From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an rushed to the lady's side, just in time to interrupt Master Huikong's long-winded "discourse".

The master said, "Amitabha Buddha, what brings you two benefactors here?"

Yan Rugo remained outwardly calm, but inwardly alarm bells were ringing.

She observed the lady closely and saw that her eyes were unfocused, her face was pale, her lips were trembling slightly, and she looked completely lost.

Oh no, the lady has probably already fallen for the trap!

Xu Yi'an stood beside Yan Rugo, protecting her silently, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a hawk, alert to any possible danger.

The atmosphere froze instantly, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.

When Master Huikong realized that his conspiracy had been exposed, he stopped pretending and his face changed drastically, becoming ferocious and terrifying.

"Since you're courting death, don't blame me for being impolite!" With that command, the monks and novices around him swarmed forward, surrounding Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an.

"What goes around comes around. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Don't underestimate a poor young girl!" Yan Rugo sneered, drew a dagger from her sleeve, and stood back to back with Xu Yi'an, ready to fight.

Amidst the flashing swords and deafening shouts of battle, the once peaceful and serene temple was instantly transformed into a battlefield of carnage.

Seeing this, Wu, the guard, also drew his sword to help, but he was outnumbered and was soon entangled by several monks, putting him in grave danger.

"Madam! Madam, how are you?" he cried anxiously, but he was powerless to escape.

The young lady Murong turned deathly pale with fright, hiding behind a pillar and trembling, muttering, "Amitabha, Amitabha..."

Although Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an were highly skilled in martial arts, they were no match for the combined strength of the four opponents and gradually began to feel overwhelmed.

Just then, Yan Rugo felt a heat on her wrist, and a system notification sounded in her mind...

"Ding--"

"Ding—Master Huikong's weakness detected: Sandalwood allergy. It is recommended that the host use the surrounding incense burners to attack." The system notification sounded at the critical moment.

Yan Rugo's eyes flashed, and a plan came to mind.

She feigned defeat, retreating step by step, appearing disheveled, but in reality, she led the battle to the huge incense burner in the center of the hall.

"A mere trick!" Master Huikong scoffed disdainfully and struck with his palm.

Yan Rugo nimbly dodged the attack and simultaneously kicked over the incense burner.

Instantly, incense ash scattered everywhere, filling the air and causing everyone to cough incessantly.

Master Huikong was the first to be affected, inhaling a large amount of incense ash. His face instantly turned ashen, and his breathing became rapid.

"Cough cough...you...what did you do..." He stared at Yan Rugo in disbelief, his voice hoarse.

"Is this small gift to you, Master?" Yan Rugo smiled, but the chill in her eyes sent shivers down one's spine.

Taking advantage of Master Huikong's illness and impending death, she leaped up and delivered a beautiful spinning kick that struck him squarely in the chest.

Master Huikong screamed, spat out a mouthful of blood, and collapsed heavily to the ground. He struggled a few times and then fell still.

"Master!" Upon seeing this, the young novice rushed to Master Huikong's side in a panic. Before he could react, Xu Yi'an knocked him unconscious with a chop to the ground.

Xu Yi'an then broke the spell that the young novice monk had cast on the lady.

The lady slowly opened her eyes, and her gaze gradually cleared.

"What...what's wrong with me?" She looked around blankly.

"Madam, are you alright?" Yan Rugo walked to the lady's side and asked with concern.

The lady looked at Yan Rugo and said, "Thank you so much, Miss Yan, for saving my life!"

Miss Murong peeked out from behind the pillar, looking at everything before her. "Miss Yan and Young Master Xu are truly amazing!" The surrounding worshippers also cast admiring glances at her.

Yan Rugo breathed a sigh of relief, finally resolving the crisis.

She turned to look at Xu Yi'an, only to find him walking towards her step by step...

Xu Yi'an walked up to Yan Rugo, her figure reflected in his deep eyes, so gentle it seemed to drown her.

