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

Clearly, Qin An's calculations regarding Shan Tong were extremely accurate.

He truly doted on this younger sister, which is why Shan Bing developed such an arrogant and spoiled attitude.

Xu Mao knew this too, but he didn't give up and continued to try to persuade him: "Going out now is suicide! You know how powerful Qin An's cavalry is! If you go, you won't be able to save Miss Shan; you'll only get yourself killed!"

"Then I accept it!" Shan Tong shoved Xu Mao away abruptly. "My life, Shan Tong's life, was a fluke. If it can save my sister's life, it's worth it!"

He strode down the city wall, mounted his horse, and drew his long sword: "Those who are willing to come with me to rescue my sister, come with me!"

Shan Tong was still very prestigious among the rebels.

As soon as he spoke, his personal guards, who were his brothers who had fought alongside him through thick and thin, mounted their horses and quickly gathered more than two thousand men.

Just as Shan Tong was about to order the city gates to be opened, Xu Mao and several generals caught up and blocked his way.

"General Shan! Wake up!" Xu Mao blocked his path. "If something happens to you, what will happen to the defense of Xinyang City? What will happen to our lord? You can't be so reckless!"

"Get out of the way!" Shan Tong pointed his long spear directly at Xu Mao. "Second Brother, don't force me to take action!"

"Kill me if you must!" Xu Mao closed his eyes, looking like he was offering his neck for execution. "As long as I can stop you, I'll die willingly!"

A stalemate immediately ensued at the city gate.

Shan Tong's personal guards confronted Xu Mao's soldiers, creating a tense atmosphere.

Looking at Xu Mao blocking his way, Shan Tong thought of his sister far away in Luomapo, tears welling up in his eyes, but he was helpless.

Just then, a personal guard rushed over: "General! The lord has arrived!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Li Mi walking quickly over, surrounded by a group of generals.

Clearly, he had also heard the news and rushed over immediately.

Seeing the chaos at the city gate, Li Mi frowned: "What's going on? All this noise and disorder, what kind of behavior is this!"

Dan Tong dismounted and knelt down in front of Li Mi with a thud, his voice choked with sobs.

"My lord! I beg you, have mercy and allow me to leave the city to rescue my sister!"

Li Mi looked at Shan Tong kneeling on the ground, then at Xu Mao beside him, his brows furrowing even more deeply: "General Xu said, this is Qin An's scheme?"

"We know what's going on without even thinking!" Xu Mao said hastily. "We've all witnessed Qin An's prowess. If we're ambushed by him, will we even have time to wait for someone to warn us?"

Although Xu Mao didn't know the specifics, it didn't stop him from instantly guessing the inside story.

"This humble general dares to swear on his life that Qin An deliberately staged a scene at Luoma Slope to lure General Shan out of the city to ambush and kill him! My lord, you absolutely cannot agree to this!"

Dan Tong suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with pleading: "My lord! I have followed you for many years, and even if I have not rendered meritorious service, I have certainly worked hard! Bing'er is my only family. I beg you, for the sake of our past relationship, to give me another chance!"

"Even if you only send five thousand men, if I don't return, I will consider it my way of repaying your kindness!"

As he spoke, he kowtowed three times heavily, his forehead hitting the bluestone slab, causing blood to seep out.

Upon seeing this, the guards under his command also knelt down, pleading, "Please, Lord, grant us mercy!"

Looking at Shan Tong's blood-stained forehead, and recalling the great contributions he had made over the years, Li Mi couldn't help but feel a little shaken.

He knew Shan Tong's temperament; if he didn't let him go today, he probably wouldn't be able to serve him wholeheartedly in the future.

"My lord!" Xu Mao cried out urgently, "Absolutely not!"

Li Mi pondered for a moment, then finally sighed: "Shan Tong, since you insist so much, I will give you five thousand men."

Dan Tong was overjoyed and was about to express his gratitude when Li Mi continued, "But remember, you are only allowed to provide support on the outskirts of Luoma Slope. If you find the situation is not right, retreat immediately. Do not linger in battle!"

"The archers on the city wall will provide cover for you. If there is any danger, don't blame me for not showing any brotherly affection."

Li Mi behaved very rationally and coldly.

He also understood that sending Shan Tong's five thousand men out to rescue them would mean watching them die.

But he had no other choice.

"Your humble servant obeys! Thank you, my lord!" Shan Tong kowtowed heavily, mounted his horse, and brandished his long sword. "Brothers, follow me!"

The city gates slowly opened, and five thousand rebel infantrymen followed Shan Tong out, rushing towards Luoma Slope like a torrent.

On the city wall, Xu Mao watched Shan Tong's departing figure and sighed heavily, "My lord, you're pushing General Shan into a fire pit..."

Li Mi gazed at the dust rising outside the city, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "I know, but I have no choice. Shan Tong is one of our fiercest generals. If we discourage him, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out for long in Xinyang City."

He turned to look towards the west of the city, muttering to himself, "Qin An, oh Qin An, I hope you won't be too cruel..."

……

The wind at Luomapo carried a rusty, fishy smell as it swept across the barren hillside.

Shan Tong led five thousand infantrymen at full speed, the gravel under their feet crunching loudly.

