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

"Qin An, you bully the weak and treat my brothers like vegetables. Isn't that wrong? If you have the guts, come at me."

Rushing towards Qin An, Shan Tong roared and hurled his long spear at him with tremendous force:

Qin An raised his halberd to meet the attack, and with a loud clang, he felt his arm go numb and staggered back two steps, horse and all.

What incredible strength!

Although Qin An had realized before arriving that the rebels of Ligang Village would be difficult to deal with, and that some of them were probably stronger than him.

Unexpectedly, this was only the first battle, and they encountered a formidable opponent like Shan Tong.

Dan Tong, however, pressed his advantage relentlessly, unleashing a barrage of attacks with his long spear like a storm.

Qin An roused himself and wielded his halberd with impenetrable skill, sometimes parrying, sometimes counterattacking.

The two exchanged blows, and in the blink of an eye, they had fought thirty rounds.

Qin An gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. Shan Tong's spear technique was fierce and domineering, while his halberd technique, although agile, was always suppressed by his opponent.

But he didn't panic.

His cavalry is slaughtering the rebels; Shan Tong's forces have already suffered more than half casualties.

"Wang Dang! Retreat!" Shan Tong saw that the situation was not good, made a feint with his spear, and shouted to his deputy.

Wang Dang understood and sounded the horn for retreat.

Upon receiving the order, the rebels began to retreat. Shan Tong brandished his long spear to block Qin An, fighting and retreating simultaneously.

"Trying to leave? Not so easy!" Qin An spurred his horse to give chase, his halberd thrusting straight at Shan Tong's back.

Dan Tong turned around and thrust his spear, forcing Qin An back, then seized the opportunity to gallop away on horseback.

Qin An led his troops in pursuit for more than ten miles until the warhorses were panting heavily before he ordered a retreat.

While tallying the results of the battle, Luo Shengxing rushed in to report: "General, in this battle we beheaded three thousand and captured five hundred. We only lost three hundred brothers!"

Qin An gazed in the direction of Xinyang City, his eyes flashing with cold light.

When Shan Tong led his remaining troops back to Xinyang City, the rebel soldiers below the city gate were surprised to see them in such a disheveled state.

Li Mi, the leader of Ligang Village, and his strategist Xu Mao were discussing matters at the government office when they heard the news and rushed out.

"Shan Tong, what's going on?" Li Mi frowned. He was thin, but he exuded a sinister aura.

Dan Tong threw down his spear and slumped to the ground, his face covered in blood and mud: "I lost... I was ambushed by that brat Qin An."

Xu Mao stroked his beard and asked slowly, "Qin An? Is that the young general who made great contributions in suppressing the Qishan rebels?"

"It's him!" Shan Tong gritted his teeth and said, "Five thousand cavalrymen charged into the formation like madmen. I tried to stall for time by fighting them, but he didn't fall for it at all and charged straight at us. Although that kid's martial arts are not as good as mine, his cavalry is too fierce, and the brothers can't hold on."

Li Mi was silent for a moment, then asked, "How much was lost?"

"It cost over three thousand..."

The surrounding rebel generals gasped in shock.

Dan Tong was a fierce general in the stronghold. He led seven thousand men out, but half of them were killed. Qin An is too terrifying.

"Where is he now?" Xu Mao asked.

"I don't know, he should still be near Yangkou Warehouse." Shan Tong said, panting. "That kid is cunning; he hasn't entered the city, he's just been roaming outside."

A hint of seriousness flashed in Xu Mao's eyes: "He's trying to cut off our connection with Yangkou Warehouse."

Li Mi nodded: "Qin An is young, brave and resourceful, and a formidable opponent."

He looked at everyone and said, "Pass down the order to guard the city gates strictly. No one is allowed to leave the city without my permission. We will make further plans after we have a clear understanding of Qin An's situation."

The generals accepted the order and departed.

Dan Tong watched the two figures disappear into the distance, his heart still trembling.

