Chapter 37: Leaving Qin for Chu, Returning Home!!!

Despite Ying Ji's repeated requests, Lu Ge consistently declined. The position of Chancellor was indeed prestigious, but to Lu Ge, it was nothing more than a passing cloud. He felt his time would be better spent studying Daoist scriptures, as he might just gain insight into another divine ability.

When the banquet concluded, a deeply disappointed Ying Ji personally escorted Lu Ge out of the palace. Zichu and Ying Zheng, being members of the royal family, were naturally required to reside within the palace, but Lu Ge was not. Regardless of how much Ying Ji wished to recruit him, he could not force him to live inside the palace walls. Fortunately, Lu Buwei was wealthy and had long since purchased a residence in Xianyang.

"The position of Chancellor is a position of supreme honor. Why did you decline, Master?" Lu Buwei asked, following behind with a tone full of envy.

Lu Ge glanced back at him. "What? Do you want it? I can recommend you tomorrow."

Lu Buwei shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this. He did indeed desire to be Chancellor, but he possessed self-awareness. If Lu Ge were Chancellor, no one in the State of Qin would object. But if he, a merchant, were to ascend to such a position, it would likely provoke nationwide resistance. This matter required careful planning, and it would only be possible after Zichu ascended the throne.

Seeing Lu Buwei shake his head, Lu Ge looked toward Shen Dao. "He doesn't want it. Do you?"

Shen Dao smiled with a carefree air. "If it were the old me, I would certainly have been tempted. But now that I have been enlightened by you, Master, and have begun to contemplate the laws of the Heavenly Dao, I have lost all interest in the mundane affairs of the imperial court."

Lu Ge shrugged and said no more. He boarded his carriage, and the group returned to Lu Buwei’s mansion in Xianyang. Days passed. Ying Ji held banquets every three days and issued invitations every five, treating Lu Ge with such overwhelming enthusiasm that he barely had time to read. Deciding that he had had enough, he chose to depart.

"Master, are you leaving?" Shen Dao asked, looking at Lu Ge in astonishment.

Lu Ge rubbed his temples. "I have no choice. The King of Qin is simply too enthusiastic. I cannot treat him the way I treated the King of Zhao. I think it is best to travel for a while and let him cool down. Besides, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. There are still many places in this world I have never been to and never seen. I shall take this opportunity to explore."

Lu Ge was restless; on one hand, he could no longer bear Ying Ji’s pestering, and on the other, he had memorized many classics but still felt he was lacking that final spark to achieve a divine ability. He suspected that this final veil could only be pierced by immersing himself in the world itself.

"If you are leaving, Master, then this disciple shall follow," Shen Dao said without a moment’s hesitation. Ever since he began his studies in the laws of the Heavenly Dao, he had wished to follow in Lu Ge's footsteps at all times. Now that Lu Ge was embarking on a journey across the world, his following felt much like the disciples of Confucius in days of old.

"If you wish to follow, then so be it. However, Shen Zhong is getting on in years; he should remain behind to retire. From now on, you shall drive the carriage." Shen Dao’s face lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.

The news of Lu Ge’s impending departure was not concealed, and it soon reached the royal palace. Ying Ji arrived in person, accompanied by Zichu and the young Ying Zheng.

"Why must you leave, Master Lu?" Ying Ji asked, feeling deeply anxious. If Qin could have Lu Ge’s assistance, the unification of the world would be inevitable. If Lu Ge left and offered his talents to another state, Ying Ji feared he would lose sleep at night.

"Great King, my Master wishes to follow the example of the sages and travel the world to broaden his knowledge," Shen Dao quickly explained. Naturally, he dared not mention that his Master was merely fleeing because he could no longer stand the King’s harassment.

Ying Ji looked reluctant. "Do you know when you will return?"

Lu Ge stepped forward to Zichu’s side and looked at the infant Ying Zheng in his arms. "I shall return in ten years. By then, Zheng’er will have grown, and I can teach him."

In ten years, Ying Zheng would be nearly twelve—the time he would ascend the throne as the King of Qin. Hearing that Lu Ge intended to return, Ying Ji’s anxious heart finally settled.

"I only wonder if Zheng’er will still recognize me in ten years," Lu Ge said, poking the infant’s cheek with a smile. Ying Zheng, not yet two, was still innocent and naive; thinking Lu Ge was playing with him, he giggled and reached out, grabbing Lu Ge’s finger and pulling it toward his mouth.

Zichu laughed. "I will instruct Zheng’er constantly; he will certainly not forget you, Master."

Lu Ge nodded. After the farewells, he finally boarded the carriage and drifted away with Shen Dao. Ying Ji and Zichu watched them go, their eyes filled with melancholy.

"Phew... finally, some peace," Lu Ge sighed in the carriage, stretching comfortably. Ying Ji’s enthusiasm had made him feel genuinely stifled.

Shen Dao, driving the carriage, smiled. He had long realized that his master was not someone who enjoyed flattery or sycophancy. Whenever he encountered such things, he felt ill at ease, yet he could not lash out—one could hardly strike someone down just because they were being too kind.

"Master, now that we have left Xianyang, is there anywhere you wish to go?"

Lu Ge sat in the carriage, lifting the curtain to watch the scenery recede. After a moment of thought, he said, "Home." He gazed toward the distance. "Chu State, Ku County, Li Township." That was the birthplace of Lao Dan, and the place where Lu Ge’s own story had begun.

The carriage rolled on, moving at a leisurely pace. After several months, they finally reached the State of Chu. The news of Lu Ge’s departure from Xianyang had long since spread across the world. The monarchs of every state feared him like a tiger, yet they were even more desperate to recruit him. When Lu Ge had entered Qin, they had been powerless, but now that he was traveling the world, they saw their golden opportunity.

As the carriage crossed the border into Chu, they saw a welcoming party ahead. Lu Ge looked out to see a forest of carriages and a throng of people. A majestic-looking man led the crowd, hurrying forward on foot.

"Is this the carriage of Master Lu? I am Huang Xie, here to pay my respects."

Huang Xie? Lu Ge searched his memory. Who was this? Fortunately, Shen Dao whispered, "This is Lord Chunshen of Chu."

Lu Ge suddenly realized. One of the Four Lords of the Warring States—along with Lord Xinling of Wei, Lord Pingyuan of Zhao, and Lord Mengchang of Qi, there was this Lord Chunshen of Chu.

"So it is Lord Chunshen," Lu Ge said, stepping out of the carriage and cupping his hands. "I am but a simple man. Why go to such lengths to welcome me?"

Lord Chunshen laughed heartily. "Master Lu’s divine abilities shake the world. If you are a simple man, then none of us can claim to be human at all. I have already prepared a banquet to welcome you. I hope you will do me the honor."

Lu Ge felt a headache coming on. It was the same routine as with Ying Ji. However, since the banquet was already prepared, it would be rude to refuse. He decided he would just eat a little and then leave.

After entering the pass, Lu Ge attended the banquet, keeping his head down and eating while offering only perfunctory responses to Lord Chunshen’s remarks.

"Might I ask where you are heading, Master Lu?" Lord Chunshen asked after several rounds of drinks.

Lu Ge replied casually, "I am merely traveling the world. I intend to visit Li Township to see the old home, and then... I shall see where the road takes me."

Lord Chunshen’s eyes flashed. To visit the old home... rumors had long held that this Daoist Master Lu had descended from a painting, and it was said he was a direct disciple of Lao Dan. It seemed those rumors were true.