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

Silent all night.

The next morning, the group continued their journey.

As they traveled, they encountered more and more bandits along the way.

Most of them were desperate vagrants who banded together and made a living by robbing passing caravans.

That afternoon, the group arrived at a mountain forest.

Qin An was cautiously observing his surroundings when he suddenly heard the sounds of fighting coming from ahead.

He signaled the troops to stop, dismounted, and quietly crept over with a few personal guards.

In the open space ahead, a group of bandits dressed in black were besieging a luxurious entourage.

The bandits numbered over a thousand, each wielding knives and spears, their faces menacing.

Although the besieged team was small in number, they were well-equipped, especially the guards, who were agile and clearly well-trained.

The most eye-catching vehicle was the carriage in the middle of the procession. Its body was made of precious rosewood, and its windows were inlaid with glass, clearly indicating that it was not from an ordinary family.

A dozen or so maids surrounded the carriage, all trembling with fear, yet they held it tightly, preventing the bandits from getting close.

"Brother, there must be treasure in that carriage! If we can rob this caravan, we'll be rich!" a bandit leader shouted, brandishing his broadsword as he charged forward.

It has to be said that Daxing is indeed in chaos right now.

The imperial court's disregard for the people's resources left them living in dire straits, with widespread resentment.

Since the imperial court was not giving the people a way to survive, the people of Daxing would naturally not sit idly by and wait for their doom.

The number of those who turned to banditry was countless.

In addition, the rise of various rebel armies diverted most of the court's attention.

The imperial army was busy putting out fires on all fronts, which allowed these bandits to grow stronger.

The more people there were, the bolder they became.

Even Qin An, who led 500 cavalrymen, encountered attacks from bandits, which shows just how rampant these bandits were.

Therefore, even though they realized that this convoy was extraordinary, the bandits were not afraid at all; on the contrary, they were even more excited.

The guards fought desperately, but were ultimately outnumbered and gradually gave out.

One of the guards was cut down, and the bandits seized the opportunity to rush towards the carriage, about to succeed.

"General, should we intervene?" a guard asked.

Before Qin An could speak, he heard Yuwen Zhi's voice behind him: "Qin An! Let's go! Don't meddle! These bandits are no different from rebels; we shouldn't risk our lives for a bunch of irrelevant people!"

Yuwen Zhi, supported by his personal guards, stood not far away, his face full of impatience.

He just wanted to get back to the capital as soon as possible and didn't want any further complications.

Qin An ignored him, his gaze falling on the maids huddled behind the guards and on the carriage from which children were crying loudly in fear.

It was obvious that there were children in the carriage.

Hearing the crying, he thought of the emaciated child outside the post station, and his anger rose within him.

"Draw your sword!" Qin An said in a deep voice.

"Qin An!" Yuwen Zhi cried out anxiously, "Are you crazy? Your main task is to escort me safely back to the capital. What if..."

Yuwen Zhi had a love-hate relationship with Qin An.

What he loved was that, in the end, Qin An had saved him time and time again.

Even though he was a good-for-nothing, he wasn't entirely without gratitude.

He even thought that if Qin An were willing to bow down and submit to him, he might be willing to take him as a henchman of the Yuwen family, considering the favor Qin An had done for him.

Unfortunately, this man never gave her much face.

Even if he could use the Yuwen family's influence to force Qin An to do certain things.

But if Qin An really doesn't want to give him face, there's nothing he can do.

"There's no 'what if'," Qin An interrupted him, mounting his horse. "Brothers, follow me and kill!"

Five hundred cavalrymen charged toward the bandits like arrows released from a bow.

The bandits were caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a government army and were thrown into a panic.

Qin An brandished his halberd and charged at the forefront. Wherever the tip of the halberd passed, bandits fell from their horses one after another, their screams echoing everywhere.

Clearly, although these bandits had a numerical advantage, they were no match for the regular army of the imperial court led by Qin An.

Sitting in the carriage, Shan Bing clenched her fists upon hearing the sounds of fighting outside.

She lifted the carriage curtain and saw Qin An bravely fighting the enemy amidst the chaos of battle, and a sense of worry rose in her heart.

She knew Qin An was powerful; a few bandits were no match for him.

But on the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes, and there is always the fear of something unexpected happening.

At the same time, a corner of the besieged carriage was lifted, and when they saw Qin An coming to their aid with ease, the eyes of the several people in the carriage gleamed with admiration.

The guards were greatly encouraged by the arrival of reinforcements and joined the cavalry in a counterattack.

The bandits were a motley crew, and when they saw Qin An unleashing a massacre, acting like a god or a demon, they were instantly terrified.

Before long, they were routed and scattered in all directions.

Qin An did not give chase, but reined in his horse and looked at the luxurious procession.

A man who appeared to be a steward quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in thanks to Qin An, and said, "Thank you for your help, General! May I ask your esteemed name? My master will certainly reward you handsomely!"

