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

Zhang Xu was well aware of all this.

However, after the defeat in Xinyang City, he was severely affected, and coupled with his constant self-blame, he lost confidence in himself.

Even if they managed to escape the pursuit of Li Gangzhai's army, they were not confident that they could lead their brothers to break through the encirclement and suppression of the rebels.

He then placed his hopes on Qin An.

Hearing Qin An say this, Zhang Xu suddenly smiled freely: "No need for further words, this was already discussed. I am old, while you are in the prime of your life, so let my old bones shine one more time."

Seeing that Zhang Xu's attitude was firm and unchangeable, Qin An said nothing more.

He suddenly dismounted, kneeling heavily on the ground, and kowtowed three times to Zhang Xu and the brothers who stayed behind to cover the rear.

Luo Kai and Cheng Zhiyuan also dismounted, the sounds of their armor hitting the ground echoing around them.

More than 10,000 soldiers behind him knelt down, a dark mass of them.

Zhang Xu bent down to help Qin An up, the warmth of his palm passing through the armor: "Silly boy, you're still young and have a bright future ahead of you. You'll surpass me sooner or later."

He pointed behind him, where the morning mist was gradually dissipating, revealing a winding mountain path.

"The road ahead depends on you and your brothers in the mountains. I believe you won't let me or your brothers down."

He patted Qin An's cheek, the gesture like he was instructing a younger family member, the calluses on his fingertips making Qin An's skin slightly itchy.

"Promise me, live on, and see for me and for all the brothers who died, whether there can ever be peace in this world."

Qin An gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles twitching, and finally couldn't hold back his tears, which rolled down his cheeks and hit the cold ground.

He fell to the ground with a thud, a red mark appearing on his forehead, and choked out, "This humble general... obeys!"

Luo Kai and Cheng Zhiyuan also kowtowed, the sound of their foreheads hitting the stone slab echoing in unison.

More than 10,000 soldiers shouted in unison, "Take care, General!"

The sound waves crashed against the cliff, creating echoes.

Zhang Xu smiled and waved, then turned and mounted his horse, shouting to the five thousand soldiers behind him, "Brothers, let the rebels see the might of the Daxing army!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Five thousand soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the leaves to the ground.

They formed a neat square formation, with swords and spears like a forest, shields on the outside and spears on the inside, like an impregnable wall, and charged towards the pursuing rebel army.

Qin An suddenly stood up, wiped his face, and wiped away the tears and dust together.

"Brothers, let's go!" He mounted his horse and continued galloping forward, never looking back.

More than 10,000 soldiers followed closely behind.

The sound of hooves and footsteps shattered the tranquility of dawn, and also shattered the land behind them that was about to be stained red with blood.

When Xu Mao caught up, he saw Zhang Xu leading five thousand men in formation, waiting for him.

He reined in his horse and looked at the figure, who was covered in wounds but still stood tall, and a complex feeling flashed through his heart.

He had considered that the government troops would definitely leave men to cover their retreat and prevent him from pursuing them smoothly.

He also guessed that the people left behind to cover the retreat would be Qin An's cavalry.

He even had a strategy in mind for dealing with Qin An's cavalry.

Unexpectedly, it was Zhang Xu, the commander, who took the initiative to lead his men to stay behind and cover the rear.

"General Zhang, why bother?" Xu Mao's voice carried through the morning mist, tinged with a barely perceptible melancholy. "Surrender, and I'll guarantee your life. The Great Xing Dynasty is on the verge of collapse; why must you die for this tyrannical court?"

Zhang Xu sneered, pointing his broadsword directly at Xu Mao, the blade gleaming with a resolute light in the morning light.

"Traitor, shut up! I, Zhang Xu, was born a general of Daxing, and I will die a ghost of Daxing! I am right here today; if you have the guts, come and take my head!"

"Stubborn to the end!" A fierce glint flashed in Xu Mao's eyes. He swung his longsword and shouted, "Kill!"

Thirty thousand rebels surged forward like a tide, colliding with Zhang Xu's five thousand men.

The sound of metal clanging echoed through the valley in an instant.

Arrows flew like locusts, whistling through the air, accompanied by screams of agony, quickly staining the mountain path red.

Zhang Xu took the lead, wielding his broadsword like a white flash, causing rebel soldiers to fall from their horses wherever he went.

His left arm wound had already reopened, and blood dripped from his fingers onto the horse's back, staining a patch of fur red. Yet he seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing his frenzied hacking and slashing, each strike carrying a suicidal intent, never dodging his opponent's blade, as if he were willing to trade his life for his opponent's.

A rebel junior officer swung his knife, the blade whistling through the air.

Zhang Xu dodged to the side, and his broadsword pierced the man's throat, scalding blood spraying all over his face.

He had just drawn his sword when two more rebels rushed up from behind.

He cleaved one man's chest open with a backhand slash, and another man's knife was already at his feet.

"General, be careful!" A guard rushed forward to shield Zhang Xu. A flash of light appeared, and the guard fell with a scream. A deep, bone-revealing wound was slashed open on his back, and his internal organs mixed with blood flowed onto the ground.

Zhang Xu's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He swept his broadsword across and cut the rebel soldier in half at the waist, splattering his entrails all over the ground.

He bent down and picked up his personal guard. The man was already lifeless, but his eyes were still wide open, as if he were looking in the direction behind him.

That was the path Qin An and the others had taken to leave.

