I walk sideways in the game world

The appearance of Sect Leader Ouyang dashed Ren Xiaoyao's original plan to return to the palace quietly. The events surrounding the mysterious organization and the red light were too bizarre, and he hadn't yet figured out how to explain them to the emperor. However, now that the entire martial arts world knew about his "turning the tide," he could no longer conceal the truth.

Surrounded by the crowd, Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin returned to the palace. Upon hearing the news, the emperor immediately summoned them.

"Xiaoyao, you've done a great deed again this time!" The emperor was delighted and gestured for them to stand up. "Tell me quickly, what's going on?"

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin looked at each other and told the emperor everything that had happened, including the strange red light, and the secret room and evidence they found in the mysterious organization's base.

After hearing this, the emperor's expression gradually grew serious. He picked up a token on the table, which was one of the evidences that Ren Xiaoyao brought back from the secret room.

"I seem to have seen this thing somewhere..." The emperor frowned and fell into deep thought.

"Your Majesty, will this be related to..." Eunuch Zhao on the side hesitated to speak and looked at Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin.

The emperor waved his hand and said, "It's okay, they are not outsiders."

Eunuch Zhao then leaned over to the emperor's ear and whispered something. The emperor's face immediately turned livid. "How ridiculous! How audacious!"

He slammed the table and glared at Ren Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, you've done a great deed this time! If it weren't for you, I would still be kept in the dark!"

It turned out that the token was a forbidden item in the palace, and only the emperor's closest relatives could access it. Eunuch Zhao had just reminded the emperor that the pattern on the token was exactly the same as the seal of a royal family member who had disappeared a few years ago.

All of this seems to point to a terrible truth: someone wants to use the power of a mysterious organization to overthrow the imperial power!

"Xiaoyao, don't worry. I will investigate this matter thoroughly and give an explanation to the people of the world!" A cold glint flashed in the emperor's eyes. "To commend your achievements, I have decided to confer upon you the title of 'Great Protector of the Nation' and grant you a thousand taels of gold and a hundred acres of fertile farmland!"

Ren Xiaoyao quickly knelt down to express his gratitude. He knew that this was not only an honor, but also a responsibility.

"Xiaoyao, I have a favor to ask of you." The emperor's voice softened. "I have witnessed your martial arts prowess and wisdom. I hope you can stay in the palace and serve as my personal guard. Are you willing?"

Becoming the emperor's personal bodyguard meant possessing greater power and influence. Ren Xiaoyao paused for a moment, and was about to answer when Xia Lin gently tugged at his sleeve, a hint of worry flashing in her beautiful eyes.

"His Majesty……"

Ren Xiaoyao raised his head, about to speak, when Xia Lin gently tugged at his sleeve, a flicker of worry in her beautiful eyes. He understood Xia Lin's concerns. While becoming the emperor's personal bodyguard was an unparalleled honor, it also meant being thrust deeper into the center of the vortex of power, with no control over what was happening.

"Your Majesty, I dare to speak on Xiaoyao's behalf." Xia Lin suddenly knelt, her tone respectful yet firm. "Xiaoyao is a free-spirited person, who simply wants to live a leisurely life. Now that he bears the title of 'Great Protector of the Nation', he should care about the world instead of being confined within the palace walls."

After hearing this, the emperor pondered for a moment, then burst into laughter. "What a heartful person! Xiaoyao, your confidante is truly extraordinary! I won't force you. How about you just walk around the world as a 'national protector' and secretly help me investigate this evil force?"

"Your Majesty, I obey!" Ren Xiaoyao bowed again in thanks, secretly relieved. He knew this was the best outcome at the moment, one that would allow him to protect himself while continuing to investigate the truth.

After the Emperor's birthday banquet, Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin moved into the palace's designated courtyard. As a "national hero," Ren Xiaoyao was treated with unprecedented courtesy. Court officials flocked to visit him, hoping to befriend this newly ascended dignitary.

At a banquet, Ren Xiaoyao met Li Yunfei, the son of the then Prime Minister. Li Yunfei was a man of great demeanor and eloquence, and he admired Ren Xiaoyao greatly. The two got along very well and soon became friends.

"Brother Xiaoyao, you've just arrived and don't know much about the affairs of the court." One day, Li Yunfei invited Ren Xiaoyao to his house as a guest. During the meal, he lowered his voice and said, "The court may seem calm now, but undercurrents are surging..."

Ren Xiaoyao remained expressionless, listening quietly. Li Yunfei continued, "Father is old, and the Crown Prince and several other princes are all eyeing the throne. The ministers in the court have also taken sides, and the struggles are ongoing, both open and covert..."

