The convoy ambush and the surprising Tie Sanniang

Three days later.

During a rest stop, Li Dao leaned against a carriage, telling a story.

"From then on, Fahai and White Snake lived happily together in Leifeng Pagoda."

Li Dao looked at Bi You'er beside him. "All right, that's the end of the story."

"It's over?"

Bi You'er indignantly waved her little fists. "That Xu Xian was awful! He actually ruined White Snake's chastity."

"And Fahai was such a blockhead. He didn't even understand love at first. All those years he'd lived were wasted."

"At least the ending was good. Fahai and White Snake could stay together forever in Leifeng Pagoda."

"Ahem."

Li Dao stifled his laughter. He wondered how this little girl would react if she learned the original story.

He patted Bi You'er beside him. "The story's finished. We're even now, right?"

"We're even?"

Realization dawned on Bi You'er. Only then did she remember their earlier agreement, and an inexplicable reluctance to part rose in her heart.

She was reluctant to part with the story, and also...

She cautiously glanced sidelong at that handsome profile. Aside from her young mistress, this was the first time she had talked so long with a stranger-and a man at that. Her heart felt strange.

"Um..."

After hesitating for a while, Bi You'er suddenly made up her mind. "Um, could you keep telling me other stories later?"

As if to prove her resolve, she hurriedly added, "I won't listen for free. I can pay you."

Li Dao shook his head. "There's no need to pay."

Disappointment appeared on Bi You'er's face. Thinking he was unwilling to tell her any more stories, she murmured, "If you don't want to, forget it."

Li Dao looked the little girl over and chuckled. "When did I say I didn't want to?"

"You mean...?"

"You don't need to pay. If you want to listen, I'll tell you stories. If you feel bad about it, just bring me some more food from now on."

"Really?"

Delight filled Bi You'er's sweet, pretty face, and her dark eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Really."

Li Dao smiled faintly. Looking at the little girl before him, he unwittingly thought of his younger sister. Both were equally innocent and adorable.

Unfortunately, nearly ten years had passed since his sister had been sent away as a child, and he hadn't seen her since.

Besides, perhaps because he had spent too long in the Death Row Camp and killed too many people, a viciousness had unconsciously taken root in his heart. Although his willpower and temperament allowed him to suppress those feelings for now, that was no solution.

At that moment, he recalled a saying from his previous life.

"Beautiful things can lift a person's spirits."

And he found that chatting with this little girl made much of the viciousness in his heart dissipate.

Clearly, in his heart, this little girl counted as something beautiful.

"Then it's a promise."

Bi You'er suddenly held her soft, fair little finger out in front of Li Dao. "Pinky promise."

A pinky promise?

Bi You'er's adorable gesture left Li Dao momentarily dazed. When he recovered, he couldn't help smiling and reached out to hook his little finger around hers.

"All right. Pinky promise."

"Miss, I'm back."

Bi You'er climbed into the carriage, her face brimming with excitement, and hurriedly said in her soft, sweet voice, "The story ended today. Miss, let me tell you the rest."

Tie Sanniang extended a delicate finger and tapped Bi You'er between the eyebrows. "You little maid, have you fallen for him? Is that why you're in such a hurry to run outside every day?"

Bi You'er blushed and hurriedly protested, "I'm collecting stories for you, Miss. I haven't fallen for anyone."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then never mind."

Propping herself up on her delicate hand, Tie Sanniang reclined lazily against the cushions, inadvertently revealing her perfect curves. "I was planning to play matchmaker for you, but it seems you don't appreciate the opportunity, You'er. What a pity."

"Miss, you..."

Bi You'er's face flushed crimson. How could she fail to see that her mistress was teasing her? Yet why did her heart inexplicably flutter whenever she thought of that bad man's face?

Seeing that Bi You'er was nearly blushing herself to tears, Tie Sanniang finally stopped. "All right, I won't tease you anymore. Go on with your story."

At the mention of stories, Bi You'er instantly perked up. She had few hobbies, but she loved listening to stories and telling them to others, especially her mistress.

An incense stick's worth of time later.

Imitating Li Dao's tone, Bi You'er said, "From then on, White Snake and Fahai lived happily together in Leifeng Pagoda."

Beside her, Tie Sanniang's fine brows furrowed slightly. "You'er, are you sure that's how the story ended?"

Bi You'er looked startled. "Yes. That's exactly what he told me."

Tie Sanniang pondered it carefully, then suddenly revealed a knowing expression. Raising her head, she teased, "You'er, another way to tell this story just occurred to me. See what you think."

During the rest stop the next day.

"You big liar!"

Bi You'er stood in front of Li Dao, shouting in her soft, sweet voice.

Li Dao looked puzzled. "When did I lie to you?"

"White Snake and Xu Xian were the couple. Fahai was the villain."

Li Dao: "???"

What in the world?

How did this little girl know?

"First, tell me why you're saying that."

Bi You'er wrinkled her dainty nose. "My mistress told me everything."

