The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 39

39: Oh? No More Pretending?

By the time the two arrived, the assassins were clearing away the vines at the edge of the cliff.

Li Ke immediately cursed under his breath. After setting Xiao Zhu down behind a large rock and tossing aside his scabbard, he rushed forward to engage them in combat.

The general didn’t bring any weapons—who knows what condition he’s in? Now even His Highness is missing. Could they have already been silenced?

The thought filled him with agitation. Seeing the assassins aiming for fatal strikes at every turn, his mind was preoccupied with his master’s safety. Holding back, he fought with restraint, intending to leave at least one alive for interrogation.

There were no corpses in the vicinity. Even without weapons, the general should have been able to handle these men and escape. The real concern was His Highness’s condition.

If anything happened to him, Xiao Zhu would be devastated.

After a fierce struggle, Li Ke ultimately gained the upper hand. More than half of the dozen or so assassins lay dead, their bodies strewn across the ground.

His face splattered with bl00d, he stepped on one of the surviving assassins and snarled, “Talk! Who sent you?! Where’s the general?!”

The assassin clenched his teeth, refusing to speak. Li Ke’s heart sank—just as he feared, the remaining conscious assassins bit down on the poison hidden in their mouths, vomiting bl00d as they died on the spot.

“…”

Too reckless.

Seeing the danger had passed, Xiao Zhu hurried out from behind the rock and ran to his side. Though her pupils contracted slightly at the sight of the corpses, her expression remained unchanged as she grabbed his shoulders. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” Li Ke shook his head. “But with no leads on the general or His Highness’s whereabouts… it’s my fault. I failed to keep any of them alive.”

Xiao Zhu bit her lip and scanned the area. Noticing the severed vines, she pointed at the cliff’s edge. “They cut the vines—could they have jumped down?”

Li Ke leaned over to look, but the fog below obscured everything.

“Go back first. I’ll go down and search for them.” he said, preparing to jump. Xiao Zhu quickly grabbed him, pleading, “I’m coming too.”

“No! It’s too dangerous!”

“But His Highness’s life is uncertain—how can I just stand by?!”

“…”

Li Ke couldn’t argue with her. Considering there might still be assassins waiting below, letting her return alone would also be risky. So, he took her with him as they descended the cliff.

…

Dusk enveloped the wilderness as a fierce wind carried cold rain, drenching the two men stranded in the desolate outskirts.

Once the rain eased slightly, Fu Yu’an helped Qi Ren up, supporting him as they made their way to the village to find shelter.

Qi Ren feigned weakness, leaning half his weight onto Fu Yu’an’s shoulder while his tall frame shielded him from most of the rain.

A small village lay not far to the east, its scattered homes glowing with lantern light—a warm contrast to the stormy night.

Fu Yu’an’s heart lifted with hope. Carrying Qi Ren, he approached one of the more spacious-looking farmhouses and knocked on the door.

The one who answered was an elderly woman, hunched over, her shrewd eyes narrowed into slits as she scrutinized the two drenched figures. “Who are you looking for?” she asked.

Fu Yu’an wiped the rainwater from his face and forced a gentle smile. “Elder, we’re passing through. Would it be possible to stay here for the night?”

He shivered and nudged Qi Ren upward to help him stand a little straighter.

The old woman glanced around and asked with a smile, “Where are you from? How did you end up here?”

“We’re from the capital. We were on our way to pray at the mountain temple but fell off the path… Don’t worry, any room will do, as long as it keeps us out of the wind and rain!”

The old woman fell silent for a long time, neither refusing nor agreeing, standing there like a ghostly figure.

Qi Ren’s eyes darkened, and he was about to pull Fu Yu’an away when she finally stepped aside to make way. “Come in, then!”

Fu Yu’an’s heart leapt with relief, thanking her repeatedly as he supported Qi Ren into the courtyard.

The old woman’s household had others inside. She led the two into the main room, where Fu Yu’an spotted a bare-chested, burly man sitting inside.

When the man saw them, a flicker of confusion passed through his eyes, and he looked questioningly at the old woman.

“They’re noble guests from the capital who fell into our area by accident. Go boil some water and clean up the side room to the north.”

The burly man hesitated but nodded in agreement, then turned to put on a coat before stepping back out into the rain.

The downpour grew heavier. The man soon returned with a pot of hot water for them, then wordlessly left again.

Fu Yu’an helped Qi Ren wipe away the bl00d and grime, turning a white cloth utterly filthy in the process.

Now, Qi Ren no longer complained about the pain. He sat obediently on a makeshift bed of wooden planks, stretching out his arms to be cleaned.

His clothes were also torn beyond repair, leaving him bare-chested, his muscles exuding the raw wildness of a grown man.

Fu Yu’an didn’t dare look too long. After cleaning him up, he took off his own outer robe and handed it to Qi Ren.

The robe was loose, but it still looked awkward on him—the ties couldn’t even be fastened properly, making the whole sight rather comical.

Outside, faint sounds of beating and scolding could be heard, occasionally mingled with a woman’s wails—pitiful and desperate.

“Bastard, don’t forget it was my son who saved you back then! What, now that you see a better branch, you want to climb it? Dream on! You couldn’t even bear me a grandson, freeloading in my house for so many years, and now you still think of running away?!”

It was the old woman’s voice.

He had no interest in meddling in others’ affairs, but he couldn’t help eavesdropping out of curiosity.

The one being beaten was likely the burly man’s wife. She hadn’t been seen earlier—perhaps she was always treated this way.

“I didn’t… I wouldn’t! Mother! Please listen to me! I didn’t!”

“Don’t lie to me! I can see you despise Da Zhuang for being mute, always thinking of running away. It’s not like when you begged us to take you in!”

So the burly man was truly mute.

Qi Ren lifted his eyes to glance at him and suddenly asked, “Would you ever despise me for being an idiot?”

“Of course not… Oh? Done pretending?”

“……”

He crossed his arms and turned to face him, his beautiful features flickering in the candlelight.

Qi Ren knew the act was over—his own slip of the tongue had given him away. But the way the other man stared at him so unsettlingly made Qi Ren feel that one more word would earn him a slap across the face and a furious scolding as a liar.

Though his temperament was gentle and he didn’t seem the type for such crude behavior.

Still, a sarcastic tongue-lashing was unavoidable.

Qi Ren chose silence, locking eyes with him in a wordless standoff.

Outside, the sounds of beating, cursing, and crying continued. The wind howled against the door, and rain blew in through a small window, soaking the firewood on the ground.

Silence spoke louder than words.

Fu Yu’an let out a cold laugh, threw the towel in his face, and snapped viciously, “Dry yourself!”

Qi Ren didn’t dare retort, afraid of provoking him further, but deep down, the scene felt vaguely familiar.

Last time, after paying respects to his late mother, he had returned in this same state.

A suspicion began to form in Qi Ren’s mind. Clutching the towel until water dripped from it, he asked cautiously, “You knew all along?”