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

The next morning, the three women woke up early and prepared everything.

After Qin An finished eating and drinking, he didn't say much, but silently checked his equipment.

He carried a horn bow across his body and thirty feathered arrows in a shoulder pouch.

A sharpened machete was tucked into his waistband, and his basket contained not only dry food and medicine, but also a flint and a small bundle of rope.

With everything prepared and the sky just beginning to lighten, Qin An slung his basket over his shoulder and picked up his ox-horn bow.

As he reached the door, Yang Yuyan suddenly hugged him from behind: "You must come back, we're waiting for you."

Qin An patted her back with his other hand, his voice deep but firm: "Wait for me."

He turned around, patted Cai Yan and Cai Zhen on the head, took one last look at the brand-new stone house, resolutely turned around, and walked out of the village.

Yang Yuyan stood at the door with her two daughters, watching his back disappear into the morning light until he was no longer visible, and tears streamed down her face.

"Mother, Father will definitely come back, right?" Cai Zhen said with tears streaming down her face.

Even the relatively reserved Cai Yan couldn't help but tear up: "Father won't let us down!"

Yang Yuyan hugged her two daughters tightly: "We must believe in him!"

……

When Qin An arrived at the village entrance, there were five or six hunters gathered there.

They were all conscripted, each with a solemn expression, carrying bows, arrows, and swords, standing silently.

When Qin An arrived, the others glanced at him with complicated expressions.

Among these hunters, two were old hunters whom Qin An had met when he first arrived in Baishan Village.

The other three are young people in their twenties.

Although they were both hunters from Baishantun and had never been close, they had at least met before.

One of the young men, named Li Zhuang, was quite sturdy. When he saw Qin An approaching, he took the initiative to greet him: "Brother Qin An, you've come too."

Qin An nodded in response.

"Sigh, these officials are something else. They'd rather live a peaceful life than be conscripted into the mountains to find spies," another old hunter sighed. "Those Baiji people are ruthless. I heard that a hunter named Wang from the neighboring village went into the mountains a few days ago and hasn't come back. He's probably..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

The others looked even more grim. Li Zhuang swallowed hard. "Uncle, there are so many of us, we should be fine, right? Besides, we have government officials with us, it can't be that bad..."

"Government officials? Do they even know the roads in the mountains? If something really happens, who knows who will protect whom?" The old hunter curled his lip. "I think we still have to rely on ourselves. Brother Qin An, you're skilled; you killed three wild boars by yourself last time. You'll have to keep an eye on things."

Another young man chimed in, "Yeah, Brother Qin An, we're all just dabblers, you've got to give us a hand."

Everyone has witnessed the changes in Qin An's family during this period.

His hunts couldn't be kept secret either.

They knew that this new young man was not only strong, but also had excellent archery skills, making him the number one expert among the hunters in Baishantun.

Now that they need to deal with the fierce Bai Ji spies, they naturally want to get closer to Qin An so that they can have someone to look out for them.

Qin An glanced at them and said calmly, "We're all from the same village. It's only right that we look out for each other when we're in the mountains. But if something really happens, no one can look after anyone else. The most important thing is to be careful yourself."

His words, though unpleasant to hear, were the truth.

Although the crowd was somewhat disappointed, they understood that Qin An's words made sense, so they said no more.

Before long, the village head Zhao De arrived. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he led them to Xingye County.

Along the way, the hunters remained worried, discussing the brutality of Bai Ji's scouts and speculating about what they would encounter after entering the mountains.

Qin An remained silent, his eyes warily scanning his surroundings.

He knew that from the moment he embarked on this path, danger was lurking everywhere!

Around noon, the group finally arrived in Xingye County.

A large crowd of hunters, numbering over a hundred, had already gathered in the open space outside the county government office.

Dozens of hunting dogs were also tied up nearby.

The sounds of barking dogs and talking people mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere, yet also tinged with anxiety.

Qin An and several hunters from Baishan Village found a corner to stand in and looked around at the people.

These hunters came from various nearby villages. They were all strong and healthy, carrying all kinds of bows, arrows and knives, but most of them had the same apprehension in their eyes.

"With so many people, it seems the government is really in a hurry," Li Zhuang muttered to himself.

"What's the use of having so many people? Those Baiji spies are hiding in the mountains, as slippery as eels, how easy are they to find?" the old hunter snorted.

As everyone was discussing this, the gates of the county government office suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man in official robes with a dignified face walked out, followed by more than a dozen yamen runners.

The crowd fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the middle-aged man.

"That's the county magistrate," someone whispered.

The magistrate walked up the steps, his gaze sweeping over the hunters below. He cleared his throat and spoke in a loud voice.

"Fellow villagers, I know that sending you into the mountains to search for Bai Ji's spies is a dangerous task. But these Bai Ji spies have committed countless atrocities, including burning, killing, and looting. Just the other day, they massacred Zhangjia Village, killing dozens of people from Daxing. Such evil deeds are intolerable!"

His voice was filled with anger, and the hunters below were also filled with righteous indignation.

Recalling the rumors about Bai Ji's spies, anger appeared on their faces.

"How can the government tolerate such scoundrels causing trouble in our Daxing territory?" the magistrate continued. "The reason we have gathered you all here today is to wipe out these Baiji spies in one fell swoop and restore peace to Xingye County!"

He paused, then changed the subject: "Of course, the government won't let you all work for nothing. I hereby announce that anyone who kills a Baiji spy, with their head as proof, will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver! If they capture them alive, the reward will be one hundred taels of silver! And if you find the spy's hideout, there will be an even greater reward!"

"Fifty taels?"

"My God, so many!"

The crowd erupted in excitement, their previous anxiety replaced by immense joy.

Fifty taels of silver is enough for an ordinary hunter to build a decent house, buy a few acres of poor land, and live comfortably for several years.

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

The hunters, who had initially been somewhat resistant, suddenly became eager in their eyes.

"Sir, is this really true?" a hunter couldn't help but ask loudly.

"My word is my bond!" the magistrate declared resolutely. "As long as you can obtain the head of Bai Ji's spy, you can come to the county office anytime to claim your reward—every penny will be yours!"

"Alright! Let's do it!"

"They're just a few Baiji spies, right? I'll go into the mountains and drag them out!"

"Fifty taels of silver is enough for me to get my son a wife!"

The hunters were filled with excitement, their previous fears long forgotten in their thirst for silver.

Qin An watched this scene, and his heart stirred slightly.

Fifty taels of silver was indeed a huge sum of money, enough for him to bring Yang Yuyan and the children to live in the county town.

But he wasn't as excited as the others.

As the saying goes, even if you can make money, you still need to be alive to spend it!