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

Qin An had only been back at his residence from the Yuwen family for two days when the imperial decree for his transfer arrived.

The messenger was a pale-faced, beardless eunuch who stood at the entrance of the Qin residence and read out the imperial edict in a high-pitched voice. The gist of the edict was that Qin An should immediately report to the Imperial Guard and serve as a deputy general under Yuwen Rong.

Qin An knelt to receive the imperial edict, his face expressionless, but his mind was perfectly clear.

This is not the emperor's decree; it is clearly Yuwen Hua's doing.

After seeing off the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict, Qin An casually placed the edict on the table.

Li Qingwan came out from the inner room, carrying a bowl of freshly cooked white fungus soup. Seeing his indifferent expression, she asked, "Husband, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Qin An took the bowl, took a sip, and said, "Go report to the Imperial Guard and serve under Yuwen Rong."

Dan Bing walked in from outside the courtyard and frowned slightly upon hearing this: "Yuwen Rong? You mean that Yuwen family member who's known as a warrior capable of taking on ten thousand men?"

"That's him." Qin An put down his bowl. "I've fought him before, and he's really formidable."

Li Qingwan didn't ask any further questions, but simply asked softly, "When do we set off?"

"First thing tomorrow morning."

The next morning, Qin An changed into the standard armor of the Imperial Guards, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the Imperial Guards camp.

The Imperial Guards were stationed on the west side of the Imperial City, occupying a large area of ​​the camp. Two rows of guards with halberds stood on both sides of the camp gate, their helmets and armor gleaming, exuding an imposing aura.

Qin An handed over the token, and after the guards at the camp gate verified it, they let him in. A captain who had been waiting there led him to the central command tent.

Yuwen Rong was polishing his gilded halberd in the tent. The halberd gleamed, reflecting his sharply defined face.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Qin An. A smile appeared on his face: "You're here."

Qin An clasped his hands in a salute and said, "This humble general, Qin An, has come to report for duty."

"No need for formalities." Yuwen Rong leaned the gilded halberd against the table, looked Qin An up and down, and lingered on his more muscular shoulders.

"You look like you've improved a lot since you came back from the front lines."

He wasn't just being polite; he genuinely noticed that Qin An had become stronger again.

As a top expert, he could tell at a glance that Qin An's killing intent had intensified, his eyes had become sharper, and he possessed an increasingly invincible aura.

Qin An's rapid growth aroused his interest.

"The front lines are ruthless; if we don't advance, we'll die," Qin An replied.

Yuwen Rong nodded, then suddenly stood up, picked up his gilded halberd, and walked out: "Let's go to the training ground."

Qin An was taken aback: "General?"

"You only withstood three of my moves last time. Let's see how many you can withstand this time." Yuwen Rong didn't turn his head, his voice filled with a hint of eagerness. "This time, use your own weapon and warhorse."

Clearly, Yuwen Rong had also noticed that Qin An was not quite used to the situation during their last encounter because it was too rushed.

Now that he has this opportunity, he wants to test Qin An's capabilities in his fully evolved form.

Seeing that Yuwen Rong wanted to spar with him again, Qin An felt helpless but could understand.

Top warriors are never averse to war.

Yuwen Rong rarely had any rivals, so it's understandable that he was eager to prove himself since the opponent had delivered himself to his doorstep.

He immediately nodded in agreement.

The training ground was paved with hard bluestone, the surface of which was covered with dents of varying depths, and the marks of being chopped and trampled by weapons over the years were everywhere.

Qin An took down his halberd. The shaft was cold to the touch, and its heavy weight made him feel a little more at ease.

Yuwen Rong had already mounted his horse, his gilded halberd held across the front of the saddle, his entire body pressing down on the horse like a mountain.

That aura was even more profound and weighty than during the last sparring session; just by standing there, an invisible pressure spread out.

Qin An took a deep breath, clearing his mind of all distractions, mounted his horse, and pointed his halberd diagonally at the ground.

"They're here." Before Yuwen Rong could finish speaking, his warhorse had already charged out like an arrow.

The gilded halberd sliced ​​through the air with a piercing whistle, aiming straight for Qin An's chest.

This strike was faster and more powerful than the last one; before the blade even arrived, the gust of wind already stung Qin An's face.

Qin An did not take the hit head-on.

He suddenly turned his horse's head, and the snow-white black steed leaped into the air. As he dodged the halberd's edge, the halberd slashed upwards from below, its tip aimed straight at Yuwen Rong's armpit.

This cunning and ruthless move is one of his specialties.

"Good!" A glint flashed in Yuwen Rong's eyes, and he pulled back his gilded halberd, which steadily blocked the tip of the halberd with a clang.

Sparks flew everywhere. Qin An felt a tremendous force surge up the shaft of the halberd, and his arm went slightly numb, but unlike last time, his hand did not split open.

He used the momentum to retract his halberd, then swept the end of the halberd horizontally, slashing towards Yuwen Rong's waist.

Yuwen Rong leaned back to avoid it, the halberd blade grazing his breastplate and leaving a shallow white mark.

"Third move!" Yuwen Rong laughed, spurred his horse into a sharp turn, and slashed down with his gilded halberd like a storm.

Each strike was faster and fiercer than the last, forcing Qin An to defend himself and sweat profusely.

But Qin An was never knocked off his horse. In his hands, the halberd sometimes moved like a snake spitting its tongue, and sometimes like an iron chain across a river. Although he was in a sorry state, he managed to hold on until the seventh move.