"What do these things have to do with me?" Ren Xiaoyao said lightly, but he knew in his heart that Li Yunfei revealed this information intentionally or unintentionally, and it was definitely not just idle chat.

"Brother Xiaoyao, you're a smart man. I don't need to explain some things too clearly." Li Yunfei raised his glass and said meaningfully, "You're in the center of this storm right now, so you have to be extra careful!"

After seeing Li Yunfei off, Ren Xiaoyao returned to his room and fell into deep thought. He knew that although he was free in name only, he had actually been involved in the power struggle within the court.

"Xiaoyao, what are you thinking about?" Xia Lin walked in with a cup of tea. Seeing Ren Xiaoyao frowning, she asked with concern.

"Nothing." Ren Xiaoyao forced a smile, not wanting to make Xia Lin worry.

At this moment, there was a slight knock on the door. Ren Xiaoyao stood up alertly, walked to the door, and gently opened it.

"Master Ren, it's this old servant." Standing outside the door was Eunuch Zhao, who smiled mysteriously. "The Emperor requests you and Miss Xia Lin to go to the Imperial Study. He has something important to discuss."

Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin followed Eunuch Zhao to the imperial study, where the emperor was sitting in front of the dragon desk reviewing memorials.

"Xiaoyao, you're here." The emperor put down the memorial in his hand and gestured for them to sit down. "I have found some clues about the mysterious organization and the token..."

The emperor spoke in a low voice, his eyes gleaming with a chilling light. He handed a secret report to Ren Xiaoyao and continued, "This matter is far more complicated than we imagined..."

Ren Xiaoyao took the secret report, opened it, and his expression suddenly became solemn. The contents of the secret report made him realize that what he had encountered before was just the tip of the iceberg. The real danger was just beginning to surface...

"I hope you can secretly investigate this matter and make sure to find out the truth!" The emperor's voice echoed in the empty imperial study. "This matter concerns the safety of our dynasty. I can only trust you..."

"Your Majesty, I obey!" Ren Xiaoyao took the secret report with both hands, his tone firm. He knew that he was about to embark on a thorny road, and no one could predict whether the end of this road would be light or darkness...

"Oh, there's one more thing..." The emperor seemed to remember something and took out a jade pendant from his sleeve and handed it to Ren Xiaoyao, "Take this jade pendant. If you encounter any danger, you can use it..."

Before the emperor could finish his words, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door, followed by a panicked voice... "Report—" An armored soldier stumbled into the imperial study, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a hurried tone, "Your Majesty, urgent news from the border! Barbarians are invading, the situation is critical!"

The emperor's face suddenly changed, and the jade pendant in his hand fell to the ground and broke into two pieces. He stood up suddenly and asked in a stern voice, "How many troops are there? Which general is leading them?"

"Your Majesty, the barbarians are coming with great force this time, with a force of 100,000, led by their wolf king himself. They have already captured three border cities, and the border guards..." The soldier's voice trembled when he said this, and he seemed afraid to continue.

"Speak!" roared the emperor.

"The border guard...died a heroic death for his country!" After the soldier said this, he buried his head deeply in the ground, not daring to look at the emperor again.

The atmosphere in the imperial study suddenly became extremely solemn. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exchanged glances, each seeing a solemn expression in the other's eyes. A barbarian invasion was no small matter; the slightest carelessness could lead to the destruction of the nation and the family!

"Xiaoyao, leave immediately and head to the border to investigate!" The emperor suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Remember, you must find out the true purpose of this barbarian invasion! I will allocate 5,000 elite troops to you, and the shadow guards will also secretly obey your orders!"

"I obey your command!" Ren Xiaoyao clasped his fists and accepted the order. He knew that the burden on his shoulders had become heavier.

The emperor nodded, then turned to look at Eunuch Zhao and ordered, "Eunuch Zhao, you personally make arrangements and ensure that Hero Ren arrives safely at the border!"

"I obey your order!" Eunuch Zhao bowed and responded, then quickly left the imperial study.

As the emperor watched Eunuch Zhao leave, a trace of fatigue appeared on his face. He waved his hand, signaling Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin to leave as well.

"Xiaoyao, it's extremely dangerous to go to the border, you have to be careful!" Xia Lin said worriedly.

"Don't worry, I will take good care of myself." Ren Xiaoyao gently patted the back of Xia Lin's hand and comforted her, "You should also be careful. Things are not peaceful in the palace."

"I know." Xia Lin nodded and watched Ren Xiaoyao leave.

