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

After the meeting, Qin An dragged his tired body back to the cavalry camp.

Campfires flickered in the camp, and soldiers sat or lay down, some wiping their weapons, others bandaging their wounds, a tragic atmosphere permeating the air.

"General!" Han Quan and Xue Ju hurried forward, both of them bearing wounds, yet still full of energy.

Qin An looked at them and forced a smile: "You've all come."

"We heard that the general has become the commander-in-chief of the breakout army, so we came here to congratulate him!" Xue Ju said excitedly, his eyes shining.

Qin An sighed and shook his head: "Being a commander-in-chief isn't easy. I'm not sure if I can make it through."

Han Quan patted Qin An on the shoulder: "General, don't worry, the brothers all believe in you! With you here, we can definitely do it!"

Qin An was silent for a moment, then asked, "What have you all been through during this time?"

Han Quan and Xue Ju's faces both darkened.

Han Quan choked up as he said, "General, Wang Hu and Zheng Ping..."

Qin An waved his hand: "Don't say anything, I know everything."

His voice was a little low as he said this.

At that time, Qin An had five commanders of a thousand men: Luo Sheng, Wang Hu, Han Quan, Zheng Ping, and Xue Ju.

But now, only Han Quan and Xue Ju are here; the situation of the other three is self-evident.

Luo Sheng led two thousand cavalrymen and followed Luo Kai. In the fierce battle with Dou Xia's rebel army, in order to cover the main force's retreat, he led his troops in a desperate fight. In the end, he was exhausted and died in battle, and less than a thousand of the two thousand cavalrymen remained.

Han Quan and the other three stayed with Zhang Xu.

After the defeat at Xinyang City, Zheng Ping was killed in battle.

Wang Hu died in Black Mountain City.

During the most intense siege by the rebels, he led his troops to defend the breach, but unfortunately, he was killed by an arrow.

Qin An had already learned of these circumstances immediately.

That's why, even though he was given a critical mission and his real power was greatly enhanced after arriving in Black Mountain City, he couldn't feel happy at all.

I won't go into Zheng Ping's story.

Luo Sheng and Wang Hu were his old brothers who had followed him since Baekje.

It was thanks to their assistance that he was able to build up this cavalry force from scratch.

But now, those familiar faces have vanished forever.

"General, don't be too sad," Xue Ju comforted him. "The brothers know you're heartbroken. But now is not the time to grieve. We must break through the encirclement and avenge our fallen brothers!"

Qin An took a deep breath, suppressing the sorrow in his heart, and a determined light rekindled in his eyes.

"You're right, we can't let them die in vain!"

He looked at Han Quan and Xue Ju, and said in a deep voice, "Pass down the order: let the brothers rest well, conserve their energy, and be ready at any time to wait for the opportunity to break through!"

"Yes!" Han Quan and Xue Ju responded in unison, then turned to relay the order.

Qin An stood alone by the campfire, gazing at the flickering flames, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

He remembered Zhang Xu's instructions, his fallen brothers, and the responsibilities he bore.

"Don't worry, brothers, I will definitely lead you all out!" he said in a low voice, his voice weak but filled with unprecedented determination.

……

Before dawn, the outline of Black Mountain City was faintly visible in the morning mist, like a lurking beast.

The torches on the city wall flickered, their light reflecting off the soldiers' bloodshot eyes.

Zhang Xu stood at the highest point of the city tower, gazing at the pale dawn breaking in the east, where a faint light was gradually dispelling the darkness.

The sword at his waist gleamed coldly in the dim light, and the rope binding the scabbard was blackened by sweat.

A cold wind swept across the city wall, lifting his tattered battle robe and revealing the blood-soaked bandages underneath.

"Pass down the order: the entire army must prepare and break out of the city in half an hour!" His voice broke the silence of dawn, echoing across the empty city walls.

The guards obeyed and left, the crisp sound of their armor clashing echoing down the stone steps.

Rapid footsteps soon echoed below the city gate, waking the soldiers from their sleep.

Without complaining or panicking, they simply shouldered their food bags and gripped their weapons tightly.

Those with broken arms tied their knives to their wrists with strips of cloth, and those with injured legs used spears as crutches. Every face was etched with exhaustion, yet it exuded a fierce determination to fight to the death.

Qin An was inspecting the cavalry's saddles, his fingertips brushing against the cold stirrups, still stained with yesterday's blood.

Upon hearing the order, he mounted his horse, and the steed, Ta Xue Wu Zhui, snorted knowingly. The horse's hooves clattered crisply on the bluestone slabs as it headed straight for the city walls. Luo Kai and Cheng Zhiyuan had already gathered their troops below the city walls. The 15,000-strong force stood silently in a square formation, like a piece of refined iron tempered by blood and fire.

"General, are you sure you want to leave now?" Qin An reined in his horse, watching Zhang Xu's tall figure appear and disappear in the morning mist.

"Although we rested for a night, the brothers don't seem to have fully recovered yet."

