I walk sideways in the game world

Chapter 161 The bloody battle on the empire's border begins

The atmosphere in the Golden Throne Hall was so solemn it seemed frozen. The urgent news from the border was like a hammer, shattering the empire's brief tranquility. The enemy nation had brazenly invaded, their cavalry rolling in. Dozens of cities along the empire's borders were in dire straits. The flames of war had reached the very doorstep.

"Xiaoyao, what should we do now?" The emperor's old voice was filled with obvious fatigue and worry. He looked for help to His Highness Ren Xiaoyao, the young general who had made great military achievements for the empire in recent years.

Ren Xiaoyao took the battle report and scanned it quickly, his expression gradually growing grim. The enemy was advancing with great force, clearly well prepared, and the border defenders were caught off guard, losing ground step by step. The situation was precarious. He put the report down, his hawk-like eyes scanning the crowd in the hall, and he said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops to defend our imperial territory, not an inch of it will be surrendered!"

"Very well! I will appoint you as the Grand Marshal of the Northern Expedition, giving you full responsibility for this war!" The emperor took a deep breath and handed the tiger talisman, a symbol of supreme power, to Ren Xiaoyao. "Xiaoyao, I and the people of the empire trust you!"

Ren Xiaoyao took the tiger talisman, knelt on one knee, and answered in a resounding voice: "I will definitely live up to the emperor's trust!"

The next day, Ren Xiaoyao took to the battlefield, leading an army of 100,000 elite soldiers on a mighty march to the northern border. Along the way, he kept receiving the latest battle reports, indicating that the enemy's offensive was fierce and the situation was becoming increasingly critical.

After arriving at the front, Ren Xiaoyao immediately joined up with General Sun who was stationed there. General Sun was a veteran of the empire, experienced and brave, but facing the powerful offensive of the enemy, he also felt that he was alone and could not hold his own.

"General Xiaoyao, you're finally here!" General Sun saw Ren Xiaoyao and rushed forward as if he had seen a savior. "The enemy is strong and our army has suffered heavy losses. Let's think of a solution!"

Ren Xiaoyao nodded solemnly, and together with General Sun, they approached the map, carefully observing the enemy and our forces' deployments and the terrain. After some discussion, the two of them formulated a detailed battle plan, preparing for a decisive battle with the enemy.

"Report——"

At this moment, a scout hurried into the tent, knelt on one knee, and reported: "General, we have discovered unidentified people moving around near the enemy camp, and it is suspected that..."

The scout paused and lowered his voice, saying, "It seems to be the Phantom!"

"Phantom" is a mysterious intelligence organization in the Jianghu. It is said that they are omnipresent and know everything, even the Empire's intelligence network cannot compare. And the leader of "Phantom" is none other than...

"Is there any news about Xia Lin?" Ren Xiaoyao's heart moved, and a premonition came to his mind.

As soon as the scout finished speaking, Ren Xiaoyao felt a fragrant breeze and a ghostly figure appeared in the tent. It was Xia Lin, still dressed in black, her face covered by a veil, revealing only a pair of clear, bright eyes.

"Xiaoyao, long time no see." Xia Lin's voice was like a solitary orchid in a valley, soft but with a hint of imperceptible coldness.

"Why are you here?" Ren Xiaoyao asked in a low voice, a hint of worry in his eyes. The battlefield was dangerous, and he didn't want Xia Lin to put herself in danger.

Xia Lin smiled softly and handed a jade slip to Ren Xiaoyao. "This is the enemy intelligence I collected for you. It includes their troop deployment, food and fodder transportation routes, and even their commander's preferences."

Ren Xiaoyao took the jade slip and was shocked. He knew that with this information, the imperial army would have an absolute advantage in the next battle.

"Thank you, Xia Lin." Ren Xiaoyao said sincerely. He knew that Xia Lin must have taken a great risk in order to collect this information.

"Between you and me, why should I thank you?" Xia Lin smiled faintly, turned around and disappeared into the night, as quietly as she came.

Over the next few days, Ren Xiaoyao, relying on the intelligence provided by Xia Lin, had a complete understanding of the enemy's movements. He skillfully set up ambushes and repeatedly inflicted heavy damage on the enemy, halting their offensive momentum. However, they still held a numerical advantage and refused to retreat easily.

"General Xiaoyao, the enemy is coming with great force. We can no longer passively defend like this. We must take the initiative to attack!" General Sun said anxiously. The battles in recent days made him exhausted, but he still maintained a high fighting spirit.

Ren Xiaoyao looked at the map and fell into deep thought. He knew that General Sun was right and that the situation must be reversed as soon as possible, otherwise it would be disadvantageous to the imperial army if it dragged on.

"General Sun, you lead 50,000 elite soldiers..." Ren Xiaoyao pointed to a location behind the enemy on the map, a confident smile on his face, "Burn their food supplies!"

The night deepened, the stars dim, as if foreshadowing the impending battle. General Sun, obeying his orders, led 50,000 elite troops, silently thrusting into the night like a sharp knife. They skirted towering mountains, traversed dense forests, and penetrated directly into the enemy's rear. Along the way, they held their breath, lighting no torches, making no sound, moving like ghosts through the darkness.

