Extreme Frontier Army: Starting from the bottom ranks, conquering the chaotic world

Beneath the beam of a collapsed tent lay a corpse with half its face charred.

The neck bone was broken, and splinters of wood were embedded in the flesh, obscuring the original shape of the incision.

He lowered his head, intending to take a step over it.

Taking advantage of Lu Jing's lowered head to avoid a corpse, Ji Ruxue suddenly bent her knees and tried to roll off his shoulder.

Lu Jing grabbed her knee with his right hand and forcefully pressed her back down.

"If you move again, I'll shove your head down into a snowdrift to wake you up."

Ji Ruxue was so angry that her face turned red, but she knew that struggling would only slow things down, so she could only grit her teeth and shut up.

Lu Jing carried Ji Ruxue, stepping over the broken corpses and charcoal ash scattered on the ground, and rushed into the ruins of the soldiers' camp.

Taking advantage of the chaos, they finally managed to reach the Eighth Battalion's defensive line.

This place has been completely destroyed.

The barricades were smashed to pieces, and mutilated corpses were everywhere.

The supervising team had long since disappeared, and the rest of them were running around like headless flies in the firelight, their cries of pain and groans mingling together.

Lu Jing led his men into a camp area that had been half burned down.

The air was filled with the smell of burning and blood.

He walked up to a relatively dry haystack and shrugged.

"thump."

Ji Ruxue was thrown onto the haystack without any pity.

She let out a muffled groan; her gorgeous palace dress was torn in several places, she was covered in mud, her hair was disheveled, and she looked utterly wretched.

She struggled to sit up, glaring at Lu Jing.

"Who exactly are you? Who is ordering you around? There is no one like you in the Great Yan Border Army."

Ji Ruxue stared at him coldly.

Even in this predicament, they still tried to regain the initiative using that inexplicable interrogation tone.

Lu Jing unbuckled the blood-stained, gold-trimmed leather belt around his waist and took off the tattered cotton-padded coat covering him, throwing it on the ground.

He stretched his numb left arm and picked up the water bottle, taking a big gulp of cold water.

"Who am I? Spend some money to ask around at Yanmen Pass. I am Lu Jing, the newly appointed squad leader of the Third Squad of the Eighth Battalion."

The steel saber was stuck in the frozen soil at my feet, its handle still swaying slightly.

"As for who ordered you... instead of staying in the capital in this freezing weather, you're running into the barbarian army camp to stand in the cold wind. I'd like to ask you who ordered you."

Ji Ruxue's eyes flickered, and she avoided the topic.

It's pointless to try to reason with this unruly soldier.

This person is greedy, shameless, and incredibly audacious, but also extremely powerful in combat.

"You saved me." She changed her tone, speaking with a gracious air. "Give me back that jade token and escort me back to the commander's camp. If you want money, I'll give you ten thousand taels of gold; if you want an official position, I'll guarantee you a command in the Imperial Guard. You're guaranteed to make a profit on this deal."

Lu Jing looked at her as if she were the foolish son of a landlord.

He reached out and picked at his ear with his finger.

"Big sister, have you frozen stiff?"

"You're on my turf now, and even you are my spoils. You take my things and give them to me as a reward? You can't even get something for nothing."

"You..." Ji Ruxue was speechless with anger.

"And another thing," Lu Jing stepped closer and looked down at her, "You think you're safe once you're back at the main camp? The Northern barbarians could surround you in their central camp, but the Great Yan didn't utter a sound. Guess who betrayed you?"

Ji Ruxue's expression changed drastically.

This is also a question she has never dared to think about deeply.

The route of the incognito border patrol was top secret, known only to a handful of high-ranking members of the Northern Xuan Army.

As soon as they left Yanmen Pass, they were precisely surrounded by the Northern Barbarian Iron Pagoda, and the Silver Wolf Guard was completely wiped out.

There is a traitor within the Northern Xuan Army, and he is of extremely high rank.

Shen Qingqiu frowned upon hearing the word "traitor".

She suddenly remembered that before her father's house was raided, he had whispered in his study that someone in the court had sold the border army's ration books.

After that night, the Ministry of Revenue's residence never saw dawn again.

She looked up at Lu Jing, her wariness lessening slightly, but something more indescribable creeping into her eyes.

"You're a smart person."

