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

Three days later, Shan Bing led an army of 10,000 men and marched in a grand procession toward Xinyang City.

She rode a chestnut horse, her red clothes fluttering in the wind, followed by two thousand female soldiers, giving her quite an imposing presence.

All of this was observed by Li Jing, who was lurking near the stronghold.

He immediately took two of his men and rode back to Xinyang City at top speed to report the news.

In the cavalry camp west of the city, Qin An was looking at a map when Li Jing lifted the curtain and entered, panting, "General! Shan Tong's sister, Shan Bing, has arrived with reinforcements!"

"Oh?" A glint flashed in Qin An's eyes. "Shan Bing? How many people did she bring?"

"Ten thousand, mostly stragglers from various strongholds, plus two thousand female soldiers," Li Jing said. "My men see that their march is disorganized and their defenses are lax, making it a perfect opportunity for an ambush!"

Qin An stood up, twirling his halberd in his hand, which hummed as he said, "Well done! Luo Sheng, you take your men and guard the camp. Keep an eye on Xinyang City and report any developments immediately."

"Xue Ju, come with me and take a thousand cavalrymen to intercept and kill Shan Bing with Li Jing!"

"Yes!" Luo Sheng and Xue Ju answered in unison.

Half an hour later, a thousand elite cavalrymen quietly left the camp and, led by Li Jing, sped toward the route that Shan Bing's army was bound to take.

Qin An reined in his horse and stood on a hilltop, gazing at the billowing dust in the distance, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Shan Bingyao? A woman as a general, and she can even command a female army. Shan Tong really dotes on this younger sister."

……

On the open field, Shan Bing's army of ten thousand men was slowly making its way forward.

The troops were scattered like loose sand, with infantry and female soldiers mixed together, unable to maintain even the most basic formation.

Clearly, although Shan Bing is Shan Tong's younger sister and has learned some martial arts, military affairs are not something that women can handle.

But the self-important Shan Bing was completely unaware of his own limitations and even felt superior to others.

She rode on a chestnut horse, her red dress fluttering in the wind, occasionally turning back to scold the straggling soldiers, her brows furrowed with impatience.

They were completely unaware that from the dense forest behind them, pairs of eyes were staring intently at them.

"General, Luoma Slope is just ahead. The terrain is treacherous. Should we send scouts to explore the way?" A veteran lieutenant approached Shan Bing and cautiously suggested.

Dan Bing frowned and waved her riding whip: "What are we scouting for? The imperial army is all outside Xinyang City, they don't have time to bother with us. Besides, even if there's an ambush, I can fight my way out!"

As she spoke, she urged her horse to speed up and charged straight towards Luomapo.

The lieutenant general watched her retreating figure, sighed helplessly, and could only lead his troops to follow.

Just as the vanguard stepped into Luoma Slope, a sharp whistle suddenly rang out from the dense forest!

"kill!"

Qin An's voice boomed like thunder, and a thousand cavalrymen charged down the hillsides on both sides like unsheathed swords.

The sound of horses' hooves shook the earth, and the dust they raised blotted out the sky. The cavalrymen on horseback had their bows strung and swords drawn, and the murderous intent in their eyes was almost overwhelming.

"Enemy attack!"

Terrified screams erupted from the rebel ranks, and their already loose formation collapsed instantly.

The infantrymen scattered and fled in panic.

The female soldiers were terrified, their faces pale, and they threw their weapons all over the ground.

Dan Bing abruptly reined in his horse, turned around and saw a dark mass of cavalry charging towards him, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Although she was spoiled, she had experienced several small-scale conflicts and knew the power of a cavalry charge.

But her inherent pride wouldn't allow her to back down. Grabbing her red-tasseled spear, she shouted sharply, "Stop right there! What's the panic? Come back with me!"

But her cries were like mosquitoes amidst the thunder of the cavalry's iron hooves, and no one paid any attention to her.

The rebel soldiers, like a flock of sheep scattered by the wind, ran up the hillsides on either side, leaving Shan Bing and her personal guards all alone in the middle of the road.

"You're asking for death!" Seeing this, Shan Bing spurred his horse towards Qin An, his spear pointed directly at his face. "Qin An! I've heard of you! If you're so capable, don't bully these stragglers, fight me one-on-one!"

Qin An looked at the woman in red rushing towards him and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He reined in his horse, and with a light flick of his halberd, accurately deflected Shan Bing's spear.

With a crisp clang, Shan Bing felt a numbness in her arm, and the spear almost slipped from her hand.

She was completely astonished, never expecting Qin An to be so strong.

"First move." Qin An's voice was icy cold.

Dan Bing was both shocked and furious. He dismounted and, relying on his agility, circled around to the side of Qin An's warhorse, thrusting his spear diagonally into the horse's belly.

She knew that the cavalry's weakness lay in their horses; once the horses were injured, Qin An's prowess would be useless.

But Qin An seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. With a gentle pull on the reins, his warhorse reared up and its front hooves slammed into Shan Bing.

Dan Bing was so frightened that she jumped back. Just as she regained her balance, she saw Qin An's halberd thrusting towards her like a venomous snake, the tip of which was only an inch away from her throat.

"The second move."

Dan Bing felt a chill run through her body, and only then did she realize how vast the gap was between herself and Qin An.

