Legend of the Female General

Chapter 105: Hot Springs

The Martial Arts Field was thrown into chaos by the sudden appearance of Song Taotao and Cheng Li Su. He Yan felt utterly overwhelmed, and under Liang Ping’s watchful gaze, she managed to persuade Song Taotao and the others to leave after much coaxing. Though they had gone, she was left alone to face the varied stares of the crowd.

Hong Shan nudged He Yan’s arm and whispered, “Is that… Young Master Cheng’s fiancée?”

He Yan nodded.

Hong Shan looked at her with a mix of complexity and admiration, saying, “Ah He, I underestimated you.”

He Yan: “…Don’t overthink it.”

But it was clear that Hong Shan wasn’t the only one overthinking. Once the training ended, the young soldiers immediately crowded around her, clamoring to ask about her relationship with Song Taotao. Someone even remarked with a sour tone, “Then let me congratulate Young Master He in advance. It seems it won’t be long before the Liangzhou Guard produces a son-in-law for Lord Song. May I ask when Young Master He plans to treat us to wedding sweets?”

He Yan: “Don’t talk nonsense! How can you tarnish a young lady’s reputation with your words?”

“What’s the big deal?” the person replied carelessly. “I can see Miss Song is quite taken with you.”

Jiang Jiao passed by from the other side, giving He Yan a glance as sharp as a knife, as if he wished he could carve a piece of flesh from her. He snorted and stormed off. He Yan was taken aback and instinctively asked, “What’s wrong with Brother Jiang now? I didn’t provoke him, did I?”

Jiang Jiao had always been proud but generally good-natured. Though older than He Yan, he remained humble whenever he sought advice from her on spear techniques. It was rare for him to give He Yan such a cold look.

Wang Ba sneered, “You’re cuckolding your own brother. Who are you trying to insult? How could Xiao Jiang give you a good look? Use your head!”

He Yan: “…”

That made sense. Jiang Jiao’s own fiancée had eloped and died for love, and he despised such incidents more than anything. Seeing Cheng Li Su likely reminded him of himself, and He Yan was the scoundrel who stole another man’s wife.

“Who am I cuckolding?” He Yan suddenly realized. “I didn’t even…”

Before she could finish, someone called her name from another direction: “He Yan! Xiao He!”

“The drillmaster is calling me,” He Yan said. “I’ll take my leave.”

The one calling He Yan was Ma Damei, one of the three drillmasters who had competed with He Yan in mounted archery. The old man waved kindly at her: “Xiao He, I heard you were injured during your trip to Liang Province City with the Commander?”

“It’s just a minor injury,” He Yan replied with a smile.

“Don’t push yourself. You’re still young, and it wouldn’t be good to leave behind any lasting issues.” Ma Damei said warmly, “Go have your meal first, then come find me here afterward.”

He Yan asked, “Is there something you need, Drillmaster?”

“Of course it’s something good,” Ma Damei replied mysteriously. “You’ll find out when the time comes.”

Unable to guess what it might be, He Yan went to have her meal. The soldier serving the food, following Shen Han’s orders, knew He Yan was injured and gave her an extra bun. After finishing her meal on the spot, He Yan followed Ma Damei’s instructions and headed to the training area of the Martial Arts Field.

The weather was growing colder as late autumn approached, and darkness fell early. When He Yan arrived at the Martial Arts Field, she saw over a dozen people already gathered there, all drillmasters of the Liangzhou Guard. Ma Damei waved to her: “Hey… Xiao He, over here!”He Yan walked forward. Du Mao and Liang Ping were also there. Liang Ping looked at him and asked in surprise, "Why did you call him along?"

"I heard from the chief instructor that Little He was injured. It's good to bring him along. Liang Ping, don't be so stingy," Ma Damei leaned close to Liang Ping and whispered, "I think the chief instructor takes special care of this kid. He might get promoted faster than both of us. Doing him a favor now won't hurt in the future."