He was indeed a little surprised. Zhang Xu had said he was ready to break out at any time, but Qin An thought that even if they were to break out, there was no rush.

Currently, the only rebel force outside Black Mountain City is the army of Li Gangzhai, which numbers no more than 30,000 men.

On our side, including all the wounded, we still have about 15,000 men.

It's only a difference of one time. Even though Black Mountain City is just a small county town, it would be easy for it to withstand the attack of Li Gangzhai's army.

You can definitely rest for a longer period of time.

Zhang Xu turned around, a pale smile on his face, with bloodstains still embedded in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

"Even you didn't expect me to decide to break out and head south at this time. The rebels didn't expect it either. It's a good opportunity to catch them off guard before the three rebel forces can completely surround us."

Zhang Xu had clearly given this matter considerable thought.

Qin An did not refute his statement.

Therefore, it is indeed better to break through as soon as possible.

While Qin An remained silent, Zhang Xu's gaze swept over his soldiers, whose mental state had not yet fully recovered, and he sighed heavily.

"If I could, I would love to let my brothers rest a little longer, but we don't have much food left."

"Instead of wasting our supplies here, we might as well leave them to you. After all, the breakout process will consume a lot of resources, and we don't know how much time it will take. It's always good to be better prepared."

After saying that, he reached out and patted Qin An on the shoulder, the roughness of his palm making the copper nails on Qin An's armor make a soft sound.

"Remember, once you leave the city, head northwest, cross Flying Tiger Ridge, where there's a dense forest that can conceal your movements. Beyond the forest lies the official road."

Qin An nodded in agreement, but felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart.

Half an hour later, the west gate of Black Mountain City slowly opened, and the heavy winch made a creaking sound that was particularly jarring in the silent dawn.

Without the sound of drums or shouts, 15,000 soldiers poured out of the city gates like a silent torrent.

The horses' hooves were wrapped in cotton cloth, their feet trod on thick felt, and even their weapons were wrapped in strips of cloth.

Zhang Xu stood at the city gate, watching Qin An's vanguard disappear into the morning mist.

He then said in a deep voice to the five thousand soldiers around him, "Brothers, our mission is to send them further."

The soldiers responded in unison, their voices hoarse yet resounding.

……

In Xu Mao's camp, a scout stumbled into the commander's tent, mud splattering from his boots: "Marshal! Black Mountain City is empty! The government troops have fled!"

Xu Mao suddenly sat up from the couch, his movement of putting on his robe knocking over the tea on the table.

"Which way did they run?" He grabbed the long sword from beside the bed and slammed the scabbard heavily against the bedpost.

"Northwest! Judging by the banners, Qin An is leading the team!" The scout panted heavily, blood still flowing from the wound on his forehead.

"Zhang Xu, you've actually resorted to the trick of abandoning the city and breaking out!" A fierce glint flashed in Xu Mao's eyes.

He immediately mounted his horse and ordered, "Pass on my order: the entire army in pursuit! Cavalry in front, infantry behind. We can't let them escape!"

Thirty thousand rebels surged out of the camp like a tidal wave, the sound of their horses' hooves shaking the earth, and black flags fluttering in the morning breeze.

Xu Mao took the lead, his long sword pointing straight to the northwest, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Although the government troops had advanced ahead, they were carrying their families, and many of them were not in good condition, so their marching speed was not very fast.

With Xu Mao giving it his all, the distance between the two sides is getting closer and closer.

Qin An was urging his men to speed up their march when they heard deafening shouts of battle coming from behind.

He reined in his horse and looked back. He saw billowing dust, and the rebels' black flags pressed down like dark clouds. The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves blotted out the sky.

"General, the pursuers are here!" Li Jing spurred his horse to his side, his bow already nocked, arrowheads gleaming coldly. "Should we form ranks and meet them?"

Qin An frowned, about to order the cavalry to turn around, when suddenly a series of rapid hoofbeats came from behind.

Zhang Xu arrived with dozens of his personal guards. The bloodstains on his battle robe were particularly glaring in the morning light, and the bandage on his left arm was soaked with blood, resembling a dark red snake.

"It seems we can only escort you this far. The rest is up to you, Qin An. You must lead the brothers to break through!"

Clearly, Zhang Xu had no intention of breaking his promise. At this critical juncture, he decided to follow the previous agreement and personally lead 5,000 men to cover the rear.

Although the decision had already been made, Qin An still felt a little reluctant at this moment.

"General! Let me stay! You are the commander-in-chief, and the brothers cannot do without you! I will stay with the cavalry; they are highly mobile and can hold out longer!"

He wasn't just saying that for show; he meant it sincerely.

Qin An was confident that if he stayed behind to cover the rear, although he would suffer heavy losses, he would have a high chance of surviving on the battlefield, given his own strength.

With my current combat strength, if I were determined to escape, I might be able to break through the encirclement.

In contrast, Zhang Xu, while possessing considerable martial prowess, was primarily known for his ability to command troops.

In addition, Zhang Xu was not in good condition at the time, and if he stayed, his chances of survival would be slim!