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

"Lu Lin! How dare you!"

Watching Qin An leave, Song Yu could no longer bear it.

He spurred his horse out of the remnant troops and stood directly in front of Lu Lin's horse, his eyes burning with questioning intent.

Qin An was left to cover the rear alone, with only one person by his side and several thousand elite reinforcements supporting him. If Lu Lin were to take the opportunity to launch a full-scale encirclement, Qin An would surely die today!

However, Lu Lin, relying on his status as the leader of the Five Tiger Generals, insisted on fighting alone.

Finally, he absurdly made a three-day duel agreement, letting this major threat escape right before his eyes, which almost made him vomit blood in anger.

Lu Lin reined in his black horse, holding a heavy halberd, his body covered in blood, his fighting spirit not yet completely waning. He lowered his eyes to look at Song Yu, who was blocking his way, his eyes showing no remorse, only a faint impatience and arrogance, his fierce and imposing aura overwhelming.

Song Yu took a deep breath, her chest churning with boundless rage, her voice hoarse and cold, each word resounding.

"Lu Lin, do you know who Qin An is? Since I raised my army, he has been our greatest enemy!"

"Many of our brothers perished under his spear. Today, with a divine opportunity, thousands against one man, we can slay Qin An, cripple the imperial court, and boost the morale of the entire army—a monumental achievement! Yet you! You insist on displaying your own selfish bravery, recklessly releasing the tiger back into the mountains!"

Song Yu became more and more agitated as she spoke, her aura fluctuating violently. She pointed in the direction of the dense forest where Qin An had left and questioned him sharply.

"You must give me an explanation today! Was this an unintentional mistake, or did you deliberately condone it, intending to see my troops annihilated!"

These words resonated powerfully, echoing across the wilderness.

The rebel soldiers standing around looked at each other, then lowered their heads, and the atmosphere instantly became extremely oppressive.

Everyone could see that Song Yu was truly determined to kill, and the conflict between the two factions was now fully exposed.

Faced with Song Yu's relentless pressure, Lu Lin's impatience deepened, and a sneer of arrogance curled at the corner of his mouth.

He suddenly raised his hand and slammed his halberd down heavily. The heavy shaft crashed to the ground, sending dust flying everywhere. The deafening roar drowned out the howling evening wind.

"Explain?" Lu Lin's eyes widened, his voice booming, "Song Yu, I'm only calling you 'brother' out of respect. If I didn't, what are you? Who do you think you are to ask me for an explanation?"

One sentence instantly made Song Yu freeze, her face turning ashen.

"I am the head of the Five Tiger Generals, personally appointed by General Tianxing, commanding 30,000 elite troops and controlling all reinforcements at the front!"

Lu Lin looked down at him, his eyes cold and sharp, each word carrying an overwhelming force, "On this battlefield, military orders, advances, retreats, attacks, and defenses have always been in my hands! When did it become your place, a defeated general, to point fingers and boss me around?"

"The loss of your soldiers is your fault for incompetence in commanding troops and for failing to defend your territory! The repeated defeats and the rout that left you being chased and forced to flee in disarray are your own sins, and have nothing to do with me!"

"My duel with Qin An just now was out of respect for his skill and courage! Martial arts duels should be fair and just. If three hundred rounds are not enough to determine a winner, then it is a fair and square contest! Not a despicable act of relying on numbers to surround and kill a lone hero!"

Lu Lin's gaze grew increasingly sharp as he stared intently at the sinister look in Song Yu's eyes.

"You're full of scheming, only know how to survive by stealth and ambush, and you don't understand the spirit of martial arts, so you think everyone in the world is as worthless as you?"

"Song Yu, shut up your little schemes! I've already shown you exceptional leniency by not taking advantage of your defeat to hold you accountable. If you dare to provoke me again or overstep your authority, don't blame me for dealing with you according to military law!"

Her sharp words, like blades drawn from their sheaths, pierced Song Yuxin's heart.

Song Yu felt her blood surging, filled with anger and hatred, yet she had no way to refute him.

He knew Lu Lin's personality very well: he was obsessed with martial arts, fierce and domineering, valued the reputation of a martial artist the most, and held a large army and was deeply trusted by Wang Bo.

