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

Li Zheng's recruitment was indeed tempting.

But Qin An immediately suppressed that slight attraction.

He hadn't forgotten that he had promised Luo Kai that he would go with him to the front lines.

Although Luo Kai was only a centurion and his family background was probably not as good as the Li family, he had shown me kindness and support.

Thanks to his promotion, I was able to find a place to use my talents and grow to where I am today.

One must not forget one's roots, and even more so, one must not break one's word.

Of course, more importantly, he didn't understand Li Zheng, and with the system at his disposal, he would eventually be able to carve out a path for himself.

Under such circumstances, there is naturally no need to go to such lengths.

"Thank you for your kindness, Commander Li." Qin An took a deep breath and said firmly, "However, I have already promised someone that I would go to the front lines with him, and I also have a mission to escort new recruits this time, so it is really inconvenient for me to stay. I hope Commander Li will understand."

Li Zheng's smile faded slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, as if he hadn't expected Qin An to refuse. But he quickly regained his composure and nodded: "Everyone has their own ambitions. Since Centurion Qin has already made his decision, I won't force him."

Despite his failed attempt to recruit Li Zheng, he was not discouraged.

He knew in his heart that he was still too young and that, apart from his background, he didn't have many convincing achievements.

But he had a strong confidence that he would be able to make a name for himself during this eastern expedition.

That will allow them to better assemble their own team.

With this in mind, Li Zheng was not angry after being rejected by Qin An. Instead, his eyes showed more appreciation. "I underestimated you. Nowadays, it's rare to see someone as trustworthy as you."

Qin An smiled but didn't say anything.

Although his offer was rejected on the spot, Li Zheng did not intend to give up completely.

He suddenly noticed the broken iron bow on Qin An's saddle and raised an eyebrow: "This bow..."

"I used too much force just now and accidentally broke it." Qin An sighed, feeling quite speechless.

He has relied entirely on his archery skills to make a living.

Unfortunately, as his strength continued to grow, he also became an archer.

Countless bows have been broken.

Seeing Qin An's somewhat embarrassed expression, Li Zheng instantly had an idea.

He took a bow from beside his saddle and handed it to him.

The bow was entirely black, with golden patterns inlaid on its body, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary item. The bowstring was woven from animal sinew mixed with silver thread, exuding a powerful tension.

"This is a treasured carved bow from my collection. It has an extremely strong draw weight, much stronger than ordinary iron-framed bows," Li Zheng said with a smile. "A precious bow is a gift for a hero. Since Centurion Qin can use a bow with a broken iron frame, he must be worthy of it as well."

Qin An naturally understood that the other party had not given up on trying to win him over.

Although a fine bow was indeed very attractive to him, he still shook his head: "I cannot accept this without merit. It is too precious for me."

"Here you go." Li Zheng shoved the bow into his hand with a broad smile. "Don't let my lack of strength fool you; I'm still an expert archer and know how important a good bow is to a military general!"

"It is fate that we met today. This little thing is nothing, and I believe that Centurion Qin will definitely make it shine in the future."

Li Zheng spoke with great sincerity.

This precious carved bow, though extraordinary, was also his most cherished possession.

But given his family background, such a precious bow was nothing special to him.

It's well worth it to be able to befriend someone you admire through this.

"this……"

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Qin An stopped being coy.

This bow looks extraordinary and will be of great help to me.

"Your Excellency's hospitality is too kind to refuse; it would be impolite of me to decline!"

Qin An held the heavy, precious carved bow, feeling a surge of emotion.

Despite being from a prominent family, Li Zheng showed no arrogance whatsoever; on the contrary, his magnanimity was truly remarkable.

He solemnly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your generous gift, Commander Li."

"You're welcome." Li Zheng smiled. "If we meet on the battlefield in the future, I hope we can fight side by side."

"must."

Qin An mounted his horse, bid farewell to Li Zheng, and left the battlefield with his men.

After walking quite a distance, Han Quan finally couldn't help but approach Qin An and ask with a puzzled look, "Brother Qin, why did you turn down Li Zheng's offer? He's clearly from a prestigious family; countless people would kill to curry favor with him. But you, you turned down an opportunity that was practically handed to you."

The other cavalrymen nodded in agreement, clearly thinking Qin An's decision was foolish.

Qin An smiled and said, "Following him might allow us to move faster, but it doesn't necessarily mean we can move steadily."

"Besides, I promised Commander Luo, and I can't go back on my word. Moreover, with our own abilities, can't we carve a path through the battlefield?"

Han Quan fell silent.

He felt that Qin An's words made sense, but he still felt it was a pity.

In Daxing, powerful clans control most of the resources, making it extremely difficult for ordinary people to rise in society.

Qin An saw through his thoughts and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't think too much about it. Gold shines wherever it is. Let's work hard and we'll make something of ourselves one day."

After saying that, he spurred his horse forward, but secretly took a deep breath.

He knew that rejecting Li Zheng meant taking a more difficult path.

But he doesn't regret it.

In the stillness of the night, Qin An sat by the campfire, took out the precious carved bow given to him by Li Zheng, and stroked it repeatedly.

This bow is indeed a fine bow; it feels cool to the touch, yet it exudes a resilient strength, as if it contains boundless power.

He subconsciously focused his attention on the system.

[Host: Qin An]

Age: 17

【Strength: 60】

[Agility: 58]

[Physical Fitness: 59]

[Endurance: 61]

【Spirit: 39】

Commander-in-Chief: 65

[Skills: Intermediate Archery, Intermediate Hunting, Intermediate Swordsmanship, Intermediate Horsemanship, Intermediate Marksmanship]

Overall combat strength: 58

Looking at the data on the panel, Qin An felt a surge of emotion.

Such combat power means that he can now easily kill dozens of people.

Although the rate of improvement is getting slower and slower, as long as you work hard for a while longer, achieving a hundred kills is not a difficult task.

If placed in the context of ancient times in modern memory, this would be comparable to those fierce generals in history.

To have grown to this level in such a short time is truly remarkable progress.

But Qin An was not satisfied.

Because such combat power is far from enough in this world.

He hadn't forgotten that Yang Yuyan had once said that the world's top military generals could single-handedly cause thousands of troops to flee in terror, making them worthy of being called enemies of a thousand men.

There are even legendary warriors who can defeat ten thousand men.

"The task is arduous and the road ahead is long." Qin An sighed, gripping the precious carved bow in his hand tightly, and stopped thinking about it.

As long as I continue to grow, I will eventually be able to stand at the top of this world!