Legend of the Female General

Chapter 100: A Daughter's True Form

This was a face Ding Yi had never seen before, with no traces of disguise.

Before coming to the Sun residence, Yuan Baozhen had mentioned that accompanying Xiao Jue was his nephew—the young master of the Right Secretary's household, the infamous "Useless Young Master" of Shuojing. It had been a casual remark, nothing more, as none of them had anticipated that this seemingly harmless "useless" young master would end up disrupting their entire scheme.

He couldn’t possibly be the real Cheng Lisu. A pampered young master raised in Shuojing would never have such fierce eyes.

Who was he? An underling arranged by Xiao Jue? But if so, why would he look at Ding Yi with such hatred, as if they shared some deep-seated grudge?

Staring at the youth before him, Ding Yi sneered, "What kind of charade are you playing here?"

He Yan chuckled lightly. "Are you scared?"

Ding Yi’s smile faded slightly. "Your stubborn tongue makes you quite unlikable." With that, the dagger hidden in his sleeve suddenly extended several inches, thrusting toward He Yan in a flash.

He Yan spun and leaped into the air.

The two figures clashed, their silhouettes twisting violently against the windows—an eerie sight that would surely fuel the rumors of hauntings if any servant of the Sun residence happened to pass by.

He Yan was mildly surprised.

Back then, when she had fallen into He Rufei’s trap, it was this very man who had delivered the poisoned medicine that blinded her. She had always assumed Ding Yi was merely a lackey serving He Rufei. Later, after encountering Yuan Baozhen, she realized this man had considerable skill. But only now, after crossing blades with him, did she understand that Ding Yi was far more formidable than she had imagined.

His martial prowess far surpassed that of Ying Yue, the leader of the assassins from that night. Not only was he exceptionally skilled, but he was also cautious and calculating—never striking unless he was certain of success. That was why, even during the banquet assassination attempt, he had remained the final piece, only acting when absolutely necessary. The incense sphere had been the same—he had waited until Xiao Jue was severely weakened by poison before making his move, ensuring a fatal blow.

Today, Ding Yi had set this trap for He Yan, confident that no matter how talented a sixteen-year-old youth might be, they couldn’t possibly pose a real threat.

This man was both arrogant and meticulous—arrogant in his confidence in his own abilities, yet meticulous in ensuring every move was foolproof.

He was not to be underestimated.

Ding Yi, too, was shocked.

He had never faced an opponent like this before.

It was said that the Right Army Commander Xiao Jue was peerless in both martial and scholarly arts, with few rivals. Ding Yi had longed to challenge him, but He Rufei had repeatedly warned him against confronting Xiao Jue directly, forcing him to act covertly. A man like him could never fight openly—he was like a rat lurking in the sewers, confined to the shadows. His martial skills were wasted, like wearing fine robes in the dark.

Deep down, Ding Yi couldn’t help but feel regret and frustration.

This mysterious youth ignited his competitive spirit. He wanted to defeat him openly, then use him to ensnare Xiao Jue—only then could he prove his worth. But after just this brief exchange, he realized he had underestimated his opponent.

This young man’s skills were far from weak.

The dagger grazed the top of He Yan’s head as Ding Yi followed with a palm strike to her left shoulder, sending her stumbling backward into the table and knocking over a Buddha statue.

"That’s disrespectful to the Buddha," He Yan remarked. "Aren’t you afraid the Bodhisattva will come for you at night?"Ding Yi glared at her unhappily, surprised that this youth could still speak coherently after taking a palm strike from him. He sneered, "Do you know each Buddha here represents a dead person? You'll soon join them."

He Yan touched her shoulder, feigning fear. "Don't tell ghost stories at night for no reason!" Even as she spoke, her dagger shot toward Ding Yi without hesitation.

Ding Yi dodged, but the blade knocked his hat off, sending it to the ground.

He Yan sighed inwardly. She hadn't brought any weapons when she left, and this dagger was the same one she'd used to slice venison at the Sun family banquet on her first day. When Xiao Jue was attacked, she'd grabbed it in desperation to help. Now, this ornate venison knife seemed utterly impractical for combat.

Before she could dwell on it, Ding Yi charged again. He Yan avoided his blade but took another palm strike to her back, tasting blood in her throat.

Though armed with a dagger, Ding Yi preferred hand-to-hand combat—a testament to his confidence in his skills.

"Still standing after two strikes?" Ding Yi's eyes flickered with surprise. "You're the first."

He Yan swallowed the blood and grinned. "You're the first to survive hitting me twice."

"Sharp tongue," Ding Yi retorted, lunging again.

He Yan turned and bolted toward the window.

