The woman had been tied up tight — five ropes crisscrossed from her shoulders to her ankles, leaving her no room to even twitch. This time, the guards were thorough: they checked her head to toe, not even leaving her a pebble that could be used as a weapon.
Her arms were bound so firmly she looked like a festival rice dumpling.
After confirming she was safely "decorated," the guards tossed her onto the same wagon that had delivered the steam-powered loom, assigned a few men to watch her, and hauled her all the way back to Gao Fortress.
Since this woman had just tried to assassinate a ranking officer, she was treated as a high-risk prisoner. And since she was to be presented before the Saintess herself, security had to be tight. The engineer in charge even went to the barracks to call in two of the Saintess's usual bodyguards — Flat Rabbit and Zheng Gouzi, both "experts" in their own very creative way.
So there they were — Flat Rabbit on one side, Zheng Gouzi on the other — escorting the tightly bound woman through the gates of Gao Fortress.
The woman glanced sideways. Zheng Gouzi at least looked halfway serious, like he'd read a book once. But Flat Rabbit… Flat Rabbit looked like trouble wrapped in human skin — slick grin, cocky eyes, the kind of guy whose shadow probably owed people money.
Her stomach dropped.
Why did they hand me over to this thug? Where are they taking me?
She instantly regretted not slamming her throat onto the knife earlier. Now she was at the mercy of someone who looked like he measured morality in taels of silver.
Just as panic set in, Flat Rabbit opened his mouth:
"So, you're the one who tried to stab the cell warden, huh? That's a capital crime. Lucky for you I wasn't there — if I was, tsk, I'd have let you taste my great sword."
The woman froze.
Oh no. He's exactly what I thought he was — a filthy, shameless creep.
I'm done for.
Flat Rabbit leaned closer, eyes glinting.
"What're you staring at? Don't glare at me like that. I hate that look. You want me to 'handle' you right now?"
The woman's eyes widened in terror.
Meanwhile, Li Daoxuan, watching through his divine vision, could barely hold back a laugh.
Flat Rabbit's been in Gao Village for years and still can't speak like a decent human.
"Kill" becomes "handle," "join the militia" becomes "join the gang." No wonder people keep misunderstanding him.
He remembered the first time Flat Rabbit came asking to "join up." He'd told Captain Cheng Xu, 'I wanna join your crew!' and nearly got chased out with a broom.
Now, with that same sloppy street slang aimed at a terrified woman… yeah, it sounded ten times worse.
The young woman clenched her teeth.
"Even if I die, I'll haunt you forever."
Flat Rabbit smirked.
"Please do. I don't fear ghosts."
And then, with a puffed-up grin that could curdle milk, he added:
"I'm blazing with yang energy. Any ghost that comes near me would kneel before my mighty sword."
Li Daoxuan: "…."
Zheng Gouzi: "…."
The woman: "!!!"
Conversation: terminated.
She bit her lip hard, refusing to speak again. No woman on earth wants to keep talking to a man who sounds like a tavern poster for bad decisions.
They walked in silence until they reached the watchtower.
As they passed the ancestral hall, the woman's eyes flicked toward the towering statue of Dao Xuan Tianzun, but she quickly looked away. She'd die before bowing to the gods of her enemy.
Soon, they arrived on the balcony. Gao Yiye was already waiting, calm and poised. Qiu Ju and Dongxue stood behind her, silent and sharp-eyed. Flat Rabbit and Zheng Gouzi pressed the woman down to sit opposite Gao Yiye, then stood guard at her sides — just in case she tried anything stupid.
Seeing that the leader here was actually a woman, the prisoner's tension eased — slightly. At least this one won't "handle" me, she thought bitterly.
Then the divine voice of Li Daoxuan filled the air:
"Name, family, and position. Who is your brother? What's his rank under Wang Zuogua's banner? Speak truthfully."
The woman lifted her chin stubbornly.
"My name isn't important. My clan still has nine generations alive — I won't drag them down. Call me Yizhangqing. My brother, nicknamed Little Yue Fei, served under Wang Zuogua. Just a minor officer."
Flat Rabbit blinked.
"Yizhangqing? That's unlucky as hell. Ain't that the name from Water Margin? Dead parents, dead brother, married a midget?"
The woman glared.
"Illiterate fool! The original Yizhangqing was the wife of Northern Song general Ma Dao. After his death, she married Zhang Yong, one of Yue Fei's lieutenants. Water Margin just stole her nickname for that character."
Flat Rabbit's jaw dropped.
"Wait, seriously?"
Li Daoxuan, equally surprised:
"Wait… seriously?"
Well, when even a celestial deity admits ignorance, Flat Rabbit's stupidity almost feels forgivable.
"So you've read a bit. Not bad," said Li Daoxuan. "Your brother died in our battle with Wang Zuogua's troops, I assume?"
Yizhangqing's voice trembled with restrained fury.
"He did. That's why I came here — to trade my life for one of your great names, to avenge him."
Li Daoxuan sighed.
"That's bad business — two for one. You're short a soul."
At that moment, Yizhangqing realized it wasn't Gao Yiye speaking — it was Dao Xuan Tianzun himself, his words echoing through Gao Yiye's lips. She was speaking with a god.
And somehow, that knowledge made her… nervous. Almost excited. Which annoyed her even more.
"Even so. It's the only way to avenge him."
Li Daoxuan replied calmly:
"Look at it this way. Right now, your family's loss is one for none. If you succeed, it becomes two for one — you lose more. But if you live, it stays one for none. That's the smarter trade, isn't it?"
Yizhangqing snorted.
"God or not, I'm not here for jokes. Kill me if you want. I've already given up on life."
"No, you haven't," said Li Daoxuan gently. "If you truly wanted to die, you'd have thrown yourself on a blade back when you had the chance. Instead, you let yourself get tied up and dragged here like luggage. Deep down, you still want to live."
She spat back:
"I can still bite my tongue."
Li Daoxuan chuckled.
"You could, but it wouldn't kill you — only hurt like hell. You'd faint, choke on your own blood, and maybe die if no one helped. But if someone clears your throat, you live — just in agony and mute for life. Doesn't sound like a good deal, does it?"
The woman stared at him, shaken.
"And besides," Li Daoxuan continued, "the man beside you, Flat Rabbit — he's cruel, they say. Children in the village are told, 'Behave or Flat Rabbit will get you.' You're sure you want to test your luck in his hands?"
Excellent request — that little bit of historical and medical context will make the world feel more grounded and intelligent without breaking immersion. Here's how we can naturally weave it in:
Below is the same passage, with a "behind-the-scenes" trivia paragraph added after Li Daoxuan explains why biting one's tongue won't kill. The trivia is styled like an author's note / in-universe commentary, subtle but informative.
"I can still bite my tongue," she spat.
Li Daoxuan chuckled.
"You could, but it wouldn't kill you — only hurt like hell. You'd faint, choke on your own blood, and maybe die if no one helped. But if someone clears your throat, you live — just in agony and mute for life. Doesn't sound like a good deal, does it?"
The woman stared at him, shaken.
[Trivia — The Myth of Biting the Tongue to Die]
In many old stories, people claim one can die instantly by biting through the tongue. In truth, the human jaw isn't strong enough to sever the thick root of the tongue in one go. Most who attempt it only cause massive bleeding and faint from pain. Death occurs only if blood floods the airway and causes suffocation — and even then, it can be prevented by simply turning the head or clearing the mouth.
This misunderstanding likely came from wartime or judicial scenes where prisoners were found dead with bitten tongues — but in most cases, they had already been beaten unconscious, and suffocation followed. In short, it's a grim method that almost never works as intended.