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

The crack in the window is still there, like a door leading to another world.

Li Zhaoning leaned closer, and her heart skipped a beat for a moment.

The scene in the room was similar to the last time.

Qin An's figure remained as imposing as a mountain, while Li Qingwan and Shan Bing resembled two flowers repeatedly battered by a storm, drifting aimlessly in the surging waves.

Her gaze was completely captivated, unable to look away even for a moment. This time, she saw even more details clearly.

The crisscrossing scars on Qin An's back gleamed a dark reddish luster in the candlelight.

Li Zhaoning's breathing became more and more rapid, and her fingertips unconsciously gripped the edge of the window frame, her nails scraping against it with a slight sound.

So engrossed in watching that Li Zhaoning completely forgot that this time was different from the last, as the golden bottle was missing from the room.

Li Zhaoning was completely captivated, her eyes even glistening with desire.

A figure appeared behind her; it was Jin Ping.

When Jin Ping's hand gently touched her shoulder, Li Zhaoning almost screamed.

Fortunately, Jin Ping, not wanting to spoil Qin An's mood, reacted quickly and covered her mouth in time.

Li Zhaoning suddenly turned her head and met Jin Ping's eyes, which held a mixture of helplessness and mischievousness.

Jin Ping put her finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, then grabbed Li Zhaoning's wrist and quickly walked to the corner of the corridor before letting go.

"Miss Li, what are you doing here?" Jin Ping's voice was very low, but there was no blame in her tone; instead, there was a hint of suppressed amusement.

Li Zhaoning's cheeks flushed instantly, and she subconsciously straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, trying to remain calm.

"I...I had important matters to discuss with General Qin, but I unexpectedly stumbled upon this place..."

Jin Ping watched her stammering and smiled slightly, but didn't expose her.

She simply nodded, and said in a knowing tone, "I see. Miss, you don't need to explain. I understand."

Seeing Jin Ping's knowing expression, Li Zhaoning knew that the other party didn't believe her at all, and her blush deepened.

She took out an exquisite silver hairpin from her sleeve, placed it in Jin Ping's hand, and whispered, "I hope Miss Jin Ping will not tell anyone about what happened today."

Jin Ping glanced down at the silver hairpin in her hand, accepted it without ceremony, and smiled even more broadly: "Don't worry, Miss, I understand. I won't talk about such things carelessly."

Li Zhaoning breathed a sigh of relief and was about to take the opportunity to leave when Jin Ping suddenly grabbed her, her tone tinged with curiosity: "Miss, is it really just that you have important business with the General?"

Li Zhaoning's heart skipped a beat at his question, but she didn't shake off his hand. She just whispered, "It's really just... something important."

Jin Ping didn't press further. Instead, she pulled her to sit down on the side of the corridor and whispered, "Since you're here, Miss, why don't you chat with me for a while while the General is still busy?"

For some reason, Li Zhaoning did not refuse.

Perhaps it was the maid's composure and grace that made her feel comfortable, or perhaps the jumbled thoughts in her mind needed an outlet.

She sat down with Jin Ping by the corridor. The hot wind blew over her burning cheeks, making her feel even hotter.

"Miss Jin Ping, how did you... manage to keep up with General Qin?" To break the awkward silence, Li Zhaoning took the initiative to ask.

"Me? I am the general's spoils of war!" Jin Ping smiled, her tone so frank that it surprised Li Zhaoning.

Jin Ping made no attempt to conceal her origins and told the whole truth.

"Miss Li, I am a member of the family of a leader of the Qishan rebels. The general breached our city, and we were all taken prisoner. Fortunately, I am somewhat beautiful and was offered to the general."

"The general is a normal man, and naturally he needs to release his pent-up desires. In addition, I deliberately seduced him, so he took me as his concubine."

She said this without a trace of grievance, but rather with a faint sense of pride, as if she were talking about something to be thankful for.

Li Zhaoning was taken aback, not expecting that the Golden Bottle had such a background.

What she didn't expect was that she was so frank about how she had seduced Qin An, and this attitude only aroused her curiosity.

"You...have no complaints?"

Li Zhaoning said that she couldn't quite understand Jin Ping's mentality.

From the other person's words, she could tell that Jin Ping was following Qin An out of sheer necessity.

There should even be some hatred between the two.

But judging from Jin Ping's appearance, she seems to be enjoying her current lifestyle.

"Complaints?" Jin Ping tilted her head to look at her, smiling frankly. "Miss is the daughter of the Duke's mansion, and has been pampered since childhood. She probably doesn't understand the difficulties of us poor people."

"In this world, women are like duckweed, adrift and powerless. To meet a reliable man is already a great blessing. What's more..."

She paused, lowered her voice, and added a hint of ambiguity to her tone: "The General is an exceptional man, one in a million, and you should have seen that, Miss."

Li Zhaoning blushed again, unsure of what to say. She simply lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Seeing her reaction, Jin Ping was secretly pleased.

