From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

The forbidden area in the back mountain truly lives up to its name.

The towering cliffs are as if carved by a knife and axe, with jagged rocks and a sinister atmosphere.

A rugged path winds its way up, flanked by dense thickets of thorns whose sharp points gleam coldly in the sunlight.

A strange fragrance filled the air, sweet with a hint of decay, making one uneasy.

At the end of the path, a thick iron chain stretched between two ancient trees, with bells hanging from it. When the wind blew, the bells jingled crisply, sounding particularly eerie in the silent mountain forest.

Beyond the iron chains lay a forbidden area, shrouded in a thin mist that obscured the view inside, adding to its mystery and danger.

Yan Ruyu's expression turned solemn; this forbidden area was even more dangerous than she had imagined.

She looked around, her gaze sharp, like a cheetah surveying its territory.

"Yu'er, be careful," Xu Mo whispered in her ear, his voice tinged with worry.

He gripped his folding fan tightly, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily, ready to strike at any moment.

"Who?!"

A loud shout shattered the tranquility of the mountains.

A burly man emerged from the woods, holding a hunting rifle in his hand, the dark muzzle pointed directly at Yan Ruyu and Xu Mo.

It was indeed Hunter Wang.

His face was full of fleshy muscles, and his eyes were fierce, like a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into this forbidden area!"

Yan Ruyu remained calm under pressure, a composed smile playing on her lips. "Hunter Wang, don't be nervous, we've come here..."

"Enough nonsense! This is a forbidden area for you! Get out of here!" Hunter Wang interrupted her without any politeness, his tone firm and brooking no argument.

Xu Mo stepped forward, blocking Yan Ruyu's path. He lightly waved his folding fan, appearing calm and collected, but secretly he was on guard, ready to make a move at any moment.

"Hunter Wang, we mean no harm..."

"Hmph! I see you're acting suspiciously, you're definitely up to no good! If you know what's good for you, get lost, or else..." As Wang the hunter spoke, he raised his hunting rifle, the threat obvious.

Yan Ruyu's eyes narrowed; this hunter Wang was truly refusing to listen to reason and was asking for trouble.

She was about to speak when she suddenly remembered some things that Miss Li had told her before, so she changed the subject and said, "Hunter Wang, I heard..." She paused deliberately, observing Hunter Wang's reaction.

Hunter Wang was indeed taken aback, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. "You... what did you hear?"

Yan Ruyu's lips curled into a confident smile, her eyes gleaming with cunning, as if she had everything under control.

“Hunter Wang, I’ve heard that the greatest secret of this ancient town is buried in this forbidden area, a secret that could change your generations of poverty.” She paused, deliberately emphasizing her words, “A secret that concerns the fate of the entire ancient town. Don’t you want to know?”

Hunter Wang's expression changed repeatedly, and the hunting rifle in his hand trembled slightly.

His fierce and prolonged poverty was like shackles, tightly binding this ancient town, while the forbidden area seemed to become an outlet of hope.

He demanded gruffly, "You...how do you know all this? Who told you?"

Yan Ruyu remained calm and continued, "I have my own sources of information. The key is whether you believe me and whether you are willing to take a risk for the future of the ancient town." She knew that for these people who had lived in poverty for generations, the temptation to change their fate was irresistible.

Wang the hunter remained silent for a long time. Finally, he slowly put down his hunting rifle, his rough face full of struggle and helplessness.

"Fine, since you've been fairly honest, I can take you to the edge of the forbidden area, but you'd better not do anything reckless, or don't blame me for being impolite!" In the end, he couldn't resist the temptation of change.

Xu Mo looked at Yan Ruyu's confident smile. His Yu'er was always so clever and always managed to find a way out of desperate situations.

He gently waved his folding fan, a faint smile playing on his lips, like the warm winter sun, enough to melt away all ice and snow.

The group arrived at the edge of the forbidden area, where the fog was thicker and a putrid smell permeated the air, sending chills down their spines.

Yan Ruyu's eyes were sharp as she carefully observed her surroundings.

She noticed that the plants here were distinctly different from those outside. The trees here were an eerie black, and their trunks were covered with tumor-like protrusions, resembling twisted ghostly hands.

The soil on the ground was an unnatural dark red color and emitted a faint fishy smell.

What's most puzzling is that a low, mournful sound can be heard from time to time, like the howl of an ancient beast or the whisper of the dead, sending chills down your spine.

These phenomena were completely out of step with the traditional customs of the ancient town, and she had a vague feeling that there must be something fishy about it.

She crouched down and carefully examined the ground. Her fingertips touched the dark red soil, and a cold sensation made her frown.

Xu Mo also squatted down beside her, helping to clear away the surrounding weeds and reveal more unknown details.

The two remained silent, yet their understanding was unwavering.

"Look here!" Yan Ruyu suddenly pointed to the ground and said excitedly.

Xu Mo looked in the direction she was pointing.

"Don't you think... the color of this soil is a little off?" Yan Ruyu looked up at Xu Mo and said.

Xu Mo didn't speak, but simply nodded quietly.

“It seems there must be some secret hidden here,” Yan Ruyu said with certainty.

"Be careful," Xu Mo gently wiped the sweat from Yan Ruyu's forehead.

Xu Mo gently stroked Yan Ruyu's forehead with his warm fingertips, wiping away the glistening beads of sweat.

This subtle gesture, however, was like a warm current that instantly flowed into Yan Ruyu's heart.

She looked up and met Xu Mo's deep eyes, which were filled with tenderness and concern, as if they could melt her.

Their eyes met, no words were needed, and everything was understood without being spoken.

In this tender moment, a roar shattered the tranquility.

"What are you doing here?!" The town mayor stormed over, followed by Liu the blacksmith, who looked worried.

The town mayor's face was ashen, his wrinkled face filled with rage, as if Yan Ruyu and Xu Mo had committed some heinous crime.

"This forbidden area is not a place you can trespass at will! Get out of here now!"

Yan Ruyu remained undaunted, meeting the town mayor's angry eyes head-on, her tone firm: "Mayor, I understand your concerns, but there are some things I must clarify." She paused, her eyes revealing an unwavering resolve, "This concerns the future of the ancient town, and I will not back down." Xu Mo stood beside Yan Ruyu, gently patting her hand in support.

Although he didn't speak, his firm stance beside Yan Ruyu demonstrated his unwavering position, and this silent support was more reassuring than a thousand words.

Just then, a strange sound suddenly came from the depths of the forbidden area, "woo woo woo..." The sound was deep and eerie, like the howling of ghosts and wolves, echoing in the empty valley, making people's hair stand on end.

Yan Ruyu's heart skipped a beat; that voice...

What is it?

She looked warily into the depths of the forbidden area, where the thick fog resembled a giant monster, devouring everything and obscuring the view inside.

The sound was just like background music from a horror movie, making your hair stand on end and your back go cold.

Everyone present was drawn by the sudden sound and looked toward the depths of the forbidden area, their faces filled with shock and fear.

"What...what is that sound?" Hunter Wang's voice trembled slightly. He had been hunting in the mountains for many years, but he had never heard such a strange sound before.

The town mayor and Liu the blacksmith also turned pale, clearly terrified by the sound.

Yan Ruyu's eyes flickered, a vague premonition rising in her heart that some secret must be hidden behind that voice...

She took a deep breath, her gaze fixed firmly on the depths of the forbidden area, and said to Xu Mo, "Let's go."