The General Says She Won't Marry - Chapter 47 Part 2

Lin Aoxue gathered her scattered emotions and entered Fuyun Manor with Yun Yan. Since it wasn’t yet the peak business hour, there were still plenty of empty seats. They chose a quiet corner, ordered a few small dishes, and chatted as they ate.

Before long, the restaurant grew lively with more patrons arriving. Lin Aoxue carefully served food onto Yun Yan’s plate, and Yun Yan returned a warm, gentle smile. Even without many words, their gestures and interactions carried an unspoken harmony.

Yun Yan’s dining manners were elegant—no matter the situation, she always carried herself with grace. To Lin Aoxue, she was an enchanting sight.

Gradually, Lin Aoxue found herself at ease again, just as she always was around Yun Yan. She reminded herself not to overthink things, to treat this young woman with a calm heart, and to simply give her the best she could offer.

As their meal neared its end, a stage was set up in the manor. Since their table wasn’t far from the platform, they didn’t bother moving. After having the waiter clear their plates and bring a fresh pot of tea, they turned their attention to the performance.

The last time Lin Aoxue had watched a play was back in the capital on New Year’s Eve, when she was invited to the Prince of the First Rank’s residence—where she had also encountered an assassination attempt. Back then, she had been alone. But now, she was no longer by herself.

She turned slightly to glance at Yun Yan. The gentle flutter of Yun Yan’s lashes and the brightness in her beautiful eyes made Lin Aoxue think—she truly was stunning. Yun Yan was a woman of delicate and alluring features, neither overbearing nor tainted by the world’s grime. Every expression she made was exactly to Lin Aoxue’s liking.

“What are you looking at, sir?” Yun Yan lifted her gaze with a teasing smile.

Caught in the act of stealing glances, Lin Aoxue’s face stiffened. She quickly averted her gaze, cleared her throat awkwardly, and replied, “N-nothing.”

Yun Yan’s smile deepened, warmth pooling in her eyes. Lin Aoxue had stolen glances at her more than once, her restrained and cautious admiration distinct from the open appreciation of other admirers. She feared offending Yun Yan, treading so carefully that it made one’s heart ache.

Yun Yan leaned in slightly and, under the table, reached out to gently place her hand over Lin Aoxue’s resting on her lap. A soft smile played on her lips as she whispered, “I’d like a different answer.”

Lin Aoxue’s embarrassment surged. She lowered her head, her lips trembling slightly before she finally let out a resigned sigh and admitted, “…I was looking at you.”

Yun Yan’s smile blossomed. Lin Aoxue was such an obedient little thing. Pressing further, she asked, “And? Do you think I look good?”

Lin Aoxue was utterly flustered. Even though she was inwardly shy, she still nodded and answered truthfully, “Yes… You look beautiful.”

Yun Yan burst into laughter, her joyous voice drawing the attention of several nearby tables. The lively atmosphere in the tavern briefly quieted as curious patrons turned to look her way.

Her shimmering eyes rested warmly on Lin Aoxue, as if she intended to say more. However, before she could continue, someone approached their table—a burly man with a slight limp. He carried a wine jug in his hand, the strong scent of alcohol surrounding him. With a careless grin, he set the jug down on their table with a thud and spoke with a playful smirk.  “Hey, this young lady looks familiar. Could you be Yun Yan from Yanyu Tower?”

The moment the man came closer, Lin Aoxue’s brows furrowed. As soon as he spoke, her expression darkened further. Yun Yan’s face reflected discomfort and disgust, while Lin Aoxue, without hesitation, slammed her palm on the table and stood up. The bashfulness and shyness she only displayed before Yun Yan vanished instantly in front of others.

“If you have no other business here, you’d best leave at once,” Lin Aoxue said coldly, her gaze sharp and warning as she glared at the drunken man.

The surrounding patrons shifted their attention away from the stage, now focusing on the confrontation. The tavern’s waiter, sensing trouble, hurried to find the innkeeper. The innkeeper, upon glancing at the situation, shook his head helplessly and muttered, “We can’t interfere. Both of them are people we can’t afford to offend.”