Now, with only a few thousand soldiers remaining, their forces are weak and defeated, and they have no chance to contend with Lu Lin.

But the hatred and fear in his heart grew wildly like poisonous weeds.

He had a clear understanding of the situation.

Wang Bo's loyal troops never tolerated this group of rebels who had joined him halfway through their journey.

Previously, they had secretly kept him in check and were on guard at all times, but now they are taking advantage of his defeat to ruthlessly suppress and weaken his strength.

Today, Lu Lin deliberately let Qin An escape, seemingly out of a martial man's competitive spirit, but in reality, he was just watching his trusted subordinates die one by one.

It is highly likely that the intention was to use the imperial court to completely undermine his foundation and turn him into a powerless and powerless person!

Upon realizing this, a chilling glint of extreme ruthlessness flashed in Song Yu's eyes. His killing intent was buried deep in his heart, but he forcibly suppressed his anger on his face, clenched his teeth tightly, and remained silent.

The two faced off across the distance, the air thick with tension, the conflict between their two forces now fully exposed, the rift irreparable.

Qin An, who was not far away, took in the whole scene.

He paused slowly on his black horse, gazing at the two men locked in a fierce confrontation on the desolate plain.

He observed Song Yu's forbearance and ruthlessness, and Lu Lin's domineering and forceful nature. A faint, meaningful smile curved his lips.

"It seems that the rebels are already deeply divided and disloyal; perhaps this is the biggest weakness that allows us to break through their ranks!"

With this thought flashing through his mind, Qin An didn't linger at all. No longer paying attention to the farce of the confrontation between the two, he turned the reins, spurred his horse, and his figure quickly disappeared completely into the deep night.

After galloping for about half an hour, they heard the familiar sound of horses' hooves and hushed conversations coming from the woods ahead.

"It's the sound of the captain's horse's hooves!"

Outside the dense forest, Han Quan, who had been waiting there for a long time, finally chose to trust Qin An and left, far away from the battlefield. Suddenly, he looked up and his eyes lit up with ecstatic joy.

The other cavalrymen looked up, their tense minds suddenly relaxing.

The anxiety and despair on their faces faded away, replaced by a sense of relief and admiration for surviving such a disaster.

The captain was left to cover the rear alone, holding off thousands of enemy troops single-handedly. Anyone would have thought he was in grave danger.

As they retreated, their hearts were filled with guilt and worry. They felt that abandoning their commander and fleeing alone was a lifelong disgrace.

But at this moment, that tall and familiar figure broke through the night and returned safely. Although his armor was stained with blood and his battle robe was tattered, his posture was still as upright as a pine tree, and his aura was awe-inspiring.

"Captain!"

Han Quan strode forward, dismounted, and knelt on one knee, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement and respect.

The remaining cavalrymen all knelt down, shouting in unison, their voices echoing through the forest: "Welcome back, Captain!"

The calls echoed endlessly, filled with sincere reverence.

Qin An raised his hand, his tone calm and indifferent: "Get up, all of you."

Everyone stood up in response, their eyes slightly red. Seeing that Qin An was safe and sound, their hearts, which had been hanging in mid-air, finally settled down.

Han Quan stepped forward and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Captain, Lu Lin is incredibly brave and fierce. With thousands of enemy troops pressing in, how did you manage to escape unscathed? We were terrified when we finally retreated."

Qin An dismounted, casually brushed the dust off his battle robe, and said with a faint smile, "Although Lu Lin is a fierce general, he is also an extreme martial arts fanatic. He values ​​the face of a martial artist the most and disdains bullying the weak with the many. I provoked him with a duel and made an agreement to fight again in three days. He then took the initiative to let me leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone realized what he meant and felt even more admiration for their captain.

To remain calm in the face of dire straits, to understand people's hearts, and to use others to escape—this courage and wisdom are far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Qin An glanced at everyone and, seeing that none of them were injured or killed, nodded slightly: "This place is not safe to stay any longer. Set off immediately and return to the main camp at full speed to rendezvous with General Zhang Xu."

"yes!"

The crowd responded with a resounding roar, not daring to delay. They quickly reorganized their formation and followed closely behind Qin An, rushing towards the direction where the main force of the imperial army was stationed.