Chapter 31: The Convoy Ambushed, the Unexpected Iron Third Lady

Three days later.

During a break, Li Dao leaned against the carriage, spinning a tale.

"And thus, Fahai and Lady White lived a happy life in Leifeng Pagoda."

Li Dao looked toward Bi You'er, who was beside him. "There, the story ends."

"It's over?"

Bi You'er waved her small, delicate fists in indignation. "That Xu Xian is so detestable for ruining Lady White's purity! And that Fahai, he's so dim-witted; he didn't even understand love at first—he wasted so many years of his life. At least the ending is good; Fahai and Lady White get to be together forever in the pagoda."

"Ahem."

Li Dao stifled a laugh, wondering what her reaction would be if she ever learned the original story. He tapped her on the shoulder. "The story is finished. We’re square now."

"Square?"

Bi You'er was momentarily dazed. She recalled their earlier arrangement, and a strange sense of reluctance welled up inside her. It was a reluctance to see the story end, and perhaps... something else. She glanced cautiously at his handsome profile. Aside from her mistress, this was the first time she had spoken with a stranger for so long, let alone a man. It felt strange.

"Um..." Bi You'er hesitated for a moment before making up her mind. "Could you... continue telling me other stories later?"

To prove her sincerity, she quickly added, "I won't listen for free. I can pay you."

Li Dao shook his head. "No need for money."

Bi You'er’s face fell, assuming he was unwilling. "If you don't want to, then forget it."

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

"Then you mean...?"

"No need for money. If you want to listen, I’ll tell you. If you feel bad about it, just bring me some extra food from time to time."

"Really?" Her cute face lit up with surprise, her dark eyes sparkling.

"Really." Li Dao smiled. Looking at the girl, he couldn't help but think of his own younger sister; they were both just as innocent and adorable. It was a pity that since his sister was sent away when she was young, he hadn't seen her in nearly a decade. Moreover, perhaps from staying in the death row camp for too long and killing so many, he had developed an involuntary sense of hostility. Though he kept it suppressed through sheer willpower, it was no long-term solution.

He remembered a saying from his past life: "Beautiful things make for a pleasant mood." He realized that chatting with this young girl helped dissipate the hostility in his heart. Clearly, to him, she was one of those beautiful things.

"Then it's a deal." Bi You'er suddenly extended a fair, delicate pinky finger. "Pinky swear."

A pinky swear? Li Dao was momentarily distracted by her adorable gesture. When he came to, he smiled and hooked his finger with hers. "All right, pinky swear."

...

"Mistress, I'm back."

Bi You'er dove into the carriage, full of excitement. "The story ended today, Mistress. Let me tell it to you."

Tie Sanniang tapped Bi You'er’s forehead with a jade-like finger. "You little maid, have you fallen for him? Why else would you be in such a rush to run out every day?"

Bi You'er blushed and quickly retorted, "I was only gathering stories for you, Mistress! I don't have any crush on anyone."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then never mind." Tie Sanniang rested on her cushions, lazily revealing her perfect curves. "I was actually planning to play matchmaker for you. It’s a pity you don't cherish the opportunity."

"Mistress!"

Bi You'er’s face turned crimson. She knew her mistress was teasing her, but the thought of that "villain's" face made her heart flutter inexplicably. Seeing that she was about to cry from shyness, Tie Sanniang relented. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Continue with your story."

Mentioning stories, Bi You'er instantly perked up. She didn't have many hobbies, but she loved hearing stories and telling them—especially to her mistress.

An incense stick of time later.

Bi You'er mimicked Li Dao’s tone. "And thus, Lady White and Fahai lived a happy and joyful life in Leifeng Pagoda."

Beside her, Tie Sanniang frowned slightly. "You'er, are you sure that’s the ending?"

Bi You'er blinked. "That's what he told me."

Tie Sanniang pondered for a moment, then wore a meaningful expression. She looked up and teased, "You'er, I just thought of a different way to narrate this story. Let's see what you think."

...

The next day, during the break.

"Big liar!" Bi You'er said in a sweet, soft voice, standing before Li Dao.

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

"Lady White and Xu Xian are the real couple! Fahai is the villain!"