The enemy was completely unaware of this and continued to sing and dance in the camp, celebrating their impending victory, but they were unaware that the shadow of death had quietly descended.

"kill!"

A roar pierced the night sky as General Sun led his elite troops into the enemy camp. A raging fire shot up into the sky, igniting the grain and haystacks, and the flames illuminated half the sky red.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Chaos and panic spread among the enemy troops, who rushed around like headless flies, with no plan in sight. The destruction of their food and fodder was undoubtedly a fatal blow to the enemy, and their morale plummeted.

When the news reached the front line, the enemy marshal was furious. He never expected that the imperial army, which was always known for its defense, would dare to take the initiative to attack and even successfully burned his food supplies.

"Ren Xiaoyao! I want you to pay for your blood debt with blood!"

The enemy marshal roared in anger and rushed out of the tent without hesitation, heading straight for Ren Xiaoyao. He knew that this battle was no longer a simple battle of victory or defeat, but a decisive battle for his own survival.

Ren Xiaoyao had already expected that the enemy marshal would personally take action. He stood calmly in front of the formation, the long sword in his hand flashing with a cold light.

"Come on! Let me see how capable you are!"

Before the battle lines, Ren Xiaoyao and the enemy marshal stood face to face, a fateful clash imminent. The enemy marshal stood eight feet tall, broad-shouldered and round-waisted. He wielded a massive axe with unwavering force, his every strike carrying the power to split mountains and shatter rock. Ren Xiaoyao, agile and skilled with his swordsmanship, relied on speed to prevail, effortlessly managing the marshal's onslaught.

Weapons clashed, sparks flew, and the two figures fought back and forth on the battlefield, unable to distinguish. Ren Xiaoyao seized on the enemy marshal's eagerness to win and deliberately exposed a flaw. The enemy marshal fell for it and swung his giant axe with the force of thunder, chopping down at Ren Xiaoyao's head.

"go to hell!"

Just as the axe was about to fall, a cold smile suddenly appeared on Ren Xiaoyao's lips. He shook the longsword in his hand, and a flash of cold light flashed... In a split second, Ren Xiaoyao dodged the axe's sharp edge and, like a venomous snake, stabbed the enemy marshal's chest. The enemy marshal was unable to dodge and screamed in agony, a deep wound on his chest visible to the bone.

"You..." The enemy marshal covered his wound with his hands, his face full of disbelief. He never thought that he would be defeated by Ren Xiaoyao.

Ren Xiaoyao did not give him any chance to breathe. The sword flashed like a rainbow and every move was deadly. The enemy marshal was defeated step by step and was finally stabbed in the throat by Ren Xiaoyao's sword and fell in a pool of blood.

The enemy's leader's death threw them into disarray, and they fled in all directions, abandoning their weapons and armor. Ren Xiaoyao, leading the imperial army, pursued them with unstoppable force, driving the enemy back from the empire's borders. Fifty thousand elite troops led by General Sun also attacked from the rear. The two armies attacked from both sides, crushing the enemy army and causing heavy casualties.

As the sun set, blood stained half the sky red. Standing on the hillside, Ren Xiaoyao watched the enemy retreat like a tide, a flood of emotion welling up in his heart. In this battle, the imperial army had won with overwhelming superiority, defending the empire's territory. And in this war, Ren Xiaoyao had also established his reputation as a god of war.

"General! We won! We won!" The soldiers cheered and celebrated this hard-won victory.

Ren Xiaoyao showed a relieved smile on his face. He turned to look at Xia Lin beside him and said, "Thanks to the intelligence you sent us in time, we were able to prepare in advance and win this battle."

Xia Lin smiled slightly and said, "This is what I should do. By the way, I have another piece of information here that might interest you."

As she spoke, Xia Lin took out a piece of letter from her sleeve and handed it to Ren Xiaoyao.

Ren Xiaoyao took the letter, opened it, and his expression suddenly became solemn.

"This……"

"What's wrong?" Charlene asked.

"Take a look for yourself." Ren Xiaoyao handed the letter to Xia Lin.

Charlene took the letter, read it carefully, and her face turned ugly.

"How could this happen? The Left Prime Minister..."

"It seems that this war is not as simple as we thought." A cold light flashed in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes, "Let's go to the palace to meet the emperor!"

……

Imperial Palace, Imperial Study Room.

"Your Majesty, I have something important to report!" Ren Xiaoyao knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice.

The emperor put down the memorial in his hand, frowned slightly, and asked, "What is your wish, my dear? Please tell me quickly."

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exchanged a glance, then he pulled out a piece of letter from his pocket, presented it with both hands, and said, "Your Majesty, please take a look!"

The emperor took the letter, opened it, and his face changed drastically.

"This...this..." The emperor pointed at the letter, his fingers trembling, and he was speechless for a long time.

On the letter was the evidence of the left prime minister's collusion with the enemy country!