146 The Journey North 6

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Everyone to your positions! Enemy attack!"

"Enemy attack?"

Qin Feng jumped up at once, and snatched at the sword that he had at his side. He had gotten that from the Marquis' Personal Armory at Changqing City, rather than from the Army, so it was longer and less sturdy than a military sword. And cursed as he drew that from its sheath. He had intended to stay inside his tent and circulate his qi, and so avoid joining the Second Ducal Prince in his pre-dinner exercises.

But now it seemed he would have a real fight on his hands instead!

His eyes swept over the field then, and fixed on the group of men clad in furs and animal skins charging across the field at the beginnings of the camp. Where had they come from? And how had the scouts missed them?

Qin Feng could not help but glance at the small group that had been crowded about the Second Ducal Prince and Lieutenant Wei earlier, and scowled when he saw how frightened the lot of them looked. From their white faces and how some of their hands shook, he was inclined to believe that they had no idea that there was an enemy force hidden in the fields.

That was strange, no matter how one looked at it. How could some forty, fifty men hide themselves in an open field, without any cover except for knee-high grasses, such that six trained scouts would miss them? And these were soldiers who had been in training for at least half a year! It was ridiculous!

Yet, Qin Feng knew that this was not the best time to wonder about that. Not when they had an obvious enemy in their sights, and a lot closer than they had expected them to be! The soldiers were also quick to respond, as they had been trained. They snatched up their weapons and fell into makeshift formations, comprising of five men teams, largely where they stood. And made ready to repel the Barbarian ambushers.

Closer at hand, Lieutenant Wei had already gathered all of the scouts as well as those about the wagons, setting them into defensive formations about the same. Most of their supplies were in the same, and he was quick to make certain that they were defended.

As for the Second Ducal Prince ...

Li Changhai roared as he snatched up his spear and charged towards the enemy, even as Qin Feng rolled his eyes. It was rather clear that the Second Ducal Prince intended to take the fight to the Barbarians, instead of hiding behind his Bodyguard. Those two met Qin Feng's glance with a tight smile, even as they moved to flank the Prince. Like former Heaven Sword School disciple, they had already expected that much from their charge.

So he lifted his sword and moved to keep a short distance to the Prince's right side. He had learned to stay out of the way, but not so far that he couldn't step in if he wanted to. At least, that was how it would look, to anyone paying attention to him.

After all, it wouldn't look good, if he just ran off and left the Second Ducal Prince, the youngest child of the Westland's Duke, to fend for himself, would it? This way, he could pretend that he was keeping Li Changhai in sight, and was ready to jump into the fray if he had to.

That should be enough to keep anyone from finding out that he was clinging onto the Second Ducal Prince's thigh for his own protection, shouldn't it?

Or, if they did see it, would they be so quick to point it out?

But Qin Feng didn't have too much time to wonder about that, as the four of them reached the Barbarians' line. Li Changhai and both his Bodyguards gave out a loud shout as they flashed into the same. The trio's long pole-arms cut the enemy vanguard into shreds immediately, leaving Qin Feng to dance among the toppling bodies, and stabbing his sword into a few of them, to make certain that they were dead.

Which was a little easier than he had expected it to be, to tell the truth. From what he could remember, the Barbarians that he had fought before were a lot tougher than this lot in front of him. And he could not help but wonder if he was missing something. Something important.

Then he frowned, as he paused, and looked up at the enemy warriors once again. This was a little too easy, wasn't it? From what he could remember, from his fight in the Southern Woods, the Barbarians had been a lot harder to kill than this lot in front of him.

And judging from the puzzled glances that the grizzled pair at either side of the Prince were sharing with one another, he wasn't the only one to think so.

Had the Barbarians thrown a completely inexperienced unit at them? Or were they nothing more than a group of raw recruits, that had somehow found themselves behind enemy lines, and were simply trying to fight their way out?

To be honest, he didn't think these Barbarians fitted either of the theories:

First and foremost, there were too few of them to actually challenge the hundred men that were traveling with the Second Ducal Prince. And they were clearly less powerful compared to the ones who had attacked the camps at the Southern Woods. That was rather obvious, since this lot did not seem to have as many totemic devices and such on their rough leather armor.

Then Qin Feng squinted at them again. There was something odd about their dress, and the weapons that they carried, he noticed when he looked at them again. Their garb was a little too clean, too regular. As if they were ...

He froze in mid-step, and quickly shouted at Li Changhai at once:

"Stop! Stop! It's a trap! They are not Barbarians!"

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