Legend of the Female General

Chapter 82: The Thunder Marquis

The group made their way down the mountain.

This young man seemed never to know what modesty was—confident yet not arrogant, always appearing to have everything under control. Yet he also possessed the ability to inspire trust. At least so far, he had delivered on his promises.

Jiang Jiao carefully tucked all six flags into his robe. After walking for some time, they were already far from the mountaintop, nearing the halfway point when He Yan suddenly stopped and said, "Let's rest here for now."

Everyone sat down where they were, but He Yan climbed up a tree to survey the surroundings. Wang Ba asked, "What are you doing?"

"Scouting the terrain," He Yan replied.

"You're already so familiar with robbing people, why bother scouting?" Wang Ba snorted. "You're just putting on an act."

After observing the area, He Yan climbed down and sat on a rock, saying, "This should be our last stop. Since we're relying on strategy, we have to succeed in one strike. Otherwise, even with six flags, we might not secure first place."

"Will they really come this way?" Jiang Jiao turned to glance behind him. The dense forest stretched endlessly, with no sign of anyone. "There are so many paths on the mountain, and it's so vast. What if they take another route?"

"White Moon Mountain only has main roads and side paths," He Yan chuckled. "Those carrying flags will naturally be cautious. Taking the main road would draw too much attention, making them easy targets for other recruits. So they definitely won't take the main road. Among the side paths, this one is the shortest and easiest to find leading to the garrison. Not everyone has a perfect memory for routes, so chances are high they'll come this way."

Huang Xiong quite enjoyed listening to He Yan and asked, "Is this what you call... military strategy?"

"This is called 'assessing the situation,'" He Yan picked up a twig and drew on the ground to illustrate. "The key isn't to choose terrain to wait for the enemy, but to use simplicity to control complexity, to respond to change with constancy, to counter major shifts with minor adjustments, to meet movement with stillness, and to answer grand actions with small ones."

Wang Ba asked, "So we just stay still? Didn't you say our methods are already exposed? Others might not fall for it."

"Think about it—if the other side has seized many flags, they must have won multiple battles, their morale soaring. If they confront us directly, they might not lose." Despite his words, He Yan showed no trace of worry. "That's why we're descending first to conserve our strength. And while we're at it, we’ll find a good spot to ambush them. But I suspect that in the end, it’ll come down to the strongest from both sides fighting for the flags."

"Still, that’s only natural. When it comes to seizing flags, the best among them must eventually determine the winner."

No one knew how to respond to that. Only Wang Ba shot her a sidelong glance and remarked dryly, "And how exactly are you the best?"

"I appointed myself," He Yan answered earnestly.

Wang Ba: "..."

"Anyway, everyone should eat, drink, and rest here first. After that, we’ll proceed with the ambush as planned. I’ve already scouted the area—the road ahead is treacherous and narrow, easy to defend and hard to attack. It’s to our advantage. Once we seize the opportunity, don’t linger after I grab the flags. Follow me and leave quickly. Once we’re past the boundary of White Moon Mountain, no one can take the flags from us anymore."

"Understood!" Huang Xiong gulped down half a flask of water in one go. "I can’t wait!"

"Give me the flags," He Yan said.Jiang Jiao handed the flag to her, and He Yan tucked it away, saying simply, "I reckon the flag of that last new recruit squad will also be with their leader. When the time comes, I'll have to fight him hard. You all just focus on keeping the others at bay—don't let anyone else get close."

"Can you really handle it alone?" Wang Ba asked. "There are six flags here. Maybe we should split them up a bit so they won’t all get snatched away."

"You’re really underestimating your boss." He Yan leaped lightly onto a tree branch and grinned. "At least here in Liangzhou Garrison, no one can take what’s mine."

...

Wang Xiaohan was leading his squad down the mountain.

His clothes were so torn they barely covered his upper body, though thankfully his pants were still intact. The blade in his hand was chipped, and his face bore the mark of a punch, leaving a dark bruise around his eye. His companions behind him weren’t faring any better—each one battered and bruised, their clothes in tatters. Anyone who saw them might mistake them for refugees from outside the city.

