Chapter 62

Chapter 696: I've Come to Retrieve the Eastern Pass! (3)

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Li Du was dragged in front of Se Dong like a prisoner. As soon as Se Dong saw him, he asked bluntly,

"Have you ever seen Sir Sa Jian?"

"Yes, a few times..."

Before Li Du could finish his sentence, Se Dong put his arm on his shoulder.

"The time has come for you to earn your keep."

Saying this, Se Dong pointed at two men causing a commotion outside the gate.

"One of them is said to be Sir Sa Jian, but we can't confirm their faces here. I'll tie you up and lower you outside to check if one of them is Sir Sa. Can you do that?"

"Why don't we just open the gate and let the two of them in?"

"There's a strict military order not to open the gate without permission. And why are you so talkative? Shouldn't I beat you to stop you from talking so much?"

Li Du was startled and waved his hands frantically.

"No, no. I'll go."

Li Du knew resistance was futile.

He was a nobody here, and he had seen many things, mainly Se Dong's occasional rampages and the beatings of those who displeased him.

Li Du tied a rope around his waist and looked down.

'This is way too high.'

The thought of descending on a thin rope made him feel suffocated.

There was no need to elaborate on how high the walls of the Eastern Pass were. If he fell, he would likely break a limb or two, even if he survived.

'Why can't they just let me out the gate? What's so difficult about that?'

The gate could have been opened slightly to let him through, but Se Dong didn't do that.

Se Dong knew it would be easier and simpler to open the gate a little and let Li Du out, or to let the two men in for verification.

However, he couldn't do that. The military officer had issued a strict order not to open the gate under any circumstances.

The officer, while the owner of the Red Silk House, was still a military official of Guanxi and the son-in-law of Huang Baozong.

Se Dong had to follow the order, even if he didn't like it. That's why he ordered this troublesome task.

If he opened the gate without permission or let the two men in, Sa Jian or the Red Silk House would surely report him to the officer.

Then, he would face severe reprimand from Huang Baozong, which was as certain as the sun rising in the east.

* * *

Li Du safely descended and walked towards Xue Miao and Sa Jian.

At first, he was a bit scared and focused only on Sa Jian, eager to quickly determine if he was the right person and return.

However, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

It couldn't be from seeing Sa Jian. Sa Jian had always looked down on Li Du and his group because he disapproved of Cao Qinglong and his army.

Even a dog could tell if its owner liked or disliked it, so how could a person not notice such things?

The feeling came from Xue Miao, not Sa Jian.

Only then did Li Du's gaze turn to Xue Miao, who was holding Sa Jian.

"Brother Xue Miao?"

"You're Li Du, right? You're alive. That's a relief."

"How is General Cao?"

"That's... complicated."

Xue Miao was struggling to find the right words. But Li Du interpreted it differently, thinking Cao Qinglong was dead.

"Brother Xue Miao, it's a relief you're alive."

"I have a lot to say, but let's save it for later. Didn't you come to verify if this man is really Sir Sa?"

"Yes. The commander of the Eastern Pass sent me. Since no one knows Sir Sa's face, I was sent."

Xue Miao's face brightened, but he spoke in a low voice.

"This man is indeed Sir Sa Jian. Can you do as I say?"

"Now that General Cao is gone, I must follow you. I'll do whatever you ask."

"Good. First, confirm Sir Sa Jian's face. Despite his current appearance, you'll recognize him."

Xue Miao brushed the hair away from Sa Jian's face, revealing it clearly.

"It's really Sir Sa Jian? What happened to you?"

"The story is long. First, go back and tell them you've confirmed Sir Sa Jian. Also, tell them the supply convoy is escorted by the Red Silk House."

Xue Miao patted Li Du's shoulder.

"We'll meet again soon."

"There's a lot to catch up on... but I'm just a soldier..."

"There are a thousand supply carts. Surely there's one with wine barrels."

Li Du finally smiled.

"I'll go back and report. I'll see you soon."

Li Du hurried back to the Eastern Pass and tied the rope around his waist again.

