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

Looking at the woman who was destined to be his, Qin An didn't want things to get too tense.

He turned to look at her: "Shan Bing, it's no use making a fuss now. Shan Tong's promise of you to me was both a scheme and a protection. If you still can't see through it, you'll die a horrible death sooner or later."

Dan Bing choked on her words, tears welling up again: "Then I don't need your protection! My brother will save me, he definitely will..."

"He can't save you." Qin An interrupted her, his tone icy. "Xinyang City will fall sooner or later, and Li Mi will also be defeated. At that time, do you think Shan Tong can even protect himself, let alone you? Staying by my side can at least save your life."

He paused, his gaze falling on her tear-streaked face, and his tone softened slightly.

"I know you hate me, but life goes on. If you behave, I won't treat you badly. But if you continue to be willful like before, I won't hesitate to make you suffer again."

He now realizes that dealing with a woman like Shan Bing requires a combination of soft and hard tactics, and he must be assertive enough.

Once you've explained the reasoning to her, there's no need to pay any attention to her reaction.

This is the right way to deal with this woman.

Mentioning "suffering," Shan Bing's face instantly turned red, and she subconsciously tightened her body. The pain and numbness in her buttocks seemed to linger, as well as the pleasure that later made her feel ashamed to the bone.

She turned her face away and stopped talking, but her mind was in complete turmoil.

Qin An's words were like a hammer, shattering her last illusions.

She knew that there was no going back between her and Qin An.

The sound of patrolling soldiers could be heard outside the tent, and moonlight shone through the tent seams, casting a narrow strip of light on the ground.

Qin An closed his eyes, ignoring the woman beside him. He knew that from tonight onward, his life would be filled with trouble—a big-breasted, brainless woman who was damnably impossible to ignore.

Dan Bing huddled in the corner, listening to the steady breathing of the man beside her and feeling his gradually warm body. The hatred and strange feelings in her heart intertwined, eventually turning into a silent sigh.

Perhaps Qin An is right; she really should accept her fate.

But why is the strange throbbing in my heart becoming clearer and clearer despite being treated so roughly by this man?

She secretly glanced up at Qin An's sharply defined profile, which appeared particularly cold and aloof in the moonlight.

This man was her enemy, her captive, but also the first person to make her taste such complex emotions.

Dan Bing bit her lip and buried her face in her knees.

She didn't know what the future held, but she had a vague feeling that her life would be completely changed from tonight onwards.

The source of this change was the man beside her, whom she both hated and feared, yet inexplicably couldn't resist.

……

The wind at Luomapo was stronger than it had been three days ago, whipping up yellow sand as it swept across the bare hillside with a mournful sound.

The government troops and the rebel army faced each other across a hundred feet of open space, their banners fluttering in the wind.

The cold glint of the armor shimmered in the sunlight, and a tense atmosphere of impending conflict permeated the air.

Qin An reined in his horse and stood before the government troops, his black cloak billowing in the wind, revealing the gleaming silver armor beneath.

Behind him, Shan Tong was held by two guards. Although the wound on his right shoulder had been bandaged, his face was still pale.

The heavy responsibility of exchanging hostages ultimately fell on his shoulders.

Qin An's gaze also fell in the direction of the rebels.

There, Yuwen Zhi was being guarded by rebel soldiers, his neck hunched over, his face filled with fear.

He was completely different from the arrogant and domineering persona he was rumored to be.

"General Qin, the time has come." Xue Ju reminded him in a low voice, his hand on the sword at his waist, his eyes scanning the rebel army opposite him warily.

Qin An nodded, twirling his halberd in his hand, which then hummed: "Proceed according to plan and verify their identities."

As soon as he finished speaking, two personal guards stepped out from the government troops, and the rebels also sent Wang Dang and his men forward.

The two sides stopped ten paces apart. Wang Dang raised his voice and said, "General Qin, please let General Shan step forward. We need to confirm that he is safe and sound."

Qin An signaled to his personal guards to loosen the chain of command.

Dan Tong staggered a couple of steps, then straightened his back and walked towards the rebels.

Seeing Shan Tong's appearance, especially the bandage on his shoulder, Wang Dang's eyes flashed with pity. He then called out loudly, "General Shan is unharmed! Please, officers, examine Lord Yuwen!"

The rebel soldiers pushed Yuwen Zhi out.

The good-for-nothing young master was clearly quite frightened; his hair was disheveled and his clothes were stained. When he saw Qin An in the government army formation, it was as if he had seen a savior, and he suddenly burst into tears.

"Whoever you are, save me! Save me now! These traitors have locked me in a pigsty and are feeding me pig swill! I'm going to kill them! I'm going to exterminate their entire family!"

His cries echoed across the empty hillside, causing both sides' soldiers to frown.

Qin An's expression darkened slightly; this good-for-nothing was indeed still restless even at this moment.

"Lord Yuwen is unharmed," the personal guard who had examined him reported back, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Qin An raised his voice and said, "General Wang, the people have been verified. Can we exchange them?"

Wang Dang remained motionless, his gaze fixed on Shan Tong. He hesitated, then asked, "General Shan, my lord asked me to ask you, Miss Shan... are you truly not going to change her?"

Dan Tong stiffened for a moment, then shouted sternly, "Shut up! You disgraceful wretch, you have nothing to do with the Dan family from now on! Exchange the hostages immediately, don't miss the deadline!"

