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

Glancing at the beauty in the room and seeing her current state, Qin An felt a sense of unease.

But he remained outwardly calm, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your kindness, General. I understand now and wish to return to take good care of my brothers!"

Qin An's polite refusal made Yuwen Rong raise an eyebrow, but he didn't press the matter and waved for him to leave.

Qin An turned to leave, and behind him came the cheers and urging of the soldiers, the sound piercing his eardrums.

This is the battlefield, where the victors have everything they want, and the losers have nowhere to even put their dignity.

He already understood this principle, but he still felt a tightness in his chest.

For the next three days, Pingxiang City became a scene of revelry. Soldiers burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities.

Qin An's troops reaped a rich harvest, with five large chests filled with gold and silver, enough for each soldier to make a small fortune.

He himself also received a lot of rare antiques, enough to buy several houses in Daxing City.

It's safe to say that even if he retires now, he could live a very wealthy life for the rest of his days.

War is indeed cruel, but for these people from the lower classes, it is also an opportunity to change their fate.

However, the risks are quite high; one wrong move could cost you your life on the battlefield.

……

On the afternoon of the third day, Qin An strolled around the city again.

The city of Pingxiang was no longer bustling as before; only soldiers collecting corpses and the weeping of surviving civilians remained.

The streets were littered with corpses, and the burned houses emitted black smoke. The air was filled with the stench of burning and blood, making it seem like a living hell.

"Qin An?"

A familiar voice rang out.

Qin An turned around and saw Li Zheng standing not far away, his brocade robe standing out conspicuously in the dilapidated streets.

He was followed by several bodyguards, each with a complex expression.

"Young Master Li?" Qin An was somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"

After arriving at the front line of the battlefield, he had also done his research.

Although he had refused the offer last time, Qin An wouldn't mind using their past relationship to curry favor with Li Zheng, the son of a duke, if they could be on the same battlefield.

Unfortunately, the enemy was not among this army.

This sudden encounter was naturally unexpected for Qin An.

Li Zheng gave a wry smile: "It's a long story. My army was responsible for cutting off the rear of Pingxiang City. After the city fell, we came here to rest and regroup. I never expected to meet you here. It seems we are truly destined to meet."

He looked Qin An up and down. "It seems you've gained quite a bit from this battle."

Qin An nodded: "I was only fortunate to survive thanks to the Marshal's good fortune."

"Shall we take a walk together?" Li Zheng suggested.

The two walked side by side through the ruins, occasionally kicking bones with a soft "crack" sound.

"It's a horrific sight." Li Zheng sighed, his eyes filled with pity. "Marshal Yuwen's actions are far too cruel."

Qin An remained silent.

As a beneficiary of the system and a petty person, he naturally wouldn't comment on it.

There are some things that Li Zheng, who comes from a noble family, can say, but he is not qualified to express his opinion.

As they were walking, they heard a woman crying out from ahead.

A soldier was seen pinning a Baekje woman against a broken wall, about to assault her.

The woman struggled desperately, but to no avail.

Li Zheng frowned, clearly a little annoyed, and immediately tried to rush forward to stop him.

Qin An had a good impression of Li Zheng, and considering the latter's kindness in gifting him the bow, he immediately grabbed Li Zheng's arm after seeing his intentions: "Young Master Li, don't be impulsive!"

Li Zheng whirled around, his eyes blazing with fury: "You just let him run rampant like this? How is he any different from a beast!"

Clearly, Li Zheng was a man with a sense of righteousness and could not bear to see such bullying of the weak happening before his eyes.

Faced with Li Zheng's anger, Qin An remained remarkably calm, saying indifferently, "This kind of thing has been happening every day for the past three days. Can you stop one, or the entire city's soldiers?"

Before Li Zheng could object, Qin An continued, "They have been fighting for more than a month and have suffered heavy casualties. Now that the city has been breached, they need to vent their anger. If you forcibly stop them, it will only incite a mutiny."

"You...you're so cold-hearted!" Li Zheng trembled with rage. "How are you any different from them?"

"I may be indifferent, but I know what reality is." Qin An looked at him. "Most of these soldiers come from poor backgrounds. They joined the army just to earn a living, for military merit and money."

"They don't understand benevolence and morality; they only know how to use their knives to get what they want. You may want to be a benevolent and righteous army, but they may not understand it, nor may they be willing to understand it."

Li Zheng was stunned. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

He knew Qin An was telling the truth, but he couldn't accept this cruel reality.

"Is there no righteous army in this world?" he murmured to himself, his voice tinged with despair.

Qin An sighed: "Yes, but it's difficult. Unless the soldiers see something more worthwhile to pursue than the wealth and desires before them, such as faith or future security, but these are too far away for them."

Li Zheng fell silent, looking down at the bloodstains at his feet, lost in thought.

Qin An changed the subject: "Young Master Li, you just mentioned cutting off Pingxiang City's retreat route. You must have made significant contributions in that battle, right?"

Li Zheng shook his head: "These are just minor achievements. But you, it seems, have become a centurion. Congratulations!"

He was indeed a little surprised.

When they last met, Qin An was just a centurion in the logistics department, hardly a regular soldier.

But in such a short time, Qin An became a centurion.

This gave him the feeling that gold shines wherever it is.

Thinking of this, his eyes were full of admiration. "With your abilities, being a centurion is just the beginning."

"Young Master Li, you flatter me."

"I'm serious." Li Zheng looked at him earnestly. "Qin An, I have high hopes for you. Are you interested in joining my ranks? If the opportunity arises, I'll try to get you a captain's position. What do you say?"

It's recruitment again.

Qin An's heart stirred slightly, but he still shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Li, but Commandant Luo has been kind to me, and I cannot leave him at this time."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Li Zheng's eyes, but he did not press the matter further: "Very well, a gentleman does not force others to do things against their will. But Qin An, if you have any other ideas in the future, you can come to me at any time."

Thank you.

After walking for a while, Li Zheng suddenly said, "Qin An, if you want to climb higher, you'd better hurry up."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Li Zheng lowered his voice: "I have received news that Baekje is on the verge of collapse, and the high command is secretly contacting our envoys to discuss surrender."

"The reason His Majesty is urging the capture of Pingxiang City is that he wants to force them to submit as soon as possible with a great victory."

Qin An's heart skipped a beat: "So, the war is almost over?"

"That's most likely the case." Li Zheng nodded. "Daeheung has been at war for years, its treasury is empty, and internal strife has arisen. It can't afford to continue. As long as Baekje is willing to submit and pay tribute, Your Majesty may not be so ruthless as to exterminate them."

Qin An fell silent, a sense of urgency creeping into his heart.

This war is a rare opportunity for him.

The end of the war means that the path to military merit will soon come to an end.

He's only a centurion now, which is far from enough!