The General Says She Won't Marry - Chapter 43 Part 2

The next morning, Lin Aoxue followed Tamu to the trade route that ran through the grasslands. There, caravans regularly passed by, and as long as you paid enough silver, you could obtain any information you wanted.

This time, Lin Aoxue was looking for information on a tribe called Kezhan. She wanted to determine its general location.

Beichen Long had told her that among the two scouts he had stationed in the barbarian lands, one was in Rongwei and the other in Kezhan. Lin Aoxue already had a rough understanding of Rongwei Tribe but knew nothing about Kezhan. Before making a move, she intended to gather as much intelligence as possible. That way, even if one plan failed, she could still retreat and attempt a second approach.

Since she didn’t understand the barbarian language, she couldn’t communicate with the merchants herself. Instead, she entrusted everything to Tamu. The location of a tribe was not highly classified information, so after handing over some animal pelts, the caravan leader readily told Tamu where Kezhan was located.

Tamu received the exact information and immediately relayed it to Lin Aoxue, saying, “Kezhan isn’t too far from Rongwei. If you pass through Rongwei and continue east for another half a day, you’ll reach a tribe that raises over a thousand cattle and sheep—that’s Kezhan.”

After receiving the information, Lin Aoxue thanked Tamu and left Laishi Slope. This time, she didn’t let Tamu and Polo follow her. Her mission was extremely dangerous, and they had no direct involvement in it—if they got too deep into the situation, they could get dragged into unnecessary trouble. Now that she had confirmed the locations of both tribes, all she needed to do was find a way to sneak in and locate her target.

However, the grasslands were full of dangers. She didn’t understand the language or customs of the barbarians, and if she was discovered, a fight would be inevitable.

She purchased a horse from a traveling merchant and headed toward Rongwei. Climbing onto a gentle slope, she looked down and saw herds of cattle and sheep moving in groups. At a glance, there seemed to be several thousand of them. Rongwei was one of the larger tribes among the barbarians, home to tens of thousands of people.

Among the barbarians, aside from those in Laishi Slope, nearly everyone was a fierce warrior—soldiers on horseback, herdsmen on foot. A tribe of tens of thousands was essentially an army of the same size, all under the command of their tribal king.

Lin Aoxue carefully concealed herself as she observed the scene below, a trace of doubt appearing in her eyes.

According to what Tamu had told her, Rongwei should have a population of tens of thousands. But from what she could see, the wooden houses scattered across the land barely numbered over a thousand—nowhere near enough to house such a large population.

If Tamu’s information was accurate, then where had those tens of thousands of people gone? Xingbei Pass? Poyan? Or Mingzheng?

Lin Aoxue was full of questions. She had traveled all the way from Xingbei Pass with Tamu, and if there had been an army of tens of thousands, they would have likely encountered them on the way. Yet, there hadn’t been the slightest sign of such a force. How could they have vanished into thin air?

For now, she set aside her doubts, thinking that an absent army might not be a bad thing. With mostly women and children left in the tribe, sneaking in would be much easier. Even if this “Wu Ping” person wasn’t in the settlement at the moment, she could leave a hidden message in the village and wait for him to find it later.

As night fell, Lin Aoxue dressed in black and, using the cover of vegetation, approached Rongwei. She blended in with a flock of sheep, clinging onto a thick-fleeced one to hide her presence. The barbarian herder, unaware of anything unusual, led the flock back down the slope and into the village.

Once inside the communal sheep pen, she waited until the barbarians locked the gate and left. Only then did she carefully confirm that there was no immediate danger. Climbing over the outer wall of the pen, she landed quietly on the other side.

Instead of asking around for Wu Ping’s whereabouts, she used the village’s buildings for cover, avoiding patrolling guards as she made her way to the tribe’s central clearing.

Tamu had told her before that the barbarians practiced rituals and sacrifices. Every tribe had a high platform in the middle of their settlement. When war broke out and people died, offerings would be placed on this platform to pray for the spirits of the dead. Because of this, the platform was the most sacred and essential structure in any tribe.

Weaving her way past layers of wooden huts, Lin Aoxue finally spotted the towering ritual platform rising into the night sky. She concealed herself and scanned the area carefully. Seeing that no one was around, she quickly and cautiously approached the platform. At its base, in the shadow cast by one of the stone pillars, she used her dagger to carve a few simplified characters into the surface.