Qin An said calmly, "It was nothing, no need for thanks. Who are you? And why were you attacked here?"

Just as the steward was about to speak, the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted.

It was vaguely visible that there were quite a few people in the carriage, all of whom were women and children.

The next moment, a woman came down.

She wore a light purple dress, possessed stunning beauty and a noble air, but her face still carried a hint of lingering shock.

"I am Li Zhaoning, and I thank you, General, for saving my life." The woman bowed gracefully to Qin An, her voice clear and melodious.

Qin An nodded slightly: "Miss Li, there's no need for such formality. This place is not safe to stay any longer; you should leave as soon as possible."

Li Zhaoning raised her head, looked at Qin An, and a strange light flashed in her eyes.

"If the general doesn't mind, why don't you come with me to the town ahead to rest for a while, so that I can repay your kindness in a small way?"

Qin An was about to refuse when he heard Yuwen Zhi's voice: "Alright, alright! Since you've extended such a generous invitation, we'll accept!"

Yuwen Zhi limped over, his eyes fixed on Li Zhaoning, a greedy smile on his face.

Although he was a complete idiot, he still had some sense.

It was immediately obvious that Li Zhaoning came from an extraordinary background.

Although I had some interest in him, I still wanted to find out more about him first.

"My name is Yuwen Zhi, the eldest son of the Yuwen family. May I ask which family Miss Li is from?"

Her eyes flickered when she heard Yuwen Zhi introduce himself.

She then replied with composure, "My father is just a businessman; he is unworthy of being addressed as your daughter."

This answer made Qin An frown.

Even though he wasn't very knowledgeable, he understood that the refined temperament of a lady from a prominent family like Li Zhaoning was something that a merchant's daughter couldn't possess.

She was clearly not telling the truth.

Qin An glanced at Yuwen Zhi, sighed inwardly, and said to Li Zhaoning, "We still have a long way to go, so we'll stop here..."

Before she could finish speaking, Yuwen Zhi interrupted her: "Miss Li has been so kind in inviting me, how can I refuse? Please go and rest in the front."

Yuwen Zhi had spoken repeatedly, so Qin An had no choice but to agree.

Li Zhaoning nodded, signaling the steward to clean up the mess, and then got into the carriage.

Qin An ordered his personal guards to clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded, then led his troops to follow Li Zhaoning's group toward the town ahead.

Sitting in the carriage, Shan Bing listened to the conversation between Yuwen Zhi and Li Zhaoning outside, and felt inexplicably uneasy.

She lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the noble-born Li Zhaoning, then at her own current attire, and couldn't help but lower her head.

Qin An seemed to sense her emotions, rode his horse to her carriage, and whispered, "Don't overthink it."

Dan Bing looked up and met his gaze, and the discomfort she felt suddenly vanished.

She nodded, lowered the carriage curtain, and a faint smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.

The group quickly arrived at the town ahead.

This was a relatively prosperous town, perhaps because it was close to the capital and the flames of war had not yet spread here. Li Zhaoning had already arranged an inn and invited Qin An and the others inside.

In the lobby of the inn, Li Zhaoning hosted a banquet for everyone.

Yuwen Zhi sat in the main seat, talking incessantly about his experiences in the capital, and occasionally fawning over Li Zhaoning.

Li Zhaoning responded politely, but her gaze kept falling on Qin An.

Qin An didn't have much of an appetite and just silently drank his wine.

Halfway through the banquet, Li Zhaoning suddenly stood up, walked to Qin An, raised her wine cup, and said, "General Qin, I would like to offer you a toast to thank you for saving me today."

Qin An stood up and clinked glasses with her: "Miss Li, you're too kind."

The two drank their beverages in one gulp. Li Zhaoning looked at Qin An, a glint of surprise in her eyes: "General, you are brave and skilled in battle. May I ask what your rank is in the army?"

"Just a minor cavalry commander," Qin An said indifferently.

"General Qin is too modest," Li Zhaoning smiled. "With your skills, General, you are sure to have a bright future."

Seeing this, Yuwen Zhi couldn't help but feel a little jealous and interjected, "Miss Li, you don't know this, but although General Qin is brave, he doesn't know how to adapt. I'm afraid he will have a hard time getting ahead in the army."

Qin An gave him a cold look but remained silent. Li Zhaoning also noticed the discord between the two and tried to smooth things over with a smile: "Lord Yuwen is too kind. General Qin is such a talented person that the court will surely give him an important position."

The banquet ended in an awkward atmosphere.

Li Zhaoning returned to her room, and the butler came in and whispered, "Miss, we've found out. That Qin An is no ordinary person. At such a young age, he's already been promoted to general and ennobled through his military achievements..."

As he spoke, he handed over a document that detailed Qin An's deeds.

Li Zhaoning looked down and carefully flipped through the document, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: "He is indeed a rare talent."

However, when she saw one of the entries in the information, her eyes lit up slightly: "This Qin An actually had a long-standing relationship with my second brother?"