She gritted her teeth, suddenly threw the spear at Qin An, and in the instant he turned his head to dodge, she drew the short knife from her boot and lunged straight at his chest.

This was her trump card, a move she had used to defeat many self-proclaimed masters.

Qin An seemed to have anticipated her movements. He slightly shifted his body to the side, dodging the short knife, and at the same time, his left hand suddenly reached out and precisely grabbed her wrist.

With a "crack," Shan Bing felt a sharp pain in her wrist, and the short knife clattered to the ground.

With a slight effort, Qin An lifted her up and tossed her onto his horse's back like a chick, pressing his knee firmly against her lower back, rendering her unable to move.

"The third move," Qin An's voice rang in her ear, tinged with a hint of mockery, "Miss Shan, do you still want to fight?"

Dan Bing was pressed onto the horse's back, her cheek pressed against the cold saddle. The sharp pain in her wrists and the pressure on her waist made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She then realized that her martial arts skills were utterly insignificant compared to those of true battlefield masters.

"Let me go! You despicable scoundrel!" Shan Bing struggled and cursed angrily, but tears involuntarily streamed down her face.

By this time, the fighting on the battlefield was nearing its end. Qin An's cavalry, like tigers among sheep, encountered virtually no resistance.

The rebel soldiers either knelt down and begged for mercy or were cut down. The original force of more than 10,000 men was reduced to only a few thousand, squatting on the ground with their hands raised, trembling.

"General, we've captured them all!" Xue Ju rode up to Qin An, a smile on his face. "Except for the dead, the rest surrendered. Not a single one escaped."

Qin An was a little surprised to hear this.

To be honest, he never expected that this battle would be fought so easily.

They had only a thousand cavalrymen, yet they managed to annihilate a force of ten thousand men. No one would believe it if word got out.

However, after taking a look at the quality of the team that Shan Bing brought, it became clear.

It was truly a collection of the old, weak, sick, and disabled.

Clearly, the rebels were aware of the risks of Shan Bing leading the army, and naturally would not send out their elite troops.

Qin An nodded, turned his horse around, and swept his gaze over the surrendered rebels, declaring loudly, "Those who lay down their weapons will not be killed!!"

Upon hearing this, the surrendered rebels breathed a sigh of relief, and many even cried with emotion.

They were originally people forcibly conscripted, and they had no choice but to follow Shan Bing to their deaths. It was a great blessing that they were able to save their lives.

Qin An looked down at Shan Bing, who was still struggling on horseback, and couldn't help but chuckle: "Miss Shan, thank you for this generous gift. If your brother knew that you brought ten thousand men to 'cause trouble' for him, he would probably be furious."

Dan Bing blushed crimson at his words, but remained defiant: "Don't be so smug! My brother will be here to rescue me soon, and he'll tear you to pieces!"

Qin An was too lazy to waste words with her and said to Xue Ju, "Tie her up tightly and take her back with the prisoners."

……

When Qin An escorted Shan Bing and thousands of prisoners back to the western camp, Zhang Xu had already received the news and personally greeted them at the camp gate with generals such as Luo Kai and Cheng Zhiyuan.

"Qin An! You are truly my lucky star!" Zhang Xu looked at Shan Bing, who was tied up like a dumpling, and then at the dark mass of prisoners behind him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Ten thousand men! You actually captured ten thousand men in one battle! Let's see how Xu Mao holds out now!"

Luo Kai also came over and patted Qin An on the shoulder: "General Qin, what a skill! This Shan Bing looks so delicate, I didn't expect her to bring so many people and horses to their deaths."

Qin An cupped his hands and said, "It was just luck; Miss Shan underestimated her."

He changed the subject and said in a deep voice, "General, Shan Bing is Shan Tong's younger sister. This might be an opportunity."

A glint of light flashed in Zhang Xu's eyes: "You want to lure Shan Tong out?"

"Exactly." Qin An nodded. "Shan Tong is impulsive and dotes on his younger sister. If we leave Shan Bing outside the camp, he'll definitely come out of the city to rescue her. Then..."

"Then we'll ambush them outside the city and take them down in one fell swoop!" Zhang Xu chimed in, slapping his thigh excitedly. "Great idea! Let's do it!"

That night, the commander's tent was brightly lit, and Zhang Xu convened a military meeting with all the generals.

Qin An recounted how Shan Bing was captured, and everyone praised him. Then, they began to discuss how to lure Shan Tong out of the city.

"In my opinion, we should first spread the word that Shan Bing was wronged in the camp, causing Shan Tong to become so angry that he lost his mind," Luo Kai suggested.

Cheng Zhiyuan shook his head: "That's not appropriate. Although Shan Tong is impulsive, he's not stupid. Being too deliberate will only arouse his suspicion. General Qin also said that no one escaped in this battle. We can definitely make a fuss about that."

Upon hearing Cheng Zhiyuan's words, Qin An nodded in agreement.

"Our actions were too deliberate. Xu Mao will definitely be able to tell. If we hadn't been unaware of the rebels' true strength, we could have lured Shan Tong out of the city while simultaneously ambushing Shan Bing..."

As he said this, Qin An couldn't help but sigh.

Before this, he had never imagined that he would answer the question so easily in this battle.

If I had known this would happen, I could have made many more arrangements.

Everyone immediately understood what he meant.

If we had known earlier that Shan Bing's team posed absolutely no threat, we could have easily surrounded them and attacked their reinforcements.