Liang Ping looked at the old man's shrewd, sly grin and said indignantly, "What kind of person do you take me for? I... I wouldn't try to curry favor with him!"

"If you won't, I will," Ma Damei couldn't be bothered with him. He stepped past Liang Ping, came over, and put an arm around He Yan's shoulder, smiling. "Young man, let's go."

"Go?" He Yan asked curiously. "Where?"

What were so many instructors doing? Even if it was night training, not everyone was here. Were they planning to go drinking behind Xiao Jue's back? Back when He Yan was in the Pacify Yue Army, her deputy commanders and officers often drank behind her back. But bringing along a lowly soldier like her, He Yan felt a bit flattered.

"Don't ask," Ma Damei wore that mysterious smile again. "You'll know when we get there."

He Yan was puzzled but couldn't refuse their goodwill. Guessing it was either gambling or drinking, she didn't decline. Getting along with these instructors might give her more leverage when Xiao Jue considered whether she could join the Nine Banners Battalion.

"Alright," she agreed with a smile.

The group didn't ride horses but walked up White Moon Mountain. This wasn't the path they had taken during the flag competition but a small trail. The instructors chatted enthusiastically along the way, discussing recent drills, which new recruits stood out, and whether there would be enough firewood for the winter when Liang Province started snowing.

As He Yan walked silently, she heard someone say, "Instructor Du, your relative Lei Hou has been quite impressive in the Vanguard Battalion lately!"

At the sound of that name, He Yan immediately perked up her ears.

After the flag competition, Xiao Jue had selected Lei Hou for the Vanguard Battalion, along with other outstanding new recruits from White Moon Mountain and existing members of the Liangzhou Guard, making a total of a thousand men. Although He Yan was displeased, she soon followed Xiao Jue to Liang Province city. When she returned, she learned that the Vanguard Battalion's training had already been underway for some time.

However, what puzzled her was that the training for the new recruits in the Vanguard Battalion, as far as she knew, still focused on surprise attacks and charges, not the "triple training load" Xiao Jue had mentioned. He Yan began to suspect that Xiao Jue's selection of new recruits for the Nine Banners Battalion and for the Vanguard Battalion might be two entirely different matters.

But she couldn't ask Xiao Jue directly, so she continued to listen intently to the conversation.

"Don't flatter me, don't flatter me," Du Mao was pleased to hear his relative praised. "When I last saw him, the kid had just learned to walk and wouldn't let go of my sword. Now he's all grown up and quite resembles me in my younger days, haha!"

"Have you no shame?" Liang Ping glanced sideways. "As if we haven't seen what you were like back then."

"Ah, you're mistaken," another instructor chimed in. "Now that Lei Hou has joined the Vanguard Battalion and is doing so well, his future is limitless! I think he'll earn some merit without a doubt. Even though Old Du here isn't much, his nephew is, so it's not bad either!"

"Go to hell!" Du Mao laughed and cursed.He Yan's gaze toward that direction was perhaps too conspicuous, for Ma Damei walking beside her noticed and thought she was still resentful about not making it into the Vanguard Battalion. He said, "Young man, the road ahead is long. Though you didn't enter the Vanguard Battalion, you may not necessarily be worse than Lei Hou in the future. Broaden your horizons; don't be confined to the present."

He Yan turned her head, about to say something, when the old man patted her shoulder and said, "Look, we're here!"

There was still some distance to the mountainside. White sand and emerald bamboo, moonlight like snow, amidst the dense forest, wisps of steam rose, warm and light, like the blank spaces in ink wash painting, as if they were in a painting.

"How is it?" Ma Damei chuckled. "I didn't lie to you, did I?"

"There's actually a hot spring here?" He Yan murmured.

Liang Ping glanced at her and snorted, "If you weren't injured, we wouldn't have brought you here."

"Wait," He Yan said warily, "You brought me here... not to make me soak in the hot spring, right?"