From afar, one could see a dense array of cavalrymen lined up on the open ground ahead.

It was not the chaotic battle that had been expected, nor was there any sign of the rebel army collapsing. Only Qin An's five thousand cavalrymen stood solemnly like cast iron, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

"Stop!" Shan Tong suddenly pulled on the reins, and the warhorse reared up, its front hooves kicking up dust.

He squinted to take a closer look, and his heart suddenly tightened.

Qin An sat on the front row of warhorses. On the horse in front of him, Shan Bing was tightly bound with thick hemp ropes, her mouth stuffed with a rag, and she was struggling desperately, her eyes full of terror.

"We've fallen into their trap..." muttered the bodyguard behind Shan Tong, his voice trembling.

The five thousand infantrymen stopped abruptly, a commotion arose in the ranks, and many instinctively gripped their weapons, their eyes filled with bewilderment replacing their initial excitement.

Dan Tong's heart pounded, and his hand holding the long spear trembled slightly.

Ahead lay an obvious trap; five thousand infantrymen against five thousand elite cavalry was tantamount to throwing eggs against rocks.

Can I get a refund?

His younger sister was on Qin An's horseback, and her tearful eyes pierced his heart like needles.

Dan Tong fears nothing in his life except for letting down his younger sister, whom he has protected since childhood.

"General Shan." Qin An's voice drifted on the wind, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

He slowly spurred his horse forward, his halberd pointing diagonally at the ground. "How have you been?"

Shan Tong gritted his teeth and said, "Qin An! You've played me!"

"All's fair in war." Qin An chuckled, his tone almost arrogant. "I'm telling you straight, I only have five thousand cavalrymen here."

"General Zhang's main force is focused on Xinyang City, guarding against Xu Mao's sneak attack from outside the city. If you want to save your sister, don't worry about others, just bring it on."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the rebel soldiers behind Shan Tong, his voice suddenly turning stern: "But you need to think carefully, are your five thousand brothers here to die, or to save people?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Shan Tong's head.

He knew better than anyone the power of cavalry against a charging formation. Of the five thousand men he brought, while they were not exactly a rabble, they were certainly not elite.

They can't even muster a decent set of armor, how can they possibly fight against Qin An's elite troops?

But when he looked at Shan Bing on horseback, his sister's hair was disheveled and there were still red marks on her neck from the rope. The sight made his heart bleed.

"Qin An! What exactly do you want?" Shan Tong's voice was hoarse, filled with suppressed rage.

"What do I want? Now that things are at a critical moment, don't you understand? I'm just sending you here to die."

Qin An was very straightforward, seemingly not worried at all that Shan Tong would escape.

"Of course, you can turn around and leave. It's really not worth sacrificing your own life and the lives of many brothers for a sister."

"But..."

Qin An paused abruptly as he spoke.

The next moment, a wicked smile appeared on his face. He suddenly leaned down and whispered something in Shan Bing's ear.

Dan Bing struggled violently, her eyes filled with humiliation and anger, but she was unable to move because she was tied up tightly.

The next moment, Qin An did something that made Shan Tong furious.

His hand actually landed on Shan Bing's vitals.

Under close contact, Qin An could clearly feel how smooth Shan Bing's skin was.

Moreover, she did not disappoint Qin An's assessment of her; she was indeed a woman with big breasts but no brains.

But Qin An showed no mercy, and with a forceful pull of his five fingers, he...

"Ugh!" Dan Bing shuddered in pain, tears welling up instantly, and a muffled whimper escaped her throat, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"General Shan!" Qin An raised his head, a cruel smile playing on his lips. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the rebel soldiers in the front row to hear him clearly.

"You'd better think this through. If you back down like this, I wouldn't mind becoming your brother-in-law. Your sister has delicate skin and looks very radiant; I think she'd satisfy me."

He spoke with an air of ruthlessness, as if he were about to destroy a flower.

Only when Shan Bing curled up in pain did he slowly withdraw his hand, his fingertips still seemingly still carrying the warm, soft touch.

"General Shan, you need to think this through carefully. Is your sister more important, or the lives of your brothers?"

At this moment, Qin An seemed to have transformed into a hideous villain, every move of his was repulsive.

Dan Tong's eyes were bloodshot, and his chest felt like it was on fire. His reason was instantly consumed by rage.

Even though he knew that Qin An was deliberately provoking him to go and die, he still fell for it.

He suddenly raised his long spear, the tip pointing directly at Qin An, and shouted, "Fuck your mother! I'll fight you to the death!"

Although he was thoroughly enraged by Qin An's actions, Shan Tong did not completely lose his mind.

"Brothers!" He reined in his horse and roared at the five thousand infantrymen behind him, his voice distorted with extreme anger, "That scoundrel Qin An has gone too far! Today's events are all your fault because of me, Dan Tong!"

He dismounted and knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing three times to the crowd. His forehead hit the gravel, splattering tiny beads of blood.

"This is a private matter for the Shan family, and we shouldn't drag our brothers down with us! It's not too late for you to turn back now! I, Shan Tong, will go alone on horseback to rescue my sister!"

The five thousand infantrymen were completely silent, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the banners.