The body of the young Miss He was simply too frail. Perhaps this was heaven's will—absolute fairness didn't exist. Women might outshine men in wit and meticulousness, but their bodies were destined to be weaker. Even with her past life's battle prowess, she was now just a sixteen-year-old girl who, until this spring, had never trained in martial arts.

She was no match for Ding Yi's internal strength.

"Trying to run?" Ding Yi laughed, grabbing He Yan's collar and yanking her backward. She stumbled into the shrine, sending ashes flying.

"No one comes here at night," Ding Yi taunted. "No one dares. You'll die waiting."

He Yan stood and kicked over a Buddha statue. "I'm already dead."

The casual motion struck Ding Yi as oddly familiar, freezing him momentarily.

Ding Yi had served He Rufei for years, living in distant estates far from Shuojing. Trained as a deadly operative, he excelled in combat, poison-making, and deception—even among subordinates, he stood out.

Such skills demanded worthy tasks, yet upon returning to Shuojing, his first assignment was delivering a blindness-inducing poison to Madam Xu—He Rufei's cousin.

He resented the mission, baffled why He Rufei would order his cousin's death. Women's squabbles belonged in the inner chambers—why involve him? It felt beneath him.

But He Rufei warned, "Don't underestimate her. Be careful—leave no traces."

Puzzled, Ding Yi wondered how formidable a woman could be to warrant such caution.

Half-curious, half-disdainful, he entered the Xu household and stayed for three days.It was during these three days that he realized Madam Xu was truly no ordinary woman. She was extraordinarily perceptive—sometimes when Ding Yi hid in the shadows to observe her, she would immediately sense something amiss. Several times, he nearly exposed himself.

In the end, he had no choice but to disguise himself as He Rufei’s servant to remain in the Xu household. Though Madam Xu was cautious and sharp, she trusted the He family implicitly, giving him an opening. He still remembered the moment he handed her that bowl of medicine. Upon hearing it was a tonic sent by the He family, she drank it without hesitation, tilting her head back to finish every last drop. At that moment, an indescribable feeling arose in him. A woman like her, with such skill and capability—if they were to fight openly, it would take considerable effort to take her life. But with someone close to her, just a single bowl of medicine was enough to achieve the goal without any trouble.

No wonder people always said that only those closest could truly deceive and harm you.

During those three days, Ding Yi also noticed some of Madam Xu’s little habits. For instance, whenever something like a fallen branch lay in her path, she would always kick it aside. The motion seemed casual, yet it was forceful—something quite improper for a lady of noble birth. Madam Xu was aware of this too. Whenever she unconsciously kicked something away, she would catch herself. If no one was around, she would walk off as if nothing had happened. If someone was present, she would blush in embarrassment, sticking out her tongue apologetically.

In those moments, her usually expressionless face would suddenly come alive, as if revealing her true self. So even after all this time, when Ding Yi could barely recall Madam Xu’s features, he still remembered the way she kicked aside a branch in her path.

And just now, when the young man before him kicked away the Buddha statue at his feet, that motion and expression suddenly overlapped with his memory of Madam Xu.

But how could he be Madam Xu?

After drinking that bowl of medicine, Madam Xu had gone blind. Ding Yi thought that was the end of it—until this past spring, while he was at the He residence, he heard that Madam Xu had accidentally drowned in a pond.

Ding Yi didn’t believe it was truly an accident. The entire He family, aside from the second branch’s madam, showed no surprise upon hearing the news. They must have known all along.

What could drive the entire He family to exterminate their own married daughter so ruthlessly? Even blinding her wasn’t enough—they had to take her life. As he reflected on it afterward, he began to piece together a clue.

He Rufei had lived in a secluded estate for years before returning to the capital, suddenly emerging as the Flying Goose General. Ding Yi had assumed the He family had found a substitute to take He Rufei’s place, and now that the real one was back, the substitute had to die. But what if that substitute had been a woman?

It sounded unbelievable, but not impossible. Especially when Ding Yi considered Madam Xu’s alertness and skills—far beyond those of an ordinary woman. Later, he heard that after going blind, she hadn’t given up but instead trained to navigate by sound. Perhaps that was what made the He family uneasy.

What they needed was a compliant blind woman. If that blind woman could still walk, move, and speak, she was no longer someone they could trust.The Madam Xu he had once blinded might well have been the renowned Flying Goose General. Every time Ding Yi thought of this, he felt both pride and regret. Proud because he had quelled the chaos in Western Qiang, and the Flying Goose General, whom so many had feared, had fallen to a nobody like him. Regretful because though he had outsmarted Madam Xu, it hadn’t been through fair means—just a bowl of medicine.

The flickering lamplight blurred the young figure before him. He Yan’s eyes curved slightly. “Daydreaming during a fight isn’t a good habit,” she said, her voice accompanied by movement swift as a ghost’s. In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Ding Yi.

With a soft thud , the dagger grazed his sleeve, leaving a bloody gash on his arm.

