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

After circling around to the rear of the rebel army, Qin An did not rush to attack.

As the enemy's formation gradually stretched out, gaps appeared in their lines, and he then swung his halberd forward, shouting, "Kill!"

Fifteen hundred cavalrymen charged toward the rebel army like arrows released from a bow.

The sound of horses' hooves suddenly exploded, shaking the earth.

Caught off guard, the rebel rear guard was instantly breached by this sudden cavalry attack, and screams and the clash of weapons tore through the air.

"It's government troops!" The rebels were terrified and turned to run away.

When Cao Deren heard the chaos in the rear from the central army, he turned around and saw the cavalry, like a black tide, sweeping away the rear guard. He was filled with shock and anger and roared at his personal guards.

"Useless! You can't even hold the rear guard! Stop them!"

However, when the scouts reported that Qin An's cavalry numbered only a little over a thousand, Cao Deren's shock and anger instantly turned into a sneer.

"A mere thousand or so men dare to try and stop a chariot? Issue my order: the entire army must attack! Ignore those routed soldiers! Whoever kills Qin An will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold!"

Enticed by the generous reward, the rebels became greedy and surged forward in a dark, tidal wave.

Seeing that the government troops were few in number, they all looked disdainful. When they charged, their formation was scattered and chaotic. They only cared about rushing forward and trying to be the first to make a name for themselves.

Upon seeing this, Qin An's lips curled into a cold smile.

He reined in his horse, and the Snow-Treading Crow reared up, letting out a long neigh.

"Left wing, follow me to flank; right wing, maintain formation; center, feign an attack!"

The cavalrymen quickly changed formation, their movements fluid and graceful.

Qin An personally led three hundred cavalrymen, using a low earthen slope as cover, and silently circled around to the rear of the rebel army.

The cold wind whipped his battle robes, making them flutter loudly. He gripped his halberd tightly, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's as he locked onto the large banner bearing the character "Cao" in the rebel ranks.

As the main rebel force clashed with the central government troops, the sounds of battle deafening, Cao Deren's attention was completely drawn to the conflict when Qin An suddenly shouted, "Kill!"

Three hundred cavalrymen descended like divine soldiers, launching a surprise attack from behind the rebel army.

Horse hooves shattered the thin ice on the ground, sending up countless ice shards.

The weapons tore through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

They were like sharp razors, instantly shredding the rebel rear guard to pieces, sending blood and flesh flying everywhere.

"Oh no! It's Qin An! He's circled around to the back!" Cao Deren was directing the battle from the front when he saw chaos on his flank and rear, and his own banners were about to fall. He was terrified.

He had also heard of Qin An's prowess, and immediately roared, "Quick! Call archers over! Fire! Shoot him dead!"

Before the archers could even get in place, Qin An had already charged right up to them.

He wielded his halberd with the grace of a silver flower, sometimes like a serpent spitting its tongue, striking with pinpoint accuracy.

Sometimes it sweeps across the entire area like a whirlwind.

Wherever they went, the rebels fell from their horses, men and horses alike, and not one could withstand their advance.

"Cao Deren, prepare to die!" Qin An roared, his voice booming like a bell, as his halberd whistled through the air, aiming straight for Cao Deren's face.

Cao Deren was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly and almost fell off his horse.

A dark-faced general suddenly rushed out from beside him. This man was burly and held a long spear. He shouted loudly.

"You treacherous general, cease your arrogance! Chen Gong is here!"

His voice was booming, his face was as black as charcoal, his eyes were as red as blood, and his appearance was somewhat ferocious; he was clearly a fierce general.

Qin An was secretly surprised to see that his opponent wielded the long spear with composure and was quite skilled.

I never expected that Cao Deren would have such a person under his command.

With a flick of his wrist, the halberd transformed from a thrust to a parry, its tip like a venomous dragon emerging from its lair, aimed straight for Chen Gong's throat.

Chen Gong didn't hesitate either. He swung his long spear and steadily blocked the attack. With a loud "clang," sparks flew everywhere.

The two exchanged blows, going back and forth for more than ten rounds in an instant. Chen Gong's long spear was powerful and heavy, each strike carrying the force of a thousand pounds, as if it would split Qin An and his horse in two.

Qin An's halberd is agile and swift, as if it were his own arm or finger. He can always avoid heavy blows at the last second and turn to attack the opponent's weaknesses, with each move being fatal.

The surrounding soldiers were stunned, momentarily forgetting their own battle, and staring wide-eyed at the two locked in fierce combat.

The clash of spears and halberds was deafening, the sound of metal clashing against metal was so loud it made people's eardrums ache.

"Well done, Chen Gong!" Qin An thought to himself, but showed no mercy in his hands.

He suddenly created an opening, deliberately leaving a gap on his left side.

As expected, Chen Gong fell for the trap, thrusting his long spear with a whooshing sound, determined to kill the enemy in one blow.

Qin An suddenly bent down, and his halberd emerged from under the horse's belly like a venomous snake, aiming straight for the front leg of Chen Gong's mount.

Chen Gong was shocked and hurriedly sheathed his spear to defend, but it was too late.

With a "thud," the halberd pierced the horse's belly. The warhorse reared up in pain, letting out a mournful neigh, and threw Chen Gong violently to the ground.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qin An turned his horse around, pointed his halberd directly at Cao Deren, and charged forward again.