This was the method Beichen Long had taught her—to leave a mark in the most conspicuous yet overlooked place in a barbarian village.

After making her mark, Lin Aoxue returned to the sheep pen. The next morning, when the shepherds drove the flock out of the village, she once again clung to a thick-fleeced sheep and slipped away unnoticed.

Afterward, she hid near a small lake outside Rongwei, spending her days concealed in the reeds and using the cover of night to observe the village. About five or six days later, Rongwei’s army finally returned.

That night, when darkness had fully settled, Lin Aoxue saw bonfires encircling the village. The sounds of singing and dancing filled the air, and the crowd was large.

At midnight, someone emerged from the village, carefully making their way toward the lake. Slipping into the reeds, they arrived at the meeting point marked by Lin Aoxue’s hidden sign, looking around cautiously.

Lin Aoxue didn’t reveal herself immediately. She carefully observed her surroundings, ensuring that the man was alone. Only then did she pull her hood over her face and step up behind him, lowering her voice as she asked, “Wu Ping?”

The man turned around, allowing Lin Aoxue to get a clearer look at him. His face was uncovered, and a deep scar ran across his nose, giving him a fierce and intimidating appearance. He was indeed one of the two men from the portraits Beichen Long had shown her.

“Why did you call me out here?” His voice was deep and muffled, as though wrapped in thick fabric, but he was speaking Beichen’s language.

“Where has your tribe’s army been these past few days? What recent movements have the barbarians made?” Lin Aoxue pressed him for information, her sharp gaze filled with vigilance, alert to every movement around her.

Wu Ping took a step forward and said, “I don’t want to be recognized. Let’s speak somewhere else.”

Lin Aoxue immediately took a step back, her wariness deepening. “There’s no one here. You can speak freely.”

Wu Ping stopped, glancing around before hesitating for a moment. Then, lowering his voice, he finally said, “Rongwei is planning to join forces with Kezhan, gathering their armies to attack Xingbei Pass.”

Lin Aoxue frowned, her doubts growing. Wu Ping’s explanation was too simple—it felt off, almost suspiciously so. 

“Is there anything else unusual? How do they plan to attack Xingbei Pass?”

Wu Ping’s eyes darkened slightly as he replied, “Deep within the grasslands, a powerful new figure has emerged. She has led her tribe to seize control of the majority of resources. If Rongwei doesn’t break through Xingbei Pass, their forces will eventually be wiped out. So, the king of Rongwei is plotting with Kezhan to launch a two-pronged attack. They want the general to believe they have only a hundred thousand troops, while secretly adding Kezhan’s fifty thousand soldiers to the offensive. This way, they aim to break through Beichen’s northern defenses.”

Hearing this, Lin Aoxue felt a slight sense of relief—at least Wu Ping had given her some useful information. However, her brows remained furrowed. These details alone weren’t enough to significantly impact Xingbei Pass’ defenses. She needed more.

“What kind of powerful figure are you talking about?”

Wu Ping looked uneasy. He frequently glanced around, as if afraid of being seen. Pulling his animal hide cloak tightly around himself, he shivered and replied, “Deep in the grasslands, the princess of the Boka Tribe is a formidable warrior, stronger than most barbarian men. She has led Boka’s forces in relentless conquests, transforming what was once a minor tribe into the largest faction among the barbarians in just two years.” As he spoke, he instinctively shrank into himself. “The Boka princess seeks to unify the entire grassland, bringing all tribes under her rule, making Boka the sole royal clan of the steppes.”

Lin Aoxue inhaled sharply.

She knew that the barbarians lived as nomads, their tribes scattered across the vast grasslands, making centralized control difficult. Yet this Boka princess was attempting something no one had ever dared to dream of. She had to be extraordinarily ambitious. If she succeeded in uniting the barbarian armies and turned her sights on Beichen, the northern border would be defenseless against such a force.

Lin Aoxue’s expression grew solemn. The truth of this information still needed to be verified, but at the very least, she now had a lead on the barbarians’ movements.

She took a deep breath, her eyes dark with thought. The barbarians were making such large-scale preparations, yet because they were deep within the grasslands, Xingbei Pass remained completely unaware.

If Beichen Long hadn’t noticed the anomaly in time and sent her deep into the grasslands to investigate, it would have been too late by the time a million barbarian soldiers laid siege to the city.