“Is that all you’ve got?” A flash of excitement and disdain crossed Ding Yi’s eyes. This youth was definitely not the Flying Goose General—the Flying Goose General wouldn’t be this weak.

Unconcerned, he tore off the torn sleeve and smirked at He Yan. “Whether you’re human or ghost, today is your last day!”

He lunged at her.

The room was spacious, but the numerous Buddha statues made it feel cramped and oppressive. Ding Yi had trained in martial arts since childhood, with profound inner strength and ruthless, unpredictable techniques—otherwise, he wouldn’t have become He Rufei’s trusted subordinate. After exchanging four or five moves with him, He Yan was battered and bruised, the worst wound being the slash on her back from Ding Yi’s blade.

The window was right there, but escape was impossible. She was grabbed and thrown to the ground. Ding Yi seized her head, scrutinizing her with suspicion. “Who the hell are you?”

“Who do you think I am?” Blood trickled from the youth’s lips, yet his expression remained indifferent, as if he felt no pain, his smile unchanging.

For a fleeting moment, Ding Yi thought of Madam Xu again. The association displeased him, and his grip on He Yan’s throat tightened. “If you don’t tell me who you are, I’ll kill you and bury you here. Surrounded by deities and talismans, you’ll never reincarnate. So,” he coaxed softly, “who are you really?”

This youth’s skills were impressive, and there was something eerily familiar about him. Ding Yi didn’t want to miss the truth.

But He Yan only laughed, coughing up blood between chuckles. “You fool, didn’t I already tell you? I crawled out of hell—I couldn’t care less about reincarnation. Besides, if even I can come and go freely, these talismans and statues are just clay and paper, worthless. Are you always this gullible? Does your master, He Rufei, know?”

He actually knew He Rufei. Ding Yi stiffened, his expression darkening. “What else do you know?” Instinctively, he reached behind him—but found nothing.

The youth’s face was still before him, smiling faintly. Sensing something amiss, Ding Yi thrust his dagger forward, but the youth suddenly snapped to alertness, slipping effortlessly out of his grasp.

In his hand was a delicate plum-blossom dart, which he now toyed with near the altar. “So this is your trump card? Hidden in your robes—if I hadn’t taken all those hits, I’d never have found it.”

Ding Yi’s face turned grim. “You’ve been playing me?”"Not at all, not at all," the young man smiled. "But I can't afford to be fooled twice by the same person. I came prepared this time. It's not your fault—you hid yourself extremely well."

In her past life, this man had delivered a bowl of medicine that left He Yan blind. In this life, when she saw him again at the night banquet, the wine in his cup seemed suspicious. In Yuan Baozhen's room, Ding Yi had even replaced her incense ball. Only someone who frequently dealt with poisons would carry such deadly items on their person.

With this preconceived notion, she paid extra attention to him. Ding Yi's fingertips were blackened, as if long soaked in medicinal solutions, his skin cracked. These were the hands of a poisoner. Combined with the tactics of the assassins earlier, it was clear this man also walked the treacherous path of underhanded methods, concealing poisoned hidden weapons on his person. The dagger was merely a decoy—the real killing move was the poisoned plum blossom dart.

Close combat with him wasn't particularly difficult. The challenge lay in pushing him to desperation, where he might unleash his deadly trump card. The consequences could range from severe injury to death, and He Yan wasn't willing to gamble with her life.

She observed that Ding Yi was highly arrogant. Though he carried a dagger, he preferred fighting her bare-handed, confident in his skills not being inferior to hers. Thus, He Yan deliberately exposed flaws, pretending to be an ordinary youth with some skill but slightly outmatched. Sure enough, within moments, Ding Yi began underestimating her.

And she smoothly relieved him of his "killing move."

Ding Yi snarled, "I will kill you."

"Do you think you still have that chance?" He Yan snapped her fingers. "Now it's your turn to take a beating."

The two figures clashed again. The seemingly weaker youth had indeed been feigning earlier—her movements were now faster and fiercer. In no time, she kicked the dagger from Ding Yi's grip, ducked under his sweeping palm, and without turning, thrust backward, stabbing the blade into his side.

"You—" His eyes widened in disbelief.

He Yan kicked his knee, forcing him to kneel. Grabbing his hair, she said, "Now it's my turn to ask questions."

"Why does He Rufei want to kill Xiao Jue? Are you working for Xu Xiang? What did Xu Xiang promise you? What exactly is He Rufei planning?"

She spoke rapidly, and Ding Yi paused before slowly smiling.

"I won't tell," he said. "If I do, you'll kill me immediately. Why don't you try figuring out a way to make me talk?"

His grin held a hint of shamelessness.

