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

Having had previous experience swatting mosquitoes, Qin An quickly adapted.

He rubbed his arm and felt that his strength seemed to have increased slightly, but not significantly.

This trace of vital energy was utterly insignificant for his frail body.

"Not enough." He stuffed the rabbit into the bamboo basket, covered it with wild vegetables, and continued searching for traces on the ground to see if he could make any new discoveries.

After walking a while, Qin An's gaze fell on the ground and he caught sight of a few brown feathers covered in mud, with bits of grass still clinging to their edges.

"It's a pheasant!" His eyes lit up instantly.

Pheasant meat is tender and delicious. If we could find eggs, it would be perfect to nourish Cai Yan and Cai Zhen.

The way the two little girls were so careful while drinking their porridge yesterday was still lingering in his mind.

He followed the trails and walked deeper into the mountains and forests.

The further you go, the denser the trees become, and a thick layer of decaying leaves accumulates under your feet, making no sound when you step on them.

Occasionally, a squirrel darts across the branches, startling a flurry of falling leaves.

The vegetation here is noticeably more lush than in the surrounding area, with unidentified wild fruits hanging from the branches, as red as agate.

Qin An recognized them as edible wild strawberries, picked a handful and popped them into his mouth. The sweet and sour juice instantly relieved his dry mouth.

But he dared not let his guard down.

The section on "Hunting Techniques" clearly states that the deep mountains not only harbor more prey, but also ferocious beasts such as bears and wolves.

He gripped the sling tightly, taking each step with utmost steadiness, his ears carefully discerning the sounds around him.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, a "clucking" sound came from ahead.

Qin An's heart tightened, and he pushed aside the bushes blocking his way.

In the open space not far away, two brightly colored pheasants were digging in the soil, while another one was lying under a low tree nearby, presumably incubating its eggs.

He dared not disturb them, so he slowly retreated a few steps and hid behind a thick pine tree.

This time, he chose a larger stone, tensed his arm muscles, and unleashed his powerful wrist strength, using the tree trunk as cover to throw out the sling.

The pebble landed precisely on the back of the pheasant that was pawing at its food with its head down. It thrashed about twice and then collapsed.

Another pheasant cried out and took flight.

Qin An reacted swiftly, slashing again with his rope. The pebble grazed its wing, not fatal, but it disrupted its flight, causing it to crash heavily to the ground.

He rushed forward and added the missing piece.

[Congratulations, host, for killing the pheasant and obtaining a wisp of its life force.]

[Congratulations, host, for killing the pheasant and obtaining a wisp of its life force.]

Two wisps of blood and energy surged into his body, almost as strong as the wild rabbit from before.

Qin An vaguely guessed that the amount of qi and blood was probably related to the strength of the prey.

After preparing the two pheasants, they searched under the low tree for a while and found a warm nest.

There were ten eggs lying neatly inside, their shells speckled with light spots.

"Good luck." Qin An grinned, carefully wrapped the eggs in soft grass and put them in the bamboo basket. He then took some sparrow eggs from a nearby tree hole before preparing to return home, completely satisfied.

Just as I turned around, I heard a "whoosh" sound from not far away, as if something heavy was turning over the soil.

Qin An instantly became alert, quietly went around to take a look, and gasped in shock to see seven or eight wild boars rolling around in the mud.

The largest one was about half a person's height, with protruding fangs and glossy fur; it looked like a formidable opponent.

[A pack of predatory beasts has been detected. Host is advised to evacuate immediately.]

The system's notification tone carried a cold warning.

Qin An swallowed hard, a hint of longing flashing in his eyes.

If you could kill just one of these wild boars, the blood and energy you'd get would probably be equivalent to that of dozens of pheasants.

But when he looked down at the sling in his hand, he ultimately suppressed his greed.

As for the lethality of the slingshot, let alone killing a wild boar, it's hard to say whether it could even break the skin of the opponent.

"If only I had a strong bow," he thought with a touch of regret.

Only more powerful weapons can deal with these behemoths; for now, we can only look on in despair.

Just as Qin An was about to quietly retreat, he suddenly felt a chill on his ankle.

Looking down, he saw a green snake, about two fingers thick, coiled at his feet. Its triangular head was slightly raised, and its tongue flicked in and out, carrying a fishy smell.

"Hiss!" His scalp tingled, and he subconsciously stomped his foot.

The green snake was struck on its vital spot, letting out a sharp hiss and its body twisting violently.

The commotion instantly startled the wild boar in the mud pit.

The largest wild boar suddenly raised its head, its murky eyes locking onto Qin An's direction. It let out a deafening roar and charged forward with the other wild boars.

