Chapter 34: Lu of the Taoist school, akin to a god or immortal, is already the foremost figure of the present age.

Guan Yi was left utterly stunned, sensing something was amiss but unable to find the words to refute the claim. After a long silence, he finally spoke: "But the King of Zhao is the sovereign of a nation..."

Before he could finish, Lu Ge flicked his sleeve and interrupted, "And what of it?"

"If a sovereign can slaughter the innocent at will, then the laws of that nation hold no justice."

Guan Yi retorted indignantly, "A sovereign is the father of the nation; how can he be bound by national law? You say the laws of Zhao are unjust, so what kind of law do you consider fair?"

Lu Ge pointed to the sky. "If a sovereign breaks the law..." He then pointed to the earth. "...he shall be punished just like a commoner! Only such a law can be called just. If this can be achieved, then the world can truly attain great harmony."

A clamor erupted at these words. The onlookers stared at Lu Ge with wide, incredulous eyes. Guan Yi’s hand, gripping his sword, trembled slightly. "You—you have immense audacity."

Lu Ge replied with pride, "My audacity is indeed great; otherwise, I would never have dared to kill the King of Zhao. Tell me, am I right or not?"

Guan Yi’s lips quivered. The values instilled in him over many years told him that Lu Ge’s words were treasonous, yet in his heart, he felt they were profound truths. For a moment, a fierce battle raged within him, and he was at a loss for what to do.

Seeing Guan Yi in this state, Lu Ge simply flicked his sleeve. A gust of wind rose, blowing the man aside. This wandering knight was not a bad sort; at least he was capable of listening to reason. He was just a bit reckless and impulsive. Lu Ge was no fanatical murderer who would unleash a blade of energy at everyone who annoyed him.

"Let’s continue," Lu Ge said. Shen Zhong nodded and urged the carriage forward, followed closely by the other two carriages.

They reached the city gate, and the carriage came to a stop once more. "Grandmaster, Master, the city gate is closed. And it’s strange—there are no guards to be seen."

Lu Ge looked out. The gate was tightly shut, and the soldiers who usually occupied that post throughout the seasons were nowhere to be found.

Shen Dao chuckled, "It seems orders were given from above to seal the gate and prevent us from leaving. However, these guards, unwilling to die in vain, simply hid away once the gates were locked."

Seeking gain and avoiding harm is human nature. When even the palace guards refused to act, one could hardly expect the lowly city sentries to lay down their lives. When the Qin army previously invaded, the soldiers fought to the death to protect Zhao and Handan, but now, a King had merely died—there would surely be another to take his place.

"Grandmaster, I shall go down and open the gate," Shen Dao said, moving to rise.

Lu Ge pressed him back down. "Forget it. That gate weighs over a thousand pounds; it takes dozens of soldiers working in unison to open or close it. You’re an old man now; I’m afraid you’ll throw out your back."

With a flick of his finger, Lu Ge released a strand of sword energy that drifted toward the gate. It began as gentle as a breeze, then surged with the power to sever the moon. The energy hissed through the air, and for a moment, the gate stood untouched. Then, a breeze brushed against it, and the structure, as if aged by a thousand years, disintegrated into dust. The gate, which the Qin army had failed to break for two years, was reduced to powder by Lu Ge’s single strike.

The path ahead was clear, wide, and boundless, waiting to be traveled. "Let's go."

Lu Ge returned to the carriage. Shen Zhong was filled with awe, yet he did not delay. He flicked the reins and drove the carriage away under the gaze of countless onlookers. The crowd was left reeling—the gate of a capital city, destroyed with such casual ease? Who in this world could hope to stand against him?

"Lu of the Taoist school is near-divine; he is truly the greatest in the world today," an old man whispered inside a tavern. As the capital of Zhao, Handan was home to many scholars of the Hundred Schools of Thought. Lu Ge’s act of regicide, his discourse on legal justice, and his feat of shattering the gate with a single sword strike rippled outward across the world like waves.

Just outside Handan, Lu Ge noticed something strange about Shen Dao. The old man sat there with a vacant gaze, lost in thought. "Hey," Lu Ge said, waving a hand in front of him. "What are you thinking about?"

Shen Dao snapped back to reality. "The Grandmaster’s earlier words on the justice of law touched me deeply. Thinking it over now, what you said is truly the supreme truth. If a sovereign breaks the law, he is punished as a commoner—only then is there true justice and the possibility of great harmony."

Lu Ge looked at him strangely. "Wait, you actually believed that? I was just fooling that silly boy."

Shen Dao’s expression froze as he stared blankly at Lu Ge. "Ah?"

Lu Ge said helplessly, "A sovereign being punished like a commoner is the most ideal state for law, but it is also a state that can never be realized. After all, law is something the sovereign himself creates. How it is interpreted is entirely up to him. In the end, this thing is merely a tool to control the people and maintain stability. If you can even manage to have a prince punished as a commoner, you should be thanking the heavens."

Shen Dao lowered his head in thought, sighing after a long while. He had to admit that Lu Ge’s assessment was more realistic.

Lu Ge pondered for a moment before saying, "I think your path has led you into a dead end."

Shen Dao hurriedly bowed. "Please, Grandmaster, enlighten me."

Lu Ge said softly, "The laws established by men can never be perfect. They cannot fully constrain everyone, from the sovereign down to the commoners. But the laws established by the Heavenly Dao are different. Whether you are a ruler of a nation, a commoner, or even an immortal or demon, it treats everyone equally. Why not transcend this and transform the law in your heart from human law into Heavenly regulation?"

Shen Dao stroked his chin. It made sense—it made perfect sense. "Then, Grandmaster, how should I go about this?"

Lu Ge spread his small hands. "How would I know? I am merely providing you with a perspective; how you walk this path is up to you. Besides, if I knew how to do it, I would have already attained divine power from it."

Shen Dao was not disappointed. The Great Dao is long, and its twists and turns were not the problem; the only fear was lacking direction. Now that he knew which way to head, he would simply strive forward.

*Rumble...*

As they spoke, a deep, thunderous sound reached their ears.

"What’s this?" Lu Ge asked in confusion. "Thunder? Is it going to rain? Don't worry, I’m quite the expert at handling this sort of thing."

The carriage stopped, and Shen Zhong’s trembling voice came from outside. "Grandmaster, Master, it is not going to rain. We are surrounded."

Shen Dao lifted the curtain to see clouds of dust rolling toward them. Stepping out of the carriage to survey the surroundings, he couldn't help but gasp. "Grandmaster, we really are surrounded. At a rough glance, there are at least ten thousand soldiers."

Lu Ge jumped down from the carriage and shaded his eyes to observe. He saw the Zhao army blocking the road ahead, behind, and on both sides.

"To surround us so quickly, they must have been prepared. The troops were already lying in ambush," Lu Ge said with a calm smile. "When we were in the city, there were too many civilians, and they didn't dare to act. Now that we are outside the city, they have no such scruples. They intend to trap and kill us here."

Lu Ge remained unperturbed. "However, don't you worry. This situation, too, is something I am quite the expert at handling."