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

As Qin An led his men further north, the traces of the battle became increasingly apparent, and the air was thick with an inescapable stench of blood and decay.

The trees on both sides of the official road were cut down in half, and the marks of the chisels and axes remained at the cuts, which were piled up haphazardly by the roadside.

The ground was covered with dense hoof prints and dark red bloodstains. Some of the bloodstains had long since dried and turned black, while others were still slightly damp, indicating that the battle had just ended.

Occasionally, you can still see scattered weapons and armor, broken spears, deformed shields, and blood-stained helmets, silently telling the story of the fierce battles that once took place here.

"General, we've spotted a small troop ahead. Judging by their flags, it's ours!"

A cavalryman galloped back from the front, reporting loudly with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Qin An's heart tightened, and he quickly spurred his horse forward to investigate. He saw that the group consisted of about several dozen people, all of whom looked exhausted, and their armor was riddled with holes and dents.

They were all more or less injured; some had blood-stained bandages wrapped around their arms, while others limped along, supporting each other as they struggled to retreat south, their steps faltering as if they might collapse at any moment.

"Which unit are you from? Where is General Luo?" Qin An reined in his horse and stopped a leading soldier to ask.

The soldier was tall, but pale-faced, and his left arm hung limply, clearly injured.

The soldier looked up and saw Qin An's banner. He was stunned at first, then a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes, as if he had seen the dawn in the darkness. He struggled to salute.

"It's General Qin! Your subordinates greet General Qin! We are General Luo's personal guards; General Luo is still at the front holding off the rebels!"

"How's the situation at the front? Is General Luo alright?" Qin An asked anxiously, his heart pounding in his chest.

"The rebels are too fierce, they're charging forward like madmen, and there are so many of them, we can't hold them off any longer." The soldier's face was long and his voice was filled with despair. "General Luo told us to retreat first, but he's still directing the battle from behind, saying he wants to buy time for the brothers to escape..."

Qin An's heart tightened. Without the slightest hesitation, he abruptly turned his horse around and shouted, "Brothers, follow me! Let's go support General Luo!"

"Kill!" Five hundred cavalrymen shouted in unison, their voices shaking the plains, their morale soaring.

They followed closely behind Qin An, like a black torrent rushing forward, their hooves thundering and kicking up clouds of dust.

The group galloped for about half an hour before finally hearing the deafening sounds of battle ahead. The clanging of weapons, the shouts of soldiers, and the wails of the wounded mingled together, sending chills down one's spine.

Looking out, Qin An saw two armies locked in a fierce battle on the plains ahead.

On one side were government troops dressed in imperial uniforms, who were clearly outnumbered and were being held back in a low-lying area by the rebel army. Their formation had long since broken up, and many soldiers had collapsed from exhaustion, and they were on the verge of a rout.

The rebels' banners fluttered in the wind, with the three large characters "Prince Chang Le" standing out starkly.

"It's General Luo!" Li Jing exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the familiar figure in the government army formation.

Looking over, Qin An saw Luo Kai holding a long spear, fighting fiercely.

His armor was stained red with blood, indistinguishable between that of the enemy and himself. A deep, bone-revealing wound on his left arm was constantly oozing blood, staining half of his body red.

But he still stood firmly in front of the enemy lines, each shot carrying immense force, cutting down the charging rebels.

Without retreating a single step, he stood like an unyielding war god.

"Brothers, kill!" Qin An shouted, his eyes burning with rage. He raised his halberd and led five hundred cavalrymen like a sharp blade, charging fiercely into the rebel army's ranks.

The rebels were fully engaged in attacking Luo Kai's remaining forces and never expected that a reinforcement would suddenly appear, throwing them into chaos.

Qin An wielded his halberd like a cluster of silver flowers, its shadow flashing and flying. Wherever it passed, rebel soldiers fell from their horses, screaming in agony. No one could stop him.

A rebel leader raised his knife and slashed at Qin An, but Qin An neither dodged nor avoided it. With a flick of his spear, the tip of the spear emerged like a serpent from its hole, precisely piercing the opponent's throat.

With a flick of his wrist, he used his spear to lift up the minor leader and fling him towards the rebel soldiers beside him, knocking down a whole group of them.

Luo Kai was struggling to hold off the attack of three rebel soldiers, but he was already at his limit.

Suddenly seeing Qin An's troops descend like divine soldiers and charge into the enemy ranks, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, which then turned into ecstatic joy.

He roared with all his might, "It's Qin An! Brothers, reinforcements have arrived! Charge!"

Upon hearing this shout, the government troops felt as if they had received a shot of adrenaline. Their previously demoralized morale was instantly boosted, and they gritted their teeth, picked up their weapons, and launched a counterattack, engaging the rebels in fierce combat.

The rebels were attacked from both sides and immediately fell into chaos, their original offensive stalled.

Qin An's cavalry, like tigers among sheep, swept through the rebel ranks, constantly tearing open gaps.

Qin An locked his gaze on a rebel general, spurred his horse forward, and charged straight at him. The general raised his sword to parry, but Qin An's halberd struck him so hard that his hand was split open, and his sword flew out of his grasp. Qin An followed up with a thrust of his spear, knocking the general off his horse.