"Oh no!" Qin An's heart pounded, and he turned and ran. Heavy hoofbeats came from behind, mud flew everywhere, and grass and trees were broken by the impact.

He ran as fast as he could, using his agility to weave through the bushes, but the wild boar was much faster than he had imagined and quickly caught up.

"Bang!" A small wild boar rammed into his hind leg, and Qin An staggered and fell to the ground. His elbow was cut by a sharp stone, and blood gushed out instantly.

Ignoring the pain, he scrambled to a large tree that would take two people to hug, and began climbing it using both hands and feet.

A herd of wild boars surrounded the tree, frantically ramming their heads against the trunk, causing leaves to fall and the whole tree to shake.

Qin An clung tightly to the tree trunk, looking down at the wild boars that were spitting out white steam; his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

He could clearly see the wild boar's yellowish tusks; if he were bitten, he would probably be disemboweled instantly.

After an unknown amount of time, the wild boars, exhausted from their rampage and attracted by the commotion in the distance, reluctantly left.

Qin An lay on the tree until he was sure the wild boar herd had completely disappeared before he dared to slide down.

When I landed, my legs went weak and I collapsed to the ground, my whole body trembling.

The wound on my arm was burning painfully, and my hind leg was also badly bruised.

My thighs were also abraded when I climbed the tree.

He leaned against the tree trunk, panting heavily, a strong sense of powerlessness welling up inside him.

If it weren't for this big tree, I would probably have become wild boar food.

If they can't even handle a wild boar, how can they talk about protecting Yang Yuyan and her two children?

"I must become stronger! I must become stronger as soon as possible!" Qin An clenched his fists.

The joy brought by the system vanished, leaving only an urgent desire for power.

"I will definitely come back to avenge this day!" After recovering, he simply bandaged his wounds with a strip of cloth and carried a bamboo basket down the mountain.

It's easy to get lost in the dense forest, but fortunately, there are ways to find your way in the [Hunting Skills] section.

Using the sunlight and the texture of the tree bark, he finally found the way he came.

As they approached the edge of the village, Qin An suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

Zhao Erhu was leaning against an old locust tree, his face bearing several scratches and his mouth bruised, clearly indicating that he had been beaten.

He saw Qin An carrying a bamboo basket and his eyes lit up. He limped over to greet him.

"Hey, isn't this the great hero Qin? Carrying so many vegetables, whose house did you steal them from?" Zhao Erhu said sarcastically, reaching out to lift the bamboo basket. "Let your brother see how much you stole!"

Qin An's eyes turned cold, and he grabbed Zhao Erhu's wrist with his other hand.

He was already very strong, and having just experienced a life-or-death situation, the force in his hands carried a fierce edge.

Zhao Erhu cried out in pain, his face instantly turning red: "You dare to lay a hand on me? Trying to attack an officer?"

Qin An remained silent, only staring coldly at him.

The chill in those eyes sent a shiver down Zhao Erhu's spine.

He then remembered that this kid was a stubborn fool who didn't care about his life. He had dared to stand up to him when he was being escorted, and he couldn't beat him.

"Let go! I was just joking with you!" Zhao Erhu shouted, his voice trembling with fear.

Qin An slowly released his grip.

He knew that Zhao Erhu's official position was not to be trifled with, and he couldn't make a big fuss unless absolutely necessary.

Zhao Erhu rubbed his reddened wrist, feeling aggrieved, but his words became even more sarcastic.

"Hmph, looking at your poor appearance, I'm afraid you can't support that mother and her three children, right? How about this, you sell those two little girls to me, and I'll give you a few bushels of rice, enough to keep you through this winter."

Upon hearing this, Qin An's eyes instantly turned as sharp as knives.

He took a step forward, and Zhao Erhu retreated in fright: "You... what do you want to do? I'm an official appointed by the imperial court!"

"Get lost." Qin An uttered only one word, and the murderous intent in his voice made Zhao Erhu's soul tremble.

"Fine! Fine, Qin An!" Zhao Erhu pointed at him, his voice trembling with fear. "You've got guts! I'd like to see how long you can hold out! When winter comes, your whole family will freeze to death!"

After saying that, he dared not linger any longer and ran away with a limp.

Qin An stood there, his brows furrowed.

Zhao Erhu's words were like a needle, piercing through his joy at returning with a full load.

Yes, winter is coming soon.

This dilapidated thatched hut is drafty on all sides and can't keep out the cold winds of northern Xinjiang at all.

We must save up enough food, otherwise the whole family will starve to death.

Time is running out for me.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his anxiety, and quickened his pace to get home!