Legend of the Female General

Chapter 108: The Spy

With many thoughts weighing on her mind, He Yan slept restlessly that night and woke before dawn the next day. After the morning training, she went to find Hong Shan.

Hong Shan said, “Yesterday, Shitou and I took turns keeping watch for half the night, but we didn’t notice anything unusual.”

He Yan looked at Shitou, who nodded at her.

“No movement all night?”

“None. He slept more soundly than any of us.” Hong Shan eyed He Yan suspiciously. “Are you overthinking this? Hu Yuanzhong is just an ordinary hunter. I didn’t notice anything off about his words either. His family is so poor—it’s quite pitiful.”

“Brother He, what exactly is wrong with him that makes you so suspicious?” Xiao Mai asked curiously.

What was wrong? In truth, it was nothing more than the red rash on his wrist near the base of his thumb—hardly a major point of suspicion. It was just that it happened to coincide with Xiao Jue’s departure, which made her feel that something was off.

Having walked the edge between life and death on the battlefield too many times, sometimes the body could make more direct judgments than the mind. An old general she once served under often said: Ordinary people’s intuition might be wrong, but for people like us, our intuition about danger is almost always right.

She pondered for a moment before replying, “Let me observe him a little longer.”

Hong Shan shrugged and didn’t press further.

By evening, all the day’s training had ended. He Yan first went to Shen Muxue’s room to fetch the medicine, then went to find Hu Yuanzhong. Hu Yuanzhong was alone in his room, staring down at a piece of paper.

When He Yan pushed the door open, he immediately hid the paper in his robes.

“Brother Hu, what are you doing alone in here?” He Yan pretended not to have seen his action and asked with a smile.

“Nothing much,” Hu Yuanzhong sighed. “My leg hasn’t healed yet, so I can’t get out of bed. I can only stay in the room, causing trouble for all of you.”

“No trouble at all,” He Yan replied cheerfully. “You’re injured so badly, of course you should rest and recover properly.”

She rolled up Hu Yuanzhong’s pant leg and crouched down to apply the medicine. She hadn’t looked closely yesterday, but today, with her suspicions in mind, she examined him with extra care.

The hunter’s legs were covered in scars. The largest one, likely from a sharp stone, was deep enough to reveal bone and was the most severe.

“I heard from Miss Shen that Brother Hu encountered a bear while on the mountain,” He Yan asked casually. “Are there still bears around this time of year?”

Bears on White Moon Mountain were likely hibernating during the day. It was truly unusual for Hu Yuanzhong to run into one.

“Yes,” Hu Yuanzhong scratched his head. “I was unlucky. I didn’t find any foxes but ran into a bear first.”

“How can you call that unlucky?” He Yan shook her head. “Not everyone can escape a bear encounter unscathed. I’ve heard that bears have poor eyesight but are extremely sensitive to smells. Brother Hu was injured and covered in blood, yet the bear didn’t chase after you. That’s already quite impressive.”

“And,” she continued without looking at Hu Yuanzhong’s expression, her hands still working, “it’s quite a coincidence that Brother Hu was buried in the snow and rescued by Miss Shen. The new recruits of the Liangzhou Guard only go up the mountain once every few days. If Brother Hu had gone up the mountain a day later, or if he had fallen in a different spot, you probably wouldn’t be at the Liangzhou Guard right now.”Hu Yuanzhong was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and said, "Indeed, it's all thanks to Miss Shen."

He Yan smiled slightly, finished applying the medicine to his wound, pulled down his trouser leg, and handed him the medicine bowl. As Hu Yuanzhong took the bowl, He Yan's gaze fell on his wrist. Although he had pulled his sleeve down further, a faint patch of red was still visible at the base of his thumb.

"How many years have you been a hunter, Brother Hu?"

Hu Yuanzhong replied while drinking the medicine, "Seven or eight years."

"Have you always hunted on White Moon Mountain?"

She asked quickly, and Hu Yuanzhong hesitated before answering, "Yes."

"In the past few years, have you ever gone up White Moon Mountain on snowy days like this?"

"N-no, never."

"Why did you go up this year?"