"Of course!" A slightly scholarly-looking instructor nearby chimed in, reciting a poem in a refined manner: "To fulfill a longing wish, money calls the water affectionate; steaming as it meets the bathing sun, hot waves arise. The whole body refreshed as if softened, dispelling illness miraculously; not envying the birds of the heavenly pond, content to be a hot spring person. Hot springs heal ailments—this is a good thing!"

"Exactly," Ma Damei said. "Since you're injured, soaking will do you good."

He Yan awkwardly took a step back. "No, I didn't bring clean clothes. Let's just forget it."

"It's fine, I brought an extra set. You can wear it," Du Mao said. "It's washed, not dirty."

"I'm afraid of water," He Yan continued retreating.

"The pool only reaches chest height when standing. We'll be watching—what's there to fear?" Liang Ping said impatiently.

"I... I..." He Yan racked her brains to come up with a reasonable excuse when suddenly the back of her head bumped into someone. Turning around, she saw it was Xiao Jue.

The young man wore a dark green brocade robe embroidered with clouds, his hair as black as ink under the moonlight, tied up with a jade hairpin. His demeanor was clear and elegant, handsome beyond compare, as he raised an eyebrow to look at her.

He was already exceptionally good-looking, standing in the secluded scenery, his bearing as pure and untouchable as clear snow, like autumn moonlight untouched by dust.

He Yan: "Commander?"

"Commander!" This was Du Mao and the others calling out.

"The Commander is also here to soak in the hot spring?" He Yan was shocked. Xiao Jue actually soaked in hot springs with these instructors? The image was truly hard to imagine.

Xiao Jue pulled her aside, brushing off the spot she had touched earlier with a look of disdain. He Yan only heard Ma Damei explain, "There are two hot springs here, not far apart. The smaller one is usually used by the Commander. This larger one is for us to soak in."

"Has the Commander finished soaking?" Du Mao asked.

Xiao Jue nodded. "Yes."

"Then I'll go soak in that one!" He Yan hurriedly spoke. As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw the instructors around her simultaneously turn to look at her.

"I... I mean, since the Commander has already finished, that smaller hot spring... I can soak alone... It would be a waste otherwise, right..."

"Liang Ping," Xiao Jue said calmly.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Liang Ping scolded, "He Yan, the Commander's hot spring—is that something you can touch? Hurry up and come over! Why aren't you afraid of water now? Aren't you afraid of drowning alone with no one to find you?"

This brought them back to the original topic. He Yan turned her back to the instructors, facing Xiao Jue, and whispered urgently, "Say something, will you!"Xiao Jue crossed his arms, watching her anxious state with leisurely amusement as he drawled, "I told you I wouldn't help cover for you."

"But I didn’t know they’d bring me to the hot springs!" He Yan was furious. "If this goes on, I’ll have to fight my way out."

"Oh," Xiao Jue nodded with interest. "Then go ahead and fight."

He turned to leave. He Yan gritted her teeth and said, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell everyone about the red mole on your waist?" Even as she spoke, she knew the threat was weak—Xiao Jue had never truly been intimidated by it.

Sure enough, he only chuckled. "Suit yourself."

"Xiao Jue!"

The young man’s features were handsome and spirited, his eyes like autumn water rippling with cool amusement, yet his words held not a trace of gentleness, only mocking indifference.

"Liar," he said. "What will you do when you’re exposed?"

With that, he ignored He Yan and walked away.

"Xiao—" Before He Yan could finish, someone grabbed her arm. It was Liang Ping, who could no longer stand by. He snapped, "What are you dawdling for? I’m telling you, kid, don’t push your luck. It’s already generous enough to bring you to the hot springs—out of tens of thousands of new recruits in the garrison, you’re the only one here. And you still want to go soak with the Commander? You’ve got some nerve!"

He Yan struggled free and laughed. "Actually, I don’t even want to soak…"

Another hand grabbed her shoulder as someone said to the others, "This guy looks clean-cut, but why is he so sloppy? Acting like water’s going to kill him."

"I…"

Ma Damei chuckled as he looked at her. "Young man, you’ve never been to a hot spring before, have you? Don’t be afraid. Once you try it, you’ll know how good it feels."