Lu Jing patted the spot where the jade pendant was in his arms.

"It's safer with me than with you. Once I find out who's behind this, I can sell this badge for a good price."

For the first time, Ji Ruxue realized that her pride in her political acumen and status was worthless in this battlefield where only the law of survival mattered.

Just then.

Suddenly, a dense ring of torches lit up the previously dim snow outside the camp.

The firelight illuminated the tattered tent.

The sound of heavy military boots crushing ice shards approached in unison, indicating at least thirty people.

The skinny monkey suddenly looked up: "Why is the centurion here at this hour? Doesn't he have to guard the defensive line?"

Zhao He certainly doesn't need to guard the defensive line.

His men had long been hiding in the rear camp, waiting for Lu Jing to run back from the chaos of battle.

All around were the sounds of swords being drawn.

Shen Qingqiu's face turned pale, and she immediately gripped the dagger in her hand in reverse and retreated behind Lu Jing.

The skinny monkey was so frightened that he lay down on the ground, covering his head with his hands.

Upon hearing footsteps, Ji Ruxue, who was on the haystack, instinctively moved closer to Lu Jing.

Then, realizing what he had done, his face turned cold, and he abruptly moved to the side.

"Sergeant Lu, what a magnificent sight!"

Zhao He's voice carried an undisguised murderous intent.

"The Northern Barbarians have breached the pass, and instead of going to the front lines to fight, you've taken a few deserters and are hiding here. According to the Great Yan military law, those who desert in the face of battle must be executed."

The torch suddenly shone into the tent.

A soldier's gaze swept across the haystack, and he vaguely saw the blood-stained bright red palace dress. He immediately let out a suppressed gasp.

Zhao He turned his head and glared at him.

The guard immediately shut his mouth, but cold sweat slid down his face.

The red glow of the torches illuminated Lu Jing's blood-stained face.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the gleaming blades outside the tent.

"What a coincidence."

Lu Jing pulled out the fine steel saber from beside his feet and tested the blade with his thumb.

"I was just worried about where to get revenge for that sneaky arrow when the food delivery came to my door."

Zhao He stood there with a cold face.

Thirty guards were at the forefront, followed by hundreds of fully armed soldiers who poured out of the darkness. Shield bearers were on the outside and spearmen on the inside, forming an impenetrable barrier around the dilapidated tent like an iron barrel.

Lu Jing narrowed his eyes and cursed inwardly.

Instead of going to the front lines to fill the gaps, this old bastard has time to bring the entire reserve force of the Eighth Battalion to block the gate.

They'd go to such lengths to kill a newly appointed sergeant...

It seems that the fact that the poisoned arrow missed its mark really did step on his tail.

The fleeing soldiers and death row inmates who had been running around in disarray retreated in a panic when they saw this scene.

No one dared to utter a sound, for fear of incurring the wrath of the centurion.

Skinny Monkey's legs buckled, and he knelt directly in the muddy water.

"Brother Lu... over a hundred people... we're going to be chopped into minced meat and used to make dumplings..."

Shen Qingqiu bit her lip hard, gripping the rusty dagger in reverse, half of her body hidden in Lu Jing's shadow.

On the haystack, Ji Ruxue finally recovered a bit from the violent jolt.

She used her muddy hands to gather the torn collar of her bright red palace dress, revealing a section of her snow-white, slender neck.

Although his hair was disheveled, the arrogance cultivated from his long-term high position was still etched into his bones.

She glanced coldly at Zhao He outside the tent, then at Lu Jing, who stood with a knife in his hand.

According to the military law of the Great Yan Dynasty, the crimes of treason and desertion in the face of battle are so severe that even a general, let alone a low-ranking soldier, would lose his head.

How that madman just humiliated her? He'll be riddled with holes by those spears outside in no time.

She doesn't need to do anything now; she can just sit here quietly and watch the dogs fight.

Once this group has killed Lu Jing, she will reveal her identity and take over the remaining troops.

However, the guards behind Zhao He, clad in black armor, stood too steadily, their hands always resting near the crossbows, unlike ordinary soldiers.

Ji Ruxue's gaze swept over the dark patterns on their wrist guards, and a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes.

This Zhao He was hiding his true intentions even more deeply than she had imagined.

After a long silence, Zhao He finally spoke.