Li Dao: "???"

What the hell? How did she know?

"Tell me why you’re saying that first."

Bi You'er crinkled her nose. "My mistress told me."

...

Afterward, she recounted the version Tie Sanniang had rewritten for her.

After listening, Li Dao let out a long breath. When the truth was exposed, he had feared there might be another reincarnator in this world. But it turned out someone had simply spotted the loopholes in his story and rearranged it. While the general plot was the same, the details were different.

"As expected of the Iron Lady."

Learning it was Tie Sanniang who had deduced it, Li Dao couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. To hear a story once and spot the flaws, then reconstruct it—that was no ordinary feat.

Hearing this, Bi You'er looked furious. "Mistress was right, you were lying to me!"

Looking at the cute, pouting girl, Li Dao couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek. "How about I pay you back with a new story?"

"You..." Bi You'er’s face turned beet red; she pointed at Li Dao, speechless. "You villain!"

Suddenly, she turned and ran off, not forgetting to leave the food behind.

A villain? Li Dao was stunned. When he came to his senses and looked at his fingers, he realized his mistake. Pinching her cheek was surely seen as an act of flirtation. No wonder the girl reacted that way. He couldn't help it; that was how he used to tease his own sister back in the day, and the habit hadn't faded.

...

Bi You'er ran back to the luxurious carriage, diving inside, completely dazed.

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

Bi You'er lifted her head, indignant. "He really did lie to me. He's such a villain."

"A villain, is he?" Tie Sanniang’s expression darkened. "Since you say he's a villain, he must be one. Shall I have the guards deal with him?"

"No!"

Bi You'er instinctively blocked the suggestion, only to see her mistress’s teasing smile. "You'er, it seems your heart has truly been stirred."

Bi You'er blushed. "I have not! I’m going to stay with you forever, Mistress."

Tie Sanniang smiled. "If you stay with me, you might end up with no one to rely on in the future."

Bi You'er turned pale but remained stubborn. "Then I definitely can't leave you, Mistress."

"I'm just teasing." Tie Sanniang reached out to stroke her maid's hair. "Don't worry, You'er. I won't let you suffer."

"Mm-hmm." Bi You'er hummed, nuzzling into her mistress's palm like a kitten.

...

Time flew by. Another three days passed quickly.

As the carriage moved along, they drew closer to the Imperial Capital. Originally, Li Dao thought that after offending Bi You'er, she wouldn't come back. But to his surprise, while she was angry in words, her actions were quite honest; she would arrive on time every day with a lavish meal. Perhaps she was just a bit proud—she would drop off the food without a word, wait for him to tell a story, and then leave without hesitation.

On this day, just like the previous ones, Li Dao finished the meal and was about to start a story for Bi You'er, who was sitting sideways in the carriage.

"It is said that the Havoc in Heaven..."

As soon as those words left his lips, Li Dao stopped.

"Hm?" Bi You'er paused. "What happened after the Havoc in Heaven? Why did you stop?"

Li Dao ignored her and asked, "Miss You'er, does the Tie family usually have people coming to meet the caravan halfway?"

"Meeting us?" Bi You'er shook her head. "That's impossible. The caravan goes straight to the Tie family estate in the Imperial Capital. There's no such thing as a reception party."

"Is that so?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because..."

Before Li Dao could finish, the sound of countless arrows piercing the air erupted around them.

The next second, a rain of nearly a hundred arrows poured down from the forests on both sides of the road. Li Dao, as if he had predicted it, pulled Bi You'er and dove for cover.

The others were not so lucky. The caravan members were caught off guard while eating and resting; many were struck down by the arrow rain before they could even react.

"Ambush!"

The Tie family guards reacted relatively quickly, their captains shouting orders. But everything happened too suddenly; the guards couldn't organize themselves in time. The once orderly caravan fell into complete chaos.

"Mistress!"

Bi You'er regained her senses and shoved Li Dao aside, desperate to reach her mistress. Just then, a second wave of arrows whistled from the trees. Seeing this, Bi You'er froze in terror, standing there like a helpless little animal.

"This girl."

