Legend of the Female General

Chapter 99: Who Are You?

The outhouse was surrounded by a circle of maids. The lead maid asked anxiously, "Young Master Cheng, are you alright? Should we come in to help?"

The response was the young man's furious voice: "No! Don’t come in! Everyone stay outside!"

The maids exchanged glances. It made sense—this young master from Shuo Capital usually carried himself with such elegance. Now that he had fallen into the latrine, he must be utterly humiliated and unwilling to be seen in such a state. But they couldn’t just leave him there either!

The maids were so frantic they could tear their hair out.

He Yan stood inside the outhouse and sighed silently.

To be fair, the Sun family’s outhouse was quite clean, given how lavishly they maintained everything. But her actions were merely to dispose of the scented sachet that Ding Yi had secretly attached to her waist.

A young master who had fallen into the latrine would naturally want to wash every inch of himself thoroughly. Even a perfumed sachet, after such an ordeal, would have to be discarded. If Yuan Baozhen and his servant asked about it, the explanation would be perfectly reasonable—no one would question it. Who would keep a filthy sachet on them after falling into a latrine? That would be madness.

Still… He Yan glanced down at the stains on her clothes through the blindfold. The sacrifice she had made was truly excessive. Cheng Li Su, this kid who seemed a bit slow-witted, turned out to be the real clever one. All the dirty, exhausting work had now fallen entirely on He Yan.

What kind of nonsense was this?

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard someone outside call out, "Young Master Cheng, please come out! Commander Xiao is here!"

Xiao Jue was here? He Yan had expected Fei Nu to come fetch her—why was it Xiao Jue instead? Had he returned so early today? Before she could figure it out, she heard Xiao Jue’s voice outside: "Cheng Li Su, come out."

He Yan: "..."

Why was it that every time she encountered Xiao Jue, she was in such a wretched state? Taking a deep breath, she clutched the bamboo cane and staggered out unsteadily.

Everyone outside held their breath.

The young man’s clothes were splattered with filth, his hair slightly disheveled. The black cloth covering his eyes hid his expression, but his lips were pressed into a pout. As soon as he emerged, he flailed in a random direction and whined pitifully, "Uncle, you’re finally here! If not for my luck, you’d have a nephew who died falling into a latrine!"

Xiao Jue: "..."

He Yan took a step forward, and Xiao Jue sidestepped to avoid her. The man was fastidious to a fault—the fact that he had endured his disgust long enough to come here for He Yan was probably the greatest concession he could make.

"Fei Nu, take him back and clean him up." As if unable to bear the stench any longer, Xiao Jue turned and walked away.

He Yan cursed inwardly. Look at this—was this how a decent person behaved? She had fallen into the latrine for whose sake? Xiao Jue was truly an ingrate.

Fei Nu came over to support her, but like his master, he usually stuck close to He Yan—yet now that she had fallen into the latrine, he kept his distance, even using a handkerchief to avoid direct contact. He Yan was speechless.

By the time they reached their quarters, Fei Nu didn’t even need He Yan’s reminder. He had hot water and a bathing tub prepared, his face expressionless as he said, "Go wash up quickly."

"Aren’t you going to help me bathe?" she asked tentatively.

"You have a fiancée. It wouldn’t be proper."Tsk tsk tsk, time indeed reveals a person's heart. He Yan couldn't be bothered with him and shakily closed the door herself before jumping into the bathtub.

Thinking about it, it was truly frustrating. The once-renowned Flying Goose General had now fallen to such straits that she had to jump into a latrine to avoid trouble. If her former subordinates and colleagues were to see this, they would undoubtedly mock her endlessly.

However, it was likely that Yuan Baozhen hadn't anticipated that the scented ball he gave her would be rendered useless before it even reached Xiao Jue. After all, when heaven wills it to rain and a person is destined to fall, no one can interfere.

Outside the house, Fei Nu crouched down and poked at the pile of dirty clothes He Yan had discarded with a stick. A round scented ball rolled out from the clothes. Fei Nu nudged it with the stick and said, "This must be it."