"It was truly because I couldn't fill my stomach." Hu Yuanzhong finished the last sip of the medicinal soup and looked at He Yan strangely. "Brother He, why are you asking all this?"

He Yan lowered her head and smiled. "Just a little curious."

She reached out to take the empty bowl from Hu Yuanzhong's hand.

Hu Yuanzhong extended his hand.

As He Yan's hand moved toward Hu Yuanzhong, it suddenly changed direction, striking straight at Hu Yuanzhong's face. Hu Yuanzhong couldn't dodge in time and only managed to retreat in panic, turning sideways. He Yan's hand struck his chest, and he let out a cry of pain, spitting out a mouthful of blood—

But the young man's movements didn't pause for even a moment. He reached directly into Hu Yuanzhong's lapel and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Give it back—" Hu Yuanzhong shouted, but after the blow from He Yan, he was like a deflated balloon, his voice hoarse and unpleasant. Half his body lay slumped on the bed as he reached out futilely toward He Yan.

The commotion was too loud and alarmed the people nearby. The new recruits in the vicinity heard the noise and rushed in, only to see Hu Yuanzhong clutching his chest and spitting blood, with He Yan standing by the bed, holding a piece of paper.

"What's going on? What happened?"

Hu Yuanzhong said with difficulty, "He stole something from me..."

"What did you steal from him?" a new recruit asked.

He Yan looked down at the yellow paper in her hand.

On the yellow paper was written a line of poetry: "My longing for you is like the waters of the Western River, flowing east day and night without rest."

The handwriting was delicate and graceful, clearly written by a woman.

"What is this?" He Yan frowned and asked him.

Hu Yuanzhong glared at him, furious, and said nothing.

"What's going on?" Shen Muxue's voice came from behind. She happened to be nearby and had followed the commotion, only to see such a tense and confrontational scene.

"He Yan?" She looked suspiciously at He Yan, then at Hu Yuanzhong clutching his chest. Walking over to Hu Yuanzhong, she asked in surprise, "How did his injuries get worse?" Noticing the blood at the corner of Hu Yuanzhong's mouth, she added, "Who did this?"

Hu Yuanzhong glared at He Yan.

Shen Muxue frowned. "He Yan, what did you do?"

"I just gave him a light tap," He Yan said with a smile. "I probably didn't control my strength well enough."

"Nonsense! He's still injured. How could he withstand a blow from you?"

Hu Yuanzhong struggled to sit up, reaching a hand toward He Yan, his tone still filled with anger. "Give it back!"

He Yan shrugged and handed the paper with the love poem back to him.

"What is this?" another new recruit asked. "What did you steal from him?"

Shen Muxue also looked over. Hu Yuanzhong said gloomily, "This was written by my late wife..."

It was actually a memento of his deceased wife.

"He Yan, why did you take someone else's memento?" a new recruit said disapprovingly. "No wonder he's so angry.""I didn't know it was a keepsake, I was just playing around with Brother Hu," He Yan said apologetically. "Brother Hu isn't angry with me, is he?"

Hu Yuanzhong looked at He Yan, seeming to struggle with suppressed anger before finally restraining himself. "It's fine. Just don't do such things in the future," he said, then broke into violent coughing again, appearing extremely weak.

Seeing this, Shen Muxue's expression also turned unpleasant. She only said to He Yan, "Enough, He Yan. This has nothing to do with you. You should leave now. I'll take care of Hu Yuanzhong's medicine from now on. And you don't need to come here every day anymore."

It was as if He Yan were a troublesome plague god.

"Alright," He Yan replied without anger, smiling as she glanced at Hu Yuanzhong before turning to leave the room.

The moment she stepped outside, the smile vanished from her face.

She had indeed done it on purpose. People instinctively react in critical moments, just like when Ding Yi tested whether she was truly blind back in Liang Province city. If Hu Yuanzhong wasn't as severely injured as he appeared, he would naturally have fought back.

But he didn't—he endured He Yan's palm strike without resistance. That alone might have been one thing, but He Yan had also been particularly careful when delivering that strike.