This expression was one He Yan had seen many times before. Back when she was in the Pacify Yue Army, whenever they captured enemies, some prisoners would quickly surrender and defect, while others were dead-set on silence, refusing to speak no matter the torture. In the end, it was the interrogators who were left frustrated.

Ding Yi's face bore that same "dead pig unafraid of boiling water" defiance. His words sounded reasonable, leaving a sliver of hope, but in truth, he was toying with her. An ordinary person might be fooled into sparing him, only for his allies to rescue him later.

But He Yan was no ordinary person, nor would she fall for such tricks.

Staring at Ding Yi, she suddenly asked, "Earlier, you kept asking who I was. Who did you think of?"

Ding Yi's expression abruptly changed, his eyes fixed on her face in silence."Don't you find it strange? We've only met a few times, yet I knew you carried poisoned hidden weapons and prepared defenses in advance. At the banquet, I was the one who warned about the wine. How could I have known?"

Ding Yi sneered, "Stop playing these ghostly tricks. If you have the guts, just kill me."

"If I bore you no grudge, I wouldn't kill you. But what use is keeping you alive? My very existence is for revenge."

"By all the gods and buddhas as witness, I speak no lies." He Yan chuckled softly. As if to match the eerie atmosphere, a sudden clap of thunder echoed through the autumn night. Lightning illuminated the room, casting light upon the benevolent statues of buddhas watching them, as if witnessing the fulfillment of a karmic debt from years past.

"You once forced a bowl of medicine down a woman's throat, and she went blind," the youth said quietly.

"Guess if I'm that woman." She smiled.

Ding Yi struggled, "You are—"

Mid-sentence, his eyes suddenly widened, blood trickling from the corner of his lips as the light in his eyes swiftly faded.

A plum blossom dart had pierced his throat, buried deep. In moments, he was dead.

He Yan stood up, looking down at the body at her feet. Ding Yi's corpse lay amidst the golden glow of the buddha statues, a cruel irony. She murmured, "See if you can attain rebirth now that you're the one lying here."

She turned and walked out.

Ding Yi couldn't be left alive. A man like him—she wouldn't even know where to hide him. If Xiao Jue found out and questioned how she had uncovered the He family's affairs, He Yan wouldn't be able to explain. Since he was a dead man walking, unwilling to reveal his secrets, keeping him alive served no purpose. Moreover, this man had committed countless atrocities—his death was no loss.

Dying here was the best ending for him. Given this courtyard's haunted reputation, it would likely take days before his body was discovered.

Outside, thunder rumbled as autumn rain began to fall. He Yan staggered toward her quarters.

Though she had used herself as bait to lure Ding Yi into lowering his guard, she had indeed suffered many injuries. Her current body wasn't as strong as in her past life, and Ding Yi was no ordinary opponent. Perhaps she had underestimated He Rufei's capabilities. The wounds on her back stung as the rain washed over them, blood mingling with the water and swiftly carried away across the courtyard. He Yan felt her strength draining.

This was likely the most wretched state she'd been in since her rebirth. Fortunately, when she left earlier, Xiao Jue and Fei Nu had been absent. Given how short a time had passed, they probably hadn't returned yet. She needed to hurry back, change her clothes, and pretend nothing had happened.

Her quarters were just ahead. He Yan climbed in through the window and, seeing the room dark and empty, finally let out a sigh of relief.

She muttered softly, "Good, I wasn't discovered."

No sooner had the words left her lips than a voice spoke.

"You're celebrating too soon."

With a snap, the room was suddenly bathed in light. He Yan froze completely.

Seated at the small table in the center was a man, idly toying with a firestarter. The lamplight flickered across his handsome features, his robes immaculate as he turned his head slightly to give her a cool glance. "Back?"

It was Xiao Jue.

He Yan's heart trembled, but she quickly composed herself and blurted out, "Uncle! This is a misunderstanding—I just realized I could see again! I ran into an assassin outside..."Before she could finish speaking, the young man sitting by the small table was already before her, drawing his sword to thrust at her chest. He Yan hastily raised her hands to block, but the blade wasn't aiming for her life—it curved deftly to slice open her collar.

"Rip—"

The bloodstained garment tore into shreds, revealing the girl's pale, delicate frame. Layers of white cloth were tightly bound around her chest, like a bud waiting to bloom.

He Yan's face instantly flushed crimson.

Xiao Jue encircled her from behind, the scabbard pressing against He Yan's neck. Their breaths mingled in the tense standoff.

"The liar is exposed."

The corner of his lips curled slightly, reminiscent of the languidly charming white-robed youth beneath the loquat tree years ago. His voice carried faint mockery as he indifferently remarked, "Should I call you He Yan... or Miss He?"

End of Volume Two

Yan Yan: Call me bro (lol)

That's the end of Volume Two, folks! Any thoughts?

(End of Chapter)