Wang Xiaohan felt utterly hopeless.

At the start of the new recruits’ flag competition in Liangzhou Garrison, they had all been brimming with confidence and fervor. But once they actually climbed the mountain, they realized it was nothing like they’d imagined.

They had to search rugged mountain paths for flags hidden in the most chaotic places, stay alert for snakes, insects, wild beasts, and the traps and snares left by hunters. They had to fight other recruits—some were merciful, but those who were ruthless left them battered and bleeding.

Though the instructors had assured them no lives would be lost, skirmishes and brawls inevitably left injuries. True, their lives weren’t in danger, but Wang Xiaohan thought bitterly—he had never been beaten this badly in his entire life!

And now all their flags had been stolen. Fine, let them take them. Wang Xiaohan had already figured out their squad was no match for the others. All he wanted now was to get down the mountain safely. Whoever wanted to join the vanguard could have it—to hell with the vanguard, to hell with the flag competition!

Lost in thought, he stepped into a pile of dry branches when something struck his forehead. It didn’t hurt, but it startled him badly. He looked up and saw a young man in red sitting on an oak tree ahead, clutching a handful of acorns and taking aim at his forehead. When Wang Xiaohan met his gaze, the youth grinned and greeted him, "Hey!"

The boy had delicate features and lively eyes—it should have been a pleasant sight, but Wang Xiaohan felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him, chilling him to the bone. His voice trembling, he barely managed a desperate cry: "...It’s He Yan—run for your lives—!"

His companions bolted at once. Wang Xiaohan turned to flee too, but the moment he moved, something struck his knees. His legs went numb, and he couldn’t budge. A glance confirmed his friends were in the same state.

He Yan swooped down from the tree, still holding the acorns—he had used them to hit their pressure points. Of course, it helped that Wang Xiaohan’s group was already injured, exhausted from the steep descent, making them easy prey for He Yan’s ambush.

He Yan walked up to Wang Xiaohan, who didn’t wait for him to speak before wailing, "We don’t have any flags—not a single one left!"Wang Ba and the others emerged from the shadows, searching the group before shaking their heads at He Yan. "Nothing."

"If you don't have any flags, why did you run when you saw me?" He Yan asked curiously.

"...I was afraid you'd hit me," Wang Xiaohan replied with difficulty.

"Who told you we hit people?" He Yan looked even more puzzled, studying his eyes. "Brother, your injuries look pretty serious. Has the flag competition on the mountain gotten this intense?"

They had deliberately avoided the fiercest clashes and had no idea what the situation was like. Seeing Wang Xiaohan and his group in such a sorry state made them grateful they hadn't directly confronted the other recruits.

No one wanted to end up with a black eye.

"We... we heard you've taken a lot of flags," Wang Xiaohan stammered, "and that your methods are underhanded, your behavior ruthless..."

Wang Ba was indignant. "Who the hell is spreading such nonsense? If we were ruthless, would we be here? Who's ruining our reputation like this?"

Wang Xiaohan didn't dare mention that the rumors outside were far worse, painting He Yan and his group as nothing but a ragtag bunch of scoundrels.

"You just came down from the mountain, right?" He Yan asked.

Wang Xiaohan nodded.

"How come you're coming down without a single flag?"

Wang Xiaohan resigned himself. "Since we couldn't get any, we might as well head back early to wash up and rest."

"Let me ask you," He Yan said with a smile, "aside from us, who currently holds the most flags on the mountain?"

"It's... Lei Hou."

"Lei Hou?" Huang Xiong frowned. "Have we heard that name before?"

Jiang Jiao shook his head. "No."

Shitou and Wang Ba also said they hadn't. Among the tens of thousands of recruits in Liang Province, outstanding individuals were usually talked about. Since this Lei Hou had taken so many flags, he must be exceptional, yet none of them had heard of him before.