Yuwen Rong's offensive suddenly changed.

He no longer attacked relentlessly, but instead combined speed and power, transforming his gilded halberd into a golden light curtain that sealed off all of Qin An's escape routes.

Qin An gritted his teeth and held his halberd straight, tapping the tip of the halberd against the blade several times. Three crisp clangs rang out, making his arm go numb, but he did not retreat even half a step.

"That's the eighth move." Yuwen Rong's voice carried a hint of seriousness.

He suddenly spurred his horse, and the warhorse reared up. Taking advantage of the momentum, he swung his gilded halberd down from above, with the force of a mountain crashing down.

With nowhere to dodge, Qin An gripped the halberd shaft with both hands and braced it horizontally.

clang--!

With a deafening crash, Qin An's black horse, Ta Xue Wu Zhui, was jolted back several steps, its hooves scraping sparks from the bluestone slabs.

Qin An's arm was sore and numb, and a small cut appeared on his hand, with blood flowing down the shaft of the halberd.

But he still managed to keep his balance.

"Ninth move." Yuwen Rong gave him no chance to catch his breath. The gilded halberd followed closely, its tip sliding down along the shaft, aiming straight for Qin An's throat.

Qin An suddenly ducked down, the tip of the halberd grazing the top of his helmet and scraping off a small piece of metal.

He flipped over and rolled off his horse, his halberd sweeping out before hitting the ground, aiming for Yuwen Rong's horse's leg.

Yuwen Rong reined in his horse and retreated hastily. His gilded halberd sank down, firmly pressing the shaft to the ground. Then, with a flick of the tip, he knocked the halberd from Qin An's hand.

The halberd tumbled several times in the air before landing with a thud on the weapon rack beside the training ground, its shaft humming.

"The tenth move." Yuwen Rong put away his halberd and stood up, looking at Qin An who had stood up from the ground, his eyes full of admiration. "Last time it was three moves, this time it's ten. In such a short time, you have improved so much."

Qin An shook his numb arm, walked to the weapon rack, drew his halberd, and cupped his hands, saying, "General, please have mercy."

"I showed no mercy." Yuwen Rong dismounted, walked up to Qin An, and looked him over with a scrutinizing gaze, but even more so with astonishment.

"I may have underestimated you before. Your talent is far greater than I expected."

Qin An leaned his halberd against the rack and said frankly, "On the front lines, if you don't grow, you die, so you have to grow faster. Now that I'm back in the capital, without the pressure of a knife at my throat, I've lost that fighting spirit."

Yuwen Rong remained silent for a moment, then looked past the training ground and gazed at the distant horizon.

He suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with melancholy: "The battlefield, ah, I envy you."

Qin An was slightly taken aback.

"I pride myself on my martial prowess, yet I've been confined to this Imperial Guard camp for years." Yuwen Rong withdrew his gaze, his tone calm, but unable to conceal the deep-seated desolation within him.

"To be honest, the happiest days of my life were during the time I spent on the Baiji battlefield. I really had a blast killing people back then."

"Outsiders all say I am the greatest hero of Daxing, favored by His Majesty, serving as his personal bodyguard, and enjoying unparalleled honor. But as a military general, you should understand my yearning for the battlefield."

Qin An nodded.

He could tell that Yuwen Rong was speaking from the heart, not testing him, nor was he just being polite.

This eldest son of the Yuwen family, apart from his unparalleled martial prowess, is more like a pure warrior than one of the scheming nobles in the court.

"General, there's no need to rush," Qin An finally spoke, his tone calm. "The world is becoming increasingly turbulent, and sooner or later there will be an opportunity to go to the battlefield."

Yuwen Rong nodded without saying anything more. He patted Qin An on the shoulder, the force still quite strong.

But after the shoot, his hand lingered on his shoulder for a moment longer, as if it were a silent form of approval.

"From today onwards, you will be my deputy." Yuwen Rong turned and walked into the tent, saying as he went, "The daily training, deployment, and patrols of the Imperial Guards will all be handled by you."

"Your strength is unmatched in the entire Imperial Guard, except for me. I trust you completely."

Qin An followed behind him, a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

He disliked the Yuwen family; Yuwen Hua's sinister nature and Yuwen Zhi's arrogance disgusted him from the bottom of his heart.

But he couldn't bring himself to hate Yuwen Rong.

This person is simple and straightforward. If they appreciate you, they appreciate you; if they don't, they won't even give you a second glance.

He was a pure military general, a peerless warrior trapped in the imperial city.

"This subordinate obeys the order." Qin An clasped his hands in a fist salute, his tone more sincere than before.

The days that followed were much calmer than Qin An had imagined.

The daily routine of the Imperial Guard consisted of nothing more than training, patrolling, and taking turns on duty. Occasionally, they would guard the palace during court assemblies, making it infinitely easier than the days of licking blood on the front lines.

Every morning, after arriving at the camp for roll call and arranging the training subjects, there wasn't much else to do.

If he had some free time in the afternoon, Yuwen Rong would occasionally take him to the martial arts arena to spar a few more times, although he still couldn't last more than ten moves.

But after each sparring session, Yuwen Rong would look at him with even more appreciation.

Li Qingwan and Shan Bing, on the other hand, were used to waiting for him to come back.

Whenever they heard the sound of horses' hooves outside the door, they would come out to greet them.

Perhaps stimulated by their desire for a child, they made no attempt to conceal their lust for Qin An!