The palm strike she gave Hu Yuanzhong appeared fierce on the surface, but she hadn't used much force. At most, it would have caused some bruising pain—certainly not enough to draw blood. After all, He Yan didn't want to take a life. If she had overthought everything, wouldn't Hu Yuanzhong have suffered for nothing?

That was precisely the problem. He Yan was extremely confident in her control of strength. How could such a harmless palm strike cause Hu Yuanzhong to cough up blood? Either she had misjudged her own strength, or this man was lying.

He Yan believed Hu Yuanzhong was lying.

As for that love poem paper in his embrace—it was even stranger. Someone who carried his late wife's keepsake with him must be deeply devoted. A devoted man shouldn't develop other feelings for a beautiful female physician.

He Yan watched all this as if observing a poorly performed play. Unfortunately, even though she was full of suspicion, she couldn't tell anyone about it. If she told others that her palm strike had been a feint, they would likely think she was evading responsibility by downplaying it.

This was indeed somewhat tricky.

As she walked, it wasn't long before Xiao Mai and the others found her. Seeing her, they first sighed in relief, then whispered, "Brother He, they say you hit Hu Yuanzhong? Is it true?"

How had the entire Liang Province learned about this in just the time it takes an incense stick to burn?

"It's true."

"You still suspect him?" Hong Shan frowned. "If you suspect he's problematic, we can help keep an eye on him. Why hit him? Do you know what everyone in Liangzhou Guard is saying about you... saying you..." He hesitated.

He Yan asked, "Saying what about me?"

"They say Brother He is bullying the weak and acting arrogantly," Xiao Mai said.

He Yan fell silent.

Things had become even stranger.

"Brother He, what do we do now?" Xiao Mai looked at him anxiously. "Should we explain to others?"

"No need," He Yan said, lowering her gaze. Since this person had spread rumors so quickly, it was clearly aimed at her. Explanations would be futile. Rather than explaining these meaningless rumors, she was more suspicious of Hu Yuanzhong's motives and how to expose this man's true intentions."You keep an eye on him at night," He Yan said. "I'll observe a bit more."

Xiao Mai and Hong Shan exchanged glances and fell silent.

...

Several days passed uneventfully.

Nothing out of the ordinary occurred within the Liangzhou Guard. Xiao Mai continued to help He Yan keep watch on Hu Yuanzhong but found no flaws. Meanwhile, Hong Shan and the others, having lost sleep at night, appeared distracted during training the next day with dark circles under their eyes, earning them several reprimands from Liang Ping.

As for He Yan, she longed to personally observe Hu Yuanzhong's situation each day, hoping to uncover more clues. However, Shen Muxue guarded against her as if she were a thief, strictly forbidding He Yan from approaching Hu Yuanzhong, fearing that He Yan might "play around" and accidentally injure him again. As a result, over the past few days, He Yan hadn't even come close to Hu Yuanzhong, let alone found any flaws in him.

That night, He Yan walked alone to the Martial Arts Field. Due to her injury, her night training had been reduced to once every three days.

Xiao Jue had been gone for over half a month without a word. He Yan had secretly asked Cheng Li Su if there was any news from Zhangtai, but even Cheng Li Su didn't know. When Xiao Jue was around, his presence hadn't seemed particularly significant, but now that he was gone, it became clear that the Liangzhou Guard couldn't function without him. If she could have shared even a hint of this matter with Xiao Jue, given his sharp mind, he would surely have detected something amiss. Now, without anyone to discuss it with, she found herself in a difficult position.

As she approached the crossbows, intending to practice, she heard movement from the horse track. Looking up, she saw a dark figure on horseback galloping swiftly toward White Moon Mountain.

Who would be heading up the mountain in the dead of night? However, the weather had been clear for several days, and some of the snow on the mountain had melted, making the path easier to traverse than before. He Yan considered calling for help, but the Martial Arts Field was too far from the new recruits' barracks. By the time she alerted anyone, the figure would be long gone.

Seeing the rider disappearing into the darkness of the mountain forest, He Yan wasted no time. She pulled a horse from the stable, mounted it, and gave chase.