"Is he that strong?" He Yan asked Wang Xiaohan.

"Very strong. He has over a dozen flags. I think aside from yours, he has all the rest."

Over a dozen? He Yan raised an eyebrow. It seemed this Lei Hou wasn't just lucky. "How does he take the flags? Does he set traps?"

"No, not at all," Wang Xiaohan replied. "When he sees someone with a flag, he just fights them directly, defeats them, and takes it. His companions are about the same as us, but he's incredibly strong—he can take on several people by himself."

He Yan was taken aback. If that was the case, this person was no ordinary fighter. "Are your injuries from him?"

Wang Xiaohan nodded in humiliation.

He Yan clicked her tongue and shook her head.

Wang Xiaohan asked, "What's wrong?"

"He hit you, so why didn't you hit him back?"

"I couldn't beat him!" Wang Xiaohan said angrily. "If I had your skills, I would've fought him long ago!"

"That's not necessarily true. If you're not strong enough, use your brain." He Yan patted his shoulder and released their pressure points. "You've given us so much information—this is the least we can do. Don't worry, I'll avenge him hitting you for you. Brothers," she turned to Jiang Jiao and the others, "quit standing around. Get ready—we've got work to do.""Are you really going to fight him?" Wang Xiaohan asked cautiously. After exchanging a few words with He Yan, he felt she wasn’t as fearsome as the rumors suggested. Reassured, he kindly advised, "Since you already have the flags, you should head down the mountain now. Lei Hou is really strong. If you lose, you’ll end up with nothing. If you go down now, you can still secure second place."

"Second place?" He Yan shook her head. "Second place might not get me into the Vanguard Camp. Don’t worry," she said. "No matter what kind of ‘monkey’ he is, once he’s on my turf, he’ll have to crawl like a worm."

Her arrogant smile left Wang Xiaohan speechless.

...

After He Yan questioned them briefly, Wang Xiaohan and his group hurried down the mountain, likely afraid of getting caught up in a fight between He Yan and Lei Hou. They vanished in no time.

Jiang Jiao turned to He Yan. "From what he said, that Lei Hou is quite formidable."

"Relax," He Yan replied. "I’m more formidable."

Her confidence left the others at a loss for words. Estimating that Lei Hou’s group would descend soon, He Yan urged everyone to hide quickly to avoid wasting time.

They had barely concealed themselves when, after about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, footsteps approached.

The group consisted of five men—four trailing behind, and one leading. The leader was likely in his twenties, a tall, lean young man with striking features and piercing eyes. As he reached the edge of the dense forest, he suddenly halted, raising a hand to stop his companions. "Wait!" he commanded.

"Brother Lei?" one of them asked.

"There’s a faint aura of hostility ahead in the forest. An ambush might be lying in wait."

"An ambush?" His companion found it amusing. "Who would dare ambush us?"

Thanks to Lei Hou alone, their group had seized all the flags from the other recruits on the mountain. Most avoided them entirely, let alone dared to set an ambush. They had descended the mountain with brazen confidence, completely unguarded, because no one could defeat Lei Hou.

"We only have fourteen flags," Lei Hou said. "The remaining six are still unaccounted for."

"Aren’t the rest with He Yan?"

"Exactly." Lei Hou stared into the forest. "So the one lying in wait here is most likely He Yan."

The group exchanged uneasy glances. After a pause, someone asked, "Then what should we do?"

Everyone in Liang Province’s camp knew of He Yan—a rare talent, one in ten thousand. Though Lei Hou was formidable, the outcome of a clash between the two was hard to predict.

"Good timing," Lei Hou suddenly grinned. "Since he’s here, we’ll take all his flags—leaving none for anyone else."

His bold declaration stirred excitement among his companions, who cheered in agreement. Lei Hou added, "You handle the others. Leave He Yan to me."

Little did he know, He Yan had the exact same thought.

