Turning the Tables; A Wicked Servant Bullies His Master

Li Xian was determined to do everything in her power to help Wen Caishang escape danger and repay the debts of gratitude she had owed. She wanted to settle all grudges and grievances quickly. Seeing that Wen Caishang was unreasonable and had no intention of scheming as before, instead behaving like an ordinary girl, Li Xian decided to leave for a while to let her calm down.

Li Xian said, "Alright. I'll leave first. Madam, you should rest well!" He then used his Clearwind Leg technique to climb over the courtyard wall and leave.

Wen Caishang was stunned and said in disbelief, "You actually dare to leave?!" Seeing Li Xian disappear into the darkness, she was unable to come back to her senses for a long time.

As time passed, night fell and all was quiet. She was completely unable to move, her Inner Qi was depleted, and she was covered in injuries.

He couldn't help but feel a secret fear, and a faint hope that Li Xian would return, so he obeyed her every word and action.

"Fine, so saying you can't comply and refuse to kill innocent people is just an excuse to abandon me out of fear of death."

"I deeply regret not letting the Ancestor Silkworm bite him. With my injuries, I'm probably beyond saving here."

Wen Caishang lay in the carriage, her hatred and anger growing with each passing thought. She had always been of high status, and no one dared to defy her. Now, however, she was down on her luck, suffering misfortune and falling to the bottom.

No longer possessing formidable strength, a multitude of thoughts surged through her mind. She was no different from any other woman. If Li Xian were to obey her every word, she would naturally win her favor, but she would be no different from Pang Long and Qiuyue. Li Xian's strategy of retreating to advance infuriated Wen Caishang, who wanted to kill him to vent her anger, but this was precisely the key to breaking free from the mold.

Wen Caishang was furious and called her an ingrate, hating her for her disrespect. But she no longer held Li Xian in any superiority. She thought and thought, and all she could think about was Li Xian.

The moon is bright and the stars are few; a gentle breeze is blowing.

Time passed. As dawn broke, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from afar. Wen Caishang groggily awoke, guessing that pursuers were closing in. She tried to move her body, but could not budge an inch. Despair washed over her; she knew escape was impossible. She thought, "Even if Li Xian were here, what could he do? Could he possibly help me escape this predicament?"

Just then, amidst the gloomy mist, the carriage suddenly trembled slightly, and Li Xian returned, his expression solemn.

Wen Caishang exclaimed happily, "You didn't leave?" Then her face turned cold. "Fine, so you brought that adversary with you!?"

Li Xian said, "Madam, I was just wandering around the area last night and didn't go far. When I saw the pursuers coming early this morning, I rushed back."

Wen Caishang, having regained her lost possession, and seeing the respect in Li Xian's words, inexplicably lost all her annoyance. She thought, "I'll make an exception and forgive you this time." With a cold face, she asked, "Really?"

"Really?" Li Xian laughed. "How heartless must I be to abandon my wife? Li Xian was clumsy with words last night, I hope my wife won't be offended."

"Hmph! What's the use of saying all this now? I've been angry with you all night." Wen Caishang's mood fluctuated, but she suddenly felt relieved, though she cursed, "You wretched servant."

"If you wish to scold me, Madam, you may do so on the way. Please come with me now." Li Xian helped Wen Caishang up and carried her on his back. Wen Caishang's pretty face flushed slightly.

Li Xian had wanted to escape with Wen Caishang last night, but after arguing with Wen Caishang, he feared she would release the Ancestor Silkworm to bite him. Therefore, he deliberately acted coldly to calm his emotions. However, the pursuers arrived very quickly. After running a few steps, he suddenly realized that this escape was extremely dangerous. A brilliant idea came to his mind, and he muttered to the courtyard, "I'm really sorry for stealing your old horse."

They sneaked into the house and knocked Old Zhang and his children unconscious. They brought over a horse and patted its rump.

The old horse was startled and leaped off, running westward, making quite a commotion. Li Xian, carrying Wen Caishang on his back, also galloped towards the horses.

Wen Caishang said, "A feint to the east while attacking the west? Since you've already feinted to the east, why are you still attacking to the east?"

Li Xian said, "I suspect there must be a clever person in the Sword Rain Tower, otherwise they wouldn't have found us so quickly. A feint might delay things for a moment, but it won't be very effective. If I use a feint to the east and then another, thinking one step further, it might have a surprising effect."