Previously, when facing Li Zhaoning, the eldest daughter of the Li family, she felt somewhat inferior, thinking that the other party was high above her and that she could only look up to her.

But now she has discovered that the young ladies of wealthy families are no different from women from ordinary families.

Her eyes darted around, a wicked glint in her eye: "Miss Li, don't think I'm being vulgar. I'm a widow. When my late husband was alive, in that area... he was really nothing to brag about."

"After following the general, I finally understood what a real man is. My body and soul have been completely captivated by him. You may not understand, but for someone who has experienced it, this is truly important."

Li Zhaoning remained silent.

Her mind was in turmoil. Jin Ping's words were like a pebble thrown into the still waters of her heart, creating ripples upon ripples.

She recalled the scene she had just seen through the crack in the window, Qin An's powerful physique, and the sensation described in Jin Ping.

She didn't know when, but she found herself feeling sticky all over, her palms were covered in fine sweat, and her back was damp.

In addition, the weather was quite hot, making her feel very uncomfortable, and she unconsciously rubbed her legs together.

Jin Ping clearly noticed it.

She stood up, tugged at Li Zhaoning's hand, and spoke to her in a natural tone as if she were talking to her own sister: "Miss, you've sweated a bit, why don't you go to the bathhouse to wash up? There's a newly built bathhouse in the manor, and hot water is always readily available."

Li Zhaoning hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

Jin Ping led her through the corridor to a separate house in the backyard.

Pushing open the carved wooden door, a wave of warm, moist steam rushed out.

The bathhouse was meticulously constructed, divided into several pools of varying sizes, separated by beaded curtains and gauze drapes, ensuring privacy without feeling cramped.

The bottom of the pool is covered with pebbles, and several glass lamps are embedded in the wall, casting a warm yellow glow on the water's surface, making it shimmer.

"The general sweats a lot because he practices martial arts every day, so this bathhouse was specially built, which makes things much more convenient!"

Jin Ping casually offered an explanation, chose the innermost small pool, lowered the gauze curtain, and turned to undress Li Zhaoning.

Although Li Zhaoning had maids serving her at home, her heart still raced a little when Jin Ping's fingers touched her belt.

"Miss, there's no need to be nervous." Jin Ping's voice was gentle, but her fingers were nimble. In a few quick movements, she removed her clothes and helped her step into the pool.

Hot water washed over her shoulders, the heat seeping into her bones through her skin, and Li Zhaoning couldn't help but let out a soft moan.

Jin Ping knelt by the pool, picked up a soft cloth, and gently wiped her back.

As she wiped, she suddenly exclaimed, "Miss's figure is truly pitiful to behold. Her skin is so tender it seems like you could squeeze water out of it, and the shape is simply perfect... If the general saw her, he probably wouldn't be able to resist taking a good look at her."

Li Zhaoning shuddered, and hot water splashed out.

She turned and glared at Jin Ping, but there was no intimidation in her eyes; instead, it carried a hint of coquettishness: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Jin Ping just smiled, while her hands continued to move.

Her fingers traced the smooth back of Li Zhaoning, the movement gentle yet subtly alluring. Li Zhaoning bit her lower lip, her curiosity finally overcoming her shyness, and whispered, "Jin Ping, what was it like when you and General Qin were together?"

Jin Ping's eyes curved into a smile, as if she had been waiting for this question for a long time.

She placed the soft cloth by the pool, lowered her voice, and recounted the events in a storytelling tone.

She described how domineering Qin An was, how tireless he was, and how he was both loved and feared.

She even recounted how she managed to survive in such a precarious situation while finding joy in it.

Li Zhaoning's ears turned bright red, but she listened to the whole thing without saying a word.

Jin Ping spoke frankly and without any concealment, describing every detail vividly. The images involuntarily floated before her eyes, and her heart pounded as if it were about to jump out of her throat.

Jin Ping looked at her flushed cheeks and smiled as he concluded, "Miss, there's no need to be shy. Love between men and women is human nature. It's like eating and drinking; it's a basic human instinct. The ancients said, 'Food and sex are human nature,' which is exactly what they meant."

Li Zhaoning kept her head down, seemingly lost in thought.

Jin Ping's frankness and magnanimity made Li Zhaoning feel a bit more favorably toward him.

She had originally thought that a maid should be cautious and timid, but Jin Ping was completely different. She spoke and acted with composure and grace, and her attitude towards matters between men and women was so frank that it was almost unrestrained, yet without the slightest hint of frivolity.

Li Zhaoning had always been surrounded by timid maids who dared not speak loudly, so Jin Ping's behavior was refreshing to her.

The two chatted and laughed by the pool, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed.

Li Zhaoning was no longer as reserved as before, and would occasionally ask a bold question or two, to which Jin Ping would answer with a smile, without holding anything back.

Just then, footsteps and laughter suddenly came from outside!