Chapter 30: Iron Third Lady, Jade Wanderer

"Hmph."

The young woman in green gave a cold snort, lifted the curtain of the luxurious carriage, and ducked inside.

Once seated, she said with an air of indignation, "Miss, the people below are becoming more and more outrageous. They take bribes, seize goods, and shove all sorts of strangers into our caravan."

On the main seat inside the carriage sat a woman wearing a dress of pale gold.

Her hair was as black as ink, and her features were like white jade, exquisite and flawless, as if she were a statue carved from precious stone.

With a faint smile, she looked at the maid who had grown up by her side and said, "You-er, the borderlands are harsh; it is not easy for those stationed here. Unless it is something major, there is no need to make such a fuss."

"But even if the conditions are tough, our Tie family provides them with much better treatment than others," the girl known as You-er muttered softly.

The beautiful woman chuckled lightly. "Then, shall I give you some extra money so you can live in Yumen Town for a long time?"

You-er shook her head. "I don't want that. The wind and sand here are bad for the skin. I wouldn't stay, even for more money."

"If you are unwilling, why should they be?"

The beautiful woman looked out through the gap in the curtain and sighed. "Not everything can be solved with money."

Sensing that something was weighing on her mistress's mind, You-er asked in a low voice, "Miss, are you still worrying about your marriage?"

"You really are a clever little thing."

"Hehe." You-er giggled. "I know you don't look highly upon those royal descendants, but I feel you have no need to worry."

The beautiful woman looked puzzled. "Why?"

You-er said naturally, "You have such a close relationship with Princess Mingyue, and she is so favored by His Majesty. You could ask her to help you dissolve the engagement."

The beautiful woman paused, reached out to pat the head of her cute maid, and said nothing. If only things were that simple.

"Alright, You-er, go ask if everything is ready outside. The caravan should be departing soon."

Lowering her hand, the beautiful woman said softly.

"Yes, Miss."

...

Led by a guard captain, Li Dao soon arrived beside a cargo transport carriage.

"Once the caravan departs, you can just follow this cart," the captain said.

"Understood." Li Dao nodded.

"Hey, you!"

At that moment, a sweet, soft voice rang in their ears.

They turned to see a pretty and lively young girl standing nearby. Seeing her, the guard captain quickly greeted her, "Ah, Miss You-er, is there something you need?"

Bi You-er glanced at Li Dao, her expression startled for a moment. Once she recovered, she glared at him before turning to ask, "Miss asked me to check if the caravan is ready."

The guard captain quickly replied, "It is ready. We can depart at any time, please reassure the Young Miss."

"That’s good. If anything goes wrong, the Young Miss will hold you accountable."

After saying this, Bi You-er continued toward the next wagon. As she passed Li Dao, her face flushed for some reason, and she gave a soft huff as she walked briskly by, leaving Li Dao with a puzzled look.

Just now, he had inexplicably felt a trace of hostility from the girl, but it quickly turned into a bashful anger. Had he ever met her before?

Watching the girl walk away, Li Dao asked the guard captain, "Brother, could you tell me which member of the Tie family is leading this caravan?"

"You don't know?"

"I just arrived in Yumen Town from beyond the border."

"That explains it." The guard captain gestured toward the luxurious carriage in the distance. "See that carriage?"

"I see it."

"Inside sits the third daughter of the Tie family—Tie Sanniang."

Tie Sanniang?

Hearing the name, a look of surprise appeared on Li Dao's face. He had heard this name constantly back in the Imperial Capital.

As her name suggested, Tie Sanniang was the third-born of the direct line, with two older brothers above her. She held the title "Iron Lady."

She was called this because her two older brothers were notorious wastrels, with reputations even worse than his own had once been. Though she was a woman, Tie Sanniang was gifted with extraordinary intelligence.

At the age of twelve, she began managing the family business, displaying such incredible commercial talent that the Tie family's trade flourished. By comparison, her fame grew ever greater.

However, that was not what she was most famous for.

Her beauty even eclipsed her commercial success; she and Princess Mingyue were known as the two great beauties of the Imperial Capital.

He had not expected such a coincidence that this caravan would be led by the "Iron Lady" herself. However, he was merely surprised; no matter how impressive she was, she had nothing to do with him. They had no past connections, and it was unlikely they would have any in the future.

If there was any connection, it was perhaps Princess Mingyue—one was her close confidante, and the other was the man who had ruined her purity.

Time passed, and news came that the caravan was ready to depart. As the carriages began to move slowly, Li Dao sat on the cargo cart, serving as a temporary guard.

...

Because Yumen Town was far from the Imperial Capital and the caravan was long, the pace was not fast, requiring frequent stops for rest. Thus, seven days passed, and they had only covered half the distance.

"Stop and rest for a meal!"

Accompanied by the sound of a gong, the carriages slowed to a halt. Li Dao jumped down to stretch. Being a guard, he didn't need to build fires or cook like some of the accompanying servants.

A moment later, he saw a green-clad figure approaching from nearby.

"Hmph!"

As she passed him, the familiar snort sounded again, leaving Li Dao bewildered. This had happened countless times; every time they stopped, the girl would inspect the caravan, and every time she passed him, she would huff.

He possessed a powerful memory and was certain he had never met this girl, nor did he know how he could have offended her. Over the past few days, he had learned her identity: Bi You-er, Tie Sanniang's personal maid.

As she passed again and huffed, Li Dao couldn't help but ask, "Miss, may I ask if I have offended you in any way?"

He regretted it immediately after asking. Why invite trouble? He turned his head away, pretending he hadn't spoken.

"Was that you speaking just now?"

