Xiong Chun was dumbfounded. He couldn't understand how someone could recognize another person so clearly!

Even if Jin Huan really admitted his mistake, shouldn't the city gates be opened by now? Why aren't they open yet?

His question was answered quickly.

Jin Huan laughed and said, "He is a traitor, that's for sure, but I'm always cautious."

"The dead are nothing to fear, but the living must be careful."

"General Lü is a peerless warrior. Even Xiong Qian was seriously injured by you. I'm afraid I am no match for you either. Since General Lü is sincerely surrendering, why not lay down your weapons, dismount, and then come in with Zhao Zheng?"

"In this way, I'll know that General Lü is truly loyal to me. What do you think?"

Xiong Chun's heart skipped a beat; he knew he was doomed.

Could it be that Jin Huan has figured things out and is planning to lure Lü Bu into the pass first?

If a direct battle were to break out, with Lu Bu's skill and this precious horse, he would be absolutely difficult to kill. However, if he were to surrender and enter the pass alone, he would likely die immediately!

Oh no! Everything has gone wrong at this point!

Xiong Chun looked at Lü Bu, waiting for him to raise his arm and give the order to start the battle!

But to everyone's surprise, Lü Bu ignored it and instead laughed, "Good!"

"General Jin, it's always better to be careful. Should I tie your hands again?"

Jin Huan shook his head and laughed, "That won't be necessary. Tying his hands would be treating General Lü like a prisoner."

"If General Lü harbors resentment in the future, won't he come looking for trouble with me? Haha."

Lü Bu laughed loudly, and then, to Xiong Chun's astonishment, Lü Bu dismounted, put down the halberd in his hand, and walked forward calmly.

Seeing him walk towards the checkpoint, Xiong Chun felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

This man possesses extraordinary martial arts skills and is truly brave enough to withstand ten thousand men, but how can he be so lacking in wisdom!

If Jin Huan was truly cautious and only testing the waters, then that would be one thing; it's just that I'm overthinking things.

But I'm afraid he has axemen lying in ambush inside the pass. If Lü Bu goes in, the axemen will probably rush forward.

If that were the case, no matter how brave and invincible Lü Bu was, he would be without weapons or a prized horse by his side.

If the executioners all come forward to take him, wouldn't he be hacked and chopped into a pile of mangled flesh?

Once Lü Bu is eliminated, Jin Huan will most likely completely break off relations, and a fierce battle will probably be inevitable!

Alas! I finally managed to join the Prince's ranks, am I going to perish here tonight?

As Lü Bu drew closer to the city gate, Xiong Chun's heart pounded with anxiety, his throat agape.

If a fierce battle were to break out and Lü Bu were to die, the prince would be furious. With his large army at his disposal, he would surely unleash a massacre, and no one in Zhongnan Pass would be spared.

They might even take their anger out on their own surrendered soldiers.

If the prince goes mad, I'm afraid no one will survive!

Now they were truly caught in a dilemma, with wolves in front and tigers behind. The fate of their group depended on this moment.

Xiong Chun unconsciously gripped his weapon tighter, his teeth clenching. If he could, he would gladly take Lü Bu's place and go into the pass.

Compared to the consequences of his own ambush and death, the consequences of Lü Bu's death would have been far more severe.

At that moment, Lü Bu had arrived at the city gate, and Jin Huan shouted:

"Come here, Zhao Zheng, bring General Lü in!"

"Open the door!"

At the city gate, Lü Bu glanced at Zhao Zheng, who touched his nose. As the city gate opened, Lü Bu went in front and Zhao Zheng followed behind with his halberd. The two entered the pass one after the other.

The city gate wasn't wide open, and as soon as the two entered, it closed immediately.

Xiong Chun secretly cried out in alarm!

Sure enough, Jin Huan wasn't testing them; he was really going to make a move!

A short while later, a loud shout burst from Jin Huan's mouth:

"Well, well! You lot dare to join the rebels and try to trick me into letting you through the pass!"

"Now that I have captured Lü Bu, why don't you surrender immediately, dismount your horses, lay down your weapons, and lie on the ground!"

"If you don't comply, I'll kill Lü Bu first, then I'll kill you all!"

It turns out that what Zhao Zheng whispered to the soldiers when he presented the severed head was this:

“Tell the general that we were forced here by Lü Bu to trick you into opening the gate. I have already given you several warning glances, but the city wall is too high and you may not have seen them.”

"The best course of action now is to lure Lü Bu into the pass, but we must capture him alive! He is the traitor's favorite general; if we treat him as a prisoner of war, the rebel army will not dare to make any rash moves. In this way, we can hold out until the imperial reinforcements arrive!"

"But after capturing Lü Bu, General, you still cannot attack anyone else. The rebel army is strong, and if a battle really breaks out, Zhongnan Pass will surely fall!"

"If we capture all the people here alive and make them prisoners of war, we can restrain the rebels and ensure that we can protect Zhongnan Pass before the imperial reinforcements arrive!"

"If the rebels disregard Lü Bu and the lives of these people and insist on attacking, then this traitor will naturally earn a reputation for injustice, and the rebels will collapse without a fight!"

"General, you must give my suggestion a serious consideration!"

Thus, these words were delivered to Jin Huan by the soldiers.

Upon hearing this, Jin Huan broke out in a cold sweat; he hadn't expected the night to be so dangerous.

If I hadn't been so careful, I almost would have let them through!

Zhao Zheng, as expected of my capable assistant, actually came up with such a plan at this critical moment!

If he hadn't said those words, and after checking that the heads didn't match, he most likely wouldn't have let them through.

It's even possible that if their next words reveal their true intentions, the authorities could order their execution.

But if that's the case, it really will be just as Zhao Zheng said. When the rebels launch a strong attack, and the imperial army hasn't arrived at Zhongnan Pass yet, it might really be breached, and they'll be slaughtered without a trace!

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!