Xiao Jue glanced at the scented ball on the ground but remained silent.

"Young Master, was this intentional or accidental?" Fei Nu was also puzzled. If He Yan had fallen into the latrine by accident, rendering the scented ball useless, it would be an incredible coincidence. But if it was deliberate, why would he go to such lengths if he were allied with Yuan Baozhen? Even if it were a ruse, it was far too convincing.

"It was intentional. However," he smirked, his gaze a mix of disdain and surprise, "to think of such a method—truly unconstrained by trivialities."

Indeed, who would have imagined He Yan would fall into a latrine? Probably not even Yuan Baozhen himself. He Yan's action was truly baffling. No respectable person would ever consider such a method.

"If it was intentional," Fei Nu looked at Xiao Jue in astonishment, "does that mean He Yan can see?"

Xiao Jue raised an eyebrow. "Most likely."

"Then why has he been pretending to be blind?" Fei Nu was confused. "Was it to deceive us or Yuan Baozhen?"

"Both," Xiao Jue replied leisurely. "He might not be on anyone's side."

Just as Xiao Jue remained wary of He Yan while coldly observing Yuan Baozhen's theatrics, He Yan had likely positioned herself as an outsider. She was probably watching the conflict between him and Yuan Baozhen as if it were a play. While deceiving Yuan Baazhen, she also deceived Xiao Jue. As for her true motives, they remained unclear for now.

"Young Master, could He Yan interfere with our plans?"

"No," Xiao Jue said. "It will all be over soon."

Fei Nu was silent for a moment before saying, "The reply from Shuojing should arrive tonight."

After tonight, they would know exactly who this He Yan was and what she wanted. As for Yuan Baozhen, his days of comfort were numbered.

...

Inside the room, Yuan Baozhen could hardly believe his ears. He asked the servant who had come to report, "What did you say?"

The servant from the Sun household was startled by his expression and stammered, "Just now, Young Master Cheng fell into the latrine, and Commander Xiao took him away."

Ding Yi's expression changed drastically. Yuan Baozhen massaged his forehead and waved his hand. "You may leave."

The servant departed.

Yuan Baozhen slammed his palm on the table. "Damn it!"

There was no need for further investigation—it was clear the scented ball given to He Yan today had been a wasted effort. Having fallen into the latrine, she would undoubtedly be covered in filth, requiring a thorough cleaning from head to toe. How could the scented ball have possibly survived unscathed?"No good." Yuan Baozhen stood up, visibly uneasy. "Could Xiao Jue have discovered that incense ball?"

"Xiao Jue is fastidious about cleanliness and likely wouldn't deliberately handle it. However," Ding Yi's expression was inscrutable, "He Yan might be another matter."

"You're saying he did it on purpose?"

"Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence? Right after giving him the incense ball, he falls into a latrine. And before that, during the night banquet, his claim about insects flying into his cup was just his word against others. More importantly, why would Xiao Jue leave his nephew alone at the Sun residence? There's something off about him. I can't shake the feeling that Cheng Li Su isn't as simple as he appears."

"If he's problematic, wouldn't that mean all our initial plans have been exposed? Could this be a trap set by Xiao Jue?" Yuan Baozhen asked.

He harbored a deep-seated fear of Xiao Jue, likely because he knew this Right Army Commander was truly capable of killing without regard for status.

"I think we should act tonight," Ding Yi finally said after a long pause.

"What?" Yuan Baozhen exclaimed anxiously. "You can't take on a sober Xiao Jue."

Precisely because of this, they dared not confront Xiao Jue directly. Unfortunately, their failed attempt at the night banquet made it difficult to find another opportunity. They had hoped to use Cheng Li Su as leverage, but the boy was even more peculiar—slippery and inexplicable—leaving them baffled about what was really going on.

Yuan Baozhen's words seemed to irritate Ding Yi, whose face briefly darkened with malice before he hissed, "I never intended to target him in the first place. That strange nephew of his is my real objective."

...

