The General Says She Won't Marry - Chapter 2

Lin Aoxue’s face remained impassive. She gazed indifferently at the arrogant man before her, lifted her chin slightly, and parted her lips. “So? What do you intend to do?”

The veteran soldier who had come looking for trouble felt as if he’d punched into a thorny bush—difficult to handle yet resilient. His face darkened, and he glared at her angrily. “Hah! A mere recruit dares to be this insolent? A coward hiding in the shadows! Let me teach you the rules of this military camp!”

As he spoke, he lunged forward, his five fingers forming a claw, aiming straight for Lin Aoxue’s face, intending to rip off her mask.

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Aoxue’s eyes. This man had crossed the line. If he insisted on making things difficult for himself, she had no problem teaching him a lesson.

The veteran charged in with overwhelming force, carrying the ruthless aura of a man who had faced life-and-death battles. His presence was domineering, making it seem like nothing could stand in his way. The surrounding recruits erupted in excited murmurs, crowding in to watch the commotion.

Not far away, a squad of new recruits under Shang Wu’s command was training. He quickly noticed the dispute and sensed something was wrong. Striding over, he arrived just in time to witness the veteran making his move.

He had originally intended to step in and support Lin Aoxue. After all, he was also a new recruit, and this veteran wasn’t just trying to humiliate Lin Aoxue—he was making a show of dominance before all the newcomers. But before he could say a word, Lin Aoxue suddenly moved. Unlike yesterday, when she had only dodged left and right, this time she didn’t retreat but advanced. In a swift motion, she shot forward at lightning speed, grabbed the veteran’s arm, yanked him off balance, and struck with a well-placed trip to his ankle.

The veteran lost his footing and crashed to the ground face-first, his head slamming into the dirt with a sickening thud. Bloodied scrapes marked his face.

The onlookers were stunned. They hadn’t even seen how Lin Aoxue struck—why had the veteran fallen so quickly, without even a chance to react?

Lin Aoxue placed a foot firmly on the veteran’s back, looking down at him from above.

“A face belongs to oneself. Stop offering it up for others to stomp on! And the rules here aren’t yours to dictate! You gathered a crowd to ‘teach’ me the rules—did you report this to the general first?”

The veteran gasped for air under the weight pressing against his back, his chest heaving against the ground, making it hard to breathe. He struggled desperately, his face turning a deep shade of purple, but he could only manage muffled grunts.

The soldiers who had followed him to stir up trouble trembled, their legs shaking. Just as they were contemplating how to slip away, a powerful voice rang out from the crowd.

“What’s all this commotion?!”

The recruits hurriedly made way as Yang Jin, leading a group of officials, pushed through the crowd. His eyes flickered with meaning when he saw Lin Aoxue standing over the fallen veteran. However, his voice remained stern.

“Lin Aoxue! Come with me to see the general!”

Lin Aoxue’s expression remained unreadable as she answered, “Yes.” She released the veteran, turned, and gave a few brief instructions to the recruits under her command before following Yang Jin away.

Shang Wu barely had time to exchange a few words with her before she was taken away. His brows furrowed in concern—had the field marshal misunderstood? Did he think Lin Aoxue was the one causing trouble and intended to punish her?

Meanwhile, the disgraced veteran climbed to his feet with a grim expression, saying nothing before turning to leave. The soldiers who had sided with him dared not provoke him further and quickly dispersed.

***

Yang Jin led Lin Aoxue to the command tent of General Beichen Long. After his personal guards announced their arrival, they entered together.

Beichen Long stood with his back to the entrance of the tent, hands clasped behind him, studying the map hanging on the wall. He was analyzing the current situation of the barbarian army when he heard the rustling sound of Yang Jin lifting the tent flap. As he turned around, he allowed Lin Aoxue to get a clear look at his face.

A veteran of countless battles naturally carried an aura of authority without needing to show anger. Beichen Long was tall and broad-shouldered, his face square and rugged. Due to years of guarding the frontier, his skin was dark, and his large, copper-like eyes had a lighter hue in the irises, gleaming with a sharp brilliance even from a distance.

Yang Jin led Lin Aoxue forward a few steps and saluted, while Lin Aoxue, without waiting for instruction, knelt on one knee, lowering her gaze.

“Lin Aoxue, new recruit of the infantry camp, greets the general!”

Beichen Long lifted his gaze, first sweeping over Yang Jin before settling on Lin Aoxue.

“Remove the mask.”

Hearing this, Lin Aoxue’s expression grew solemn. Without hesitation, she reached up and took off the mask covering the right side of her face.

The skin exposed beneath was marred by twisted, burn-scarred flesh, covering most of the right side of her face in a ghastly and horrifying manner.

Beichen Long narrowed his eyes slightly but quickly waved his hand, signaling Lin Aoxue to put the mask back on. His expression softened somewhat as he nodded. “Lin Aoxue, the field marshal has spoken to me about you. He says your martial skills are quite impressive.”

Lin Aoxue secured her mask back in place, keeping her gaze lowered as she replied calmly, “My skills are unworthy of such praise. The field marshal overestimates me.”

Beichen Long paid no heed to her humility. The corners of his lips curled into a faint, not entirely friendly, smile. “Whether that’s true or not, we’ll find out soon enough. I have a task for you—do you dare take it?”

Lin Aoxue lifted her head, meeting Beichen Long’s gaze directly. Her eyes shone with unwavering confidence. “Why wouldn’t I dare?”

