Chapter 33: The Invitation of Iron Madame, Arrival at the Imperial Capital

Since the assassins' objective was Tie Sanniang, the caravan's cargo remained undamaged. After a brief cleanup of the bodies of their own men, the caravan was ready to resume its journey.

Li Dao sat on a wagon, wiping his black iron saber, when Biyou’er suddenly ran over. "Bad guy, my Young Lady wants to see you."

"See me?" Li Dao sheathed the saber, looking puzzled. "Does Miss Biyou’er know why your mistress wants to see me?"

Biyou’er chirped, "I don't know either. You'll find out once you go."

After hesitating for a moment, Li Dao decided to go. She was just a young woman; despite her cleverness, he had nothing to worry about. Besides, if there were any worries, they should belong to the "Iron Lady" herself, especially since he held a major secret of hers in his hands.

A moment later, Li Dao and Biyou’er stepped into a carriage. The interior was spacious and lavishly decorated, no less impressive than the previous luxury carriage. Tie Sanniang sat at the far end, a small table before her holding a teapot and several cups.

Seeing Li Dao arrive, Tie Sanniang lowered her eyes, picked up the pot, and poured a cup. She said softly, "You’er, serve the young master."

Biyou’er made a series of faces at Li Dao but dutifully picked up the cup and handed it to him. "Please, Young Master, have some tea."

"Thank you." Li Dao took the cup, his gaze meeting Tie Sanniang’s exquisite face. "I wonder why Miss Tie has invited me here?"

Tie Sanniang set down the teapot, took her own cup, and spoke in a gentle, melodic tone, "You saved my life, Young Master. This invitation is merely to express my gratitude."

Li Dao sipped the tea—it was excellent. He raised his eyes. "Miss Tie is a person of good fortune; even without me, I am sure you would have overcome the danger."

Tie Sanniang’s cup trembled, and tea spilled inadvertently. She slowly set the cup down. "Even if that were true, one can avoid the first time, but the second time might not be so easy to dodge."

Beside them, Biyou’er was left dizzy by their exchange, struggling to make sense of it.

"Man proposes, God disposes. I have faith in you, Miss Tie." Li Dao raised his cup in a toast.

"Sigh." Tie Sanniang let out a long sigh, then suddenly looked up, her bright eyes locking onto Li Dao’s. "Young Master, I don't wish to beat around the bush. May I ask, do you have a family?"

Li Dao was stunned for a moment before replying, "I used to, but perhaps not anymore." He once had a family, but his former identity was that of a dead man. Now, he was a free man, entirely on his own.

Hearing this, a flicker of joy appeared in Tie Sanniang’s eyes. She asked softly, "Then, would you have any interest in joining a family?"

"What do you mean, Miss Tie?"

"I wish to invite you to join my household."

"You want me to become your retainer?"

"Yes." Tie Sanniang’s beautiful face turned very serious. "If you are willing to become my retainer, Sanniang will reward you handsomely."

"A handsome reward?" Li Dao chuckled. "And what might that be?"

"I see you and You’er get along quite well. I could offer her to you in marriage."

At these words, Biyou’er froze. She hadn't understood their previous exchange, but she understood this perfectly. She felt as though she had become the subject of the conversation she was eavesdropping on.

Li Dao glanced at the stunned Biyou’er and shook his head with a bitter smile. "Miss Tie, you have misunderstood. Miss Biyou’er reminds me of my younger sister, so I naturally feel a sense of closeness."

"Then what is it that you want?" Tie Sanniang felt a sudden, inexplicable urgency. She had never been this anxious when negotiating major business deals for the Tie family.

This was because she possessed a unique ability since childhood: she could sense the benefit or harm of any situation. Relying on this, combined with her sharp mind, she had thrived in the business world. Now, that sensation returned, and it was intense—she felt that if she could bring this man onto her ship, it would be the most successful business deal of her life.

Hearing her question, Li Dao instinctively wanted to joke, "I want you," but the words died in his throat. He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he felt that if he truly said those three words, this "Iron Lady" might very well agree.

Having finally crawled his way out of the prison camp, he didn't want to shackle himself again, especially not for a woman he had barely met, no matter how beautiful she was. As the saying went, in his current situation, women would only slow down his sword.

"My apologies, Miss Tie. I don't want anything, and I have no intention of joining any faction for the time being." Li Dao refused with a shake of his head. On one hand, he had no interest in being a retainer; on the other, the Tie family couldn't give him what he truly needed. Could they restore his former identity? Impossible. Even if the Tie family were royal relatives and the Great Qian's premier imperial merchants, they couldn't do it.

Rejected, Tie Sanniang looked stunned. It had been a long time since anyone had refused her so decisively. With her wealth and her looks, few men could resist, yet here she was. She wanted to press further, but held back—her business experience taught her that being too pushy only bred resentment.

"Since you have no such intention, I will not force the matter." Tie Sanniang took a golden waist plaque engraved with the character 'Tie' from her belt and offered it. "But your life-saving grace cannot go unrewarded. Please accept this plaque. Wherever there is a Tie family presence, seeing this is like seeing me. It will make your travels across the Great Qian much more convenient."

Li Dao took the plaque. The front bore the character 'Tie,' and the back was engraved with 'Sanniang.' It was made of solid gold—a testament to the extravagance of the wealthy Tie family. It was worth enough to feed a commoner for years. Aside from the surface meaning, it was clearly a 'hush money' token, given that he held her secret.

"Very well, thank you for the plaque." Li Dao didn't refuse; accepting it meant he committed to keeping her secret about having internal cultivation.

Tie Sanniang’s expression softened. If he had refused the plaque too, she would have been truly helpless.