He Yan scrubbed herself thoroughly and, to rid herself of any lingering odor, slathered Cheng Li Su's scented ointment all over her body. Only after changing into fresh clothes did she dare approach Xiao Jue.

Xiao Jue sat at the table and stopped her from coming closer. "Stay three paces away."

He Yan rolled her eyes inwardly but smiled outwardly. "Uncle, I'm clean now. Here, take a whiff—"

She tried to step forward, but a sword sheath hovered before her, touching her nose and blocking her path. Through the gap in the black cloth, she could see Xiao Jue covering his nose with his sleeve, his displeased expression and furrowed brows making him look as though he were facing a rebel army.

He Yan threw up her hands. "Fine, fine, I won't come closer."

Young Master Xiao was indeed fastidious—she just wondered if his fastidiousness could save his life. If she hadn't jumped into the latrine herself, who knew how long the Second Young Master would have lasted under the incense ball's poison? A pang of regret struck her. She should have just tossed the incense ball right in front of Xiao Jue and seen if he'd still dare to be so picky.

Leaning on her bamboo cane, she groped her way to a chair and sat down. After a moment's thought, she asked, "Uncle, how much longer are we staying in this residence?"

"Why?" Xiao Jue replied. "Do you want to go back?"

"Not exactly. It just feels... odd staying here." He Yan wanted to dig up more about He Rufei from Yuan Baozhen and Ding Yi, so leaving now was out of the question. But staying wasn't ideal either. Though she didn't know what Xiao Jue was up to, his actions had already drawn Yuan Baozhen's attention to her, making her the target of his schemes. If this continued, she might not uncover He Rufei's secrets before Yuan Baozhen discovered her own plans."What's so strange about it?" Xiao Jue spoke unhurriedly, as if he hadn't taken her words to heart.

"Imperial Censor Yuan keeps seeking me out for conversations every few days," He Yan decided to be straightforward. "I feel like he's fishing for information. Uncle, aren't you afraid of leaving me alone here and having me accidentally leak some secret to him?"

Xiao Jue gave her a faintly amused glance. "What secrets could you possibly have to leak?"

He Yan: "..."

Xiao Jue and Fei Nu had been secretly doing things without telling He Yan, clearly not considering her one of their own. Even if Yuan Baozhen wanted to gather information, He Yan truly had no secrets to divulge—she was just an outsider kept in the dark about the core matters.

She argued, "But this still isn't right! What kind of uncle leaves his nephew alone in a den of wolves? Isn't this suspicious at first glance?"

Who knew if Yuan Baozhen might try swapping another sachet on her? She couldn't keep falling into the same pit—it wouldn't just hurt her eyes this time, but her brain.

"Suspicious?" Xiao Jue lowered his eyes and said leisurely, "From what I've seen these past few days, he hasn't shown any suspicion."

He Yan screamed internally—that was only because she had been covering for them with lies! Such clumsy deception would make anyone suspicious. But she could also tell that Xiao Jue was doing this deliberately, likely as a diversion tactic. This man's heart was truly black, carrying out such schemes without a shred of guilt.

She asked, "Then, Uncle, while you're running around outside all day, have you actually found the culprit or not?"

Her tone carried a faint trace of mockery. Though her eyes were hidden behind the blindfold, one could easily imagine the teenager rolling them. Xiao Jue replied calmly, "I have."

"You have... you have?" He Yan was taken aback. "Who is it?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

What did he mean by "soon enough"? She already knew—the culprits were Yuan Baozhen and his servant! He Yan was so agitated she could scratch her ears and cheeks, wishing she could drag Xiao Jue right in front of Yuan Baozhen, point at the servant, and shout, "It's him! This is the one—arrest him!"

But for now, she could only play dumb. "Aren't you arresting him now, Uncle?"

"Not yet." Xiao Jue curled his lips slightly.

"Then when?"

"When the liar reveals himself."

He Yan: "Huh?"

She didn't understand what Xiao Jue meant. Before she could ask further, Fei Nu had already walked over, pulled her up, and steered her toward the door while pushing her out. "It's too late. You should rest now."