Aside from that, Lin Aoxue asked a few more questions to verify her suspicions. Wu Ping grew increasingly anxious. After revealing the information, his eyes flickered with unease. He pulled his clothes tighter around himself before saying, “I’ve been out too long—I need to go back. If there’s anything else, I’ll come again tomorrow.”

Lin Aoxue nodded and was about to hide in the reeds.

But just then, Wu Ping, who had started walking away quickly, suddenly spun around, flipping out a sharp dagger and lunging toward Lin Aoxue with swift and ruthless precision. At the same time, he shouted, “Now!”

Lin Aoxue’s heart tightened in alarm. She immediately realized that more than a dozen men had already hidden outside the reeds, creeping in while she had been focused on exchanging information with Wu Ping. His earlier nervousness and hesitation had all been an act—to distract her and give the ambushers time to get into position.

Wu Ping had betrayed Beichen Long.

Although he had indeed provided Lin Aoxue with some information, the truth was mixed with lies. His real goal was to keep her stranded in the grasslands—along with her corpse. No matter how much information she had gathered, it would all be useless if she ended up rotting on a sacrificial altar.

Lin Aoxue’s gaze darkened. Just as Wu Ping’s curved blade came slashing toward her, she swiftly sidestepped, avoiding it with agility. The elite fighters hidden outside the reeds were closing in fast. If the commotion escalated, it would surely alert the distant Rongwei troops. Lin Aoxue had to end this fight quickly and escape.

Otherwise, even if she had wings, she wouldn’t be able to outrun the thousands of barbarian soldiers that would hunt her down.

Though Wu Ping’s betrayal caught her off guard, she wasn’t entirely surprised. He had been living in the grasslands for nearly a decade—ten years was enough to change a man. Perhaps he had developed new loyalties, new ambitions within the barbarian ranks. Or maybe his identity had been exposed, and he had succumbed to pressure, forced to switch sides.

Whatever the reason, he was no longer Beichen Long’s man.

Lin Aoxue even thought that there was no longer any need to seek out Qu Xin in Kezhan. From what Wu Ping had told her, she already had a general understanding of the current power struggles within the barbarian factions. Even though she couldn’t fully trust Wu Ping’s words, the truth was likely even worse than what he had admitted—it certainly wouldn’t be any better.

Dodging Wu Ping’s strike, Lin Aoxue saw the surrounding enemies quickly closing in. They were forming a tight encirclement to trap her. Her expression grew severe. With lightning-fast reflexes, she caught the back of Wu Ping’s curved blade with her palm and channeled her inner strength. The force sent a shockwave through the weapon, making Wu Ping’s grip falter. Taking advantage of the moment, Lin Aoxue wrenched the weapon from him and, in a swift counterattack, slashed him from shoulder to waist, leaving a deep, bloody wound.

She didn’t know if Wu Ping was dead, but there was no time to confirm. Without hesitation, she dashed into the reeds, using their cover to flee in the opposite direction of the Rongwei Tribe.

However, three barbarian soldiers were positioned in that direction. The moment Lin Aoxue emerged, they spotted her immediately.

With no way to avoid them, she was forced to engage in combat. Meanwhile, more enemies were charging at her from another side.

The three warriors were skilled fighters, making it difficult to take them down quickly. As the sound of approaching cavalry grew louder behind her, Lin Aoxue suddenly reached into her robes and pulled out a handful of lime powder, throwing it forcefully at her opponents.

The fine powder scattered in the wind, hitting the three warriors directly in the face. Their eyes burned instantly, and they let out pained screams. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Aoxue lunged forward and struck them down with a few swift slashes. She didn’t stop to confirm if they were dead—without looking back, she turned and ran.

Behind her, the air filled with shouts and the clash of weapons. A horde of barbarian soldiers was in pursuit, and now, over a hundred cavalrymen were closing in, relentlessly chasing after her.

Lin Aoxue had no choice but to push her qinggong to its limit. To avoid dragging Tamu and the others into trouble, she deliberately avoided fleeing toward Laishi Slope. Instead, she headed straight for the grassland border.

She wasn’t familiar with this route, but it was the shortest path to Xingbei Pass.