Wen Caishang nodded. "You're quite clever." Recalling the argument last night, she spat lightly, "You wretched servant."

Li Xian smiled, thinking to himself, "Madam has quite a temper."

They were still in the city, with many houses along the way. Li Xian and his horse were going in the same direction, but he slowed down and carefully concealed himself along the way. After traveling about seven or eight miles, a figure descended from the sky.

Su Qiuwu stopped the horses, but seeing no one, he realized he had fallen into a trap. He said, "What a cunning lad! He deliberately let the horses scatter to attract attention. He must have run off in another direction. Chase after him!"

They immediately turned back and dispatched disciples of the Sword Rain Tower to search in other directions, fearing that any delay would allow the tiger to return to the mountain. Unexpectedly, Li Xian was nearby.

Li Xian watched Su Qiuwu leave and breathed a slight sigh of relief. He quickly ran out of the city and plunged into the secret forest. Only after putting Wen Caishang down did he have a moment to rest.

Having regained his strength, he continued on his way. He ventured deep into the forest, using the trees for cover. At midday, the sun was blazing. Li Xian listened intently, but hearing no signs of pursuers, he found a stream to rest.

He laid Wen Caishang down, making her lie flat on the ground. Wen Caishang's white dress was stained with blood, the hem fluttering, her figure captivating. Even though she was extremely disheveled and unable to move, there was still an indescribable charm in her furrowed brows and parted lips.

Li Xian said, "That was close!"

Wen Caishang was quite impressed, thinking to herself that many of her decisions had been plagued by misfortune, leading to failure and missteps at every turn. If Li Xian were to help her, perhaps she could escape with his intelligence and wisdom? However, she only let out a light "humph," still feeling resentful.

Li Xian knew he was temporarily out of danger, but still in grave peril, his fate uncertain. Seeing Wen Caishang's sullen face, devoid of her usual majesty, he suddenly thought, "Madam is ruthless. I risked my life to save her to repay a debt of gratitude, but she may not appreciate it. I will have to leave One Accord Manor no matter what. It's rare for Madam to be so distressed, sulking like a little girl. If I don't tease her a bit, I'll leave feeling rather stifled."

Seeing Wen Caishang resting with her eyes closed, Li Xian, quite audaciously, plucked a blade of grass from the riverbank and gently tickled her nose. Wen Caishang endured it for a moment, then sneezed, exclaiming angrily, "Li Xian! What are you doing!"

Li Xian said, "Let me see if Madam is still angry with me."

"Hmph!" Wen Caishang retorted sarcastically, "Is a peasant like you worth getting angry over?" In reality, she was furious with Li Xian.

Although she treated Li Xian as if he were a mere object to be used, her past feelings remained hidden deep within her heart. Now that Li Xian had taken control and treated her with utmost respect, her feelings for him subtly shifted.

Therefore, she appears more like a petite woman.

Li Xian said, "Then what should I do so that Madam won't be angry with me?"

"You..." Wen Caishang said, then whispered, "How dare you!"

Li Xian lightly touched the tip of her nose, which annoyed Wen Caishang to no end. She cursed in her heart, "If I had known you were this kind of person, I should have killed you with a sword!" But there was nothing she could do. She was sneezed several times by Neng De and looked extremely embarrassed.

Li Xian chuckled, "I used to think you were cold and aloof, devoid of emotion. Now it seems you're no different from any other woman."

"How could an ordinary woman compare to me?" Wen Caishang said coldly. "I only just realized how deserving you are of a beating. A petty person who has gotten his way."

"Indeed, your ability to hold a grudge is even more formidable than that of ordinary women," Li Xian laughed. "I'm honest and law-abiding, I don't deserve a beating. But you, Madam, have beaten me quite a bit in the past."

Wen Caishang said, "Fine, so you remember the grudge I stabbed you and brought me to this secluded place to take revenge on me, huh!"

"You can be smug for now. Just wait and see how I punish you once my Inner Qi is restored," Wen Caishang said.

Li Xian said, "Madam, you've misunderstood me. I genuinely wanted to save you. You should know my honest nature."