Lei Hou stepped forward alone. The path was narrow, flanked by thick undergrowth. He stopped short of advancing further and instead called out loudly, "I am Lei Hou. Come out, He Yan. I know you’re here."A light chuckle suddenly came from the tree. Lei Hou looked up to see a young man half-reclining on a branch, one hand propping up his head as if taking a nap. With a regretful gaze, He Yan said, "Brother, your eyes are too sharp. There's no hiding from you."

"You hid well enough," Lei Hou also smiled. "It's just that your companions' killing intent is too strong."

He Yan thought helplessly—what could be done about that? One mountain bandit, one outlaw hero, one martial arts school heir, and one local hunter from Shuojing—all forged in blood and storms. Could they possibly remain as calm and composed as monks in a temple?

"Call your people out," Lei Hou said. "Let's compete for the flags fairly and squarely."

He emphasized the words "fairly and squarely" heavily.

Perhaps he had already heard of He Yan's group's "glorious exploits" at the mountaintop—their love for muddying the waters—hence the insistence on avoiding underhanded tricks.

"They enjoy hide-and-seek," He Yan merely laughed. "Let your people find them themselves."

Lei Hou's smile turned cold. After staring at He Yan for a moment, a streak of cold light suddenly shot straight toward him. He Yan sidestepped, narrowly avoiding it as the light flew back into Lei Hou's hand—it was a longsword.

So this man used a sword.

"Brother, you're far too impatient," He Yan smiled faintly, raising his hand to draw the nine-section whip from his waist. The whip cracked sharply through the air as the youth leaped down from the branch. "Very well, I'll fight you!"

He charged at Lei Hou.

Lei Hou met him head-on, his companions moving to assist. But the moment they stirred, figures emerged from all directions—behind bushes, rocks, tree trunks, even foxholes—likely He Yan's allies. Their sudden appearance caught Lei Hou's group off guard, forcing them to swallow this unexpected disadvantage.

Each of them took a few hits.

Having swept through the mountain unchallenged until now, they were more stunned than angry at being struck for the first time.

Wang Ba brandished his axe as he barreled into the fray: "Your grandpa's been itching for a real fight! Come on, let's make it a good one!"

He Yan laughed, "Take it easy, Brother Wang. If we finish too quickly, there'll be nothing left to fight."

"You still have the leisure to joke?" Lei Hou found it unbelievable, growing even more incensed at He Yan's lack of focus during combat. His sword thrust mercilessly toward He Yan's chest.

He Yan frowned slightly, his expression cooling as he regarded Lei Hou.

The recruits' goal on the mountain was to seize flags, not to brawl. The instructors had repeatedly warned against life-threatening injuries. Yet from their very first exchange, He Yan knew this man held no such reservations.

No wonder Wang Xiaohan had been beaten so badly, losing heart so early. And among those who had faced Lei Hou on the mountain, Wang Xiaohan probably wasn't the worst off. Had it been someone else just now, they might already be wounded.

He truly showed no mercy.

Noticing He Yan's change in demeanor, Lei Hou's eyes flashed with disdain. "If you surrender now, I'll stop," he said.

"How could I?" The youth grinned. "I still want the remaining flags in your possession."Lei Hou's expression changed—all the flags were indeed in his possession. Firstly, because he had seized these flags himself, and his companions had no objections to him keeping them. Secondly, with him holding them, no one else dared to try and take them.

He hadn’t expected He Yan to see right through him.

With a cold laugh, he moved swiftly, the tip of his sword aiming for He Yan’s chest, intending to slice open her robe and snatch her flags. He Yan flicked her wrist, and the tail of her nine-section whip cracked against Lei Hou’s blade, deflecting it. Lightly tapping her toes, she retreated a few steps.

Glancing down at her robe, she sighed in relief—it hadn’t been torn open. A flicker of displeasure crossed her mind. If this had happened in Shuojing, Lei Hou’s actions would have been enough for any young lady to drag him straight to the magistrate’s office. Harassing a respectable woman in public was the behavior of a scoundrel.

"Brother Lei, this is truly too rude," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I’m a little angry."

(End of Chapter)