When outnumbered, the key to victory is to capture the leader first. This is an age-old principle.

Just then, the rebel archers finally arrived, and hundreds of arrows rained down, blotting out the sky.

Helpless, Qin An had no choice but to turn his horse around, and his halberd swung in front of him to form an impenetrable shield wall, deflecting the arrows one after another.

Taking advantage of the situation, Cao Deren, under the desperate cover of his personal guards, fled in disarray into the heart of the rebel army, even throwing away his command flag.

Qin An reined in his horse, and the Snow-Treading Black Cudgel snorted, its white breath instantly dissipating in the biting cold wind.

He gazed at the fleeing rebel army in the distance, blood droplets dripping from the crescent blade of his halberd, splashing onto the ground as red plum blossoms.

"General, shall we pursue?" Li Jing rode forward, his armor still stained with undried blood.

Qin An shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the mess on the ground: "Don't pursue a desperate enemy. Gather the troops, count the casualties, and let's go after General Luo."

The cavalrymen quickly regrouped, the wounded were helped onto spare horses, and the bodies of the fallen comrades were gathered together.

Qin An stared at the corpse covered with a white sheet, his brows furrowed.

He dismounted and personally straightened their clothes, his movements so gentle that they didn't seem like a general who had just fought a bloody battle.

"Brothers, once we drive out the rebels, I will bring you home," he whispered.

After reorganizing, Qin An reorganized the cavalry and gave an order, and the troops sped off in the direction Luo Kai had retreated.

The hooves of the Snow-Treading Crow Crest clattered on the frosty ground, followed closely by the cavalry behind it.

The sound of horses' hooves blended together, like rolling thunder.

Half an hour later, a black dot appeared on the horizon ahead, which was the infantry force led by Luo Kai.

The soldiers were huddled together in a sheltered mountain hollow, biting into their frozen, hard rations, their teeth crunching as they chewed.

Many people's fingers were already red and cracked from the cold, but they still stuffed food into their mouths with all their might.

When the soldiers saw Qin An return with his cavalry, and that the troops were almost completely unharmed, they were stunned. They forgot to eat their rations and their eyes were filled with disbelief.

Immediately, someone shouted first, and a deafening cheer erupted from the valley.

"It's General Qin! General Qin is back!"

"We won! We defeated the rebels!"

"I knew General Qin would succeed! He's truly invincible!"

"..."

The wounded soldiers struggled to sit up; some brandished their broken spears with their uninjured hands, while others screamed at the top of their lungs.

Even the most exhausted soldiers straightened their backs, and their eyes regained their light.

Luo Kai, leaning on a long spear, struggled to his feet.

His left arm was still wrapped in thick bandages, and his face was pale from blood loss, but he stared intently at the almost intact cavalry behind Qin An, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Good lad...you've created another miracle." Luo Kai's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement.

He reached out his right hand to pat Qin An's shoulder, but halfway through the movement, he aggravated the wound on his left arm, wincing in pain and gasping for breath.

Qin An quickly stepped forward and supported his arm: "Brother Luo, be careful of your injury, don't move around."

"It's alright, it's not that delicate."

Luo Kai waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the cheering soldiers, and sighed.

"With your arrival, the morale of the brothers has been completely restored. Back in Baekje, you were just a rookie who only knew how to blindly kill people. Who would have thought that in just a few years, you would become a general who can stand alone..."

He paused, his tone tinged with a mixture of self-deprecation and relief.

"I, Luo Kai, have not accomplished much in my life. I have suffered defeats and shed blood, but I have recognized your potential. That is the only thing I did right."

"If you hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid my old life would have been buried in a mass grave long ago. I guess this is what they mean by reaping what you sow."

Qin An felt a warmth in his heart and solemnly said, "Brother Luo, you are too kind. If it weren't for your appreciation back then, your exceptional promotion in the army, and the opportunity you gave me, where would I, Qin An, be today? I will never forget this kindness. We are brothers, bound by life and death, so there is no need for thanks."

Luo Kai laughed heartily and patted Qin An's arm hard.

"Alright! Enough with the sentimentality! Come on, let's go inside and talk. I'll have the cook make you some hot soup. In this awful weather, a hot drink will make you feel much better."

The central command tent was a makeshift structure, enclosed by a few tattered canvases. Inside, an oil lamp flickered, casting the light on the canvases onto the two men's tired yet resolute faces.

Luo Kai drank a few sips of hot soup, and some color returned to his pale face. He put down the soup bowl, but suddenly sighed, his voice becoming low.

"Qin An, tell me... does Daxing have a future?"

Qin An's hand, which was wiping the halberd, suddenly stopped.

Looking up at Luo Kai, one could see that this man, who had always been full of fighting spirit and never backed down even when in dire straits, was now filled with confusion in his eyes, like a lost child, all his sharpness gone.

"Brother Luo, why are you suddenly asking this?" Qin An put down the halberd in his hand, his expression becoming serious.

"The horrific scenes I've witnessed over the past few days have made me uneasy," Luo Kai said, his voice tinged with weariness as he gazed at the flickering firelight outside the tent.

"The city has fallen, people have died, corpses are strewn everywhere, the people are displaced, and there are children starving to death all over the roadside... Even a prestigious family like the Wang family, which has been favored by the emperor for generations, has risen up in rebellion. Tell me, this world is probably really about to change."