He Yan thought to herself, This won’t do. Looks like I’ll have to fight my way out. As for later… I’ll just make up some excuse. Just as she was about to act, someone suddenly darted behind her and kicked.

The kick wasn’t particularly strong, but with Liang Ping and Du Mao pulling her off-balance, she was sent tumbling into the spring.

With a splash, everyone on the shore and in the water burst into laughter.

"Hey!" The culprit who kicked her stood by the water’s edge, grinning broadly. "Little brother, just giving you a hand. No need to thank me!"

He Yan surfaced, shaking the water from her head, inwardly cursing. Who wants to thank him!

The remaining men, seeing He Yan in the water, quickly stripped and jumped in, completely unabashed. He Yan was so startled she immediately turned away, her eyes filled with nothing but pale, bare skin.

The mountain spring was warm and gentle, wrapping around her body in a soothing embrace, but He Yan was in no mood to enjoy it. For one, she was still afraid of water—even though the spring wasn’t deep, panic gripped her heart. For another, getting in was easy, but getting out would be difficult. Though steam rose from the water and her body was submerged, hiding her identity as a woman for now, once she stepped out, her wet clothes would cling to her form, and anyone with eyes would see the truth.

Besides, these men were having a grand time splashing around. Who knew if they’d "kindly" make the situation even harder to handle next?It truly was a case of the more you fear something, the more it happens. She had distanced herself from the crowd, soaking alone and isolated, which immediately drew everyone's attention. The drillmaster who had kicked her in said, "Hey, why aren't you taking off your clothes? Now that you're in, isn't it uncomfortable soaking with them on?"

"No need," He Yan forced a smile. "I prefer soaking with my clothes on."

This preference was somewhat unusual. The other drillmasters exchanged glances, and one of them stared at him, chuckling, "Is this guy getting shy?"

That one remark stirred up a storm. The other drillmasters began to chime in.

"Can't be, right? He doesn't seem like the shy type from what I've seen of him!"

"I think it's possible. This kid looks as delicate as a girl—maybe he's like that in private too."

"That won't do. How can a lad of Liangzhou Guard be so timid? Why don't we give him a proper lesson today and fulfill our duties as drillmasters?"

With that, several of them swam toward He Yan.

He Yan exclaimed in alarm, "...What are you trying to do?"

"Training the new recruit, of course!" Du Mao laughed. "If we ever have to travel by water in battle, your lack of teamwork could ruin everything for us!"

Is this what traveling by water requires? He Yan turned and swam away.

If she hadn't swum, it might have been fine, but once she did, the other drillmasters seemed to find it amusing and swarmed over. In an instant, He Yan felt like the ball in a game of cuju, with everyone rushing from all directions to block her. The hot spring suddenly became lively.

In another setting or under different circumstances, this scene might have seemed harmonious. The usually stern drillmasters were laughing and joking, clearly treating her as one of their own. But in this situation, He Yan couldn't bring herself to laugh.

As she dodged their advances, she inwardly cursed, What kind of people are these? Are the drillmasters of Liangzhou Guard out of their minds?

In her current predicament, the only way to completely avoid them would be to knock them all unconscious. On land, it might have been possible, but underwater, it was far too difficult. Moreover, they were too numerous, and she had nowhere to hide.

While she struggled to swim, she didn't realize that one of the drillmasters, who had grown up by the water and was an excellent swimmer, had already dived beneath the surface and quietly swum in front of her. He Yan was too focused on those behind her to notice the one ahead. Suddenly, a hand from underwater grabbed her arm, and she couldn't dodge in time.

The drillmaster, as if he had snatched the ball in a game of cuju, even called out to his companions, "I've got him! Come quick!"

Come quick? For what? He Yan was stunned. Underwater, her strength was already diminished, and she couldn't break free immediately. As she watched Du Mao and the others swim closer, clearly intent on stripping off her clothes together, she broke out in a cold sweat.