"You even lied to me, where were you being honest?" Wen Caishang said angrily, "If you keep talking about being honest, I... I..." She really wanted to kick him.

"Alright, alright, I won't mention it anymore." Li Xian felt a little wronged, then smiled and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Madam, you've been bewitched, haven't you?"

Wen Caishang was taken aback. "How did you know?"

"I guessed it," Li Xian said. "Ever since you met Ma Zhongguang that day, you've been acting strangely. Ma Zhongguang is a master of Gu poison, so I guessed you were poisoned. But I never expected that the Gu worm could completely destroy your Inner Qi."

"It's come to this... dragging us both into danger."

"Hmph!" Wen Caishang turned her head away. "If you find it dangerous, you can leave. What can I do to you right now? I only hate that I'm so unlucky, schemed against, betrayed, eaten by tigers, and bitten by wolves. It's all fate."

Li Xian held the herb in his hand and gently tickled the tip of her nose.

Wen Caishang sneezed, her chest heaving with anger, her face flushed red, and she said, "Are you ever going to stop?!"

Li Xian said, "Madam is actually quite adorable when she's angry." Wen Caishang replied, "You're quite something. You're the first person in the world to dare say that I, Lady Broken Sword, am adorable when I'm angry."

Li Xian said frankly, "I'm just stating the facts. If something is cute, it's cute; if something is good-looking, it's good-looking. What's wrong with saying it?"

Wen Caishang was unsure whether to be angry or not, and rolled her eyes at Li Xian.

Li Xian solemnly said, "Madam, the current situation endangers both of us. We must be honest with each other in order to find a way to survive."

"What do you intend to do?" Wen Caishang asked.

Li Xian said, "I've already said we should be honest with each other. You need to tell me your backup plan." Wen Caishang was furious and aggrieved, feeling that Li Xian was taking advantage of her. "What backup plan do I have? If I did, would I let you, you little brat, bully me like this?"

"Yes, your silkworm is an extremely powerful backup plan," Li Xian said.

Wen Caishang asked nervously, "What do you want?!"

Li Xian said, "I know that you have a poisonous silkworm hidden under your clothes, and you must also have Heaven-Earth Treasure Casket. Please open the box and let the poisonous silkworm crawl inside."

Wen Caishang looked directly at Li Xian and said coldly, "Are you afraid I'll kill you with the poisonous silkworm?"

Li Xian remained silent. Wen Caishang narrowed her eyes slightly and sighed, "Li Xian, I truly underestimated you. Your wisdom and thoughtfulness are quite thorough. Perhaps you were just being polite to me before?"

Li Xian sat beside Wen Caishang, instructing Wen Caishang to summon the poisonous silkworm and place it in his palm, tantamount to entrusting her life to it. He said, "The poisonous silkworm is now in my hand. If you wish to take my life, my lady, with a single thought, the insect will bite, and I will die instantly."

"Everything I have said is from the bottom of my heart."

"My treatment of you, Madam, is never feigned. Yet I know that your treatment of me is mostly calculated. My conscience is clear, and my affection for you is evident. But Madam... how have you treated me?"

Wen Caishang was taken aback. She always demanded how Li Xian would treat her, completely neglecting how she should treat Li Xian. If calculated from the perspective of interests, Li Xian didn't owe her anything. Although she had saved Li Xian several times, in other words... wasn't it Li Xian who risked his life to fight for her interests?

She met Li Xian's eyes and was suddenly overcome with guilt. She had always looked down on Li Xian, taking it all for granted. But now, in this dangerous situation, that sense of superiority vanished. Many questions surfaced.

Wen Caishang said, "You..." She felt inexplicably moved. Seeing Li Xian's calm and composed demeanor, she realized that she was not as composed as him.

My first impression.

Li Xian was neither her subordinate nor her servant.

He stood upright before her, his gaze piercing, compelling her to look him in the eye.

"Alright..." Wen Caishang said, "There's a Heaven-Earth Treasure Casket three inches below my sleeve. Open it."

Li Xian opened the box. The Ancestor Silkworm crawled into the box, an act that... signified that Wen Caishang's last trump card had been stored in the box.

Under various circumstances, he revealed everything about Li Xian, including her personality, thoughts, and Ancestor Silkworm.

Li Xian closed the treasure box and put it into his chest.