Invasion 5

"I think ... the people ... the scouts that my maternal uncle sent out have returned. And the news that they brought must be ... more terrible than we had expected."

Li Changhai's voice was steady, but Qin Feng could not avoid noting how it was softer, and a lot less confident than it had been before. Clearly, the Second Ducal Prince was shaken by the pieces of the sharp cries that he had heard.

"Come on. You have seen the Barbarians first-hand, so you might know something ... notice something, that we would not. Come with me!"

But even before they could get within sight of the Marquis' Command Tent, Qin Feng spotted a large crowd of people hustling away to the East. And the Logistics General, Ling Yongjian, was among the group! Qin Feng quickly brought that to the attention of the Prince, which was enough to surprise him.

"Had they sent out scouts then? If so, some of them should be back by now. But if they are headed for the East side ..."

Li Changhai stopped murmuring, and gave out a shout. Then he turned and started for the tents towards the Eastern side of the camp as quickly as he could manage, with Qin Feng hurrying to keep up. After a while, it became obvious to the latter that they were headed towards a tent that bore a bright azure flag on top of its roof. And Qin Feng realized quickly just what that meant.

A Healers' Tent!

Had the scouts been injured then?

There was a great many soldiers that had been drawn to the Healers' Tent by the time that they reached the place. And the five that had been assigned to guard the place was clearly irritated to have to deal with the fools that were still trying to approach the same. One of them had turned to the Second Ducal Prince with an angry glare the moment that he stepped up to the same, the expression on his face making it clear that he was going to punch Li Changhai if he stepped any closer.

Fortunately, another of the guards recognized the Prince before things got out of hand. And quickly saluted him, which was enough to make his identity obvious. To the onlookers as well as the guards on duty.

"I think you had best send all of these idlers off, to get ready for a fight if nothing else. I think my maternal uncle is already on the way here."

Li Changhai's subtle warning was enough to send everything scattering, and earned him another salute from the guards. Which he returned with a smile, before quickly leading Qin Feng inside the large tent.

Apparently, the Second Ducal Prince was more anxious for news on the enemy than Qin Feng had originally believed.

Then he set eyes on the scout that was being treated on the physician's table in the middle of the tent. "Sergeant Lei Kongwei? How come it's you? Did you go out to scout out the enemy on your own?" he blurted out immediately.

Li Changhai looked a little surprised, but Qin Feng managed to keep his face more or less under control as he kept his eyes on the injured man. There was an arrow that had passed from his leather armor, just under his right shoulder blade, penetrating his lung. And it seemed that the phyisician was in the midst of pushing the barbed arrow through his body, so that he could extract the head of the same.

Qin Feng was barely able to keep the wince off his face, with some effort. That had to be very, very painful. And the treatment was more brutal than he had thought possible too.

"What happened? Who hurt you?"

Lei Kongwei shook his head, although he smiled as he did it. From the pale look on his face and his almost bloodless lips, Qin Feng guessed that he must have been running with that arrow stuck in his lung for quite a while. Which also explained why his entire uniform was caked in semi-dried blood.

And why he looked as though he had overexerted his inner qi reserves.

Which was enough to make Qin Feng sigh:

"Let me guess: you were the one who was sent out to confirm my report. About the Barbarians attacking the patrols from the outlying camps? Just to make sure that I was not exaggerating, when I said that the Barbarians were starting to make their move?"

He could not help but inject a little sarcasm into his voice as he said that. Did the Marquis really think that he would lie about something like that? Besides, didn't he bring back the bodies? Of both the slain soldiers as well as the ones who were hunting them?

"Yes, he was. Along with six others."

Qin Feng turned his head to see the Marquis walk into the Healers' Tent with the Logistics General on his heels. Clearly, Ling Yongjian had gone off to alert the Marquis, after he had deposited the scout in the Healers' Tent. Feng Laixue merely waved his hand impatiently at all those who tried to greet him properly, as he quickly walked inside the tent.

Including his nephew, the Second Ducal Prince.

Well, he was in uniform, Qin Feng reminded himself, as he stuck to simple civilian bow. That would mean that Li Changhai was bound to follow military protocol for the moment, no doubt.

"None of that now. Military rules, remember? We are under attack and have no time for such niceties," he reminded everyone, as he stepped in front of Lei Kongwei, and peered at the arrow sticking out from beneath his shoulder-blade.

"How is he?"

The clean-shaven physician nodded as he continued to mix the paste in his hands. "As well as can be expected. He has lost a great deal of blood; it is surprising to see him still conscious in spite of that. Most would have fainted from the blood loss. But I am not going to try to keep him awake. Once I remove the arrow, he is likely to collapse as it is.

"So if you have any questions, ask them quickly!"

Feng Laixue's nod was almost curt, but the physician had already turned back to the injured man, and was no longer looking at the Marquis. Lei Kongwei however, seemed to be steeling himself for the questions that were coming. But the Marquis merely said one word:

"Report."

"Sir. I checked on the camps as directed. Three of them are already assaulted by the enemy, and it does not look as though they are able to hold out. The Barbarians have already breached their walls. The seventh troop has already fallen, and there are archers among the Barbarians there. I believe that the others are similarly under attack."

"That is where you were injured?"

"Yes, sir. Due to my carelessness, they were alerted to my presence and ..."

The Marquis held up a hand at that, stopping him. "That is only to be expected. Your zhenqi must have been depleted by then. But it does not matter. The fact that the Barbarians are launching their attack early this year is."

Then he glanced at the Second Ducal Prince beside him. As if his next words were meant for his nephew's ear. "We have already sent runners as well as shot off our signal arrows to where the Second Army is waiting, just outside the City. But I doubt that we shall have too much time to prepare ourselves for a fight here.

"So you won't have a chance of returning to the City now. All of us shall have to get ourselves ready for a fight."

Then he stopped, and looked over the Second Ducal Prince carefully, as though inspecting the gear that he had on. There was a hint of approval too, in the nod that he sent at Li Changhai after he was done. As though he was moderately pleased that his nephew had taken the time to put on some protective equipment.

"The enemy are definitely going to try something, and soon! They wouldn't bother to hit all of our camps otherwise. Unless I am gravely mistaken, they are probably preparing to catch us off guard with an early attack!

"Well, they will be very much surprised if they try a stupid trick like that. We have fifty of my personal Bodyguard here, and they have already been ready since we sent our scouts out. And the rest of the three troops that we have here have been alerted by now. Let us see what tricks these Barbarians have now!"

And as if in answer to his words, all the alarm bells within the camp began to ring out at once!

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