With a loud "bang," the door was shut again—utterly heartless.

He Yan glared at the closed door, a tiny figure in her mind stomping and cursing wildly. Never mind their past camaraderie in their previous lives—in this life, hadn't they faced assassins together? Weren't they at least half-comrades in life and death? What kind of attitude was this from Xiao Jue? With this kind of attitude, how did so many young women in Great Wei still admire him? Had they all been bewitched by the Southern Border's sorcerers? It was baffling!

She climbed onto the bed, lay flat, and pulled the covers over her head.

Fine, rest it was. After all, Yuan Baozhen wasn't trying to kill her. Whatever.

...

After the Autumn Equinox, the nights grew colder.

He Yan woke up from the chill.The Sun family's quilts were made of silk, soft and plush, adorned with exquisite embroidery in auspicious circular patterns, exuding opulence. Though thin, these quilts were remarkably warm, and during her stay at the Sun residence, He Yan had no complaints about the bedding. Being woken by the cold like tonight was a first for her.

The black cloth strip lay beside her. She had untied it before sleeping. Now, He Yan slowly sat up, wondering if calling someone to fetch an extra quilt in the dead of night would be too much trouble. As she turned her head, she noticed the window beside her had been left open, letting in a howling gust of wind.

No wonder it was so cold. With this icy wind blowing in, even three layers of quilts wouldn’t help. He Yan thought about getting up to close the window when something suddenly occurred to her. She glanced to the side—sure enough, under the faint glow of the lantern outside, Fei Nu’s bed on the other side was empty. He was gone.

If Fei Nu wasn’t here, there was no need to check the inner room to know Xiao Jue was definitely absent as well. The master and servant had likely sneaked off again to do something shady behind her back. He Yan was used to it by now, so she simply slipped on her shoes and moved to shut the window before going back to sleep.

The wind was bitingly cold, rustling the branches outside and shaking loose droplets of dew. Just as He Yan reached out to close the window, a shadowy figure darted past in the distance. An untrained eye might have dismissed it as a trick of the light.

At this late hour, even the dogs had settled in for the night—who would still be wandering around? A thought flashed through He Yan’s mind, and she grabbed her outer robe before following stealthily.

The person’s movements were skilled, but they were no match for He Yan’s tracking. She was careful, drawing from her past experience in the vanguard battalion, where she had trained in night raids and infiltrating enemy camps undetected. This kind of pursuit was second nature to her.

This black-clad figure wasn’t Xiao Jue or Fei Nu—both of them were tall, whereas this person was shorter. Concealed entirely in night attire, nothing about them stood out. They seemed familiar with the layout of the Sun residence, deftly avoiding areas patrolled by guards as they made their way to an abandoned courtyard within the estate.

The sprawling Sun manor had this one derelict courtyard, far removed from the main halls. During the first few days after He Yan had "gone blind," she had eavesdropped on the maids’ gossip and learned that this courtyard had once belonged to a concubine Sun Ling had forcibly taken. The woman had been the young daughter of a rice shop owner in Liang Province, lovely and delicate, who had the misfortune of catching Sun Ling’s eye and being dragged into his household.

The rice shop girl had already been betrothed to a scholar who lived outside the city with his widowed mother. Enraged by the theft of his bride, the scholar attempted to file a grievance, but the officials shielded one another—Liang Province was already under the thumb of the Sun family. In the end, both the scholar and his mother were thrown into prison, where they soon fell ill and died.

Upon hearing this tragic news, the rice shop girl wept endlessly. Sun Ling, ever fickle in his affections, quickly grew tired of her. Her constant tears irritated him, and he considered her a bad omen. With a wave of his hand, he gave her away to his subordinates.

A once-vibrant young woman was thus tormented to death.

Perhaps because her end was too wretched, rumors soon spread that her weeping could be heard at night in the courtyard. Sun Ling, superstitious and repelled by the ill fortune, sealed off the place. With the ghostly tales circulating, no one dared to enter, and over time, the courtyard became a desolate ruin.When He Yan heard this past incident, she could hardly resist the urge to rush forward and snap Sun Ling's neck. There were always some utterly wicked people in the world, committing countless evils, yet laughably, even such individuals feared karmic retribution. Haunted by their own guilt, they dared not step forward.

