211 Heading Out 3

Nor was that the full extent of their preparations. He discovered that the next morning, when he saw a team of four quietly filling in two pits that had appeared, one next to the cook-fires and the other behind the Second Ducal Prince's tent. Apparently, the soldiers had surreptitiously prepared those traps in case there was an attack on Li Changhai during the night!

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Which was probably why he was a lot more confident in the soldiers, and their preparations, during the following night's camp.

But the consequences of their extra exertions were rather obvious as well, over the next few days. Some of the soldiers had dark bags under their eyes, and there were one or two who looked like they had not had a good sleep in a month. Which, if one took into consideration the fact that the troop had been in strict training before they left Yanyun City, was not that large a surprise.

The Second Ducal Prince, therefore, slowed down their advance during the third day, and made it a point to give the men a rest every time that they entered a town thereafter. Or some sizable settlement that could boast of an inn or somewhat.

That was when Lin Liushui and Du Yan took over the guard duties, standing watch over Li Changhai while the last was in the inns and guesthouses that they rested in. Something that Qin Feng took part in too, when he realized what was going on.

To be honest, it was more work than he had expected.

Especially when Du Yan made it clear that they would be keeping an eye on the Second Ducal Prince's room in shifts while Li Changhai was sleeping. Without letting him know about their move, so that they could secretly protect him. That was certainly a surprise.

Then again, he guessed that he should have known, when the pair revealed their orchestrations. And Lin Liushui mentioned how he had mentioned giving the troop a rest now and then, to make sure that they can maintain their alertness all the way to the Capital.

It was just the sort of thing that he would come up with, Qin Feng thought. After all, he had taken over the training of the soldiers as they moved. Not that the Second Ducal Prince, or Captain Wen, had any objections.

That was when he really started to pay close attention to what the trio, and the soldiers, were doing, as they traveled. He had been more than happy to leave them to their own devices back when he was heading to Yanyun City from Changqing City, in Li Changhai's company. But it was clear that he had plenty of gaps in his education.

At least, they were not the sort of thing that he had been trained in, back at the Heaven Sword School, in the South.

Of course, in the course of their journey, Qin Feng found himself wondering at Li Changhai's real motivation for heading to the Capital City together with Du Yan. To be honest, he didn't really believe that it was necessary for him to go through the trouble. Even if it was to show how highly he regarded his Sworn Brotherhood with Du Yan.

It was not as though he wouldn't be in a great deal less danger, if he remained at the Duke's bastion, there at Yanyun City. And couldn't he have simply sent his personal guard with Du Yan? And allow Lin Liushui to give him a hand as well. That should be enough to deter the casual troublemaker, wouldn't it?

Leaving that place, on the other hand, was likely to expose him to another assassination attempt at the least. Not to mention the fact that they could also be attacked by Du Yan's enemies. The mere fact that they were making trouble for Du Yan's betrothed, and her immediate family, was indication enough that they wanted nothing less than to create trouble for them. And for him.

Which certainly puzzled Qin Feng as well. Du Yan was a large and powerfully built fellow but he did not give him the impression of a very quarrelsome guy. Nor was he the sort that would belittle others, or poke fun of strangers in a public place. In short, he was totally unlike Lin Liushui.

If he had been told that the latter had been the one who was a target of some vendetta or other, Qin Feng would have immediately believed it. Lin Liushui was just that sort of irritating fellow, who could be relied on to have all sorts of enemies and rivals everywhere that one traveled to. Or, at the least, that was the sort of aura that he gave out.

Du Yan, on the other hand, was not that sort of person. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Qin Feng heard that someone was out to make trouble for him. Or his wife-to-be. Which was really as ridiculous as one could get!

Dragging someone's in-laws into one's vendetta against the principal was certainly not the sort of behavior that would win one friends. And he did not doubt that whoever was behind this was likely to be ostracized because of this particularly obnoxious move.

Unless, of course, it originated from someone belonging to a truly powerful or massively influential organisation. Such as the Royal Family of the Shu Kingdom, or one of the Three Major Sects in the region. Still, it was a little eye-catching, throwing oneself into such a conflict. And for what? A girl? That didn't sound the least convincing at all!

Well, as luck would have it, the trio ended up discussing the whole situation there in the Capital, one night after Li Changhai had retired to his tent. It seemed clear that Leaving the three of them to sit there next to the campfire, well away from the soldiers who were making their own preparations.

Like setting traps around the perimeter, Qin Feng thought to himself. Before he turned his attention back to the two slightly older men at his side.

"Well, it will only take us another three to five days to get to the Outer Gate of the Capital. So you might wish to think about how you are going to touch on the topic between you and the Yuan Family. Have you come to a decision yet?"

Du Yan grunted at Lin Liushui and gave the latter an ugly look. "What are you talking about? When had I ever said that I would be calling off the marriage?"

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