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

"Hurry up, all of you! Are you dawdling and looking for death?" Luo Kai's angry shout pulled Qin An back to reality from his thoughts.

Luo Kai was riding a warhorse, patrolling back and forth in front of the troops, his eyes coldly fixed on those who moved slowly.

"Listen up, all of you!" Luo Kai reined in his horse and said, "From now on, we're marching at full speed. Anyone who falls behind will be dealt with according to military law!"

He seemed to have no patience for these new recruits, simply focusing on completing the mission without ever considering them as his comrades.

This has caused resentment among many in the team.

Many people were not willing to join the army in the first place, and now they are being treated like this, which makes them want to back out.

Luo Kai, however, remained completely unconcerned. His gaze swept over the crowd, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes: "I know what some of you are thinking. Don't even think about deserting. Your families are all in the county. You can run away, but you can't hide! Anyone who dares to run will have their family members implicated!"

Upon hearing this, some of the more quick-thinking individuals turned pale and completely abandoned their plans to escape.

They are all people with families, and their biggest concern is the safety of their loved ones.

Luo Kai's words undoubtedly struck at their weak point.

Seeing this, Luo Kai's expression softened, and his tone became more gentle: "Of course, the imperial court will not treat you unfairly. As long as you can make meritorious contributions in the army, you will be rewarded with silver, land, and official positions! Even if you unfortunately die in battle, your families will receive compensation from the imperial court and will have no worries about food and clothing."

Use both kindness and severity, and employ both soft and hard tactics.

Luo Kai's words immediately caused a subtle change in everyone's mindset.

Although still afraid, a sense of anticipation and determination has also grown in my heart.

Qin An looked at Luo Kai and nodded inwardly.

This centurion is no ordinary man.

With just a few words, he had these rustic villagers completely under his control; his methods were indeed brilliant.

"Let's go!" With Luo Kai's command, the team of over four hundred people set off for the front line in a grand procession.

……

The group traveled at an astonishing speed.

Luo Kai seemed completely unconcerned about everyone's stamina, and kept urging them on.

Many people, due to a lack of regular exercise, gradually fell behind the ranks and were whipped forward by the soldiers behind them, their screams echoing throughout the area.

Qin An's team, however, maintained their orderly ranks and steady steps.

After this period of rigorous training, their physical strength has far surpassed that of ordinary people, so this level of forced march is nothing to them.

All of this was observed by Luo Kai, who was riding at the front of the group.

He had only glanced at it casually, but he was drawn to the uniformity of Qin An's team.

"Who led that team?" Luo Kai asked one of his personal guards.

The guard followed his gaze and quickly replied, "Commander, it seems to be militia from Baishantun. The leader is called Qin An. I heard he's quite famous in the county. He's a great hunter and has even trained those militiamen."

"Qin An..." Luo Kai murmured the name, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

He carefully observed Qin An and saw that although the boy was not old, he was unusually tall and strong, more than a head taller than the average man.

His steps were steady, his eyes sharp, showing none of the awkwardness or panic typical of young people.

"He's a promising talent," Luo Kai thought to himself. Having served in the army for many years, he had seen all sorts of people and could tell at a glance that Qin An was no ordinary man.

It is truly remarkable that someone so young possesses such composure and can train a group of undisciplined militiamen to be so disciplined.

"Let's see." Luo Kai didn't reveal anything, but made a decision in his heart.

If Qin An is truly capable, he could be recruited into the army.

The march was monotonous and tedious.

Qin An, however, was not idle. While directing his troops to maintain formation, he secretly observed Luo Kai's every move.

He discovered that Luo Kai was indeed skilled at leading troops.

Both the pace of the march and the security arrangements along the way were well-organized.

Especially when setting up camp, Luo Kai could always quickly find a strategically important and easily defensible location, and then direct his soldiers to quickly build the camp and set up sentry posts. His actions were swift and his division of labor was clear.

Qin An saw all of this and kept it in mind.

He knew that these were valuable experiences, ones he had never encountered before.

He was like a hungry sponge, frantically absorbing this knowledge and constantly trying to figure out the intricacies of it.

His secret study naturally did not escape Luo Kai's notice.

Luo Kai was even more satisfied with him because he not only led his own team well, but was also so eager to learn.

That evening, the group set up camp in a valley. Qin An was directing his men to set up tents when Luo Kai approached.

"Qin An," Luo Kai said.

Qin An's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stopped what he was doing, cupping his hands and saying, "Your subordinate is here."

"Were you watching me set up the camp the whole time?" Luo Kai looked at him with a half-smile.

Qin An's heart tightened; he realized he had been discovered.

He didn't hide anything and frankly said, "Yes, Commander, I think your camp layout is extremely ingenious, and I would like to learn from it."

Upon hearing this, Luo Kai's eyes flashed with approval: "Oh? What did you figure out?"

"Your subordinate dares to ask!" Qin An organized his thoughts, "The centurion chose to camp here for several reasons. First, it is backed by a valley, which can prevent attacks from the rear. Second, it has a wide field of vision in front, which makes it easy to observe the enemy's movements. Third, the mountains on both sides are steep, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. When setting up sentry posts, both visible and hidden sentries were taken into account, and they could coordinate with each other, so it can be said to be foolproof."

After listening, Luo Kai nodded: "Not bad, you've observed very carefully."

He patted Qin An on the shoulder, "If you want to learn, just learn openly by my side. There's no need to sneak around. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me directly."

Qin An was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Commander! I will certainly study hard and live up to your expectations!"

Luo Kai smiled, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Although he did not directly try to win over Qin An, his words had already made his stance clear.

Qin An watched Luo Kai's retreating figure, his heart filled with excitement.

He knew this was a rare opportunity.

If he can gain Luo Kai's appreciation and guidance, his path in the army will undoubtedly be much easier.

That night, Qin An lay in his simple military tent, but he couldn't fall asleep.

He had been pondering Luo Kai's intentions and his own future path.

Luo Kai's overtures could be an opportunity, but they could also be a trap.

In the military, people's hearts are unpredictable, and one must be wary.

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a piercing scream coming from outside the camp!

"Enemy attack!"

"There are Baekje people!"

Chaotic shouts instantly echoed throughout the entire camp.