Qin An's halberd and the imposing aura of his cavalry charge were like a nightmare.

The atmosphere in Xinyang City became tense.

The rebel soldiers, who were initially in high spirits after capturing the city, were now dampened by Shan Tong's crushing defeat.

……

The official road between Xinyang City and Yangkou Granary has been filled with the smell of gunpowder for days.

Qin An's five thousand cavalrymen were like a pack of wolves with keen senses, always appearing in unexpected places to disturb the rebels and making Li Gang Village uneasy.

The team Li Mi sent to seize Yangkou Warehouse was repeatedly defeated by Qin An.

"That Qin An is a complete scoundrel!" Shan Tong slammed his fist on the table in the government office, his wound throbbing with agitation. "If there are few people, he'll swallow them whole; if there are many, he'll just walk around them. You can't hit him with arrows, and you can't cut him with a saber. It's infuriating!"

The generals beside him chimed in, "Yes, sir, those cavalrymen are faster than rabbits; our infantry simply can't catch up."

"If we can't get the grain supplies from Yangkou Granary, it will have a significant impact on our future strategy!"

Li Mi frowned, tapping his fingers on the table.

He knew Qin An's plan: to stall until Zhang Xu's 50,000-strong army arrived, then attack from both sides, putting Ligang Village in danger.

"We can't wait any longer." Xu Mao stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming. "Zhang Xu's army will arrive in five days at most. We must take Yangkoucang before then."

Dan Tong said urgently, "But Qin An's cavalry are right there, watching us like hawks. How can we capture them?"

Xu Mao smiled slightly: "At worst, we'll fight on two fronts. We'll send 50,000 troops straight to Yangkoucang."

"If Qin An dares to stop us, we will wait for him to tire himself out and trap him with an array. If he doesn't come, we will take the opportunity to seize the granary and cut off the imperial court's escape route."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

Although the rebel army in Ligangzhai numbered over 100,000, they only numbered 60,000 in Xinyang City.

Deploying 50,000 troops directly is tantamount to sending out the entire army.

Leaving only 10,000 troops to garrison Xinyang City was undoubtedly a bit risky.

But Li Mi's ability to lead Ligang Village to such a scale and development certainly demonstrates his courage and determination.

Yangkou Warehouse was a crucial part of the subsequent strategy of the Ligangzhai rebels.

Knowing that time was of the essence, he pondered for a moment and nodded: "Alright, let's do as Lao Xu says. Shan Tong, you will lead the army as the vanguard and make sure to withstand Qin An's first wave of attack."

"Don't worry, Chief!" Shan Tong clenched his fist. "This time, we'll definitely teach Qin An a lesson!"

商议

Before dawn the next day, the city gates of Xinyang City slowly opened.

Fifty thousand rebels, lined up in neat rows, moved like a long black dragon towards Yangkoucang.

Xu Mao sat in a carriage, holding a command flag, and adjusted the formation of the troops from time to time.

Qin An's scouts quickly returned with news.

He stood on a high slope, looking through binoculars at the dark mass of rebels in the distance, his brow furrowed in worry.

"General, they're serious now," Luo Sheng said in a deep voice. "Fifty thousand troops, along with a lot of siege equipment. It seems they're determined to take Yangkoucang."

Qin An tightened his grip on his halberd: "They're trying to force us into a decisive battle."

He turned to the crowd and asked, "What do you say, to fight or not to fight?"

Wang Hu rubbed his hands together, eager to fight: "Attack! With our cavalry, we'll break their formation!"

Han Quan shook his head: "The rebels are too numerous and their formation is too tight. It will be difficult to break through. Judging from the intelligence, Xu Mao is a master strategist and may have already taken precautions."

Xue Ju pointed to the rebel army's ranks: "Look, they've split into five teams, each with archers providing cover. If the cavalry charges in, they'll be sitting ducks."

Qin An nodded: "That's right. Xu Mao is probably one of the most famous generals of our time. He has set up a Five Elements Formation for us, which is probably not so easy to break."