"You’er, why haven't you poured more tea for the Young Master?"

Biyou’er, still in a daze, jumped at the command. "Oh, oh!" She nodded blankly and hurried to grab the teapot.

"No need for trouble," Li Dao waved his hand. "I have stayed too long; it is time for me to go." He feared that if he stayed any longer, he would be permanently branded as one of Tie Sanniang’s men. From the earlier attack, it was clear that the caravan was crawling with malicious intent. He didn't want to be mistaken for an enemy and used as a shield.

He was grateful that his physical enhancement had also extended to his brain; otherwise, dealing with a brilliant mind like hers, he would have been tricked out of his last shirt in minutes.

With that, Li Dao left the carriage without a moment’s hesitation.

Inside, Tie Sanniang slowly regained her composure, her mind fixed on the back of the man walking away. Since her beauty had matured, countless men had sought to be in her presence, and even a mere glimpse of her kept them awake at night. Yet today, she had met an outlier—one who looked at her as if she were a wild beast.

She sensed he wasn't playing hard-to-get; he genuinely wanted to stay away from her. Suddenly, a smile appeared on her exquisite face. She had always viewed men as mere mud and fools, but this one was different, and she admitted to being curious. Thinking of his resistance, she felt a rare, competitive urge to conquer. Recalling the intense gut feeling she’d had upon meeting him, she made a firm decision.

...

Elsewhere, as Li Dao stepped off the carriage, he felt several subtle gazes fall upon him. He swept his eyes around, and the gazes vanished. Just as he suspected, the caravan was full of trouble.

As the caravan traveled further, evening approached. Following Tie Sanniang’s orders, they set up camp for the night.

"Bad guy, my Young Lady has assigned a carriage for you." Biyou’er’s sweet voice reached his ears just as he was about to rest on a cargo crate.

Li Dao was baffled. He had been clear enough; with that woman’s intelligence, she should have understood his stance. "Tell your mistress there is no need for trouble; I can sleep here."

"Are you refusing?" Biyou’er blushed suddenly. "My Lady said if you refuse, she will come over herself to invite you to her carriage."

Biyou’er felt shy, as she shared the carriage with her mistress. If he agreed, would the three of them be sleeping together? The Young Lady would certainly not sleep next to the 'bad guy,' so she would be stuck in the middle. The thought made her head spin.

"Huh?" Li Dao was surprised by the woman’s tactics. Even if it were good intentions, he felt she was trying to trap him. "Don't let your mistress come; I accept."

If she really came to invite him, by tomorrow everyone would know he had become Tie Sanniang’s guest. He didn't know how the Tie family would treat him, but he knew that once they reached the Imperial Capital, he would become the public enemy of every man there. He remembered his own days as a playboy, fighting other young masters over a courtesan; he knew exactly how those men thought. If that happened, he would only have one choice: run. His true identity was too sensitive; if exposed, there would be nowhere in the Great Qian for him to hide.

Led by Biyou’er, Li Dao was taken to a carriage meant for sleeping.

"Miss Biyou’er," Li Dao called out as she was about to leave.

"Bad guy, what is it now?"

"Please tell your mistress that I talk in my sleep, and very loudly, especially when I’m in a bad mood."

"What does that have to do with my Young Lady?"

"Just pass on the message."

"Fine, but don't forget the story for tomorrow."

"Understood."

Back in her carriage, Biyou’er relayed the message. "Stinking man!" Tie Sanniang gritted her teeth. She hadn't expected her gesture of goodwill to be met with such a fierce reaction. Was he really that resistant to her? Or was he resistant to all women? That didn't seem right—she noticed he treated Biyou’er much better. Clearly, he was targeting her. But she had no choice; she was the one with the secret.

"Fine, let him be for now. I’ll deal with the snakes in the grass first." She glanced out from behind the curtain.

Meanwhile, in his carriage, Li Dao checked his panel.

[Host: Li Dao]
[Physique: 87.81]
[Available Points: 9.08]

"Add points!"

[Host: Li Dao]
[Physique: 96.89]
[Available Points: 0]

The familiar heat flowed through his body, causing his bones to crack and pop. He clenched his fist. After his hard work, he had grown stronger again. With his physique nearing 100, he recalled the special transformation he had experienced when he hit 10 points. He speculated that at 100, another transformation would occur. His skin transformation alone had greatly increased his combat power; he couldn't wait to see what the next one would bring.

...

The next day, the caravan set off again. Perhaps due to the attack, they moved faster. With most of the journey behind them, they would reach the capital in two days. The closer he got, the faster his heart beat—perhaps this was the "fear of returning home."

Two days passed quickly.

"The Imperial Capital!" someone shouted.

Li Dao looked up. In the distance, a majestic, imposing city wall stretched across the horizon. In his memory, the outer wall of the capital was a hundred meters high—only a Xiantian martial artist could hope to scale it. In his previous life, this would have been incomprehensible.

As they approached the gate, the caravan was surrounded by neat cottages and commoners. When they saw the Tie family banner, the crowd cleared a path, watching with envious eyes.

The caravan arrived at the gate. There were three passages guarded by soldiers. Normally, even the Tie family would be inspected, but the guards stood at attention, not daring to block them. The lead guard even bowed in greeting.

When Tie Sanniang’s carriage stopped, Biyou’er lifted the curtain, tossing a purse of money to the lead guard. "This is from my Young Lady."

"Thank you, Third Miss, thank you, Miss Biyou’er," the guard bowed respectfully.

"Let’s go." Tie Sanniang’s cold voice echoed, and the caravan moved on.

Seeing this, Li Dao chuckled. "Now that is the style of an 'Iron Lady.'"