I walk sideways in the game world

Deafening cries of killing spread from far away, while flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the night sky like day. The joyous laughter and cheers of the celebration banquet were instantly shattered by this sudden change, and the air was filled with a suffocating fear and anxiety.

"Report - the enemy army has broken through the three border cities and is approaching our camp!" The soldier covered in blood shouted the last words at the top of his lungs, then fell to the ground and was silent.

"How could it be so fast?!" Deputy General Qian's face turned pale, and he muttered to himself in disbelief. The border was at least half a month's journey away from here. How could the enemy break through the defense line so quickly? Could it be...

He suddenly turned his head to look at Ren Xiaoyao, but saw that the other party also had a frown on his face, his eyes full of solemnity.

"Brother Xiaoyao, could it be..." Xia Lin's face turned pale and she seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Ren Xiaoyao clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice: "Pass the order, all troops gather and prepare to meet the enemy!"

Although his heart was filled with doubts and anxieties, at this moment, he had to react as quickly as possible.

The military order was as strong as a mountain, and the once noisy camp suddenly became orderly. The soldiers quickly put on their armor, picked up their weapons, and assembled to wait for orders.

However, the enemy's attack came too suddenly and fiercely, and a sense of unease inevitably spread among the army.

"How could the enemy possibly know our location?"

"Someone must have leaked the news!"

"Have we been ambushed?"

Various speculations and rumors spread among the crowd, and the morale of the army began to waver.

Xia Lin walked up to Ren Xiaoyao with a serious expression and whispered, "Brother Xiaoyao, I just received news that the enemy's intelligence network seems to be very accurate. They not only know our location, but even our defense deployment."

"What?!" Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to his heart.

"Could it be..." A terrible thought came to his mind. If this was true, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"General Xiaoyao, the enemy is coming with great force. How should we respond?" Deputy General Qian asked anxiously.

Ren Xiaoyao didn't say anything, but just stared at the map on the sand table, constantly analyzing the current situation in his mind.

"General, in my humble opinion, we should..." Advisor Wu stepped forward and was about to speak, but was interrupted by Ren Xiaoyao.

He raised his head, glanced sharply at everyone in the tent, and said in a deep voice: "Pass the order down, all troops..."

"Pass the order down, the entire army immediately abandon the frontier camp and retreat to the Black Wind Valley!" Ren Xiaoyao stood up suddenly, his tone filled with unquestionable determination.

Everyone in the tent was stunned and looked at each other.

"General, the terrain of Black Wind Valley is complex and easy to defend but difficult to attack, but once we retreat, we will lose all initiative. I'm afraid..." Deputy General Qian was the first to break the silence, with a hint of worry in his tone.

"I know what you're worried about," Ren Xiaoyao's deep gaze fell on the sand table, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop. "But we have no choice now. The enemy is coming with such force, and their intelligence network is so accurate. A head-on confrontation is very disadvantageous to us. The only way to deal with them is to take advantage of the terrain of the Black Wind Valley."

"General, you are wise! I have a plan that can lure the enemy deep into our territory and annihilate them in one fell swoop!" Strategist Wu clapped his hands in praise, then leaned close to Ren Xiaoyao's ear and whispered a few words.

After listening to this, Ren Xiaoyao frowned slightly. After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Although this plan is feasible, it is extremely risky. If you are not careful, you will fall into an irretrievable situation. Are you sure you want to take such a risk?"

"In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken! Besides, I believe in the general's ability and the courage of our soldiers!" Wu Moushi spoke in a firm tone, with a confident light in his eyes.

Ren Xiaoyao stared at him for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Okay! I'll follow your plan!"

Military orders were as heavy as a mountain. The generals of each unit quickly received the orders and began to prepare for retreat and defense.

Deputy General Qian was responsible for leading a group of soldiers to stay behind and cover the retreat of the main force. However, when he deployed the defense line, he found that some soldiers were demoralized and even showed signs of fear of fighting.

"What's going on? The enemy hasn't even attacked yet, and you're so scared?!" Deputy General Qian shouted angrily, his eyes full of disappointment and anger.

"Deputy General, it's not that we are afraid of death, it's just..." A soldier stammered and stopped talking.

"Just what? Say it!"

"It's just... we heard that the enemy came well prepared this time. Not only are they strong in numbers, but they also have experts helping them. We... we are no match for them at all..."

Upon hearing this, Deputy General Qian's heart sank. He looked around and found that the faces of the surrounding soldiers were filled with fear and anxiety. They were obviously intimidated by the enemy's momentum.

"Nonsense! No matter how strong the enemy is, they are just a mob. We are brave and good at fighting, so what should we be afraid of?!" Deputy General Qian shouted loudly, trying to boost morale.

However, his words seemed pale and powerless, and the soldiers' faces were still full of anxiety.

Deputy General Qian's suspicions grew even greater. The enemy was so well-informed, even the soldiers knew about it. Perhaps there was a deeper conspiracy...

As night fell, Ren Xiaoyao paced alone in his tent, his brow furrowed. While Wu's strategy was bold, it was also extremely risky. A single misstep could lead to total failure. He had to be thoroughly prepared to minimize the losses.

"Boom boom boom——"

"Come in."

The curtain was gently lifted, and Xia Lin walked in lightly, holding a bowl of steaming ginseng soup in her hand.