Then she recounted the story Tie Sanniang had rewritten for her the day before.

After listening, Li Dao let out a long breath. When the little girl exposed the truth just now, he had thought there was another reincarnated transmigrator in this world.

Only after hearing her out did he realize that someone had spotted a few small holes in his story and rearranged it. Although the broad outline was the same, many of the little details differed from the original.

"Worthy of the name Iron Lady."

Learning that Tie Sanniang was behind it all, Li Dao couldn't help admiring her.

Spotting the problems after hearing the story just once, then reconstructing something broadly resembling the original, was no feat for an ordinary person.

At his words, indignation filled Bi You'er's pretty face. "Miss guessed right. You really did lie to me."

Looking at the soft, adorable Bi You'er before him, Li Dao couldn't resist reaching out and pinching her cheek. "How about I make it up to you with another story?"

"You..."

Bi You'er's face suddenly turned bright red. She pointed at Li Dao, at a loss for words.

"Bad man!"

Suddenly, Bi You'er turned and ran, though she didn't forget to leave the food behind.

A bad man?

Li Dao froze for a moment. Only after recovering and glancing at his fingers did he realize something was amiss.

Pinching her cheek just now probably counted as taking liberties. No wonder the little girl had reacted so strongly.

He couldn't help it. That was how he used to tease his younger sister when they were children, and he hadn't broken the habit.

Bi You'er ran all the way back to the luxurious carriage. After climbing inside, she sat there in a daze.

Beside her, Tie Sanniang chuckled. "You'er, why are you back so early today?"

Bi You'er raised her head and said indignantly, "He really did lie to me. He's such a bad man."

"A bad man?"

Tie Sanniang's expression darkened. "Since you say he's a bad man, You'er, he must be one. How about I have the guards dispose of him?"

"Don't!"

At those words, Bi You'er instinctively tried to stop her. But when she looked up, she saw her mistress's teasing face. "You'er, it seems the first buds of love really have sprouted in your heart."

Blushing, Bi You'er said, "They haven't! I want to stay with you forever, Miss."

Tie Sanniang smiled faintly. "If you stay with me, you might end up entrusted to the wrong man someday."

Bi You'er's face paled at those words, but she remained stubborn. "Then I have even more reason not to abandon you, Miss."

"I'm teasing."

Tie Sanniang reached out and stroked her little maid's hair, saying softly, "Don't worry, You'er. I won't let you suffer."

"Mm-hmm."

Bi You'er murmured softly and nuzzled the gentle palm like a kitten.

Time flew.

Another three days soon passed.

As the carriages continued onward, they drew ever closer to the Imperial Capital.

Originally, Li Dao had thought that after he upset Bi You'er that day, she would stop coming to see him.

But unexpectedly, although the little girl claimed to be angry, her actions told the truth. At the appointed time, she would come to him with a generous meal.

Perhaps she was a little prideful, too. Every time, she would set the food down without saying a word and simply wait for Li Dao to tell her a story. Once she had finished listening, she would leave without the slightest hesitation.

That day.

Just as on the previous days, after finishing the food Bi You'er brought, Li Dao was about to tell her a story as she sat sideways on the carriage beside him.

"Now, as for Havoc in Heaven..."

The moment those words left his mouth, Li Dao's voice stopped.

"Hm?"

Bi You'er paused, then instinctively asked, "What happened after Havoc in Heaven? Why did you stop?"

Rather than answer, Li Dao asked, "Miss You'er, does your Iron Family have anyone coming to meet you along the road?"

"Meet us?"

Bi You'er shook her head. "How could that be? The convoy is heading straight to the Iron Family residence in the Imperial Capital. No one is supposed to meet us."

"Is that so?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Because..."

Before Li Dao could finish, countless whistles suddenly sounded in his ears.

The next second, a rain of nearly a hundred arrows poured down from the wooded hills on either side of the road.

As though he had anticipated it, Li Dao grabbed Bi You'er and immediately turned to dodge.

The others, however, weren't so fortunate.

The convoy's people had been eating and resting when the sudden attack caught them completely off guard. Many died beneath the rain of arrows before they could react.

"Enemy attack!"

The Iron Family convoy reacted fairly quickly, and several guard captains hurriedly shouted the warning.

But everything had happened so suddenly that the guards couldn't organize themselves right away.

In short, that volley of arrows instantly threw the orderly convoy into chaos.

"Miss!"

Once Bi You'er recovered, she pulled away from Li Dao, her face full of anxiety as she tried to find her mistress.

Just then, a second volley of arrows shot out of the woods in unison.

At the sight, Bi You'er instinctively froze in fright, like a helpless little animal.

"This little girl."

With one stride, Li Dao appeared before Bi You'er. He gathered her into his arms with his left hand, drew the Black Iron Saber with his right, and swept it through the air, shattering every arrow that came near them.

At the sight, Bi You'er seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw. She clutched Li Dao's sleeve, her eyes full of tears. "Bad man, please help save my mistress."

Tie Sanniang?