Beichen Long appreciated Lin Aoxue’s resolute attitude, though he hoped she was not merely a reckless hothead. He then said, “My youngest son, Beichen Ji, is an undisciplined troublemaker. He has been loitering at Yanyu Tower for several nights and has yet to return. You will go and bring him back to me.”

Lin Aoxue had anticipated that Beichen Long might test her with a difficult task, but she hadn’t expected the mission to involve capturing the general’s own son.

Considering the many soldiers under Beichen Long’s command, he could have easily assigned this errand to someone else. However, though he had given permission for his subordinates to act, most would be wary of offending the son of the grand general and thus hesitate to truly carry out the order.

With numerous military affairs to handle, Beichen Long had no time to personally intervene, which made this a seemingly minor but actually rather tricky issue.

Lin Aoxue thought it over briefly, quickly forming a plan in her mind. Then, with composure, she responded, “I accept the order!”

Receiving her task, she rose and took her leave. Afterward, Yang Jin remained in the tent to report on the altercation that had taken place on the training grounds, recounting Lin Aoxue’s words in full detail.

Bei Chenlong nodded, making no effort to hide the admiration in his expression. “A person true to their name! Arrogant indeed. But I wonder—does this arrogance come from mere pride, or is it the pride of an unyielding spirit?”

***

After leaving the general’s tent, Lin Aoxue walked straight out of the military camp. She was new to Xingbei Pass and unfamiliar with its layout, nor did she know where Yanyu Tower was. Judging by the name alone, it sounded like an elegant place.

She entered the marketplace and casually approached a street vendor to inquire about Yanyu Tower’s location. The vendor gave her a strange look but, seeing her in military attire, dared not provoke her. Instead, he answered honestly, “Officer, just follow this road for about two hundred steps, then turn past Fuyun Tavern, and you’ll see Yanyu Tower. It’s a three-story building—quite hard to miss!”

Lin Aoxue thanked the vendor and followed the street as directed. From a distance, she spotted Fuyun Tavern, turned the corner, and sure enough, a three-story building appeared in her line of sight, just as described. The building was elegantly decorated, with a plaque hanging high above the entrance. A few small, unknown trees were planted in front of it, and despite the early winter season, they remained lush and green rather than dry and yellow.

In front of the tower, a group of beautifully dressed women was enticing potential customers. Passersby would either steal a glance before quickly looking away or linger at a distance, observing. The men entering the building were all richly dressed in fine robes, clearly from wealthy backgrounds.

Lin Aoxue clicked her tongue in realization. She now understood exactly what kind of place Yanyu Tower was. Despite its refined name, it was nothing more than a pleasure house.
(T/N: 烟 (Yān) means “mist” or “smoke” and 雨 (Yǔ) – Means “rain”)

She rubbed her palms together, feeling a thin layer of sweat forming—she was nervous.

She had never stepped into such an establishment before, nor would she ever have come willingly. Unfortunately, Beichen Long’s youngest son was a good-for-nothing, indulging in debauchery and failing to return home. She had no choice but to go in and drag him out.

After standing at a distance for a while, Lin Aoxue finally steeled herself. She put on a stern expression and strode toward Yanyu Tower.

As soon as she approached, a charming woman glided over, greeting her sweetly, “Welcome. sir!”

Lin Aoxue kept her expression cold and her aura imposing. She shot the woman a sharp glance. “I’m here for Beichen Ji.”

The son of the grand general was undoubtedly well known in Xingbei. Since he frequented Yanyu Tower, the women here would surely know where he was.

Lin Aoxue’s cold gaze, paired with the crude, grayish-blue mask covering the right side of her face, sent chills down the spine. But upon hearing her request, the lavishly dressed woman was briefly stunned before quickly recovering. Her smile became even more radiant.

“So, you’re a friend of Young Master Ji! Please, allow me to take you to him.”

Lin Aoxue disliked being touched, and the icy air around her kept the other women from getting too close. The woman led her upstairs to a private room on the second floor, walking down the corridor before knocking on the third door.

A young man’s slurred, drunken voice came from inside. “Who is it?”

The woman guiding Lin Aoxue shed her flirtatious demeanor and adopted a more formal tone outside the door. “Young Master, you have a visitor.”

“Not seeing anyone!”

The irritation in his voice was evident, accompanied by the faint laughter of a woman inside the room.

The woman outside hesitated, showing a troubled expression. Lin Aoxue furrowed her brows, then, without warning, kicked the door open. With a loud bang, she stormed inside before anyone could stop her.

A startled scream rang out from within.

The woman who had led her upstairs was caught off guard, momentarily panicking. She hadn’t expected this masked soldier to break in so forcefully. Fearing that she had invited trouble, she immediately signaled for a passing attendant to fetch the tower’s steward.

Inside the room, the strong scent of alcohol filled the air. A young man, looking quite handsome but disheveled, sat with his robes undone. One hand held a wine cup, while the other draped around a barely clothed musician, creating an utterly indecent scene.

Lin Aoxue strode over, shoved the seductive woman aside, and grabbed Beichen Ji by the collar, dragging him toward the door.

“Who are you?! How dare you lay hands on me! Let go this instant!”

Beichen Ji sobered up considerably in his panic, struggling against her grip.

Outside, the steward of Yanyu Tower arrived with a group of hired thugs, while the guards who had accompanied Beichen Ji also rushed over to block Lin Aoxue’s way.

In an instant, the corridor was packed with skilled fighters, and Lin Aoxue found herself alone against a crowd.