After Ren Xiaoyao left, Xia Lin was not idle. She knew that Ren Xiaoyao's trip to the border meant that his investigation into the mysterious organization would have to be put on hold for the time being, and that staying in the palace would be a good opportunity for her to continue gathering intelligence.

With her extraordinary wisdom and means, Xia Lin quickly became friends with some concubines and palace maids in the harem, and extracted a lot of secrets about the court and the harem from them.

At the same time, Ren Xiaoyao also used his identity as a "national hero" to secretly investigate the corrupt forces in the court. He found that some officials in the court, while appearing to be righteous on the surface, were colluding with unscrupulous businessmen, taking bribes and exploiting the people.

Ren Xiaoyao recorded the evidence of these people's crimes one by one, preparing to catch them all in one fell swoop when the time was right.

One day, a grand banquet was held in the palace to celebrate a great victory at the border. Although Ren Xiaoyao was at the border, he received the emperor's order, ordering him to return to the palace as soon as possible to attend the celebration banquet.

The celebration banquet was filled with singing and dancing, clinking glasses, and a lively atmosphere. However, Ren Xiaoyao had no intention of enjoying the joy of victory. His eyes kept scanning everyone at the banquet, trying to find the person who was related to the mysterious organization.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on a man in black sitting in the corner. The man was thin and pale, but his eyes flashed with a cold light, which was out of tune with the lively atmosphere around him.

Ren Xiaoyao's heart moved, and he calmly held the wine glass and walked towards the man...

Inside the resplendent palace, the sound of stringed instruments echoed, elegant women appeared, and a scene of prosperity and joy arose. Ren Xiaoyao, clad in finery and holding a wine glass, scanned every attendee with a hawk-like gaze. His return to the palace was not only for the celebration but, more importantly, to uncover the mysterious organization lurking in the shadows.

The appearance of the man in black set off alarm bells in Ren Xiaoyao's heart. He approached calmly, seemingly casually exchanging pleasantries with the surrounding officials, but in reality, he was secretly observing the man's actions. The man kept his head down and remained silent, as if indifferent to everything around him.

"This gentleman looks unfamiliar. I wonder which gentleman he is?" Ren Xiaoyao asked the official beside him casually.

"Oh, that's the newly appointed Yuanwailang of the Ministry of Revenue, his surname is Li." The official was obviously not familiar with the man surnamed Li and just gave a brief introduction.

Ren Xiaoyao nodded calmly, but a storm of anxiety surged within him. The Ministry of Revenue controlled the nation's finances, and the fact that this young man surnamed Li held such a prominent position was truly suspicious. He decided to test the waters.

"Why is Lord Li drinking alone? It's such a nice day, why don't you have a few drinks with us?" Ren Xiaoyao walked up to the man named Li with a glass of wine and greeted him warmly.

The man surnamed Li seemed a little surprised. He looked up at Ren Xiaoyao, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes, but then he regained his composure. He slowly stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I am not feeling well and cannot drink. I hope you will forgive me."

"You are too polite, Lord Li." Ren Xiaoyao did not force it, but said meaningfully, "Health is the capital of revolution, Lord Li, please take care of yourself." After that, he raised his glass, drank it all, turned and left.

The man surnamed Li's eyes followed Ren Xiaoyao's figure until he disappeared into the crowd. He then slowly withdrew his gaze, a sneer curling up at the corner of his mouth. He put down his wine glass and quietly left the banquet.

Ren Xiaoyao was keenly aware of the man surnamed Li's power. He did not alert him, but instead used the excuse of changing clothes to quietly follow him. He wanted to see who this man surnamed Li was and what his relationship was to that mysterious organization.

He followed the man surnamed Li all the way to a remote palace. He saw the man surnamed Li push the door open and enter, and his figure quickly disappeared into the darkness. Ren Xiaoyao did not act rashly. He hid his figure outside the palace and waited quietly.

As the night deepened, a low voice suddenly rang out from within the palace. Ren Xiaoyao held his breath and quietly approached, only to hear a familiar voice: "...How is the plan going?"

It was the voice of that mysterious man! Ren Xiaoyao's heart trembled, and he moved closer to the wall more carefully, wanting to hear more clearly.

"Everything is going well, just waiting..." the man surnamed Li answered in a low voice.

What exactly were they plotting? Ren Xiaoyao was filled with doubts and uneasiness, so he decided to take a risk and find out. He gently pushed open the window, jumped out, and sneaked into the palace...

"Master Ouyang, Miss Lin, long time no see." Ren Xiaoyao bowed with a solemn look on his face.