From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

When Yan Ruyu and Xu Mo arrived at the medicinal herb field, the sight before them made her gasp in shock.

The once lush and verdant medicinal herb fields are now largely withered, the herbs lying listlessly on the ground as if their life force has been drained.

A strange, putrid stench filled the air, making one want to vomit.

"What...what exactly is going on?" Miss Li asked, her face pale and her voice trembling as she pointed at the medicinal herb field.

Yan Ruyu squatted down and carefully examined a withered herb, discovering that its roots had an eerie black color.

Her brow furrowed, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: "The water source! There must be a problem with the water source!"

Xu Mo also realized the seriousness of the problem, his expression grave: "The water source of the ancient town all comes from the back mountain. Could someone have tampered with it?"

The two immediately went to the water source behind the mountain, only to find that the once clear stream had become murky and a pungent smell wafted towards them.

Yan Ruyu's heart sank; it seemed her guess was correct.

"Who is it? Who is playing tricks?" Yan Ruyu clenched her fists, burning with rage.

However, things were far more complicated than they had imagined.

Upon returning to the ancient town, they discovered that not only the medicinal herb fields but also the workshops' production had been affected.

Liu the blacksmith told them with a worried look that the ore used for forging had suddenly become brittle and was unusable.

"This...this is simply bizarre!" Liu the blacksmith exclaimed, beating his chest and stamping his feet, utterly at a loss.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Mo realized that some of the town's key resources seemed to be controlled by a mysterious force.

Just when they were at their wits' end, the town mayor suddenly ordered that no one should approach the back mountain and restricted the female protagonist's movements.

"Mayor, what do you mean by this?" Yan Ruyu glared angrily.

The town mayor was surrounded by a group of conservative residents of the ancient town. He said firmly, "Miss Yan, I know you mean well, but let's handle the affairs of the ancient town ourselves."

“But…” Yan Ruyu wanted to argue, but Xu Mo stopped her.

"Ruyu, let's wait a bit," Xu Mo said softly.

The surrounding residents were talking amongst themselves, their eyes shifting back and forth between Yan Ruyu and the town mayor.

Late at night, a figure quietly slipped into Miss Li's courtyard...

Under the cover of night, Yan Ruyu quietly arrived at Miss Li's courtyard.

Miss Li had been waiting for a long time, her face showing a hint of anxiety.

"Miss Yan, you've arrived."

"Well, how's the situation?" Yan Ruyu asked directly.

Miss Li handed Yan Ruyu a cloth bag and said in a low voice, "I got this from Hunter Wang. He said it was passed down from his ancestors and contains some secrets about the back mountain."

Yan Ruyu took the cloth bag, her heart filled with joy.

Upon opening it, one finds an ancient sheepskin map marked with the terrain of the back mountain and some mysterious symbols.

She studied the map carefully, a smug smile gradually creeping onto her lips.

"I see!" she exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling with wisdom.

Meanwhile, at the mayor's house, the mayor and several conservative residents were gathered together, discussing how to stop Yan Ruyu's plan.

Their faces were grim, their brows furrowed, completely unprepared for Yan Ruyu to have found a breakthrough.

"This Yan Ruyu is a real troublemaker!" the town mayor said through gritted teeth.

The others nodded in agreement, their faces full of doubt and confusion.

Yan Ruyu returned to the inn, where Xu Mo was already waiting.

Seeing the sheepskin map in her hand, Xu Mo said, "I knew you would have a way."

Yan Ruyu proudly waved the map in her hand: "Of course! Don't you know who I am!"

The next day, Xu Mo brought Yan Ruyu to an ancient temple on the outskirts of the ancient town.

The temple is built against the mountain, surrounded by ancient trees, creating a serene environment.

"Ruyu, I know you've been working hard lately because of the ancient town, so I brought you here to relax." Xu Mo looked at Yan Ruyu tenderly, his eyes full of affection.

Yan Ruyu looked at the man in front of her and felt a warm current surge in her heart.

She smiled happily and leaned gently on Xu Mo's shoulder.

The two strolled through the temple, admiring the ancient murals and sculptures.

As the sun set, golden sunlight bathed the two of them, creating a particularly warm and cozy atmosphere.

"Ruyu, no matter what happens, I will always be by your side," Xu Mo said tenderly, embracing Yan Ruyu tightly.

Yan Ruyu nodded, touched, feeling a sense of security.

Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks broke the tranquility of the temple...

Liu the blacksmith stood at the door, sweating profusely. "Miss Yan, something terrible has happened! The workshop... something's happened at the workshop!"

Liu the blacksmith wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes gleaming, his tone anxious yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible smugness.

"Miss Yan, the furnace in the workshop... has exploded!"

Yan Ruyu and Xu Mo exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of suspicion in each other's eyes.

The three rushed back to the workshop, only to find the scene in complete disarray, with slag and broken bricks scattered all over the ground and a pungent smell of sulfur filling the air.

Several craftsmen stood dejectedly to one side, their faces filled with fear and unease.

"What happened?" Yan Ruyu suppressed her anger and asked in a cold voice.

Liu the blacksmith spread his hands innocently, "I don't know either! It was fine just now, and suddenly there was a 'bang' and the furnace exploded! Luckily, everyone was outside at the time, otherwise..." As he spoke, he exaggeratedly patted his chest, as if he was still shaken.

Yan Ruyu looked around and her gaze fell on a pile of broken ore.

She crouched down and examined the fracture surfaces of the ores closely, discovering that they were unusually smooth, unlike anything that had naturally shattered.

She sneered inwardly; it seemed someone had deliberately sabotaged things.

The whispers and disappointed looks from the surrounding residents stung Yan Ruyu like needles, and she felt an invisible pressure pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

"Liu the blacksmith, are you sure you haven't touched these ores?" Yan Ruyu asked coldly, her eyes fixed sharply on Liu the blacksmith.

Liu the blacksmith's eyes darted around. "I... I certainly didn't! How could I do such a thing?"

Yan Ruyu ignored him and walked up to a young craftsman, asking softly, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

The young craftsman hesitated for a moment, glanced at Liu the blacksmith, then at Yan Ruyu, and finally mustered his courage to say, "I...I saw Liu the blacksmith add some strange powder to the furnace..."

Liu the blacksmith's face changed drastically, and he pointed at the young craftsman, roaring, "You're talking nonsense! You're spouting lies!"

Yan Ruyu's lips curled into a cold smile; everything was under her control.

She took a packet of powder from her sleeve and placed it in front of Liu the blacksmith. "What is this?"

Liu the blacksmith turned pale and stammered, unable to speak.

In the following days, Yan Ruyu used this incident to sow discord and conflict within the conservative forces.

The town mayor and several conservative residents blamed each other, none of them willing to admit that they had instructed Liu the blacksmith.

The residents of the ancient town, witnessing this scene, expressed their admiration for Yan Ruyu's wisdom and ability.

Just when Yan Ruyu thought things were taking a turn for the better, a mysterious old man appeared in front of her.

The old man had white hair but a youthful face, deep eyes, and an aura of mystery about him.

He looked at Yan Ruyu and said in a serious tone, "Young man, your actions have disturbed a dormant power, and you may face even greater danger."

Yan Ruyu looked at the old man warily, her heart filled with doubt.

"What danger?" Xu Mo gripped Yan Ruyu's hand tightly, his gaze resolute.

The old man shook his head, said nothing, and turned to disappear into the night.