She absolutely did not want her identity to be discovered here!

At the critical moment, the hand gripping her arm suddenly loosened, and the drillmaster let out a loud "Ouch!" A stone-like object skimmed the surface of the water and quickly sank. At the same time, He Yan was grabbed and lifted out of the water, landing on the shore. A cloak wrapped her tightly from the neck down.

Everything happened too quickly for anyone to react. Once she steadied herself, He Yan turned her head and exclaimed in surprise, "Commander?"

It was actually Xiao Jue, who had returned.

He had pulled He Yan out of the water and wrapped her up like a cocoon. No one but He Yan understood why. The drillmasters stared at him in confusion, exchanging bewildered glances."What are you all doing?" At that moment, another voice rang out. Shen Han emerged from the depths of the dense forest, holding clothes in his hand. He had likely come to soak in the hot springs and hadn’t expected to encounter such a scene. Seeing He Yan standing beside Xiao Jue with dripping wet hair while the other instructors remained frozen in the water, a faint sense of foreboding flickered in his heart.

Liang Ping replied, "We... were soaking in the hot springs."

Shen Han’s heart sank. "He Yan... you too..."

He Yan: "...Yes."

Shen Han was instantly horrified. Although the dynamics between men were different from those between men and women, Shen Han understood the nature of possessiveness. He himself would never willingly show off a prized blade for fear of others coveting it. And now, He Yan—whose relationship with Xiao Jue was already ambiguous—had been seen by others here, and had also seen others. How could Xiao Jue possibly be pleased about this?

This was a disaster!

The instructors huddled together, aware of Xiao Jue’s cold and fastidious nature. None dared to stand up naked, so they only poked their heads above the water, staring in unison at He Yan and Xiao Jue. They wanted to ask questions but didn’t dare, their faces filled with confusion.

They looked like a flock of ducks waiting to be fed.

The thought made He Yan chuckle involuntarily.

Xiao Jue glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "You actually find this amusing?"

He Yan immediately fell silent.

None of the instructors dared to speak, and the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. As the head instructor, Shen Han couldn’t just stand there in silence. After hesitating for a long while, he finally asked, "Commander, are you planning to take He Yan back now?"

"Ask her."

"Ah," He Yan quickly replied, "I’ve soaked enough and feel refreshed now. I’d like to return. I’ll go with the Commander."

"Oh, alright, alright." Shen Han didn’t know what else to say. His eyes fell on the cloak draped over He Yan—it was unmistakably Xiao Jue’s. Panic surged within him, and he didn’t know where to look, so he lowered his gaze to his own shoes and mumbled, "Then the Commander and He Yan should head back early to rest... The mountain winds are chilly at night."

Though she didn’t understand why Shen Han had suddenly become so flustered, He Yan was grateful for the way out he offered. She smiled and said, "In that case, we won’t linger any longer."

With that, she turned to leave. After taking two steps, she noticed Xiao Jue hadn’t moved. Before she could speak, Xiao Jue’s voice rang out.

He said, "In the future, don’t bring her to soak in the hot springs."

Shen Han’s heart skipped a beat, his mind flooded with thoughts of "It’s over, it’s over, it’s over."

At that moment, an oblivious instructor—the one who had dived underwater earlier and was quite skilled in swimming—mustered his courage and asked, "Wh-why not? Wasn’t he injured? Wouldn’t soaking in the hot springs be beneficial?"

He Yan thought to herself, Brother, I really have to thank you for that.

"You don’t know," Xiao Jue addressed the group, standing tall and elegant, a mocking smile curling his lips. "This new recruit was discovered during the pre-enrollment medical examination to have..." He uttered four words, each one hitting He Yan like a hammer, "a hidden ailment."

A... hidden ailment?

The instructor who had asked the question choked on water in surprise and began coughing violently.

The atmosphere grew even more tense than before. What was even more unbearable were the looks the other instructors gave He Yan—a mix of sympathy, shock, and pity. Some even glanced downward at He Yan’s lower body.