The waiter, now alarmed, chose not to intervene for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. He merely stepped back alongside the innkeeper, concern evident on their faces. They worried that the situation might escalate beyond control. Damaged tables and chairs could be dealt with, but injuries were another matter entirely.

However, neither Lin Aoxue nor the drunken man paid any attention to the innkeeper’s concerns. The man, emboldened by alcohol, was naturally arrogant. Seeing Lin Aoxue, an unfamiliar face, reprimanding him, his expression twisted in displeasure. He sneered, pointing a finger at her and scoffed. “Who the hell do you think you are? You dare meddle in your Lord Qi’s affairs?”

This man was Luo Qi, a notorious scoundrel in Xingbei Pass. He had learned some martial arts and used that as an excuse to oppress others, bullying men and harassing women without consequence. It was said that he had connections within the military, which made him even more fearless. Whenever he came to Fuyun Manor to drink, he would always run up a tab without ever paying.

There were only two places in Xingbei Pass that he dared not provoke: the military camp in the northern border and Yanyu Tower.

Years ago, he had once gotten drunk and attempted to harass Yun Yan at Yanyu Tower, only to be beaten, have his leg broken, and thrown out of the building. Furious but powerless, he sought out his military connections for support, but they merely warned him to tread carefully around Yanyu Tower in the future.

Although he had pretended to let the matter go, he had secretly held onto the grudge ever since. He didn’t dare cause trouble in Yanyu Tower again, but upon unexpectedly encountering Yun Yan here at Fuyun Manor, his lust and desire for revenge flared up at once. Fueling his courage with alcohol, he decided to make trouble for her.

Many of the tavern patrons stole glances at the confrontation. Lin Aoxue, with her slender frame, stood against the tall and muscular Luo Qi, appearing physically weak in comparison. The onlookers shook their heads, believing the outcome was inevitable—Luo Qi would injure Lin Aoxue and then have his way with Yun Yan.

They had seen such incidents too many times before. Xingbei Pass was far from the capital, and the local authorities were useless against people like Luo Qi. He had run rampant in the marketplace for years without anyone daring to oppose him.

But just as Luo Qi finished his taunt, Lin Aoxue’s eyes flashed with cold light. Without warning, she reached out and grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply. A crisp crack echoed through the air as his wrist was dislocated.

Luo Qi’s face twisted in pain, caught completely off guard. He had never expected Lin Aoxue to possess such skill. Instinctively, he tried to yank his hand back, but her grip was like an iron vice, refusing to loosen even a fraction.

As he struggled, Lin Aoxue exerted more force, pulling him forward. With a heavy crash, Luo Qi was slammed onto the table, knocking over his own wine jug. The jug rolled off the edge and shattered on the ground with a sharp crack, the sound drawing the attention of every patron in the tavern.

Shock spread through the crowd—no one had expected Lin Aoxue to seize the upper hand so quickly.

Luo Qi finally managed to wrench his arm free, but he stumbled backward, looking utterly disheveled. His humiliation boiled over into rage. As he struggled to his feet, he bellowed angrily, “You little brat! Do you even know who I am?!” Furious, he raised his fist, intending to teach Lin Aoxue a lesson.

However, his fighting skills were laughable—far inferior even to Beichen Ji’s when they had first met. Lin Aoxue’s expression turned even colder. With a smirk, she effortlessly tilted her head to dodge his clumsy punch. Swiftly stepping forward, she grabbed his collar and slammed him onto the table once more.

A dull thud echoed as Luo Qi’s head smacked against the wooden surface, making his vision blur and his ears ring.

This time, she did not let go. She pressed his face firmly against the table, pinning him down no matter how much he struggled.

Lin Aoxue had barely spoken a few words from the beginning, yet the oppressive aura she exuded, combined with the mysterious half-mask covering one side of her face, made her presence overwhelmingly intimidating.

Now, with Luo Qi’s head forced against the table, the once-feared scoundrel looked utterly powerless, unable to resist in the slightest.

Lin Aoxue tightened her grip around his throat, her eyes flashing with a deadly gleam. She locked gazes with Luo Qi, her sharp, piercing stare making his breath hitch. For the first time, genuine fear flickered in his drunken, panicked eyes.