"Brothers, killing one is enough, killing two is a bonus!" Zhang Xu gently placed the body of his personal guard on the ground, his voice hoarse yet carrying boundless strength, "Let them see that the soldiers of Daxing have tough bones!"

The five thousand soldiers seemed to have been ignited with a surge of fighting spirit.

One by one, with bloodshot eyes, they rushed forward, using their bodies to block the rebels' knives and spears, biting their opponents' throats with their teeth, and some even hugging their enemies to die together.

They knew they were doomed, but all they wanted was to buy their brothers a little more time, even if it was just for a moment.

Xu Mao stood at the rear of the formation, his brows furrowed as he looked at the horrific scene before him.

He hadn't expected Zhang Xu's remnants to be so ferocious; the 30,000-strong army was like waves crashing against a reef, repeatedly shattered.

Those government troops were clearly exhausted, yet they acted like wild beasts that felt no pain.

As soon as one person falls, more people immediately step up, using their corpses to form a defensive line.

However, Xu Mao's mind was not on the battlefield, but rather on what lay ahead.

He was wary of Zhang Xu, but he didn't take him seriously.

He believed that his military command skills were superior to Zhang Xu's and did not consider him a great threat.

On the contrary, Qin An, despite his young age, has already caused himself several setbacks.

If we let it grow up smoothly, there will likely be endless troubles in the future.

"Shan Tong! Take five thousand men and go around them, take the side path, and make sure you stop Qin An and don't let them escape!"

As Shan Tong received the order and was about to set off, Zhang Xu, as if seeing through their intentions, suddenly shouted, "Brothers, charge with me!"

He led the remaining three thousand men like a red-hot dagger into the rebel ranks, tearing a gap in their ranks.

The rebel army was thrown into chaos. Shan Tong's five thousand men were tightly entangled and unable to break free. They could only watch helplessly as their chance to fight slipped away.

"You're courting death!" Xu Mao roared in fury, personally drawing his sword and charging forward. "Kill him! Whoever beheads Zhang Xu will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold!"

Encouraged by the generous reward, the rebels became even more frenzied, pouncing on Zhang Xu like hungry wolves.

Zhang Xu had fewer and fewer people around him, and his wounds were piling up. He could no longer lift his left arm and could only hold the knife with his right hand. Every time he swung the knife, he would cough up blood.

His mount had already fallen, and he was now fighting on foot, the ground beneath his feet soaked in blood, making each step a slippery one.

"General, let us cover your escape!" The last few guards blocked his way, covered in blood as if they had been pulled from a pool of blood. "You go quickly, we can hold out for a while longer!"

Zhang Xu shook his head, a relieved smile appearing on his face, a smile that made him cough up more blood: "If I wanted to leave, I would have left long ago!"

He shoved his personal guards aside and charged toward the most densely packed area of ​​the rebels, dragging his broadsword.

A flash of light, and a rebel was cleaved in two, but more blades and spears rained down on him at the same time.

The spear pierced his abdomen, the longsword struck his back, and the short arrow pierced his thigh.

With a "thud," a spear pierced through his abdomen, stained with dark red blood.

Zhang Xu grunted, then with a backhand slash, severed the spear shaft. The broadsword continued forward, piercing the heart of the rebel soldier.

Another knife slashed at his back, so deep that it exposed bone, almost splitting him in two.

Zhang Xu staggered slightly, but did not fall.

He turned around, pointing his knife at the surrounding rebels, his eyes still burning with anger, like a candle flickering in the wind, yet refusing to go out.

"Come on!" he roared, his voice like that of a wounded beast, tinged with the scent of blood.

The rebels were intimidated by his imposing manner and dared not advance for a moment.

This veteran, covered in wounds, was like an unyielding mountain, instilling fear in them from the bottom of their hearts.

Xu Mao rode up and looked at Zhang Xu, who was covered in blood but still stood tall. A hint of admiration flashed in his eyes: "General Zhang, you have done your best. Surrender. I respect you as a true man."

Zhang Xu coughed up blood, the splattering onto his armor like blooming red plum blossoms: "I was born a man of Daxing, and I will die a ghost of Daxing... Traitor... Don't even think about making me kneel..."

He suddenly raised his broadsword, wanting to charge forward, but his body was too weak to fight anymore!

"General!" The last few guards cried out and rushed forward, only to be hacked to death by the rebels, their blood splattering on Zhang Xu's face.

Xu Mao looked at the blood-soaked Zhang Xu, remained silent for a moment, and then said to the soldiers beside him, "Give him a quick death."

Instantly, a large number of arrows flew towards Zhang Xu.

Zhang Xu, who had been struggling to hold on, finally breathed his last.

Even in death, he remained standing.

The mountain of corpses behind him became a support, preventing him from falling.

His eyes were wide open, as if he was still glaring angrily at the land ravaged by war.

Qin An, who was behind him, seemed to sense something and suddenly reined in his horse.

He looked back and could only see the dust filling the sky, but he seemed to hear that earth-shaking shout, the final roar of his brothers.

"General..." Li Jing said in a low voice, his voice choked with emotion.

Qin An took a deep breath, abruptly turned his horse around, his halberd pointing straight ahead, and said with unprecedented determination, "Go!"

The sound of horses' hooves rang out again, faster and more urgent than before.

Qin An was in great pain, but he knew he had to survive and lead everyone else to survive.

This is the best way to honor Zhang Xu and the best way to honor the fallen brothers!