He Yan: "..."Although she had hastily made up an excuse when selecting the physician, at least there was only one person involved, and the chosen doctor wouldn’t be accompanying them on the journey, so no one would find out. But now, how was she supposed to get along with these instructors in the future!

Was Xiao Jue deliberately causing trouble for her?

Did he find joy in seeing her in such an awkward situation? What kind of pleasure was that?

“Actually, my condition isn’t that serious…” she weakly defended herself.

However, Commander Xiao's words were believed by everyone, with the sole exception of Shen Han, who thought Xiao Jue had deliberately lied to protect He Yan from being harassed.

"It's fine," Liang Ping, who had previously felt somewhat envious of He Yan, now harbored no such feelings at all. Under these circumstances, what was there to resent? He even offered help enthusiastically, "It's not a serious condition; it can be nursed back slowly. I know a doctor who specializes in this... Perhaps there's still a chance to recover in the future..."

He Yan had nothing more to say. She muttered, "Thank you, Instructor. See you later," and fled in embarrassment.

Xiao Jue said, "Carry on," and followed at a leisurely pace.

Shen Han stood by the hot spring, lost in thought. Only after Xiao Jue and He Yan were completely out of sight did the others dare to start discussing. Du Maocong swam closer to Shen Han's feet, looked up, and asked, "Chief Instructor, did you already know? I always wondered why you treated that kid so well. So there was a reason. Tsk tsk, how could someone so young suffer from such an illness? Can it be cured?"

"Cure my foot," Shen Han snapped, kicking him back underwater. "I think you're all tired of living. Cure your own brains first!"

...

Leaving the hot spring behind, He Yan followed Xiao Jue through the dense forest toward the garrison.

The man beside her walked at a steady pace, just fast enough for her to keep up. He Yan gritted her teeth and squeezed out two words: "Thank you."

"You don't seem very willing," he said, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "If you're not convinced, you can turn back."

She was indebted to him—the cloak she wore was still Xiao Jue's, and if he hadn't intervened earlier, who knew what might have happened? With that thought, her complaints faded. "Not at all," she said. "I sincerely thank you, Commander."

Xiao Jue snorted. "Flattery."

This man was truly impossible—he couldn't stand criticism, but he couldn't stand praise either. He Yan paused briefly, raising a fist at his retreating back.

"Liar," he said after a moment of silence. "Don't you know shadows are visible under the moonlight?"

He Yan froze, instinctively looking down. Under the moonlight, her exaggerated, flailing shadow fell behind Xiao Jue's, like a comical shadow puppet show.

"I just saw a mosquito and chased it away for you," she lied without batting an eye. "No need to thank me."

Xiao Jue chuckled at her words and continued walking.

The night was long and unruly, his figure elegant and languid, like a fleeting spring dream.

Seeing he was in a fairly good mood, He Yan asked, "I just don't understand—since you had already decided to help me, why did you wait until the very end to step in?"

If Xiao Jue had intervened when she first arrived at the hot spring, a single word from him would have sufficed. He wouldn't have had to turn back and waste his cloak, and she wouldn't have ended up soaked like a drowned rat.

"To teach you a lesson."

"What?"

Xiao Jue paused briefly. "When Ma Damei asked you to come along, you went without even asking what you were doing. Putting yourself in such a situation, Miss He—are you foolish, or just arrogant?"

The reprimand was justified, but He Yan still didn't fully understand. "But I realized what was happening as soon as I saw the hot spring. Was it really necessary to let me fall in and suffer?""Only when pushed to the brink of despair will one truly understand what a lesson is," he said calmly. "No one else can be trusted. When truly cornered, the only one you can rely on is yourself. So, try not to let yourself fall into danger."

He Yan: "..."

Though his words made sense, He Yan felt this lesson was a bit too extreme. She muttered softly, "Who teaches like this?"—whether Xiao Jue heard her or not, she didn’t know.

But even if he did, it didn’t matter. He didn’t look back and continued walking ahead.

(End of Chapter)