From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

As soon as the man in black finished speaking, the venue erupted in chaos.

Whispers buzzed like flies in summer, with various speculations and discussions rising and falling.

"A mysterious force? What's going on?" "Is it related to Young Master Xu and Miss Yan? Could it be some kind of treasure?" "Could it be some kind of martial arts manual?" Amid the commotion, Yan Ruyu and Xu Mubai remained remarkably calm.

They exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without words.

Yan Ruyu's lips curled slightly, and she said softly, "It seems we have no choice but to get involved in this mess." Xu Mubai tightened his grip on her hand.

The two decided to start by getting close to Sect Leader Murong.

After all, the fact that Sect Leader Murong had previously plotted to frame Xu Mubai and then left in such a disgraceful manner is highly suspicious.

"Sect Leader Murong, please wait!" Yan Ruyu's clear voice rang out throughout the entire venue.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that she had sharp eyes and an imposing aura, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

Sect Leader Murong paused, his face growing increasingly grim.

He slowly turned around, forcing himself to remain calm: "Miss Yan, is there anything else?" His eyes flickered, avoiding Yan Ruyu's gaze, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"May I ask Sect Leader Murong, have you heard of this mysterious force?" Yan Ruyu pressed on, her tone carrying a hint of accusation.

Sect Leader Murong's heart skipped a beat. His eyes darted around at the curious gazes, and he quickly denied it, saying, "Miss Yan is joking. I have never heard of any mysterious force."

"Is that so?" Xu Mubai's voice was low and cold, carrying a hint of warning.

"Of course!" Sect Leader Murong tried to remain calm, but his trembling voice betrayed his guilty conscience.

"In that case, I'll have to offend you!" As soon as Yan Ruyu finished speaking, the disciples of Sect Leader Murong swarmed forward and surrounded the two of them.

They were all glaring menacingly, their eyes fierce, as if they were ready to pounce and tear the two apart at any moment.

Xu Mubai frowned, but Yan Ruyu remained calm. She looked around and a cold smile appeared on her lips.

"Sect Leader Murong, what are you trying to do?"

"Hmph!" Sect Leader Murong snorted coldly, "Miss Yan, Young Master Xu, I advise you not to interfere in today's matter!"

Yan Ruyu chuckled lightly, her gaze sweeping over the people from various sects around her. "Everyone, as you can see, Sect Leader Murong is trying to protect a mysterious force..." Her voice trailed off as her gaze fell on a man dressed in blue in the crowd.

Yan Ruyu's smile was just like a cat playing with its prey, lazy yet sly.

Her bright eyes seemed to see right through people's hearts, and the slight curve of her lips sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Old Man Murong was so angry that his beard almost stood on end, and his old face turned a deep liver color, just like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He wanted nothing more than to jump up and curse on the spot.

"Hey, what is Sect Leader Murong doing? Is he bullying us?" From the crowd, a middle-aged swordsman dressed simply but with an aura of righteousness stepped forward first. "Where is the code of the martial world?!" His shout was like a fuse, instantly igniting the anger of the other sects.

"That's right! Sect Leader Murong is a sect leader after all. How can he bully the weak with numbers?" Another representative from a sect stood up and righteously accused Sect Leader Murong.

Yan Ruyu glanced at Sect Leader Murong casually, a hint of mockery in her eyes, as if to say: Old man, you're no good!

Xu Mubai, meanwhile, smiled slightly as he looked at Yan Ruyu.

Xu Mubai held Yan Ruyu's hand tightly, the warmth of his palm conveying his trust and love for her.

His gaze was gentle as water, as if she were the only person in the whole world.

Yan Ruyu felt the warmth from his palm and returned his gentle gaze, her eyes shimmering as if filled with starlight.

Those around them, witnessing their interaction, couldn't help but sigh with envy; the two were truly a match made in heaven.

"Sect Leader Murong, you'd better explain yourself clearly." Master Xiao stepped forward, his voice booming with an undeniable air of authority.

"In my opinion, there must be something fishy going on here!"

Sect Leader Murong's face turned ashen, and he trembled with rage. He pointed at Yan Ruyu but couldn't utter a single word.

Just when everyone thought he was about to get angry, Sect Leader Murong suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly. His laughter was full of madness and helplessness, as if he had given up on defending himself.

"Do you think this will stop me?" As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen men in black suddenly jumped out from the crowd. They were agile and wielded sharp blades, instantly surrounding everyone.

Yan Ruyu glanced at the men in black, a cold smile playing on her lips, and whispered to Xu Mubai, "It seems the real show has only just begun..."

Gongsun stood at the edge of the crowd, her face, covered in makeup, now contorted, like a peony that had been withered by frost.

She spoke sarcastically, "Oh dear, what a coincidence that this mysterious force appeared. It just so happened that Young Master Xu and Miss Yan got involved. Could it be that they brought this disaster upon us?" As she spoke, she pretended to cover her mouth with concern, but her eyes were like poisoned knives, shooting straight at Yan Ruyu.

Jealousy gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake. Why was this woman able to win Xu Mubai's favor?

She comes from a better family than Yan Ruyu, and is more gentle and virtuous than her. Why is she inferior to her in every way?

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyu felt a surge of anger rising to her head. Her almond-shaped eyes widened as she glared at Miss Gongsun, as if she were about to rush up and tear her hypocritical face apart.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Some people who had originally admired Yan Ruyu and Xu Mubai began to waver, and whispers began to rise again.

"Yeah, the timing of this mysterious force's appearance is too coincidental, isn't it?" "Could it really be related to them?" Seeds of doubt spread among the crowd, rapidly spreading like a plague.

Xu Mubai didn't even spare Gongsun a glance. He gripped Yan Ruyu's hand tightly and said firmly, "Let's go." He pulled Yan Ruyu along and walked straight through the crowd without the slightest hesitation.

Miss Gongsun was stunned. She hadn't expected Xu Mubai to completely ignore her. This feeling of being ignored was even more unbearable than being humiliated.

She watched the two leave, her face filled with disbelief.

Yan Ruyu had originally planned to teach this noisy woman a lesson, but she didn't expect Xu Mubai to be so decisive and efficient, which increased her admiration for him even more.

The two traveled quickly and arrived at a secluded grove outside the city.

Just as they were carefully searching for clues, a dark shadow flashed past them.

The speed is astonishing.

Before they could react, the shadowy figure vanished without a trace, leaving only a peculiar mark on the tree trunk—a blood-red eye.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Mubai exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

Danger is approaching...

"It seems tonight won't be peaceful." Yan Ruyu said in a low voice, her eyes fixed on the markings on the tree trunk.