She raced forward with all her might, but her pursuers refused to let up. The foot soldiers gradually fell behind, giving up the chase, but five or six cavalrymen remained hot on her heels, pursuing her relentlessly across dozens of miles.

They must have understood the significance of the information Wu Ping had given Lin Aoxue, which was why they were determined not to let her leave the grasslands. As she ran, a new lake appeared ahead, its surroundings dense with reeds. An idea flashed through her mind, and without hesitation, she threw herself into the reeds, concealing herself as quickly as possible.

Soon, the barbarian soldiers caught up. They confirmed that Lin Aoxue had hidden in the reeds, and a ruthless gleam flashed in the eyes of the leading soldier as he ordered, “Set it on fire!”

He had no intention of taking the risk himself. Visibility inside the reeds was poor—if they charged in recklessly and failed to capture Lin Aoxue, she might turn the tables and cut down their men instead. That would be a costly mistake.

The grasslands were never short of reed fields. Even if they burned this one down, it would grow back in the spring. If they could ensure Lin Aoxue perished here, it would be a great achievement.

Hidden within the reeds, Lin Aoxue also heard the order from outside. She gritted her teeth and cursed inwardly—whoever claimed barbarian soldiers lacked intelligence was clearly mistaken. These pursuers were every bit as cunning as the Beichen people!

She let out a cold snort, glanced through the gaps in the reeds, then turned and moved deeper into the thicket.

The barbarian soldiers ignited their arrows and shot them from a distance. The flames quickly spread, and within two hours, the entire reed field around the lake had been reduced to nothing but blackened ash.

Only then did the leading soldier give the order to search for Lin Aoxue’s corpse.

The soldiers dismounted and approached the lake’s edge, scouring the area back and forth. After several passes, they found no charred remains, leaving them puzzled. Their commander’s expression turned incredulous. He personally dismounted and began searching the area around the lake.

Stepping onto the muddy shore, he carefully examined the ground. Suddenly, the mud beneath his feet gave way. From the depths of the mire, a figure emerged like a vengeful specter from the underworld, drenched in foul, murky water. A flash of silver gleamed—before anyone could react, a sharp, curved blade whistled through the air.

With a single stroke, the commander’s head was severed.

The remaining barbarian soldiers were struck with horror. They watched in shock as their leader’s head tumbled to the ground, sinking into the mud. Panic set in as they rushed forward to capture Lin Aoxue.

Lin Aoxue, having taken down their commander in one decisive blow, her eyes sharp and glinting with cold light, knew she had gained the upper hand. She was now far from the main Rongwei army, and these foolish pursuers had stubbornly chased her to the death. If they insisted on hunting her down, they could hardly blame her for striking back.

As the barbarian soldiers charged, Lin Aoxue, still coated in mud, moved with astonishing speed. She closed in on one soldier in a flash, her blade rising and falling. Two swift strikes broke through his defenses, and with a final thrust, she drove her sword into his heart.

The man collapsed with a heavy thud. Lin Aoxue sidestepped a counterattack, yanked her blade free, and spun in a swift arc, slashing across the throat of another approaching enemy.

But more soldiers were closing in. Instead of retreating, Lin Aoxue pressed forward. In a relentless assault, she cut down more than ten men in succession.

Fear crept into the hearts of the remaining soldiers. They suddenly halted, reluctant to advance any further. Faced with Lin Aoxue—drenched in blood and exuding a terrifying aura—they began to waver, stepping backward in fear, dreading that they might be the next to fall.

Seizing the moment, Lin Aoxue surged forward, breaking through their blockade. She grabbed the reins of a nearby warhorse, swung herself onto its back, and spurred it into a gallop.

Some of the barbarian soldiers snapped out of their daze and hurriedly raised their bows, launching a barrage of arrows toward her. The air was filled with the sharp hiss of projectiles. Unable to dodge them all, Lin Aoxue was struck by two arrows in the back. Fortunately, she avoided any fatal wounds. Her horse carried her swiftly beyond the reach of their arrows, speeding far into the distance.

The remaining soldiers could only watch helplessly as she disappeared, none daring to mount their horses and give chase.

Lin Aoxue panted heavily, shaking off the thick layer of mud that coated her body. She had finally shaken off her pursuers, but her injuries were severe. She needed to find a place to tend to them as soon as possible.

After a brief hesitation, she redirected her horse and galloped toward Laishi Slope.