In the winter, the soil of White Moon Mountain was piercingly cold, and with the melting snow, the horses' hooves slipped easily. The rider ahead didn't light a torch, relying only on the starlight filtering through the trees. He Yan couldn't see clearly either but followed closely, unable to overtake him for the moment.

The rider was clearly familiar with the terrain of White Moon Mountain, deliberately taking narrow paths and repeatedly trying to lead He Yan into gullies. However, He Yan had always had an exceptional memory for routes. She had traveled this way once during the flag competition and twice while gathering firewood, and she had long memorized the dangerous spots. Unfooled by his tricks, she persisted. After several failed attempts, the rider realized He Yan wasn't falling for his traps and changed direction.

He Yan pursued relentlessly.

She suspected this person was Hu Yuanzhong, but why would Hu Yuanzhong go up the mountain in the middle of the night? Surely not to cross the mountains and return home under the cover of darkness.

When too little can be seen of a matter, it's difficult to piece together the whole picture. Since she couldn't deduce the full story, there was no point wasting time. It was better to seize the source and demand an explanation.

Tonight, she was determined to catch this person.Not taking the narrow path, the road widened considerably. He Yan spurred her horse to catch up, the distance closing rapidly. When only a few zhang remained, she leaped into the air, half her body soaring toward the other's horse. The man had no time to dodge and was forced by He Yan to rein in his horse and stop. As he tried to flee, He Yan pounced on him, and the two engaged in combat.

She had left in a hurry, and only an iron-headed staff remained on the weapon rack. He Yan grabbed it casually, figuring it was better than fighting barehanded. Now, under the night sky, the man flipped and rose to his feet, allowing He Yan to see clearly: his face was masked, his entire body tightly wrapped, revealing only a pair of eyes. His build resembled that of Hu Yuanzhong, but the dim light made it difficult to identify him by his eyes alone. He stood firm, holding a large saber in his hand. The blade curved like a crescent moon, gleaming coldly in the night.

"A curved saber?" He Yan's heart raced.

The Qiang Tribe soldiers favored curved sabers because they were convenient for cutting meat—not only for killing but also for eating. He Yan had experienced the lethality of such sabers firsthand. She had seen comrades struck by these blades, their heads falling to the ground before blood could even flow. During the years when the Western Qiang invaded the Central Plains, their leader, Rida Muji, took great pleasure in using curved sabers to sever the heads of captives, stringing them together and tying them to the tail of his beloved horse. Wherever he went, he struck terror into hearts.

Seeing the curved saber now, He Yan knew this man employed Qiang techniques.

She frowned. "So you really are a Qiang?"

Hearing this, the man let out a strange, hoarse laugh. "How did you know?"

"Enough talk," He Yan planted the iron-headed staff on the ground, staring coldly at him. "Tell me, what is your purpose in infiltrating the Liangzhou Guard?"

"Shh—" The man raised a finger to his lips. "Keep your voice down, lest someone discovers us." Seeing He Yan remain silent, he seemed amused and added, "Defeat me, and I'll tell you."

"Arrogant!" He Yan scolded. As the words left her lips, she lunged straight at him.

Though the iron-headed staff was not as sharp as the curved saber, its simplicity and hardness made it difficult for anyone to get close. He Yan had been injured earlier, and her wounds were not fully healed, restricting her movements. Even so, she fought this man to a standstill.

The masked man wielded the curved saber with exceptional skill, so proficient it was astonishing. His strikes were ruthless, each aimed at He Yan's heart. He Yan was forced to retreat step by step until, suddenly, she halted abruptly. The sudden stop kicked up swirling snow at her feet. She glanced back—behind her was a chasm.

"Discovered?" The man chuckled. "Why didn't you fall for it?"

"Because your technique is far too clumsy," He Yan replied coldly. With that, she planted the iron-headed staff on the ground, using it to propel herself forward and land behind the masked man. Without pause, she swung the staff fiercely toward the back of his head—

But the strike missed. The man sidestepped, and the staff struck his shoulder instead. Even so, it was enough. He Yan had trained daily with stone locks, and her strength was no longer the frailty of when she first entered the Liangzhou Guard. Even a burly man like Huang Xiong would have suffered from such a blow, let alone this man.