Li Dao lunged, pulling her into his arms. He drew his Dark Iron Blade and swung it in a circle, shattering every arrow that came near them. Seeing this, Bi You'er clung to his sleeve, eyes full of tears. "Villain, please, save my mistress!"

Tie Sanniang?

Li Dao looked up and saw that, due to the chaos, the carriage Tie Sanniang was in was left isolated in the middle of the road. The surrounding guards had yet to recover from the shock. For a moment, he wondered if these guards were traitors planted by the Tie family's enemies—what kind of subordinates only cared about self-preservation while their master was in danger?

At the same time, Li Dao noticed many black-clad figures leaping from the woods, heading straight for Tie Sanniang’s carriage. As the arrow rain ceased, a large force surged out from both sides.

Seeing the pleading look in the little girl’s eyes, Li Dao did not hesitate. He tucked Bi You'er into a crate to hide her and then sprinted toward the carriage. It had been over a month since he had wielded his blade; truthfully, his hands were itching.

"Move! Capture Tie Sanniang and retreat!" the leader of the black-clad group ordered.

"Yes!"

As the figures rushed the carriage, a cold glint flashed. Several black-clad men had their throats slit before they could even reach the carriage, their blood splattering the ground.

"Who goes there!" the leader barked.

The newcomer ignored him, diving straight into the carriage.

"Tie..." Li Dao started to speak, but felt a gust of wind strike his face. He instinctively struck out with a palm, but immediately realized his error. Bi You'er had said it was just her and Tie Sanniang in there. If Bi You'er was hidden, then...

The strike was so sudden that even he couldn't pull back more than half his strength. Yet, for him, even half his power was more than an ordinary person could withstand. Just as he feared he might accidentally kill Tie Sanniang with one blow, their palms collided in the air.

The impact felt strange—it didn't feel like hitting a hand, but rather striking the surface of a pool of water. Much of his force was dissipated, and the remainder was met head-on by the other palm.

"You..." Li Dao wanted to say more, but as he looked up, another palm came flying toward him.

Are you kidding me! He was here to save her, not to get beaten up.

"Bi You'er!"

The hands, inches from striking Li Dao, stopped instantly at the mention of her name.

"Who are you?" A beautiful, slightly husky voice echoed in his ears.

Li Dao looked up, finally seeing her face clearly. In his mind, he involuntarily compared her to another face from his memories. Both were stunningly beautiful, but in different ways. Princess Mingyue was cold, like a god detached from the mortal world, unreachable. But this face before him had charm in her features, a lazy temperament, and eyes like black pearls that seemed to possess the power to peer into a person's soul. Her figure was graceful and voluptuous, like a perfectly ripened peach that seemed ready to burst with juice. She was the definition of a queen.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in a split second. Responding to Tie Sanniang's question, he said bluntly, "I'm a guard for the Tie family."

Tie Sanniang narrowed her eyes. "I know all the guards in the Tie family. How come I haven't seen you?"

"I’m a temp, outsourced."

"Temp? Outsourced?" Tie Sanniang arched an eyebrow, her gaze seemingly piercing through him. "Are you the 'villain' You'er keeps talking about?"

Li Dao didn't answer, sensing the movement outside. "This isn't the time for that. We need to get out of here." He continued, thinking back to their clash, "Since you know martial arts, let's break out together."

"No," Tie Sanniang stated flatly.

"Why not!" Li Dao asked in confusion.

Tie Sanniang looked him in the eye. "I don't want anyone to know I practice martial arts."

"You don't want people to know?"

Rumors from the Imperial Capital flashed through Li Dao's mind. It was said that the reason Tie Sanniang was allowed to manage the family business—and why the elder brothers agreed—was that she was a woman destined to marry, and she had been diagnosed from childhood as being unfit for cultivation. Being unfit meant her cultivation would never be high, making her easy to control.

Yet, based on that one strike, this "unfit" Iron Lady was clearly at the Xiantian realm. Reaching the Xiantian realm at this age while "unfit"? It was obvious she had been keeping it a secret from the family. Why? She must have had her own schemes. And she had only been forced to reveal it now because of the surprise attack. She just hadn't expected Li Dao to be a "fake enemy."

Li Dao raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you want me to do?"

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