The man in black had chosen this place, but it was merely a deserted courtyard. Even the maids and servants had been withdrawn years ago. What could one possibly do in such an empty place?

The area was overgrown with weeds. Some trees had withered from lack of watering, while others still clung to life, their branches growing wild and grotesque without pruning, casting eerie shadows on the ground like ghostly figures. Apart from the howling wind, there was only deathly silence—not a trace of life, as if it were a graveyard.

The man in black had already reached the room where the young lady had once lived and slipped inside.

He Yan hesitated for a moment but didn’t enter through the door. Instead, she leaped in through the window.

Perhaps because Sun Ling was haunted by guilt, the doors and windows of this room were plastered with Taoist talismans—likely out of fear that the wronged girl’s vengeful spirit would come for him. He had taken extra precautions.

As He Yan slipped in through the window, she noticed something odd: despite the room being uninhabited, a lamp was lit. By its flickering light, when she finally saw the scene before her, even she couldn’t help but feel astonished.

The room was densely packed with Buddhist statues—on the tables, on the floor, everywhere. The lamp was an oil lamp lit before a shrine, clearly tended to regularly. The incense smoke curled upward, but instead of bringing peace, it sent chills down one’s spine.

Taoist talismans outside, Buddhist statues inside—the Sun father and son were so panicked they’d resorted to both religions. Their outward composure was nothing but a facade.

Sleeping atop bloodstained sheets, they must have nightmares every night. He Yan sneered inwardly. If they were so afraid, why commit such atrocities? It seemed the evil in one’s bones could never be erased.

Just then, a throwing dart shot out from the side—swift and sudden. He Yan sidestepped, deflecting it with the dagger hidden in her sleeve. With a metallic clang, the dart fell to the ground, knocking over a wrathful Vajra statue.

"So you’re not blind after all," someone said, stepping out from behind the shrine.

After being pursued for so long, the man finally revealed his true face. It was still that unremarkable, forgettable visage, but his expression had changed—no longer blank and emotionless. His eyes now gleamed with excitement, as if he’d caught an intriguing prey.

"Took you long enough to notice. You’re the blind one," He Yan retorted.

Ding Yi laughed, though his laughter carried a strange edge. "You’ve got real nerve, following me all alone for so long."

"You deliberately left the window open, deliberately flashed past it, deliberately walked slowly so I could catch up—wasn’t it all to lure me here? I’ve always been accommodating," He Yan smiled. "I hate to see people’s efforts go to waste."

She had realized it from the start. But since the trap had already been set and her disguise exposed, there was no point in playing dumb. Besides, true masters never feared traps.

Only those lacking in skill hesitated.

Ding Yi’s expression shifted slightly at being exposed, but he soon chuckled. "Did you learn that sharp tongue from Xiao Jue?"

"Born with it."

"You’re not Cheng Li Su," Ding Yi stared into He Yan’s eyes. "Who are you?"He had suspected He Yan even earlier than Yuan Baozhen. It was all because of that fleeting glance the young man had cast his way during the night banquet—before Xiao Jue had even taken a sip of wine.

That gaze had been a turbulent mix of astonishment, fury, hatred, resentment, and bewilderment, all directed sharply at him. Though He Yan had quickly averted his eyes, that momentary look had still caught Ding Yi's attention.

He had never met this youth before, yet it was clear—this youth had seen him.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

He Yan smiled.

Countless deities and buddhas silently watched from above, while talismans outside the house purified the mind and exorcised evil. A faint, distant chant seemed to linger in the air. The young man slowly raised his head, his expression eerily familiar, his gaze sharp as lightning, piercing straight to the heart.

"I am the ghost you killed," she whispered. "I crawled out from the underworld to claim your life."

Happy Qixi Festival! May all lovers unite in the end.

(End of Chapter)