"Ge'er, are you alright?" He held her hand tightly, the warmth of his palm conveying his concern.

Yan Rugo returned a bright smile, her eyes and brows radiating happiness.

"Of course I'm fine. With you here, I'm not afraid of anything." The two smiled at each other, everything understood without words.

Seeing this, the surrounding worshippers also showed maternal smiles, unable to stop shipping the couple.

"Ahem," Yan Rugo cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention back to the main topic.

"This Master Huikong is not some enlightened monk, but a wolf in sheep's clothing!" She pointed at the unconscious Master Huikong on the ground, her tone icy.

"He and this young novice monk conspired to use the lady's status to do some shady things!"

When everyone heard this, there was an uproar.

They never imagined that the kind and gentle Master Huikong would be this kind of person!

Miss Murong covered her mouth, her face filled with shock: "My God, this is too terrifying!"

Upon hearing Yan Rugo's words, Master Huikong's young novice monk turned deathly pale. He slumped helplessly to the ground, knowing that everything was over.

"Men, take them away!" At Wu's command, the soldiers immediately stepped forward, bound Master Huikong and the young novice monk tightly, and escorted them away.

As everyone watched them being led away, they were filled with emotion.

Justice was finally served, and all of this was thanks to Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an.

Their eyes were filled with admiration and gratitude as they looked at Yan Rugo.

Yan Rugo looked at everyone and smiled slightly.

"Please don't stand on ceremony, everyone. It's all I should do." She turned to the lady and asked, "Madam, how are you feeling now?"

The lady looked at Yan Rugo and said, "Miss Yan, we are so grateful to you today, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable..." She paused and took out an exquisite brocade box from her sleeve. "It's just a small token of my appreciation." The lady solemnly handed the brocade box to Yan Rugo. The box was exquisite and gave off a faint sandalwood scent.

The brocade box is inlaid with gold thread, and two lifelike dragons are coiled on the lid, as if they might fly out at any moment.

The lady's voice was full of gratitude and respect: "Miss Yan, we owe you so much today, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable..." She paused, then gently placed the brocade box in Yan Rugo's hand, "This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Yan Rugo took the brocade box and felt its heavy weight, which warmed her heart.

Her gaze swept around, and she saw that Miss Murong and the surrounding pilgrims were casting envious glances at her, as if she had become a hero in everyone's hearts.

Madam's bodyguard, Guard Wu, also showed admiration, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Thank you for your great help, Miss Yan and Young Master Xu!"

Xu Yi'an stood beside Yan Rugo, smiling slightly, his eyes full of tenderness and pride.

He said softly, "Ge'er, you did a fantastic job today!" Yan Rugo turned to look at him, her face beaming with happiness, and smiled, "Of course, with you behind me, I have nothing to fear."

Just as everyone was immersed in joy and celebration, Yan Rugo suddenly felt a chill on her wrist. She subconsciously pulled an anonymous letter from her sleeve.

The envelope was dark red with an intricate pattern written in silver ink, giving it an air of mystery and danger.

A sense of unease instantly welled up in Yan Rugo's heart. She quickly opened the envelope and took out the letter inside.

The handwriting on the letter was distorted and blurry, seemingly deliberately concealing some message: "Congratulations. But the end is just the beginning. Beware the shadows that follow."

Yan Rugo's smile froze on her face. She quickly hid the letter in her sleeve, looked up and glanced around, and found that everyone's eyes were still focused on her.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm, and managed a weak smile: "We will remember your kindness, Madam. However, there is still a long road ahead, and we cannot let our guard down."

Xu Yi'an gently held Yan Rugo's hand, tacitly sensing her unease.

He whispered, "Ge'er, no matter what happens, I will be by your side."

Yan Rugo nodded, but the unease in her heart could not be completely calmed down.

She stared at the envelope in her hand, her mind clouded with doubt, as if it foreshadowed a new danger to come.