From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

"This...this is what I found." Yan Ruyu composed herself, her tone calm and showing no sign of panic.

Her eyes darted around, quickly scanning the crowd and taking in their expressions.

Elder Mo was smug at this moment, as if he could already see her ruined reputation.

The others looked on with suspicion and waited to see what would happen.

"Found it? Hmph, what a joke! This luminous pearl is our sect's most precious treasure, how could you possibly find it?" Elder Mo sneered, his tone full of disdain. "I think you clearly stole it!"

Yan Ruyu calmly retorted, "I did indeed find this luminous pearl on the road, but as for whether it belongs to your sect, I have no idea." She paused, then looked directly at Elder Mo, "Elder Mo is so certain, did you perhaps witness me stealing it?"

Elder Mo was forced to take a step back by her sharp gaze, and said with his neck stiff, "This...does this need to be seen with your own eyes? You are an outsider who suddenly appeared in our sect and even picked up our treasures. What else could it be but theft?"

Yan Ruyu chuckled lightly: "Elder Mo's logic is truly astonishing. According to this logic, anyone who finds something can be accused of theft?"

She looked around and raised her voice: "Everyone, what happened today is not just my problem. If Elder Mo slanders me today, you may all suffer the same injustice in the future! Are you all going to sit idly by?"

The crowd began to whisper among themselves, and their gazes toward Elder Mo became more suspicious.

Xiaodie stood in the crowd, looking at Yan Ruyu with concern, but dared not step forward to help.

Elder Mo, enraged and embarrassed, pointed at Yan Ruyu and shouted, "Stop spreading these lies! You stole this luminous pearl! Guards, arrest her!"

"Wait!" Yan Ruyu shouted sharply, "I haven't finished speaking yet!" She took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and slowly unfolded it. "I wonder if Elder Mo recognizes this handkerchief?"

The handkerchief was embroidered with a delicate plum blossom, which was Elder Mo's signature.

Elder Mo's expression changed drastically, and he subconsciously reached out to snatch it, but Yan Ruyu dodged it.

"This...this..." Elder Mo stammered, his eyes flickering, "This...this doesn't prove anything..."

Yan Ruyu sneered, "I found this handkerchief where I picked up the luminous pearl. Elder Mo, what does that prove?"

Elder Mo's face was deathly pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"Heh..." Yan Ruyu threw the handkerchief on the ground. "Elder Mo, what else do you have to say?"

Yan Ruyu's lips curled into a confident smile, her eyes sharp as knives.

"System, activate the 'Truth Tracking' skill!" she silently commanded.

A beam of light, visible only to her, flashed from the luminous pearl, pointing directly at a trembling disciple behind Elder Mo.

"The real thief is him!" Yan Ruyu pointed at the disciple, her voice firm and resolute. "His name is A-San, and he's Elder Mo's confidant. He stole the luminous pearl and then framed me!"

Ah San's face turned ashen, his lips trembled, but he dared not refute.

Elder Mo's face turned from white to green, then from green to black, as if he had swallowed a live fly.

He never imagined that his meticulously planned conspiracy would be so easily foiled by Yan Ruyu.

"You...you're spouting nonsense!" Elder Mo roared, trying to remain calm, as he pointed at Yan Ruyu.

Yan Ruyu sneered, "Whether it's slander or not, a search will tell." She gestured for Sect Leader Ling to search Ah San's body.

Although Sect Leader Ling had a fiery temper, he wasn't stupid and immediately ordered a search.

Sure enough, another identical luminous pearl was found on Ah San's body, as well as the token of instruction given to him by Elder Mo.

"Elder Mo, what else do you have to say?" Sect Leader Ling's eyes widened in anger, as if he were about to breathe fire.

Elder Mo slumped to the ground, his face ashen.

Those around Yan Ruyu looked at her with admiration, praising her wisdom and courage.

"666, that was absolutely brilliant!" someone whispered.

Just then, a figure rushed in and pulled Yan Ruyu into his arms.

"Ruyu, I'm so glad you're alright!" Xu's voice trembled, filled with worry and love.

Yan Ruyu hugged Xu tightly, her eyes welling up with tears. "Why are you here?"

"I was worried about you, so I came." The male protagonist looked at her affectionately. "I'm glad you're alright."

The people around were stunned by the sudden hug, and then burst into cheers.

"I'm totally shipping them! This is so sweet!" Xiaodie exclaimed excitedly, covering her mouth.

The two gazed deeply into each other's eyes, as if the whole world had vanished, leaving only the two of them.

Yan Ruyu gently pushed Xu away and winked playfully: "I'm fine, thanks to the system."

The male lead affectionately pinched her nose: "I knew it, my Ruyu is the best."

Sect Leader Ling looked at the two of them, sighed heavily, and then walked up to Elder Mo: "Someone, take Elder Mo away..." He paused and looked at Yan Ruyu.

Yan Ruyu smiled slightly and said, "Sect Leader Ling, regarding this matter..."

Sect Leader Ling's mustache twitched, and his eyes widened as if an egg could fit inside them.

"Huh? This...this isn't a good idea, is it? This old bastard..." He pointed at Elder Mo, who was slumped on the ground, as if he were looking at a pile of mud.

"This is a heinous crime of betraying one's master and ancestors, and framing someone!"

Yan Ruyu smiled slightly, her eyes sparkling and radiant, like the warm spring sun.

"Sect Leader Ling, it's always good to be forgiving. It's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. Besides, there's more to this than meets the eye." As she spoke, she took out a yellowed letter from her bosom and handed it to Sect Leader Ling.

"This letter may be able to resolve the long-standing feud between the two families."

Elder Mo raised his head, his turbid old man trembling as he took the letter and read it word by word. His face changed from ashen to shocked, and finally, tears streamed down his face.

"I...I misunderstood them! It turns out...it was all a misunderstanding!"

The letter detailed the truth of the incident, revealing that it was a malicious person who sowed discord and caused the two families to become enemies.

When the truth came out, everyone was in an uproar.

Sect Leader Ling was also filled with emotion and immediately expressed his desire to reconcile with the male protagonist's family.

In an instant, cheers swept through the entire valley like a tsunami.

Amidst the deafening sounds of gongs and drums and the crackling of firecrackers, martial arts figures and the protagonist's family drank and chatted, their toasts flowing freely, as if years of frozen ice had melted away in an instant.

The male protagonist, Xu, held Yan Ruyu's hand tightly, his eyes welling up with tears, too excited to speak.

"Waaaaah, finally a happy ending! I'm so excited!" Xiaodie wiped away her tears, even more excited than the person involved.

"Ruyu, thank you." The male protagonist looked at Yan Ruyu with deep affection, and Yan Ruyu returned a sweet smile. "Silly boy, why are you thanking me?" The two embraced and wept, their tears of happiness mingling together, creating a beautiful and touching scene.

However, this warm atmosphere did not last long.

A soldier rode up on a fast horse, holding a bright yellow imperial edict aloft in his hand.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees that, effective immediately, all able-bodied men throughout the land shall be conscripted to defend the borders against the enemy..."

The male protagonist's expression changed, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

"A conscription order?" The surrounding laughter stopped abruptly, the air froze instantly, and an uneasy atmosphere spread.

Sect Leader Ling frowned deeply, and everyone looked at each other in bewilderment; the atmosphere was so heavy it was suffocating.

In the distance, towards the border, dark clouds gathered, lightning flashed and thunder roared, as if foreshadowing an impending storm...