Struck by He Yan's attack, the masked man groaned in pain, nearly losing his grip on the curved saber. Even so, his right arm lost its strength, temporarily unable to wield his weapon.

"Well?" He Yan sneered.The other person did not speak, turning to run forward, clearly trying to escape. He Yan frowned and immediately gave chase. Her endurance was astonishing, her physical strength remarkable, and she ran fast enough that for a moment, the masked man could not shake her off.

As long as she caught up with this person and tore off his mask, she would know his identity. With both witness and evidence present, and someone dressed like this climbing the mountain in the dead of night—if it really was Hu Yuanzhong—Shen Han could interrogate him under torture and likely find out what they were scheming.

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly saw the person ahead stop. He shouted at He Yan, "Here's a gift for you!" The curved blade was thrown straight at He Yan's chest. Instinctively, she caught it, gripping the hilt, only to see another person "thudding" out from the bushes.

Under the night sky, the person who rolled out was still wearing the red martial attire of the Liangzhou Guard recruits.

The mountain path was a long, sloping incline, and the recruit tumbled downward. Further down was a bottomless abyss. He Yan watched as the masked man chuckled darkly and fled deeper into the forest. Gritting her teeth, she turned to chase after the rolling recruit.

The recruit in martial attire rolled faster and faster, not uttering a single groan. He Yan's heart sank. She leaped forward, positioning herself in the middle of the slope and catching the recruit in her arms. The two of them rolled sideways together, finally stopping in front of a tree.

The body in her arms was still warm but silent. He Yan looked down and, under the starlight, saw a young face.

She froze for a moment.

Among the tens of thousands of recruits in Liangzhou Guard, she couldn't remember every name, only recognizing some familiar faces. She remembered this person's face—Wang Xiaohan, the coward she had encountered on the way down White Moon Mountain during the flag competition.

Just a few days ago, this young man had blushed and thanked her. Now, his face was devoid of any color. His eyes were wide open, as if filled with terror before death. His clothes were red, making it hard to see anything, but they clung wetly to his body. He Yan looked down at her hands—they were covered in blood. Trembling, she unbuttoned the young man's clothes. On his chest was a large, bloody hole, with some flesh gouged out, leaving it hollow.

He had died by the curved blade.

Even after witnessing so much life and death, He Yan could never remain calm when facing the death of someone close. She closed her eyes, a surge of anger rising within her, and whispered, "Beast!"

He was so young, not even having truly stepped onto the battlefield, yet he died in the desolate night of White Moon Mountain. If He Yan hadn't followed the masked man up the mountain tonight, his death would have gone unnoticed, only discovered the next day when his comrades realized someone was missing.

Missing... someone?

Why had this young man been dragged up the mountain to be killed? Was he silenced because he witnessed something, or was there another reason?

No, no!

He Yan tightened her grip on the young man's body—she had fallen into a trap!

Just as this thought crossed her mind, she heard rustling sounds ahead and someone shouting, "Did anyone see him? Where is he?"

Suddenly, the bushes in front of her were pushed aside, revealing the face of a recruit holding a torch, who happened to meet He Yan's gaze.

Without thinking, she knew how gruesome the scene must look.She held a curved blade in her hand, the blade still stained with blood, her hands equally bloody. At her feet lay a new recruit from Liang Province, lying on his back, eyes wide open in death, a horrifying, bloody hole torn through his chest.

"F-found! I found it!" the recruit screamed in terror, scrambling backward on all fours. "Murder! He Yan has killed someone!"

A group of people quickly arrived, following the commotion. He Yan looked up to see dozens of them, including instructors like Shen Han and Liang Ping, all gathered. They stared at He Yan, their gazes filled with shock and suspicion. Du Mao shouted, "He Yan, how dare you kill someone?"

The murder weapon was in her hand, the corpse at her feet. She had come up the mountain late at night, acting suspiciously. By all appearances, she looked like a treacherous spy who had killed to silence a witness.

This was the true gift the masked man had given her.

(End of Chapter)