Li Dao looked up. Only then did he notice that after the two volleys, the convoy's chaos had left Tie Sanniang's carriage standing all alone in its midst.

The guards around it still hadn't recovered from the chaotic rain of arrows.

For a moment, he even suspected these guards were spies planted by the Iron Family's enemies. What sort of servants cared only about protecting themselves and ignored their own mistress?

At the same time, Li Dao noticed numerous black-clad figures suddenly dart out of the wooded hills on both sides, heading straight for Tie Sanniang's carriage.

And once the arrows stopped, a great number of people charged out from both sides as well.

Looking at the pleading eyes of the little girl in his arms, Li Dao didn't hesitate much. He tucked Bi You'er into a chest to hide her, then headed toward Tie Sanniang's carriage.

He hadn't used his saber in over a month. Truth be told, his hands were itching.

"Move! Grab Tie Sanniang, then retreat."

Once the group of black-clad figures approached the luxurious carriage, their leader gave the order to his men.

"Yes."

The surrounding black-clad men immediately moved to charge onto the carriage.

Just then, a cold gleam flashed past.

Several black-clad men who had been about to approach the carriage suddenly had their throats slit, their blood spraying over the ground.

"Who's there!"

The black-clad leader barked.

But the newcomer ignored him entirely and plunged straight into the carriage.

"Tie..."

Li Dao was just about to say something when he suddenly sensed a fierce gust rushing toward his face.

He instinctively raised his hand and struck, only to realize a moment later that something was wrong.

Bi You'er had said earlier that only she and Tie Sanniang were inside the carriage.

He had hidden Bi You'er away, which meant the person before him...

His attack had been so sudden that even he could not pull it back in time. At most, he could withdraw half his strength.

But even half his strength was more than an ordinary person could withstand.

Just as Li Dao began to wonder whether he would slap Tie Sanniang to death, their palms collided in midair.

As their palms met, Li Dao felt as though he had struck a sheet of water rather than a human hand. Most of his strength was instantly dispersed, while that hand withstood the remaining force head-on.

"You..."

Li Dao was about to continue, but the moment he looked up, he saw another palm flying toward him.

Would this ever end?!

He had come to rescue someone, not to get beaten up.

"Bi You'er!"

The hands were about to land on Li Dao when they stopped the instant he shouted those words.

"Who are you?"

A lovely voice, melodious with a slightly husky edge, sounded beside his ear.

Li Dao raised his head and got a clear look at her face.

He instinctively compared the face before him with another buried deep in his memories.

Both were breathtakingly beautiful, but each had her own distinct charms.

Princess Mingyue was cool and aloof, like an immortal deity walking the mortal world, far beyond anyone's reach.

The face before him, however, brimmed with alluring charm between her brows. Her bearing was somewhat languid, yet her eyes, like black pearls, held a certain gleam that seemed capable of seeing into people's hearts.

Her figure was even more graceful and voluptuous, lushly beautiful like a fully ripened peach, as though a gentle squeeze would make juice spill out.

She had the unmistakable air of a queen.

These thoughts flashed through Li Dao's mind. In response to Tie Sanniang's question, he said bluntly, "A guard for your Iron Family."

Tie Sanniang narrowed her eyes slightly. "I know all the Iron Family's guards. Why haven't I seen you before?"

"I'm a temporary contractor."

"Temporary? Contractor?"

Tie Sanniang's delicate brows rose slightly, her gaze seeming to see right through him. "You're the bad man You'er mentioned?"

Li Dao did not answer, having noticed movement outside the carriage. "This probably isn't the time to discuss that. We should get out first."

Recalling their earlier exchange of palms, he continued, "Since you know martial arts, let's fight our way out together first."

"No."

Tie Sanniang suddenly spoke.

"Why not?"

Li Dao looked puzzled.

Tie Sanniang fixed her bright eyes on Li Dao. "I don't want anyone to know that I practice martial arts."

"You don't want anyone to know?"

Some rumors he had once heard in the Imperial Capital suddenly flashed through Li Dao's mind.

Rumor had it that the Iron Family was willing to let Tie Sanniang, a woman, manage the Lineage's businesses, with even the eldest and second eldest of the Iron Family agreeing, partly because she was a woman and would marry sooner or later.

The second reason was that tests conducted when Tie Sanniang was a child had determined she was unsuited to cultivation.

Being unsuited to cultivation meant that even if she cultivated, her cultivation would never amount to much, making her easy to keep under their thumb.

Yet judging by what Tie Sanniang had just revealed, this Iron Lady who was supposedly unsuited to cultivation had clearly already reached the Innate Realm.

Could someone unsuited to cultivation reach the Innate Realm at her age?

Clearly, Tie Sanniang had concealed something from the people of her Lineage.

As for why she had hidden it, she must have had some scheme in mind.

She had probably exposed herself just now only because an enemy's sudden arrival had forced her to act.

She had never expected Li Dao to be a "false enemy."

Li Dao raised a brow. "Then what do you want me to do?"

"Help me keep it secret, and protect me."