He hadn't escaped after all; Bi You-er approached him, her voice sweet and soft.

"It wasn't me." Li Dao shook his head firmly.

"It was you." Bi You-er hopped in front of him, looking very serious.

Seeing he couldn't dodge it, Li Dao resigned himself to the situation. "May I ask if you are dissatisfied with me?"

Bi You-er paused, recalling her earlier reactions, and her cute face flushed. But she nodded seriously. "Yes."

"Yes?" Li Dao was puzzled. "I don't think I've ever met you before."

Bi You-er looked around, then pointed a delicate, fair finger in one direction. "You used the back door to get into our caravan."

Li Dao followed her finger and saw the guard captain who had helped him. He understood immediately. He was speechless and felt a bit helpless. This was normal to him, but looking at the serious young girl, he realized it wasn't normal for her. If she really pursued it, he was in the wrong.

He regretted stopping her even more. It would have been better to just endure it. Now that it was out in the open, it had to be resolved. She was the personal maid of the "Iron Lady"—if she said the wrong thing, he might be kicked out.

What would he do then? Hold a blade to Tie Sanniang's throat to force her to bring him to the capital? That would be pure suicide.

Li Dao spread his hands. "Fine, it's my fault. What do you suggest, Miss You-er?"

"I..."

Now it was Bi You-er's turn to be unsure. Her initial thought had been to kick him out, but looking at the desolate wilderness, she felt uneasy. She was a kind person; if she abandoned someone here and they died, what would she do? But she still felt frustrated.

Thinking of her mistress, she puffed out her cheeks and looked at the handsome man before her, blurting out two words in her sweet voice:

"Bad guy!"

After that, she did nothing else, just stood there staring with wide eyes. She didn't know why she was doing this; she only knew that sometimes her mistress could scare people off just by staring at them without a word.

Li Dao, the target of this, felt nothing but amusement. Guessing her personality, he said, "How about this? As a penalty for sneaking into the caravan, I'll compensate you."

Bi You-er withdrew her gaze and asked suspiciously, "How do you intend to compensate?"

"How about money?"

"Fine. According to the Tie Family Escort Agency's rates, it's ten gold pieces minimum."

Ten gold? That was a thousand silver taels. Li Dao felt the little girl was trying to rob him. But then he thought, for a prestigious agency, it wasn't that much.

He looked at her and said, "What if I don't have enough money?"

Not giving her a chance to speak, he sighed deeply. "It looks like I'll have to be thrown out of the caravan."

"It's a desolate place, miles from anywhere. Who knows if a weak, frail youth like me will be spotted by beasts and eaten?"

"If I do run into them, I'll probably die a miserable death."

"First, the beasts will rip my belly open, eat my heart and lungs, and leave nothing but a skeleton exposed in the wild. I..."

"Stop, stop, stop! Don't say any more!" Bi You-er turned pale, terrified by the images she was conjuring. She only wanted to scold him, not have him die. Afraid he might actually do something reckless, she quickly added, "I don't want your money!"

Seeing she was scared, Li Dao found it interesting and continued. "If I don't pay, I'll feel very guilty."

Seeing how serious he was, she regretted being so talkative. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Then find another way to pay the fare."

"What way?"

Bi You-er looked at his attire. "You look like a traveler from the four corners of the world."

"What are you trying to say?"

Her eyes lit up. "Since you're a traveler, you must have been to many places and heard many stories."

Li Dao paused. "I suppose so."

"Are you good at telling them?"

He realized what she wanted. If it were any other request, it would be hard, but stories? "I suppose I'm quite good at it."

"Really? I've heard many stories too, you know."

Li Dao smiled. "I guarantee you've never heard my stories."

"Fine, I'll trust you once. If the story is good, I'll waive the fare. If it's bad, see how I punish you!"

Seeing the others eating, Li Dao rubbed his stomach. "Before I tell you a story, you have to let me eat first."

Bi You-er glanced around, said "Wait here," and ran off. Soon she returned with a hearty bowl of food.

She handed it to him. "Here. Eat, and then tell me your stories."

Li Dao looked at the food. "How is it so rich?"

"I got the food myself, of course it's different!"

"Thank you." Li Dao began to eat. A full bowl was gone in minutes.

Watching him, Bi You-er thought, "He looks quite good even when he eats." She immediately felt ashamed of such a thought. Besides, she was a personal maid; she would be part of her mistress's dowry. She would eventually serve whoever her mistress married. She had no choice. She looked at his face and prayed that her mistress would find a handsome husband—she wouldn't ask for more than someone as good-looking as him.

Soon, Li Dao finished.

Bi You-er sat properly at the side of the carriage. "Finished? Tell me a story now."

"Of course." Li Dao wiped his mouth and smiled. "So, Miss You-er, what kind of story would you like to hear?"

"What kind do you have?"

"Plenty." Li Dao counted them off. "Ancient romance, immortal cultivation, historical drama."

"Or Eastern myths, Western magic, historical classics..."

"In short, pick one, and I can tell it."

As a veteran reader of twenty years, with his memory enhanced by his strengthened physique, he could tell stories for three days and nights without stopping.

Bi You-er’s mouth hung slightly open, her expression one of utter shock.

After a long while, she finally spoke. "You have all of those?"

"All of them. You choose."

She frowned, conflicted. She wanted to hear them all. Finally, she threw the choice back at him. "You know too much. Just tell me whatever you want. I'll listen to anything, but don't try to fool me."

"Fine. I'll tell you a story about a wild man."

"A wild man?"

"Pah, I misspoke. A story about a human and a snake demon."

"Oh."