From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

The majestic temple stands atop the mountain, surrounded by the smoke of incense and the sound of chanting, creating a solemn and awe-inspiring atmosphere.

Yan Rugo followed Madam Qin into the temple. The carved beams and painted rafters were magnificent and resplendent, yet she felt a strange sense of oppression.

She keenly caught a strange look in his eyes—the young novice monk who had appeared in the Qin residence was standing in the corner of the main hall, staring at Madam Qin with a glint in his eyes and a sinister smile playing on his lips.

The smile was fleeting, but it set off alarm bells in Yan Rugo's heart, and a sense of unease arose within her.

Madam Qin seemed oblivious to anything amiss, and continued her devout worship, muttering incantations.

Yan Rugo calmly observed her surroundings, trying to find more clues.

She noticed that the young novice monk quietly left the main hall, his figure disappearing into the depths of the corridor.

"Madam, I'll go take a look over there." Yan Rugo made an excuse to follow the little novice monk.

"Go ahead, but be careful," Madam Qin replied without looking up.

Yan Rugo strode towards the corridor, but was stopped at the corner by a kind-looking old monk.

The old monk, wearing a kasaya and holding prayer beads, was none other than the abbot of the temple—Master Huikong.

"Madam, may I ask what brings you here?" Master Huikong asked with a smile, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"I just want to look around," Yan Rugo said, trying to appear calm.

“Amitabha Buddha, this is a sacred place; it would be best if you, female benefactor, did not wander around here.” Master Huikong still smiled, but blocked her way.

“Master, I just…” Yan Rugo wanted to explain, but was interrupted by Master Huikong.

“Female benefactor, please follow this old monk,” Master Huikong said without room for argument, then turned and walked in another direction.

The surrounding monks bowed their heads in reverence, their respect evident in their expressions.

Yan Rugo thought to herself that something was wrong; the old monk was clearly preventing her from getting close to the young novice.

She took a deep breath, tried to stay calm, and decided to wait and see.

Following Master Huikong, we arrived at a meditation room where the fragrance of sandalwood filled the air, creating a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere.

Master Huikong gestured for her to sit down, and then slowly said, "Female benefactor, your forehead is dark, which may indicate that you are about to be afflicted by misfortune."

Yan Rugo sneered inwardly; this old monk was just putting on an act again.

She asked calmly, "Master, is there any way to resolve this?"

Master Huikong smiled mysteriously: "Everything is preordained. You only need to wait patiently." He paused, his eyes full of meaning, "Some things are better left unseen than known."

Yan Rugo felt a chill run down her spine; there was a hidden meaning in the old monk's words!

Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly heard a familiar voice from outside the door: "Master, what you requested has been prepared." It was the young novice monk's voice!

Inside the meditation room, the sandalwood scent was so strong it was almost pungent. Yan Rugo suppressed her discomfort and maintained a perfectly appropriate smile on her face.

She knew that she absolutely could not reveal any flaws now.

The system popped up a timely notification: "Beep! There seem to be unusual footprints in the side hall. We suggest you go and check it out."

A glint flashed in Yan Rugo's eyes, like a cat that had caught the scent of its prey.

A side hall?

Good heavens, this old bald monk still wants to fool her, but she's determined to go and see for herself!

She remained outwardly calm and continued to feign compliance with Master Huikong, but inwardly she was already plotting how to escape.

“What you say is absolutely right, Master. Everything is predestined,” Yan Rugo replied, feigning profundity, but her eyes darted toward the door.

The young novice's voice rang out again, reminding her that time was of the essence.

She excused herself, saying she was feeling unwell, and hurriedly took her leave. Master Huikong gave her a meaningful look but did not stop her.

Yan Rugo quickly walked out of the meditation room, and after making sure no one was paying attention, she slipped into a secluded path.

Using her memory, she quickly found the side hall that the system had mentioned.

This side hall is located in a secluded place and is usually rarely visited. The walls are covered with vines, making it look somewhat eerie.

Yan Rugo carefully pushed open the palace door, and a musty smell hit her.

She frowned, looked around, but found nothing unusual.

Just as she was about to give up, her gaze swept across the ground, and her pupils suddenly contracted—there were several footprints of different sizes and strange shapes on the ground, which did not seem to be left by ordinary monks' shoes.

These footprints, some as large as an adult's, others larger than a child's, are scattered haphazardly on the ground, like a hurried escape.

"Tsk tsk, interesting." Yan Rugo's lips curled up slightly. These were definitely not ordinary footprints. Could there be some secret hidden in this temple?

She quickly took out her charcoal pencil and carefully traced the footprints on the ground, noting the unique patterns of each footprint.

Just as she was completely focused, she suddenly heard a light footstep behind her.

Yan Rugo turned around abruptly and saw Xu Yi'an standing not far away, with a faint smile on his face and a hint of concern in his eyes.

His arrival was like a ray of sunshine dispelling the gloom, relaxing her tense nerves.

"You...why are you here?" Yan Rugo was somewhat surprised, but also felt a hint of joy.

Xu Yi'an gently walked to her side, took her hand, and gave her support with his eyes. He didn't say anything, but that silent comfort was more powerful than a thousand words.

Yan Rugo felt a warmth in her heart, and a sense of peace welled up within her.

The servants and guards around them, seeing the scene of them holding hands, all revealed ambiguous smiles, their eyes filled with gossip.

However, at this moment, Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an had no time to care about the gazes of others. They only had eyes for each other, as if the whole world had only consisted of the two of them.

Just then, a clear child's voice broke the silence. A young novice monk in a gray robe slowly approached Yan Rugo, his eyes pure and innocent: "Sister, what are you doing here?"

The young novice monk walked up to Yan Rugo, tilting his innocent little face up, his big eyes blinking, just like the little deer enshrined in the temple.

"Sister, what are you doing here?" he asked in a childish voice, his tone as sweet as honey.

Yan Rugo looked at him with a half-smile, a hint of amusement in her eyes and brows.

"I'm looking for something, something very important." She deliberately spoke ambiguously, wanting to see how the young novice would react.

The servants around whispered among themselves, wondering if the lady's new companion was mentally ill.

The young novice tilted his head, looking puzzled: "What important thing is it? I can help you look for it, sister!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Yan Rugo raised an eyebrow. "I'm looking for a talking rabbit. Have you ever seen one?"

The young novice monk paused for a moment, then shook his head: "A rabbit? I've never seen one before. Sister, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"Is that so?" Yan Rugo smiled meaningfully. "Perhaps."

The little monk's reaction made Yan Rugo even more certain that there was definitely something wrong with the little guy.

She continued to observe the young novice monk discreetly, trying to find more clues from the subtle changes in his expression.

“Tonight, let’s go check out the side hall,” Yan Rugo said to Xu Yi’an in a low voice.

Xu Yi'an nodded without hesitation: "Okay, I'll go with you." His eyes were firm yet gentle, giving Yan Rugo tremendous support.

Upon hearing this, the young lady Murong's face turned deathly pale. She gripped the maid's sleeve tightly and trembled.

As night fell, the entire temple was shrouded in darkness, with only a few scattered candlelight flickering in the wind, making it appear particularly eerie and terrifying.

Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an quietly approached the side hall, holding their breath and walking lightly, afraid of disturbing something.

The door to the side hall was ajar, and a chilling aura seeped out from within, sending shivers down one's spine.

“Thump thump thump…” A strange sound came from the side hall, deep and rhythmic, as if some kind of ritual was taking place.

Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

"There seems to be someone inside," Xu Yi'an said in a low voice, his tone tinged with nervousness.