His voice carried a deliberate resolve, but Qin An could see the suppressed pain in his slightly trembling shoulders.

In the end, this man couldn't bear to part with his sister.

Wang Dang sighed and didn't ask any more questions: "Please ask General Qin to personally bring General Shan over. We will also send Lord Yuwen over to handle the handover."

This was a rule agreed upon by both parties long ago, in case the other party tried to cheat.

Qin An nodded, spurred his horse forward, and Shan Tong followed beside him, his steps slow but steady.

Wang Dang, on the other side, also personally escorted Yuwen Zhi forward. The distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer, and the tension in the air was almost tangible.

Just five steps away, Yuwen Zhi suddenly broke free from Wang Dang's grasp and rushed towards Qin An like a madman, crying and shouting.

"Kill them! Kill them! These traitors have bullied me for so long, you must kill them today! Otherwise, I'll have my uncle report you to the authorities for treason!"

This sudden turn of events stunned both sides' soldiers.

Wang Dang's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sharply, "Take him down!"

Two rebel soldiers immediately stepped forward to grab Yuwen Zhi, but the incompetent fool waved them away.

"Get out of my way! You traitors, don't even think about touching me! You there, did you hear me? If you don't kill them today, I'd rather die than go with you!"

His tantrum made the government troops both angry and amused, while the rebels glared at him angrily.

If Wang Dang hadn't stopped him, he probably would have already rushed up.

Qin An reined in his horse, his brows furrowed. He dismounted, grabbed Yuwen Zhi by the collar, and dragged him aside.

"Lord Yuwen, this is the battlefield between two armies. If you don't want to die, you'd better behave yourself. The most important thing right now is to ensure your safety."

"I don't care!" Yuwen Zhi was startled by his imposing manner, but still stubbornly insisted, "I've suffered so much, you must avenge me! Otherwise I..."

"My lord!" Qin An interrupted him, his eyes sharp as knives, "Once war breaks out, swords have no eyes. My death is insignificant, but your precious life cannot be harmed!"

These words struck at Yuwen Zhi's weak spot.

He shuddered at the memory of the days he had been tortured by the rebels, his sobs abruptly ceasing, but he still muttered resentfully, "But they humiliated me..."

"We'll settle this score another day." Qin An released him, his tone softening slightly. "Today, our priority is to get you back to camp safely. As for the rest, General Zhang will decide. Don't worry, these rebels will definitely not let them get away with it."

Yuwen Zhi was persuaded by him, shrank back, and dared not speak again.

He stared at Wang Dang and the rebel soldiers opposite him with venomous eyes, as if he wanted to devour them alive.

Qin An then turned around, clasped his hands in a fist and said to Wang Dang, "I apologize for making you laugh, General Wang. Lord Yuwen was somewhat frightened and spoke rudely. Please forgive him."

Wang Dang's expression softened slightly, but inwardly he cursed Yuwen Zhi for being an idiot. He said aloud, "It's alright, let's exchange hostages."

Qin An gestured for Shan to pass, while he himself walked towards Yuwen Zhi.

When Shan Tong and Yuwen Zhi passed each other, neither of them looked at the other.

One was devastated and heartbroken.

One was filled with fear and hoped to escape the danger.

Despite some setbacks, the two parties ultimately completed the transaction smoothly.

On the way back to camp, Yuwen Zhi was half-supported and half-carried by two guards, crying and sobbing all the way while constantly cursing.

"When I get back, I'll have 100,000 troops brought in to crush these traitors to dust! And that Wang Dang, who dared to lay a hand on me, I'll personally skin him alive!"

Qin An reined in his horse and walked to the side, listening to the fool's endless clamor, and felt his temples throbbing.

He simply ignored it, his gaze fixed on the outline of the government army camp ahead, pondering how to report today's events to Zhang Xu.

Just as he arrived at the camp gate, Yuwen Zhi suddenly broke free from his personal guards and stumbled toward the commander's tent, shouting loudly.

"Where's Zhang Xu? Tell him to come out! I have something important to tell him!"

The soldiers guarding the camp, seeing that it was Yuwen Zhi, dared not stop him and could only watch helplessly as he rushed into the camp.

Qin An frowned and said to Xue Ju, "Keep up with him, don't let him cause any trouble."

Inside the command tent, Zhang Xu was discussing the siege with several generals when they were all taken aback to see Yuwen Zhi burst in with disheveled hair.

"General Zhang!" Yuwen Zhi, tears streaming down his face, rushed to the table, pointing outside the tent and roaring, "Give the order to attack the city! Those rebels have tortured me so badly, I'll make them pay with their blood!"

Zhang Xu put down the military tally in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly: "Lord Yuwen, please calm down, sit down and have a cup of hot tea, and allow us to discuss this further."

"Take it easy? I can't wait any longer!" Yuwen Zhi overturned the teacup on the table, splashing tea onto the map.

"I've had enough of this humiliation in Xinyang City! Those rebels treated me like a pig, even daring to lock me in a pigsty! I won't swallow this insult until I raze Xinyang City to the ground!"

He was spitting as he spoke, completely disregarding his own loss of composure, pointing his finger at Zhang Xu's nose and yelling, "Are you scared? If you dare disobey my orders, I'll make you regret it!"

The generals inside the tent all looked grim.