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

Qin An dealt with the wild boar immediately.

Disemboweling, skinning, and removing tendons—the entire operation was performed with practiced ease.

"One big and two small, these three wild boars, the pork alone would be a heavy burden. It seems we'll have to discard the offal."

After finishing the treatment, Qin An sighed as he looked at the colorful entrails scattered all over the ground.

After dealing with the wild boar, they also recovered some usable arrows.

After everything was ready, I tidied it up a bit and used thick hemp rope to tie up the meat of the three wild boars.

Hey~

With a little effort, Qin An lifted the pork steadily on his back.

"Phew~ It's really heavy. Luckily I have superhuman strength, otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to handle it."

Although he felt a bit strained, Qin An smiled and said, "A heavier weight is good! The heavier it is, the more money we can make!"

……

On the way down the mountain, Qin An took the opportunity to check the traps he had set.

They caught several rabbits and pheasants in some small traps.

But when he inspected a large trap, he found that it had been triggered, there was a lot of blood on the ground, but the trap was empty.

Qin An's face darkened; it had clearly been stolen.

The key point is that the traces of struggle on the trap indicate that the prey lost this time was not small.

I was quite annoyed that a large cargo had been stolen.

He carefully examined the area around the trap and soon discovered something amiss.

The footprints on the ground were unfamiliar, smaller than those of people from Daxing, and the steps were light, unlike those of an ordinary hunter.

There were some leftover food scraps nearby, including some wild fruits and meats that he didn't recognize.

The way they eat is also quite unique, unlike the eating habits in Daxing.

Qin An's heart skipped a beat as he remembered what Zhao Erhu and the others had said earlier.

"The spies of the Baiji Dynasty, have they really come?"

A strong sense of urgency and crisis welled up in my heart.

If they really are Baekje's spies, then their activities in the vicinity pose a huge threat to themselves and their families.

Qin An dared not delay any longer, so he took his prey and quickened his pace toward the county town.

Along the way, he became even more cautious and vigilant, and sure enough, he discovered some similar traces.

But now, all he wants is to support his family and sell the game smoothly to earn some money to improve their lives. He doesn't want any unforeseen complications.

Fortunately, he arrived in Xingye County without any major incidents.

As soon as Qin An arrived at the city gate, he sensed that something was wrong.

The number of soldiers guarding the city was twice as many as usual, and the checks were extra strict. Everyone was thoroughly searched and questioned about their origins.

Just then, some people nearby were discussing the matter, and Qin An subconsciously listened attentively.

"Have you heard? Zhao Erhu from Zhao Family Village died yesterday. He fell down the hillside."

"So what if he's dead? It's better that scum is dead."

"The key thing is that the two constables who were drinking with him have also disappeared, neither alive nor dead."

"Could it have been eaten by some wild animal?"

"It's hard to say. My cousin, who works in the yamen, told me that the government suspects it was done by Bai Ji's spies, and they're searching everywhere now."

"..."

Qin An was both surprised and delighted.

To his astonishment, he became increasingly certain that the traces he had discovered were left by Baekje spies.

The presence of enemy people in the vicinity caused him great unease, as he worried about potential dangers while hunting and the possible threat to his family.

The good thing is that Zhao Erhu's death did not attract the attention of the government, and no one will investigate or suspect him.

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Qin An joined the crowd and queued to enter the city.

He was a familiar face, and carrying such a heavy load of pork, he looked like someone not to be trifled with, so he passed the inspection smoothly.

After entering the city, they went straight to Chang Yu's butcher shop.

Chang Yu was startled when she saw Qin An carrying so much wild boar meat.

"Brother Qin An, you... you've hunted so many wild boars?"

"Well, we were lucky to run into a group of wild boars," Qin An said simply.

Chang Yu looked around at the wild boar meat and praised, "This wild boar meat is alright, very fresh. It's a pity it wasn't bled. How about I give you thirty coins a pound?"

Qin An naturally knew that wild boar meat couldn't compare to roe deer meat, and this price was already very fair. He quickly nodded, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Chang Yu had someone weigh it; it totaled 320 jin (160 kg). Adding the smaller items, it came to about 10,000 coins.

That adds up to exactly ten taels of silver.

Even though the wild boar hides weren't sold, Qin An planned to keep them to tan and make himself a leather armor, just in case.

"Oh, right!" Just as Qin An finished putting the money away, Chang Yu remembered something, took out a thousand coins from her money bag, and handed them over.

"This is the payment for the roe deer pelt from yesterday. It hasn't been sold yet, but this should be the price. I'll settle the payment for you now, and I'll make up the difference if it's less."

Qin An was a little embarrassed: "Sister-in-law, didn't we agree that Chen Han would just deliver it after it was sold..."

Chang Yu waved her hand: "There's nothing I can do. Things are tense right now. I plan to keep Chen Han in the county town for now, so he can focus on his studies and stay home as much as possible. I'll settle things with you in advance to avoid future trouble."

Qin An's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but ask, "Sister-in-law, is it really dangerous outside right now?"

Chang Yu sighed: "Who knows? The authorities said there are Bai Ji spies, and I only kept Chen Han out for safety reasons."

Qin An nodded, feeling envious at the thought that Chen Han could live in the county town and that his wife's family would support his studies.

This fellow villager really got to live off his wife.

If possible, he would also like to bring Yang Yuyan and her two daughters to live in the county town.

There are soldiers here, so it's safer. But he doesn't have that option right now.

Eleven taels of silver may seem like a lot, but it's simply not enough to do anything in the county town.

Thinking of this, Qin An felt somewhat heavy-hearted, and the joy of the harvest vanished.

He knew he had to work even harder to provide his family with a safe and stable life.

After thanking Chang Yu, Qin An took the money and headed towards the blacksmith's shop.

It's so dangerous outside now, we can't do without a handy weapon.

He decided that this time he must buy a good bow.

When we arrived at the blacksmith's shop, it was surprisingly crowded.

Clearly, with the situation becoming increasingly tense, weapons began to sell like hotcakes.

Qin An squeezed to the front, his gaze immediately falling on the spot where the iron-core bow had been placed yesterday.

He had just made up his mind to buy that iron-rimmed bow in one go, regardless of the cost.

They were quickly stunned; the place was completely empty.

It was the same waiter from yesterday, who still remembered the tall Qin An. He explained, "Sir, you've missed your chance. That iron-framed bow has already been bought."

Qin An's heart sank, and he felt somewhat disappointed.

"Then... what about the ox horn bow?" He had no choice but to settle for second best.

"We still have horn bows, but the price has gone up; it's five and a half taels of silver now," the shopkeeper said.

Qin An frowned; the price increase was indeed quite significant. But he also knew that price hikes were inevitable at this time.

At this critical juncture, he couldn't hesitate any longer. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'll buy it."

The shopkeeper beamed and quickly brought over a horn bow, handing it to Qin An: "Sir, you have a good eye. This bow is in high demand right now. Oh, and if you buy a bow now, you'll also get thirty arrows for free."

Qin An took the bow, tested its feel, and found it to be much better than the wooden bow he had made himself.

He paid the money, took the bow and arrows, and felt a little more at ease.

Seeing that Qin An had easily drawn the horn bow to its full extent, the shopkeeper seemed to have thought of something and revealed some information to him!