He paused, a fierce glint in his eyes, "But we can't just stand by and watch them take Yangkou Warehouse."

"Pass on my orders: the cavalry will split into three groups. Luo Sheng will lead one group to harass the left flank, Wang Hu will lead another group to harass the right flank, and I will lead the central army in a frontal assault. Let's see just how tough Xu Mao's army formation really is!"

The sound of horns rang out across the wilderness, and five thousand cavalrymen split into three groups, like three silver lightning bolts, charging towards the rebel army's formation.

The sound of horses' hooves shook the earth, and the shouts of the knights tore through the morning mist.

Hearing the commotion from inside the carriage, Xu Mao smirked coldly: "They're here. Pass down the orders: left flank, metal formation; right flank, wood formation; center, earth formation. Prepare to engage!"

With a wave of the command flag, the rebels' formation instantly shifted. Soldiers on the left flank raised their shields, forming an impenetrable wall of steel.

The soldiers on the right flank set up their long spears, like a sharp forest.

The soldiers in the central army pushed catapults, the stones gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

"Fire!" With a command, the catapult launched stones that whistled as they crashed down on the cavalry. Several knights were unable to dodge in time and were smashed to pieces along with their horses.

Arrows rained down, and many more cavalrymen were hit and fell from their horses.

"Charge in!" Qin An roared, his halberd flashing like a siege arrow, deflecting the incoming arrows, and charging into the center of the rebel army.

With a sweeping halberd, several rebel soldiers screamed as they were sent flying, tearing open a gap in the defenses.

Luo Sheng and Wang Hu also led their troops to charge into the left and right flanks, but were blocked by the rebel army's formation.

The shields of the Golden Formation were incredibly sturdy; a saber struck one and only left a white mark.

The wooden formation was densely packed with spears, making it impossible for cavalry to get close.

"Qin An, your opponent is me!" Shan Tong charged out of the earthen formation, wielding a long spear, and smashed it towards Qin An with a whooshing sound.

Qin An raised his halberd to meet the attack, and with a loud clang, both men retreated three steps.

"I let you escape last time, but let's see where you go this time!" Qin An roared and thrust his halberd straight at you.

Dan Tong laughed loudly: "You've got quite the nerve! Take my spear!"

The two clashed again amidst the chaos of battle, their spears and halberds flashing as they fought fiercely, locked in a stalemate.

Although Qin An's cavalry were brave, the rebels were too numerous and their formation was not disordered. After charging for a long time, they failed to break through the gap and instead lost a lot of men.

After an hour of fierce fighting, Qin An gradually realized that something was wrong.

The rebels' formation appeared loose, but it was actually quite cunning. No matter which direction the cavalry charged from, they would immediately be attacked from three sides.

Xu Mao's command was as swift as an extension of his own arm; with each wave of his command flag, the rebel army's formation constantly shifted, always managing to plug the gaps in the shortest possible time.

"General, this can't go on!" Han Quan rushed to Qin An's side, already bearing several more wounds. "Our men can't hold on much longer!"

Qin An glanced around. Although the cavalrymen were still fighting bravely, their faces showed signs of exhaustion.

But the rebels seemed endless, constantly surging up from behind.

"Retreat!" Qin An made a decisive move, thrusting his halberd to force Shan Tong back, then turned his horse around. "Luo Sheng, Wang Hu, retreat with me!"

Upon receiving the order, the cavalry quickly regrouped and followed Qin An as they broke out of the rebel army's encirclement.

Xu Mao watched their departing figures but did not order a pursuit.

"Don't pursue a desperate enemy," he said to the general beside him. "Our target is Yangkoucang; don't let them entangle us."

The rebels continued their advance toward Yangkoucang, while Qin'an's cavalry followed at a distance, occasionally sending out small groups to harass them.

They shot down isolated rebels and burned their supplies, but they could not stop the army's advance.

The rebel army eventually reached the walls of Yangkoucang!