“You want to die?”

Lin Aoxue’s voice was calm, yet those two simple words sent a chill slicing through Luo Qi’s spine. The word “die” fell into his ears like a blade pressing against his throat. His entire body trembled violently in terror.

The tavern patrons who had initially dismissed Lin Aoxue as foolish for confronting Luo Qi now looked on in awe. They had assumed she was simply trying to act heroic, but to their astonishment, she had subdued Luo Qi within mere moments. Her decisiveness, her sheer dominance—it was nothing short of terrifying.

As Lin Aoxue’s fingers dug into his throat, the suffocating sensation jolted Luo Qi’s senses, sobering him up slightly. His blurred vision gradually focused on the half-mask obscuring part of her face.

Suddenly, recognition dawned upon him. His entire body shuddered as he finally realized who she was. In sheer panic, he gasped, his voice trembling, “C-County Commandant Lin!”

At that moment, all traces of intoxication vanished. Luo Qi had finally recognized Lin Aoxue.

Lin Aoxue had made quite a name for herself in Xingbei Pass over the past two years. Anyone with connections had at least heard of her. Luo Qi, who had acquaintances in the military, was naturally no exception. In fact, he had even been specifically warned to never provoke her should he ever cross paths with her.

However, intoxicated as he was, Luo Qi had completely forgotten about that warning. Not only had he stirred up trouble recklessly, but he had also gotten into a conflict with Lin Aoxue.

“You recognize me?” Lin Aoxue furrowed her brows, a hint of doubt flashing across her face.

Luo Qi, now slightly sobered, shook his head and replied, “You don’t know me, but I’ve heard of you! Let me go. I admit my offense today and apologize to you!”

A true man knew when to yield and when to stand tall. Luo Qi knew he was no match for Lin Aoxue, and he was terrified of being killed. Still, he stubbornly maintained a facade of composure and dignity, pretending to be magnanimous.

The crowd was in an uproar. No one had expected things to unfold this way. Lin Aoxue, who appeared so small and frail, actually held such a high status in the military that even Luo Qi feared her. The moment he realized he had overstepped, he immediately backed down, not wanting to suffer further humiliation.

Lin Aoxue smirked coldly. This man was delusional if he thought the matter would be settled so easily. “If an apology were enough to resolve conflicts, then what use would there be for courts and officials?”

Luo Qi’s anger flared up again at her words, but he knew he was no match for Lin Aoxue. He swallowed his fury and forced himself to ask with patience, “Then, County Commandant Lin, what do you think should be done?”

Lin Aoxue had yet to release her grip, and the coldness in her eyes remained unchanged. She stared at Luo Qi with a chilling smirk, her expression sharp as a blade, as if she intended to grind him to dust.

“I want you to cut off one of your fingers—so you’ll remember today’s lesson!”

With that, she pulled a dagger from her ankle and slammed it down beside Luo Qi’s ear. The blade embedded itself into the wooden table with a dull thud, slicing off a strand of his hair in the process.

Yun Yan, the very reason for the conflict, had been watching the spectacle with amusement from the sidelines. She observed Lin Aoxue standing fiercely in front of her, defending her with unwavering determination. However, when Lin Aoxue demanded Luo Qi cut off his own finger, a flicker of surprise crossed Yun Yan’s eyes. She had not expected Lin Aoxue to handle the matter so ruthlessly.

Luo Qi shuddered violently, and the surrounding onlookers sucked in sharp breaths. Lin Aoxue was truly a fearsome figure—brazen and unafraid. In Xingbei Pass, everyone knew that Luo Qi was petty and vindictive. Anyone else would have been wary of provoking him, fearing future retaliation.

For a man who couldn’t even tolerate an insult, how could he possibly accept losing a finger?

“Lin Aoxue, don’t go too far!” Luo Qi bared his teeth in fury, roaring his refusal. Yet Lin Aoxue remained unmoved, the smirk on her lips growing colder as a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.

“If you won’t do it yourself, then I’ll do it for you!” As she spoke, she tightened her grip on the dagger’s hilt and raised it, preparing to strike.