Back on the wall, he reported to Se Dong, who was waiting.

"That man is indeed Sir Sa Jian."

"Really? Who are the people following him?"

"They are the supply convoy escorted by the Red Silk House."

Se Dong's expression darkened. It was a natural reaction. He had planned to trick the Red Silk House, but if Sa Jian was with them, his plan was ruined.

* * *

Soon, a massive group of people and carts appeared before the Eastern Pass. But Se Dong still didn't open the gate.

Lao Bu asked cautiously,

"General, why haven't you ordered the gate to be opened yet?"

"Something feels off."

"What do you mean?"

"Sir Sa doesn't seem right. Look, he doesn't look like a normal person."

Se Dong was concerned that Sa Jian wasn't in his right mind. After all, he kept babbling about being saved and Lü Bu's arrival, which was understandable.

"Even if it's Sir Sa, shouldn't we open the gate? The supply convoy was supposed to arrive today. What are you waiting for? If the supplies are delayed, the blame will fall on you."

The supply situation for Guanxi's army was always tight.

They had lost the supply depot in Yangshan to Lü Bu's forces and had to abandon much of their provisions when fleeing from Zhongtian.

The fertile land of Guanxi was limited to the Sanbao area, which had suffered from locusts, depleting the grain reserves.

The main force attacking Hanguan had only enough food for half a month.

They were supposed to have taken Hanguan and entered Luoyang by now, but they were stuck there, consuming their supplies.

Naturally, they sent people frequently to check if the supply convoy had reached the Eastern Pass, which is why Lao Bu said this.

"Isn't that right?"

"Of course. The main force is large. The commander must be anxious. With the remaining supplies, he can't feed the troops for long. How can he not be anxious?"

"Fine. I'll open the gate after one more confirmation."

While talking to Lao Bu, Se Dong had to listen to Sa Jian's constant babbling.

Xue Miao, who had to listen to Sa Jian, wanted to gag him but knew it would ruin their plan to easily capture the Eastern Pass.

* * *

At that moment, Guo Jia stepped forward. He was still tense from beheading the Red Silk House's chief, Che Zhongwang.

"Listen, commander of the Eastern Pass! Open the gate and let us pass through the Eastern Pass!"

Se Dong responded from the wall.

"Shouldn't you first reveal who you are?"

"How can a barbarian like you talk about Han etiquette?"

"You! You talk big! If you don't reveal your identity, you won't pass through the Eastern Pass!"

Guo Jia laughed.

"Heh heh heh!"

He pointed at the flag held high by a sentry.

"Look! Can't you see the imperial banner? Hey! This barbarian can't see the imperial banner! Show it to him clearly!"

When the sentry with the imperial banner stepped forward, Se Dong had no choice but to open the gate.

"Open the gate!"

The gate of the Eastern Pass, which seemed like it would never open, finally did. Lü Bu's forces, disguised as the Red Silk House and the supply convoy, finally entered the Eastern Pass.

Huang Baozong didn't have the resources to standardize the uniforms and armor of his troops, so it was impossible to distinguish the Red Silk House by appearance.

Moreover, they carried bows captured from the canyon battle, making them appear as the Red Silk House.

Lü Bu, following Guo Jia, whispered,

"Mr. Guo, I almost lost my nerve."

Lü Bu was sincere. He was worried when Guo Jia raised his voice with the commander of the Eastern Pass.

Even a thousand troops couldn't scare him, but he didn't want to lose the hard-won opportunity.

He couldn't bear to see the sacrifices of his soldiers in the battle against Guanxi's forces go to waste.

But surprisingly, Guo Jia's provocation worked.

"How did you do it?"

Guo Jia, who had been smiling, replied confidently,

"I knew it would work."

"Explain in detail. I have no idea what's going on."

"The Eastern Pass is a natural fortress. Even with a large army, it can be defended by a few thousand soldiers. Do you think Huang Baozong would entrust it to just anyone?"

Lü Bu tilted his head.

"Why did Huang Baozong put so much effort into the Eastern Pass when he gave up Zhongtian?"

"Zhongtian lost its value after