"Brother Xiaoyao, it's late at night. Drink a bowl of ginseng soup to warm your body." Xia Lin put the ginseng soup on the table, walked behind Ren Xiaoyao, and gently massaged his shoulders.

Ren Xiaoyao closed his eyes and enjoyed a moment of tranquility. Xia Lin's arrival made his tense nerves relax a little.

"Brother Xiaoyao, are you worried about tomorrow's battle?" Xia Lin asked softly, with a hint of concern in her tone.

"Yes." Ren Xiaoyao opened his eyes and looked deeply at the sand table in front of him. He said in a serious tone, "The enemy this time is extraordinary. I have a feeling that this war will be an unprecedented fierce battle."

Charlene didn't say anything, but just stood quietly behind him, gently massaging his shoulders, silently giving him support and encouragement.

"Brother Xiaoyao..." Xia Lin suddenly spoke after a moment, with a hint of hesitation in her tone, "I... I received news..." "Brother Xiaoyao..." Xia Lin suddenly spoke after a moment, with a hint of hesitation in her tone, "I... I received news that the enemy's vanguard arrived near the Black Wind Valley half a day earlier than expected."

Ren Xiaoyao turned around abruptly, grabbed Xia Lin's shoulders, and asked anxiously, "Is the news reliable?"

Xia Lin nodded firmly, her tone solemn, "It's absolutely true. The information I planted inside the enemy army risked my life to pass on, and it can't be wrong."

Ren Xiaoyao's face darkened upon hearing this. Arriving half a day early meant the enemy was fully aware of their movements, and intelligence leaks were an indisputable fact!

"Damn it! There must be a spy inside!" Ren Xiaoyao said with gritted teeth, a cold glint in his eyes. "It seems that we are already at a disadvantage before the battle even starts."

"Brother Xiaoyao, don't worry. We will definitely find this traitor," Xia Lin soothed softly, reaching out to gently smooth his furrowed brow. "The most important thing now is that we adjust our deployment as quickly as possible to prepare for the enemy's surprise attack."

"You're right." Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "Pass the order down, all generals, gather in the conference room immediately. I have something important to announce!"

It was a dark night when several dark shadows quietly sneaked into the conference room. They were the trusted generals that Ren Xiaoyao had secretly summoned.

"Everyone, the situation has changed." Ren Xiaoyao glanced at everyone with a serious expression and said in a deep voice, "The enemy's vanguard has arrived near the Black Wind Valley. We have a spy among us!"

When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked and began to talk about it.

"General, how is this possible? How could there be a spy among us?"

"Yes, we are loyal to the general and would never betray him!"

"Quiet!" Ren Xiaoyao shouted, and everyone fell silent. "I know you are loyal to me, but the facts are before us, and we have to be on guard."

"General, what should we do now?" asked a general.

"The most urgent task is to find this spy!" A cold light flashed in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes. "I have arranged for people to investigate secretly. I believe there will be results soon."

"General, don't worry. We will fully cooperate to find this traitor and tear him into pieces!" Several generals said indignantly.

For the next few days, the entire military camp was enveloped in a tense atmosphere. Ren Xiaoyao and his trusted generals investigated day and night, and finally identified several suspects.

Just as the investigation was about to yield results, a soldier suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a note that read, "There's more than one traitor." After reading it, Ren Xiaoyao's face turned pale and he crumpled the note in his hand...

Ren Xiaoyao clutched the note, his knuckles white and veins bulging. Scrawled across it were the words "There's more than one traitor." The handwriting was sloppy, yet it weighed heavily on his heart like a thousand-pound boulder. The soldier's disappearance was mysterious, and the message he'd left behind before leaving was like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirring up ripples.

"General, this..." Deputy General Qian's tone was clearly panicked, "What should we do?"

Ren Xiaoyao said nothing, simply clutching the note tightly in his palm. His already fierce eyes were now filled with a murderous aura. He turned abruptly and strode towards the map hanging on the wall, his gaze piercing as he scanned every mark on the map that represented Black Wind Valley.

"Master Wu, what do you think?" Ren Xiaoyao asked in a deep voice.

Advisor Wu, who had been silent the entire time, stepped forward and carefully examined the map, his brow furrowed. "General, this is suspicious. The missing soldier is of low status. Logically, he shouldn't know about the 'traitor,' let alone 'more than one person.' I'm afraid there's something else going on."

"You mean, someone did it on purpose?" Ren Xiaoyao's tone was cold.

"It's very likely." Advisor Wu nodded. "The other side's move is intended to disrupt the morale of the army and make us lose our composure."

"What a trick!" Ren Xiaoyao said with gritted teeth, "Pass the order to seal off the barracks and investigate this matter thoroughly! Also, strengthen patrols to prevent enemy attacks!"

"Yes!" Deputy General Qian took the order and left. Only Ren Xiaoyao, Xia Lin and Wu Moushi were left in the conference room.

"Brother Xiaoyao, what should we do now?" Xia Lin asked worriedly. The enemy was approaching, and such changes had occurred internally. The situation was very unfavorable to them.

"Don't worry, Lin'er, I know what I'm doing." Ren Xiaoyao gently patted Xia Lin's hand, signaling her to be at ease. However, the seriousness in his eyes betrayed his current mood.

At this moment, a soldier ran in in a panic, "General, something terrible has happened, Marshal Sima..."