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Li Changhai blanched at what Lin Liushui had just said. Then he recovered, and nodded back at the calm-looking, scholarly man. "You were the one who had led the scouts forward, to check out the lay of the land, surrounding the road. If you say there is likely to be an ambush, a trap, I would certainly believe you.

"So what do you think we should do?"

Lin Liushui smiled and made what seemed like a dismissive gesture. "Why bother worrying about such useless plans? When the floodwaters come, you block it with earth; when the enemy arrives, you face them with soldiers! You have a half-troop with you, and all of them are clearly motivated to keep you safe. Not to mention, your Captain Wen Xuanran has been putting them through their paces so far. It would be a little wasteful, don't you think? If we did not give them a chance to show off what they had learned?"

The Second Ducal Prince scowled at the light-hearted manner that Lin Liushui had just exhibited, which was enough to make the latter pout slightly. "Ah. You are no fun at all. I had thought that you would be eager to see just how far your soldiers have come, since they last accompanied you from the South."

"We lost people on that trip, so we have a few new recruits into the company. And lives are important. I would prefer it if we didn't lose anyone. Not on this trip, at the least."

Lin Liushui acknowledged the Ducal Prince's words with a curt nod. But the smile did not leave his lips. "Well, I doubt that our enemy would be sufficiently prepared to meet us in an open fight. We have been making better time than can be expected, with a troop this size. And they will not dare to strike at us without superior numbers."

"Unless they have experts - I mean real experts in the martial arts! If they have those in their numbers, the number of soldiers on our side would not mean a thing," Qin Feng reminded him. That was something that he had learned. And the hard way too. He touched a hand to his chest as he mentioned that, remembering another fight that he had, far to the South.

But Lin Liushui merely waved that aside. The handsome fellow seemed more than confident in his abilities. As well as those who were traveling with him.

"If they are capable of sending such experts against us, they would not have bothered to let slip their plans, so that they can lure us to the Capital. No. I don't think our enemy wishes to alert those in higher ranks, that they are targeting someone like a Ducal Prince. That would draw too many eyes, I believe.

"So Sanlang's status here may be saving us from them. At least, for the moment."

Then Lin Liushui sighed again, while his lips wore a broad grin. Which was enough to tell the trio that he was up to his usual theatrics once again. "But not to worry. There are only two more spots along the trail which make suitable ambush sites. Although one of them is between us and the next town. So we shall have to be a little more careful, when we hurry along our way tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

Lin Liushui held up a hand with a confident look on his face. "I have already warned your Captain Wen, if you are so concerned," he told Li Changhai, who was the one who had been moved by his announcement that they might meet with an attack the day after.

"And I shall also be riding at the fore as well, so I shall be the first to suffer, if they really dare to attack. It is more likely that they would pull back, the moment that they see how well protected you are."

The Second Ducal Prince scowled as soon as he heard what the handsome fellow said. "That is too risky! You are gambling that they do not have more people than we do! What if they are confident that they can win? Won't they attack then? That would put my people in danger, wouldn't it?"

Qin Feng snorted. "And what soldier has not experienced that sort of risk? It is their job to protect you, isn't it? To put themselves in danger so that you do not have to face any?"

Li Changhai was a little too caring, in his opinion. Besides, that Captain Wen seemed to be rather confident in his men's fighting abilities. Qin Feng had not been paying too much attention to that, since he had been kept to his room, and his bed, before they left the Palace. But Du Yan and Lin Liushui seemed rather satisfied with the troop.

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Not to mention the fact that they would be more alert, and more ready for a fight, now that Lin Liushui had identified the possible sites of an ambush. As for Li Changhai himself, Qin Feng had been spending a good bit of time in his wagon, so he knew that the Second Ducal Prince had brought along his personal armor, and that glaive that he had passed to him outside Changqing City. So he would be properly armed, unlike the previous fights that he had been embroiled in.

That would certainly give him a better chance of surviving another attempt at his life, Qin Feng was certain.

On top of that, there was also Du Yan and Lin Liushui, who were clearly eager to prove themselves on this little excursion. They had been left behind, back at Yanyun City, when the Second Ducal Prince headed South for the Winter. And faced all his trials there at Changqing. So it was no surprise that they were putting in so much effort now, to show just what they were capable of.

And lastly, there was Qin Feng himself.

He did not consider himself a great fighter, but there was a strange, unexplained eagerness to him as well. Perhaps a result of the recent improvements to his state of cultivation? He had made a great deal of progress in the same, so, theoretically, he should be a much better combatant, compared to when he was trying to fend off Zhou Jinhu back in the city. At least, he would not be too much of a hindrance to the Second Ducal Prince and his cronies.

Maybe that was why he wanted to find an enemy - any enemy! Just so that he could test himself against someone who would not be missed. He was a little bloodthirsty at present, and he knew it. But after all that he had been through, Qin Feng doubted that anyone would blame him for that.

After all, wouldn't everybody else be just as bloodthirsty? After having suffered all that pain and inconvenience, for all that time?

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