your men to clear the battlefield and comfort the prisoners. I'm going to chase after Song Yu."

"Captain, be careful!" Luo Sheng, who had rushed over, quickly responded.

Qin An mounted his horse and, leading fifty elite cavalrymen, galloped away along the path.

The path was rugged, with dense woods on both sides.

After a chase, they came to a fork in the road.

Qin An reined in his horse, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked at the messy footprints on the ground.

"Captain, look," a cavalryman pointed to the fork in the road ahead, "the footprints have split into two groups."

Qin An bent down to examine the path and saw that the footprints on the left side were dense, indicating that there were many people.

The footprints on the right fork in the road were sparse, suggesting that there were only a few people there.

"Song Yu is deliberately creating a diversion." Qin An stood up, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. "Ordinary people would assume he's on the less crowded route, but he might be doing the opposite."

Han Quan's voice came from behind: "Captain, which way should we go?"

Qin An gazed at the two forked paths, his fingertips lightly tapping the gun barrel: "Song Yu is cunning and suspicious. He must have guessed that we would think the less manned path was a feint, so..."

Before he could finish speaking, a gust of wind blew by, and a faint smell of blood drifted from the side road on the right.

"Take the right path." Qin An made a quick decision and spurred his horse toward the right fork in the road.

Fifty cavalrymen followed closely behind, quickly penetrating deep into the woods. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a sudden burst of fighting sounds came from ahead.

Qin An urged his horse to speed up, and as he rounded a bend, he saw a small group of rebels. Had they been fighting amongst themselves?

The leader was a dark-skinned, burly man wielding two axes, who was Li Xuan, Song Yu's confidant.

"Qin An!" Li Xuan saw Qin An, a flash of fear crossing his eyes, quickly replaced by madness. "You actually dared to chase after me? Today I'll make sure you don't leave alive!"