From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

The eerie sound, like the hiss of a venomous snake, echoed in the empty cave, carrying a chilling, sinister aura.

The voice of Master Huikong, when heard at this moment, had no trace of compassion; it was clearly the whisper of a demon from hell, sending chills down one's spine.

Yan Rugo's heart clenched suddenly, as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the urge to run away.

Just kidding, she's destined to be the darling of the group, how could she be scared out of her wits by a fake monk?

She straightened her back, trying to make her expression appear calm, but her slightly trembling fingertips betrayed her true emotions.

Xu Yi'an's expression also darkened, and the cynicism in his eyes was replaced by seriousness.

He slowly tightened his grip on the longsword, and the patterns on the hilt seemed to light up, emitting a faint glow.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, a smile with a hint of bloodlust, like a cheetah eyeing its prey.

The air inside the cave seemed to freeze, and the surrounding rock walls seemed to have grown countless eyes, watching their every move.

The oppressive atmosphere surged in like a tide, making people feel suffocated.

"Rumble..."

A dull thud was heard, and the boulder blocking the cave entrance slowly moved, eventually revealing a gap large enough for one person to pass through.

Master Huikong appeared at the cave entrance. His originally kind face was now filled with sinister intent, and his eyes, like those of a venomous snake, gleamed with a nauseating light.

He slowly walked into the cave, his gaze falling on the letter and secret manual that Yan Ruge was clutching tightly in his hand. The muscles on his face twisted, making him look as ferocious as a demon crawling out of hell.

His hypocritical mask was finally torn off, revealing his ugly true face.

"Hmph, you have a road to heaven but you choose not to take it, you have no way to hell but you come here by yourself!" Master Huikong's voice was sharp and piercing, like fingernails scratching a blackboard, making people's scalps tingle.

Yan Rugo looked at him coldly, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

She wouldn't be scared by a clown like that.

She's the kind of woman who'd tear up a script!

She gripped the letters and secret manuals in her hands even tighter, as if she were holding her destiny in her grasp.

A fierce battle blazed in Xu Yi'an's eyes, and the longsword in his hand was eager to drink blood.

He knew that this battle was inevitable.

The atmosphere around them instantly became tense, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.

Just then, Xu Yi'an suddenly moved. His figure shot towards Master Huikong like an arrow released from a bow, and the long sword in his hand drew a sharp, cold light in the air.

"Old monk, your death is near!"

Xu Yi'an moved like lightning, his sword flashing like snow, aiming straight for Master Huikong's face.

Master Huikong reacted hastily, wielding his staff with great force, and for a time he was evenly matched with Xu Yi'an.

"Hey, old monk, I didn't expect you to be quite capable!" Xu Yi'an teased, but his attacks didn't falter at all. "However, your petty tricks are no match for me!"

Yan Rugo, who was also busy, raised her voice and said, "Fellow worshippers, you have all been deceived by this old monk! He is not a highly virtuous monk at all, but a wolf in sheep's clothing! His so-called blessings are nothing but a cover for his evil conspiracy!"

Master Huikong's face turned ashen upon hearing Yan Rugo's words.

He was already struggling to withstand Xu Yi'an's onslaught, and now, with Yan Rugo further disrupting his mind, he was in even greater danger.

"Shut up! You witch!" Master Huikong roared, slamming his staff down at Yan Rugo.

Seeing that things were going badly, Xu Yi'an quickly stepped in front of Yan Rugo and took the blow from Master Huikong.

He groaned, and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

"Xu Yi'an!" Yan Rugo exclaimed in surprise and quickly helped him up.

"It's nothing." Xu Yi'an gently pushed Yan Rugo away, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. "Old monk, you're courting death!"

He swung his sword again, his swordplay even more ferocious than before, each move deadly.

Master Huikong was already at his limit; how could he possibly withstand the attack?

With a "thud," the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh rang out.

Master Huikong's chest was pierced by Xu Yi'an's longsword, and blood gushed out.

His eyes widened, filled with resentment and despair, and he slowly collapsed.

The young novice monk, hiding in the shadows, turned deathly pale upon witnessing this scene, his eyes filled with terror.

His lips trembled as he tried to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

Xu Yi'an sheathed his sword, turned to look at Yan Rugo, his eyes filled with tenderness.

He walked up to her and gently pulled her into his arms.

"It's alright now," he said softly, his voice trembling slightly.

Yan Rugo hugged him tightly, feeling the warmth of his body, her heart filled with emotion and happiness.

They nestled together, as if the world had turned to just the two of them.

The air around them seemed to sweeten, and Guard Wu and Miss Murong looked at them with eyes full of blessings.

"Ahem..." Suddenly, a soft cough broke the warm atmosphere.

Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an turned their heads at the same time, looking in the direction from which the sound came.

An elderly man dressed in a gray monk's robe slowly walked over. He had a kind face and a faint smile.

"Amitabha Buddha, esteemed benefactors, this humble monk has something to say..."

Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an returned to the temple with the letter, the secret manual, and Huikong and his disciples, who were bound hand and foot.

Yan Rugo stood before the crowd, her expression calm and composed, as if the life-or-death struggle just now was nothing more than a child's play.

She cleared her throat, her voice crisp and strong, and began to recount Master Huikong's conspiracy, peeling back the layers of the truth like an onion.

Everyone was stunned, their gazes towards Master Huikong filled with shock and anger.

When Master Huikong and the young novice were taken away by the officials, their faces were full of despair. Master Huikong was filled with remorse, thinking, "If I had known this would happen, why did I do it in the first place?"

When the lady learned the truth, she was even more shocked. She never imagined that the master she respected could be so vicious.

She immediately ordered that Master Huikong and the young novice be handed over to the authorities for severe punishment.

The temple's conspiracy has finally come to an end. Everyone looks at Yan Rugo with admiration. She truly deserves to be called the new "lucky star." Her intelligence and courage are simply amazing!

The lady was extremely grateful to Yan Rugo and Xu Yi'an for saving her life, and immediately rewarded them with a large amount of gold, silver, jewels, silks, and satins, promising to take good care of them in the future.

The noble ladies around Yan Rugo looked at her with envy. She had gained both fame and fortune and was a true winner in life!

Yan Rugo was extremely excited inside, but she remained calm on the surface. After all, becoming the beloved female lead and reaping wealth and fame was only the first step!

Just as everyone was celebrating, Yan Rugo caught a glimpse of a dark figure flashing past out of the corner of her eye, moving with astonishing speed.

Her heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding washed over her.

"Wait..." Yan Rugo suddenly exclaimed, her eyes fixed on the direction where the dark figure had disappeared.