From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

As the caravan slowly approached, the entire landscape of the quicksand region gradually came into view.

It was a boundless sea of ​​golden sand, shimmering with dazzling light under the scorching midday sun.

The fine grains of sand, like golden powder, drifted gently in the breeze, creating a dreamlike and enchanting scene, yet concealing a deadly danger.

The caravan members stared wide-eyed as if they had seen some terrifying monster. Their faces turned pale, their throats were dry, and they even had to breathe carefully.

They gripped their weapons tightly, their palms sweating, their eyes filled with fear.

Boss Ma frowned, his deep gaze fixed on the undulating sand dunes in the distance, as if trying to see through this dangerous area.

His rough, large hands gripped the riding crop tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, revealing his inner tension and unease.

Yan Ruyu's gaze, however, was different from others.

She did not show obvious fear, but stared at the quicksand, her deep eyes gleaming with contemplation.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, as if calculating something, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"How...how do we get across?" A caravan member's voice trembled, breaking the deathly silence.

“Yeah, boss, this quicksand area is notoriously dangerous. You could be swallowed up if you’re not careful…” another member chimed in, his voice tinged with despair.

"Shut up, all of you!" Boss Ma shouted sternly. "What are you afraid of! It's just a stretch of quicksand, right? I've traveled all over the country for so many years, what storms haven't I seen!"

"Boss is right! With so many of us, what are we afraid of not being able to get through?" Liu Er suddenly stood up, a fake smile on his face, echoing Boss Ma.

However, he changed the subject, pointed at Yan Ruyu, and said sarcastically, "But some people only talk the talk, leading us on a roundabout way. Now look what's happened, they've led us straight to a dead end!"

His words immediately resonated with some of the caravan members.

"Yeah, if it weren't for her, we wouldn't have ended up in this godforsaken place!"

"Exactly! What does she know? All she does is give nonsensical orders!"

As Yan Ruyu listened to these doubts and insults, her face gradually darkened.

She gave Liu Er a cold glance.

"Shut up!" she snapped. "Listen up, you all who don't want to die!"

"Heh, who do you think you are? What gives you the right to order us around?" Liu Er scoffed disdainfully.

Yan Ruyu ignored him and turned to look at Boss Ma, saying firmly, "Boss Ma, I know a relatively safe path that can take us across this quicksand."

"Oh? Really?" Boss Ma

Yan Ruyu nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the dangerous sea of ​​sand, a confident smile playing on her lips.

“Of course, but…” She paused, her gaze sweeping over everyone, and said meaningfully, “I need everyone’s cooperation.”

Yan Ruyu's lips curled into a confident smile, as if she had everything under control.

She opened the system interface, quickly located the map of the quicksand area, and found a relatively safe path based on the analysis data provided by the system.

This winding path avoids the most active areas of quicksand, and although the journey is a bit longer, the safety is greatly improved.

"Guard Li, come with me!" Yan Ruyu gave the order and stepped onto the golden sand sea first.

Li, the bodyguard, followed closely behind. The two of them, one in front and one behind, carefully proceeded along the route planned by the system.

Liu Er watched in stunned silence. He had been waiting to see Yan Ruyu make a fool of herself, but now his face was filled with disbelief.

He never expected that Yan Ruyu would actually find a way to cross the quicksand!

The other caravan members also cast admiring glances at her, and the original doubts and insults disappeared without a trace, replaced by trust and expectations for Yan Ruyu.

The quicksand was soft, making every step extremely difficult.

Yan Ruyu felt as if her legs were filled with lead, and every step took a huge toll on her strength.

But she did not stop. Her gaze was firm, and she had only one belief in her heart: to lead everyone safely through this land of death!

The blazing sun beat down on the earth.

Yan Ruyu felt parched and her clothes were soaked with sweat.

But she remained calm and kept a close eye on her surroundings, making sure that she and Li Huwei were on the right track.

Just then, a strong feeling of longing suddenly welled up in Yan Ruyu's heart.

She thought of Young Master Xu, that gentle and refined man.

She seemed to see his gentle smile and hear his caring voice.

"Young Master Xu, where are you? I miss you so much..." Yan Ruyu murmured in her heart.

It was as if a magical force surged into her body from her memories, giving her the motivation to keep going.

She took a deep breath and continued walking forward with firm steps.

As the caravan members watched Yan Ruyu's retreating figure, they knew that there must be someone very important supporting her, enabling her to maintain such a strong will in this dangerous quicksand.

Just then, Yan Ruyu suddenly stopped, staring ahead with a slight change in expression.

"What's wrong?" Guard Li asked anxiously.

Yan Ruyu didn't answer, but pointed ahead and said in a serious tone, "Look..."

Not far ahead, a young caravan member was trapped in quicksand, with only his upper body above the surface. He was waving his arms in terror and desperately calling for help.

The quicksand, like a greedy beast, relentlessly devoured his body, threatening to completely engulf him.

"Help! Help me..." The young member's voice grew weaker and weaker, his face filled with despair and fear.

The caravan members around them were terrified, their faces pale and their hands trembling with fear.

They wanted to rush forward to help, but dared not approach rashly, fearing that they too would be swallowed by the quicksand.

"It's all over, it's all over..." someone muttered to themselves, their voice filled with despair.

Boss Ma was so anxious he kept stamping his feet, but he couldn't think of any good solutions.

In a critical moment, Yan Ruyu made a quick decision, cutting down several sturdy vines from nearby bushes and removing a few planks from the vehicle to make a simple rescue tool.

"Guard Li, give this to him!" Yan Ruyu tied the vines and planks together and handed them to Guard Li. "Let him grab onto it, and we'll pull him up!"

Li, the bodyguard, immediately did as instructed, throwing the vines at the younger members.

The young member grabbed the vine as if it were a lifeline, and hope rekindled in his eyes.

With everyone working together, they pulled on the vines and finally pulled the young member out of the quicksand.

"Cough cough cough..." After being rescued, the young member collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. The joy of surviving the ordeal brought tears to his eyes.

"It's alright, it's alright..." Yan Ruyu gently patted his shoulder and comforted him softly.

The other caravan members also gathered around, expressing their gratitude to Yan Ruyu.

"Miss Yan, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, we would have..."

"Yes, Miss Yan is truly our savior!"

Yan Ruyu smiled faintly and didn't say anything more.

However, just as everyone was cheering, Yan Ruyu's gaze suddenly turned to the distance, and her expression changed slightly.

Thick smoke and flickering flames could be seen rising from the distant oasis, suggesting that something unusual had happened.

Boss Ma also noticed this scene, and his expression immediately became serious.

He squinted, carefully observing the scene in the distance, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

"What's going on? Why are there flames and thick smoke over there?" a member of the caravan asked in confusion.

Liu Er's

"It seems we've run into trouble again..." Boss Ma said in a deep voice, with a hint of worry in his tone.

He turned to look at Yan Ruyu and said in a deep voice, "Miss Yan, you..."