The front line was a chaotic battlefield.
Xiao Ye, mounted on a warhorse, charged forward, leading his soldiers with bloodshot eyes!
His sword had slain countless foreign soldiers. Because of Xiao Ye's valiant fighting, the soldiers were infected by his morale and fought fearlessly, heedless of life and death.
This forced the foreign forces into repeated retreats, yet they did not cease their attacks.
It only gave Xiao Ye and his men a brief moment to rest.
"Lord Xiao, I heard that this final offensive from the foreign country has even allied with a neighboring country to dispatch troops. We might not be able to hold them off!"
Inside the military tent, a subordinate knelt before Xiao Ye, having received secret intelligence.
The military commanders in the camp also grew solemn upon hearing that the foreign forces were about to launch an even fiercer assault.
They looked at Xiao Ye, who had donned his armor, and said with trepidation, "We have already lost ten thousand elite soldiers. The next offensive will be difficult to fight. Lord Xiao, should we retreat?"
If the foreign country and its neighbor joined forces, they feared complete annihilation.
The front line could not be breached. Once it fell, it would usher in a crisis for the dynasty.
However, their troops were depleted from the previous engagements and somewhat exhausted.
They did not know how many would attack in the next wave.
This presented a difficult choice for Xiao Ye.
A contemplative expression appeared on Xiao Ye's face. He then looked at the anxious military commanders and said, "If we retreat, it means our dynasty has lost. Inform everyone now. If anyone wishes to withdraw their troops, they may do so. The military camp will not brand them as deserters."
He did not force the soldiers and generals to continue defending, which was a truly admirable stance.
Countless soldiers and generals who had fought in the previous wave did not become deserters.
Their voices were hoarse as they cried, "The dynasty will surely win! We fight! Fight! Fight!"
The military commanders, witnessing the grand scene, were also moved by the soldiers' spirit.
They suddenly felt a flicker of confidence for the upcoming battle.
"Fight! We will fight to the death!"
"We have no reason to retreat!!"
The military commanders shouted loudly, standing behind Xiao Ye, feeling immense honor.
Xiao Ye's expression was calm and composed, a sharp sword hanging at his waist.
Even though this was an illusion, the soldiers' resolve to protect their country was truly heart-stirring.
"Prime Minister, I am also willing to follow you and join the fight against the enemy."
Xiao Si, carrying a heavy halberd, looked thin and frail.
However, his gaze upon Xiao Ye was exceptionally resolute.
He was the only attendant Xiao Ye had brought with him to the front lines.
Xiao Ye narrowed his dark eyes and patted Xiao Si's shoulder, "Your small frame might make it difficult for you to survive on the battlefield!"
"Prime Minister, I am not afraid!"
Xiao Si's face was serious, and he seemed fearless of death.
Xiao Ye looked at Xiao Si for a moment, then smiled, "I haven't misjudged you. I will protect your safety on the battlefield. Remember to stay close behind my warhorse."
Xiao Si responded solemnly!
Before long, a report arrived from outside: the foreign army was once again pressing forward.
The deputy leader on horseback was actually the general from the neighboring country.
As expected, the forces that arrived this time were twice as numerous as before.
A total of over a hundred thousand troops!
"Host, do you have the confidence to lead the troops to victory?"
The system, seeing Xiao Ye not retreat, was puzzled. This didn't seem to align with the host's usual style!
Although Xiao Ye was not afraid of a fight, he was usually quite strategic.
Why would he rashly continue fighting in a situation of overwhelming odds without devising a plan?
Xiao Ye glanced in the direction of the distant, droning sound.
He raised his sword and stepped out of the tent.
"My path as a treacherous official is destined to culminate in this war."
"Victory is not important. What matters most is fulfilling the Empress's wishes."
"She wants me dead, so I cannot return alive."
The system was taken aback. Was the host embarking on a novel challenge?
It felt somewhat helpless.
Even though this was an illusion, could the host wash away his mission by dying in battle?
"Host, what was the outcome of the Empress's dynasty during your previous life cycle in this world?"
The system inquired curiously, wondering what had led Xiao Ye to this point. The events at the front line seemed to deviate from his actual reincarnation.
"The Empress secured her throne, dealt with the crisis, and eradicated the treacherous official Xiao Ye."
He relayed the process of his reincarnation to the system, as Xiao Ye had no memories from his past lives.
The loyal minister, even in death, had never allowed the Empress to know the truth, nor had he revealed the content of his letters.
From the moment Xiao Ye arrived in the illusion, he had been formulating a plan. He was revealing the burdens of his reincarnation to the Empress.
Making the Empress realize how loyal and arduous the path of the so-called treacherous official truly was.
The system finally understood. The dynasty's crisis would undoubtedly be resolved.
The Empress would make a comeback against the odds and prevent the enemy's advance.
However, Xiao Ye, having not personally experienced this battle, felt a hint of bloodthirsty exhilaration within his bones.
These millions of people were all illusions, manifestations of Mu Qinglan's subconscious conjured by the Red Ghost Chieftain.
Xiao Ye could indulge in the slaughter without reservation, presenting a final performance in this war.
*Thump, thump, thump!*
A chilling aura permeated the entire battlefield. Xiao Ye mounted the warhorse of the leading general.
The soldiers behind him hacked and slashed ferociously.
They looked at the dense enemy army, their hearts filled with valor and anger as they fought.
Within every quarter of an hour, countless corpses littered the ground, each moment filled with the unyielding defiance of the dying.
They buried themselves with their blood and bones, dedicating themselves to this land.
Even though this was an illusion, in the real reincarnation, these events had truly occurred.
Seeing the military commanders on the front line steadily retreat, they were caught off guard by the war of attrition.
One-third of the soldiers had fallen, but the enemy forces were even more severely wounded.
However, the enemy's numerical superiority meant their defense could no longer hold.
Xiao Ye, with Xiao Si following closely on his horse, bravely charged towards the enemy leader.
The soldiers surrounding the leader unleashed a volley of arrows towards Xiao Ye's figure.
"Stop him! Quickly stop him!"
The leader on his warhorse saw Xiao Ye accelerating and a sword lunging directly at him.
He saw Xiao Ye's utter disregard for life and death. If the enemy leader were eliminated, the soldiers would scatter like sand!
"Whoosh—"
As Xiao Ye leaped onto his horse and decapitated the leader, an arrow struck his body!
The leader died with a face full of terror and resentment.
The system, seeing Xiao Ye's disregard for his own life, expressed concern, "Host, you're injured!"
"This is just an illusion, it can't harm me."
Xiao Ye's tone was indifferent. He felt no pain from being shot by the arrow.
The system breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
However, it surmised that with Xiao Ye having decapitated the leader, there was no escape route for him.
System, "Host, are you planning to break the illusion? What about the Red Ghost Chieftain?"
After all, Xiao Ye had been in the illusion for so long, not just to retrace his steps with the Empress.
His original intention was to find the Red Ghost Chieftain.
But the system discovered that the Red Ghost Chieftain was too deeply hidden. They had been in the reincarnation for so long...
No one could identify the Red Ghost Chieftain!
The system wished to help Xiao Ye uncover him but could not find any suspicious targets.
Xiao Ye, however, suddenly said, "Finding the Red Ghost Chieftain is easy. He can no longer escape."