“Ah!! Wait! I’ll do it myself!”

Luo Qi was utterly terrified. He truly believed that if he refused, Lin Aoxue’s blade wouldn’t just take his finger—it might take his life.

Defeated, he no longer dared to resist. Lin Aoxue stopped mid-motion and spun the dagger around, handing it to him. She tilted her chin slightly, signaling him to proceed.

Luo Qi had never encountered someone as ruthless as Lin Aoxue before. He clenched his teeth, his fear mounting. Though he hesitated, the moment he met Lin Aoxue’s gaze, an uncontrollable shiver ran through him.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at his left hand, gripped the dagger tightly with his right, squeezed his eyes shut, and—without further hesitation—brought the blade down.

“AAAHHHH!!”

A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout Fuyun Manor. Luo Qi’s face turned deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot. His entire body trembled violently from the sheer agony. Some of the spectators, afraid of getting caught up in the situation, slipped away quietly. Yet a few remained, eager to see how things would ultimately unfold.

Lin Aoxue finally released Luo Qi’s collar. He stumbled back in disgrace, tossing the dagger aside. Clutching the bleeding stump where his pinky finger had once been, he staggered, his wolf-like glare locked onto Lin Aoxue. His lips were bloodless, and he trembled too much to speak.

There was no doubt about it—he had brought this humiliation upon himself. Not only had he failed to exact revenge on Yun Yan, but he had also lost a finger in the process.

A classic case of trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice instead.

“You may leave now.”

Lin Aoxue remained expressionless. She retrieved the dagger, wiping its blade clean with a tablecloth until it gleamed.

Luo Qi took two unsteady steps back. The pain was unbearable, and his entire body convulsed from it. Without another word, he shot one last glare at Lin Aoxue before turning and fleeing.

Everyone in the hall memorized Lin Aoxue’s name that day. Those with unruly sons at home even made a mental note to properly discipline them. When out in the world, they should take care not to provoke lunatics like Lin Aoxue—people who were ruthless, fearless, and deadly skilled.

As the commotion settled, the drunken patrons found themselves more engrossed in this real-life drama than in their drinking. Meanwhile, Yun Yan watched as Lin Aoxue carefully cleaned her dagger before returning it to its place. A sense of helplessness welled up in her chest.

Lin Aoxue’s methods were undoubtedly domineering, but they also made enemies easily.

Someone like Luo Qi—petty and vengeful—would not take this humiliation lightly. Letting him live meant that he could still seek revenge, lurking like a venomous snake, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Yun Yan sighed inwardly. She stood up and smoothed the wrinkles on Lin Aoxue’s robe from their earlier scuffle. At that moment, a shadowy figure silently blended into the retreating crowd. Unnoticed, he trailed after Luo Qi, turning into a dark alley with ease.

“Shall we head back?” Yun Yan suggested softly.

Now that Luo Qi was gone, the murderous aura around Lin Aoxue dissipated. She nodded and turned to Yun Yan with a smile. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she blinked and hesitantly asked, “Oh dear, did I scare you just now?”

The sight of severed fingers and blood had been gruesome. Lin Aoxue had been so focused on dealing with Luo Qi that she had forgotten to shield Yun Yan’s eyes.

Seeing Lin Aoxue’s belated concern, Yun Yan couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head. Feeling exasperated, she took Lin Aoxue’s hands in her own and replied gently, “As long as you’re here, I’m not afraid.”

She was a doctor and had worked in a military camp—she had seen all kinds of severed limbs and corpses. Blood didn’t frighten her. She only feared seeing such injuries on Lin Aoxue.

Hearing Yun Yan’s words, Lin Aoxue looked a little embarrassed. She pursed her lips, her face flushing slightly. The fierce wolf from before was gone, replaced by a devoted puppy—one that belonged solely to Yun Yan.

Leaving a few coins on the table, they held hands and walked out of Fuyun Manor.

***

In the opposite direction, a cloaked figure reemerged from the alleyway. Behind him, a pool of blood spread across the ground, soaking the shadows beneath.

A lifeless body lay in the center of it all—Luo Qi, the man who had overestimated himself.