I walk sideways in the game world

Escort Lü wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling slightly. "It's a priceless treasure. It's said to be a night-shining pearl left behind by the imperial family of the previous dynasty!" Upon hearing this, Xia Lin couldn't help but gasp. A relic of the previous dynasty? The forces involved must be formidable. No wonder Escort Lü was so panicked. If word got out, this small escort agency would be swept into a massive vortex in an instant.

"Who commissioned you to escort this convoy?" Ren Xiaoyao asked, his tone a bit solemn. Lu, the escort leader, looked embarrassed and hesitant, "This... the client's identity is special. We signed a confidentiality agreement, so it's really inconvenient to disclose..." Seeing his composure, Ren Xiaoyao stopped asking questions and simply nodded slightly to show his understanding.

He stood up and patted Escort Chief Lu's shoulder, his tone firm, "Don't worry, Escort Chief Lu. Since your escort agency is facing difficulties, I, Ren Xiaoyao, will definitely not stand idly by. I'll go with you on this escort trip!" Xia Lin also stepped forward, gently took Escort Chief Lu's arm, and said softly, "Brother Lu, don't worry. With Xiaoyao and I here, we will definitely escort the treasure to a safe destination."

Escort Captain Lu looked at the two men with gratitude. He knew that with the assistance of the renowned leader of the Xiaoyao Alliance and the female Zhuge Xialin, this perilous escort mission might still hold a glimmer of hope. "Alliance leader, Miss Xialin, I, Lu, will never forget this kindness! Without further ado, let's pack up and set off tomorrow morning!" With that, Escort Captain Lu hurriedly went to arrange for his men to prepare.

Watching Lü's departing figure, Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin both knew that what awaited them would be a fraught with unknown challenges... As the night deepened, the lights in the escort agency remained brightly lit, as everyone made final preparations for the next day's departure. Escort vehicles were neatly lined up in the courtyard, and the escorts were carefully checking their weapons and equipment. The atmosphere was tense yet orderly.

At first light, the gates of the escort agency slowly opened, and carts laden with cargo filed out, their wheels churning as they sped off into the distance. At the front of the procession, Ren Xiaoyao, dressed in a tight suit, his gaze sharp as a torch, vigilantly observed his surroundings. The steed beneath him seemed to sense his master's state of mind, snorting from time to time and releasing puffs of white mist.

"Brother Xiaoyao, look!" Xia Lin followed Ren Xiaoyao on horseback, pointing her slender jade finger at a dense forest in the distance, "Is there anyone there?" Ren Xiaoyao followed Xia Lin's gaze and saw shadows in the depths of the dense forest, as if there were human figures swaying.

"Everyone, be alert! Maintain formation! Be careful!" Ren Xiaoyao ordered solemnly. Upon hearing this, the escorts tightened their grip on their weapons, their expressions becoming serious.

The escort vehicle slowly approached the dense forest. Suddenly, a sharp whistle broke the tranquility of the early morning. Dozens of men in black rushed out of the dense forest, holding swords and pounced on the escort team like wolves and tigers.

"Protect the escort carriage!" Lü, the escort leader, roared, drawing his long sword from his waist and taking the lead in engaging the enemy. The escorts also drew their weapons and engaged in a fierce battle with the men in black.

The black-clad men were numerous, and each one of them was skilled in martial arts. Although the escorts fought hard, they gradually fell into a disadvantage. At this moment, a figure flashed across the battlefield like lightning. Wherever he passed, the black-clad men fell to the ground, and the wailing was endless.

"It's Hero Ren!"

"Hero Ren has taken action!"

Seeing Ren Xiaoyao's display of prowess, the escorts' morale soared, and their offensive became fiercer. Ren Xiaoyao's form was like a ghost, his palms wielding fierce winds, and each move contained a powerful internal force, making it impossible for the men in black to get close. He fought several men in black alone, but he was not at a disadvantage. Instead, he became more courageous as the battle went on, his palms like knives, each move deadly.

"Their target is..." A man in black was knocked away by Ren Xiaoyao's palm, spitting blood from his mouth, but suddenly pointed at a escort car in the middle of the team and shouted with his last bit of strength, "That escort car..." He died before he finished speaking.

Ren Xiaoyao's gaze fixed on the escort vehicle, which was being desperately protected by several escorts, and a bad feeling suddenly arose in his heart. He was about to step forward to investigate when Xia Lin rode up to him, shook her head solemnly, and whispered, "Brother Xiaoyao, something's wrong..."