Seeing this, Luo Kai mustered his remaining courage and swung his broadsword even faster, cutting down a group of rebel soldiers around him as he moved towards Qin An's direction.

Under attack from both sides, the rebels gradually lost their ability to resist, and some began to turn and run away. Like dominoes falling, more and more rebels scattered and fled.

Qin An rode up to Luo Kai's side and helped him up, supporting his swaying body: "Brother Luo, are you alright?"

Luo Kai coughed up a mouthful of blood, which splattered onto the armor on his chest. He waved his hand, his voice hoarse.

"I'm fine... Qin An, you've come at the perfect time... any later and we would have been wiped out..."

He took a breath, pointed at the scattered rebels in the distance, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

"Don't be too happy yet. Dou Xia's main force is still behind us. Those were just the vanguard... We... we probably won't be able to hold out for much longer..."

Looking at Luo Kai's tired face, with his bloodshot eyes filled with both resilience and helplessness, Qin An felt a mix of emotions.

He knew that Luo Kai was telling the truth.

Although they temporarily repelled the rebel vanguard, the main rebel force was numerous.

On their side, Luo Kai's remaining forces were few in number.

Even with the addition of his own five hundred cavalry, it was to no avail; completely repelling the rebels was virtually impossible.

"General Luo, you should rest for a bit. Leave this to me," Qin An said in a deep voice, a resolute glint in his eyes. "With me here, we won't let our brothers sacrifice themselves in vain!"

He handed Luo Kai to his personal guard, turned to the soldiers who were gathering their formation, and shouted, "Brothers, get your gear ready, check your wounds, we still have a tough battle ahead!"

……

After cleaning up the battlefield and burying the bodies of his fallen comrades, Qin An immediately set off to find Luo Kai.

Dusk was falling, and the last rays of the setting sun struggled to cast a final orange glow across the sky before being swallowed up by the rapidly spreading night.

The remaining soldiers huddled in a sheltered mountain hollow, where a few bonfires burned sporadically, their flames flickering and reflecting on their exhausted faces.

Someone was leaning against a rock, resting with their eyes closed, but their brows were still furrowed.

Someone was wiping the blood-stained weapon with their head down, their movements slow and deliberate, clearly exhausted.

Some people were still sobbing softly, mourning their comrades who had just passed away.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and the smoke of the campfire, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

Qin An had no time to deal with these things; his mind was preoccupied with the situation at the front. He walked straight through the scattered crowd and headed towards the makeshift central command tent.

The tent was dimly lit, with an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling. The tiny flame flickered in the wind, casting shadows on the simple cloth wall, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

Luo Kai was sitting at a dilapidated wooden table. His condition was not good. His left arm was wrapped in thick strips of cloth, and blood had seeped out, staining most of it red. His face was as pale as paper, and his lips were dry and cracked.

But he still forced himself to stay upright, his fingers slowly moving across the spread-out map, as if he was trying his best to think about his next move, his brows furrowed in a frown.

"How is Brother Luo's injury?" Qin An sat down on the wooden stool next to him, his voice low and concerned.

"I won't die." Luo Kai waved his hand, his tone tinged with self-deprecation.

He then pointed to the location of Xinyang City marked on the map, his voice becoming serious, "After General Zhang fled from Xinyang City, judging from the posture of the rebel army in Ligang Village, they wanted to completely surround General Zhang's remaining troops and devour them in one bite."

He paused, then tapped his fingertips heavily on the map, marking his own position, his eyes filled with helplessness.

"Our situation is even worse now. We are caught between Dou Xia's rebel army and the Wang family's rebel army in the south. There are no dead ends in front of us, and we have nowhere to retreat."

Qin An leaned over to look at the map, his fingertip tapping heavily on the small flag representing his side, his eyes sharp: "In my opinion, it may not be a dead end."

Luo Kai looked up at him, a glimmer of hope in his eyes: "What are your thoughts?"

"Although General Zhang has been defeated, he is still a force to be reckoned with. He still has a considerable number of troops under his command. If we can join forces with him, the two forces combined will be a fighting chance."

Qin An spoke firmly, analyzing, "Moreover, the three rebel groups of Dou Xia, Li Mi, and the Wang family, while seemingly united against the imperial army, are actually each harboring their own ulterior motives and wanting to gain a larger share of the spoils in this chaos. None of them will genuinely fight for the other. Their conflict is our opportunity."

Luo Kai shook his head, his worry deepening: "But we're surrounded now. How can we break through to reunite with General Zhang? Dou Xia's army is lurking in the north, with formidable forces, and the Wang family occupies the key southern route, heavily guarded. A slight misstep could lead to total annihilation."

He sighed and offered another idea: "In my opinion, we should take this opportunity to break through to the west. The terrain to the west is complex, with many mountains and dangerous areas. Perhaps we can avoid the main force of the rebels, preserve some strength, and then make further plans."

"Break through?" Qin An suddenly stood up, his gaze sharp as a knife as he stared directly at Luo Kai. "Brother Luo, are you really going to give up so easily? Behind us are the imperial court and countless people. How can we flee without a fight?"

Luo Kai was speechless. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a rebuttal.