Xia Lin's brows furrowed as she spoke quickly but clearly, "Brother Xiaoyao, look at those men in black. Although their attacks were fierce, they avoided vital points with every strike, clearly intending no harm. Furthermore, they had a clear target; they only attacked the escort vehicle and never actually approached it. There must be something fishy going on!"

Ren Xiaoyao's heart raced upon hearing this. He observed carefully, and it was indeed as Xia Lin had said. He narrowed his eyes slightly, a gleam of light flashing across his face. "They're making a feint to the east and attacking in the west! Their target isn't the cargo in the escort vehicle, but..."

Before he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out from the depths of the dense forest. Dozens of men in black rushed out like black lightning, heading straight for the rear of the team. Ren Xiaoyao understood clearly that this was the real killer move! He leaped up and swooped down to the rear of the team like an eagle, shouting, "Be careful, Escort Captain! Their real target is you!"

Escort Captain Lu was shocked upon hearing this. Before he could react, he saw the group of men in black rushing towards him. Each of them wielded a longbow, and their arrows rained down on the escorts. The escorts were caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties.

"Despicable villain!" Ren Xiaoyao roared, his figure moving like a ghost through the rain of arrows. His palms swirled, shooting down the arrows aimed at the escorts one by one. His attacks were ruthless, each one deadly, and in a flash, he killed several men in black.

Xia Lin was no weakling. She dismounted, her long whip wielding like a snake, blocking every arrow fired at her. Her gaze was cold as she calmly directed the escorts to adjust their formation and resist the enemy's attack.

Seeing that their sneak attack had failed, the men in black abandoned their plan to attack the rear, turned their horses around, and launched another fierce attack on the escort carriage. Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin joined forces to fight the enemy. The two of them cooperated tacitly, attacking and defending with measured tactics, forcing the men in black to retreat step by step.

Seeing their plan fail, the leader of the men in black let out a sharp whistle, and the remaining men in black retreated back into the dense forest like a tide, disappearing without a trace in an instant. Ren Xiaoyao was about to give chase, but Xia Lin stopped him, saying, "Don't chase a desperate enemy! They've set a trap, and there must be an ambush in the dense forest. We can't pursue them rashly."

Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, turned to look at Lu Biaotou, and asked in a deep voice, "Lu Biaotou, do you know where these people came from and why they attacked you?"

Lu Biaotou's face was pale and terrified. He said in a trembling voice, "This...this..."

Lu Biaotou's face was pale and he was still in shock. His voice was trembling a little. "This... this batch of goods is... is..." He hesitated, his eyes flickering, as if he had something to hide.

Ren Xiaoyao frowned slightly upon seeing this. He patted Lu Biaotou on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Lu Biaotou, don't panic. If you have anything to say, just tell me. I will do my best to help you."

Xia Lin also stepped forward and said softly, "Captain Lu, don't worry. Brother Xiaoyao and I are here to protect you."

With the two men's comfort, Lu Biaotou finally calmed down a bit. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "This batch of goods is... for Qingyun Village!"

"Qingyun Village?" Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exchanged glances, each seeing surprise in the other's eyes. Qingyun Village was a renowned bandit stronghold in the Jianghu. They robbed the rich and helped the poor, earning them the love of the people. However, this also antagonized many powerful forces in the Jianghu.

"Could it be that someone wants..." Xia Lin frowned, and had a vague guess in her mind.

"That's right!" said Lü Biaotou with a bitter face. "Qingyun Village was recently attacked and the village chief was seriously injured. He urgently needs a precious medicinal herb to save his life. This batch of goods contains that herb."

Ren Xiaoyao suddenly understood. No wonder those men in black avoided the vital points. It was obvious that they wanted to kill people to silence them and cover up the truth.

"Don't worry, Captain Lu, I will escort you safely to Qingyun Village." Ren Xiaoyao said in a firm tone, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Lü Biaotou burst into tears, "Thank you so much, young man! Thank you so much, young man!"

Ren Xiaoyao waved his hand, signaling him not to be so polite. He knew in his heart that this matter was far from as simple as it appeared. Those men in black were well-trained and ruthless, and they were definitely not ordinary guerrillas. There must be a greater conspiracy hidden behind them.

At this moment, Ren Xiaoyao's eyes accidentally swept across the body of a man in black on the ground. His pupils suddenly shrank, and he walked forward quickly, squatted down, and took a closer look.

"What's wrong?" Seeing that he looked strange, Xia Lin also walked over.

Ren Xiaoyao did not answer, but reached out and gently opened the collar of the man in black, revealing a black token with a lifelike... blood-red bat engraved on it!

"Blood Shadow Sect!" Ren Xiaoyao and Xia Lin exclaimed at the same time.