Chapter 27: He, he was like a god descending from the heavens...

Shen Dao gazed at the torrential rain engulfing the royal palace, his lips moving as if he had more to say, yet he hesitated.

Lu Ge, observing his expression, asked with a smile, "What is it? Do you think I have gone too far? Wasn't it you who said we could not tolerate their insolence just a moment ago? Do not be soft-hearted now."

Shen Dao shook his head. "They were so dismissive and rude; a bit of rain is hardly excessive. I only wanted to ask you, Grandmaster—that day at home, when I was suddenly caught in the rain..."

*Cough, cough, cough.*

Lu Ge covered his mouth with his fist and coughed. "Ah, that... well..."

"That was purely a coincidence. A mere coincidence. I was simply testing a divine ability, and I didn't expect you to walk out at that exact moment. Once you returned inside, I had already grasped the nature of the technique, so I withdrew it."

Shen Dao looked at him with a resentful gaze. So, it hadn't been the heavens targeting him after all; it had been his own Grandmaster.

Meanwhile, inside the Zhao palace, the King of Zhao watched the downpour outside the hall, unable to suppress a broad grin. "Hahaha! Excellent rain, truly excellent. That Master Lu is close to the State of Qin and even took the son of a Qin hostage as his disciple. I had intended to use this banquet to have my ministers provoke him and show him the weight of our authority, but it seems Heaven is aiding me. With this rain, by the time he enters the palace, he will be nothing more than a drowned rat. We shall have a fine laugh at his expense."

The King of Zhao, filled with delight, raised his cup and drank deeply. His ministers followed suit, raising their cups in agreement.

Just as the atmosphere was at its merriest, a bedraggled figure, soaked to the bone, arrived at the entrance of the hall.

"Reporting to Your Majesty."

The figure was none other than the eunuch who had been sent to welcome Lu Ge.

The King of Zhao looked at him, then glanced behind him. "Why are you alone? Where are Master Lu and Master Shen?"

The eunuch trembled, his voice shaking. "They... they are still outside the palace."

The King of Zhao was surprised, but he laughed. "Why don't they come in? Are they afraid of getting wet? If that is the case, I must certainly have a good laugh at them when they arrive."

The eunuch shook his head frantically. "Your Majesty, that is not it! This rain... it was summoned by that Taoist Grandmaster."

At these words, the King and his ministers stared at him in astonishment.

"What nonsense are you babbling?" The King of Zhao frowned. "The way of wind and rain is a celestial phenomenon. How could it be controlled by a human? Speak such nonsense again, and you shall be beheaded."

The eunuch waved his hands wildly. "Your Majesty, I dare not speak falsely! I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. That Taoist Grandmaster called for wind, and immediately a gale arose. Then he called for rain, and the torrential downpour followed. Moreover, the rain is perfectly contained, blanketing only the royal palace. He... he is like a deity!"

The more the King of Zhao heard, the uglier his expression became.

One of the ministers stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, Liezi was once able to ride the wind. Now that this Master Lu has descended from a painting as the Taoist Grandmaster, it is not strange that he possesses the ability to summon wind and rain. Given that he is suppressing the city with this storm, he is likely taking offense at our lack of courtesy."

The King of Zhao pondered for a moment, and a smile returned to his face. "Lord Pingyuan speaks sense. But this Master Lu is far too naive. Does he truly believe that a mere storm can make us submit? How ridiculous. To think that a dignified Taoist Grandmaster could be so childish—it is truly laughable."

The other ministers nodded in agreement. It was only wind and rain, not an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. Who would fear such a thing?

However, the eunuch’s expression remained unchanged, as anxious as before. "Your Majesty, I have one more thing to report."

The King of Zhao waved his hand. "Speak."

The eunuch swallowed hard. "When the rain first began, the Taoist Grandmaster said that he would not enter the palace as long as the storm continued. I asked him what would happen if it never stopped. He replied: 'If the rain never stops, then it shall simply continue to fall.'"

The King of Zhao frowned. What did that mean? It sounded rather unsettling.

Before he could react, many of the ministers had already grasped the implication, their faces turning pale with horror. Lord Pingyuan rose abruptly. "Did he truly say that?"

The eunuch nodded repeatedly, trembling with fear.

"Lord Pingyuan, what is the matter?" the King of Zhao asked, puzzled.

Lord Pingyuan took a deep breath and bowed to the King. "Your Majesty, a mere storm is indeed not to be feared. Even if it lasts for three or five days, it matters little. But what if it lasts for three or five months, or three or five years?"

"If that happens, the flooding of the palace is inevitable. If the water rises over the palace walls and spills into the city, I fear the entire city of Handan will be devastated by a flood."

The King of Zhao instinctively waved his hand. "How is that possible? How could it rain for so long..." He stopped mid-sentence. He realized that if it were a natural phenomenon, it could not last that long. But this wind and rain were not natural; they had been summoned by Master Lu. Everyone knew that divine abilities consumed no energy. If Master Lu so desired, he could keep it raining for a hundred or a thousand years.

At this thought, the King of Zhao felt a chill run through his body. It was not Master Lu who was naive, but himself. Any celestial phenomenon, even the most mundane wind and rain, could be turned into an apocalyptic disaster.

"What do you all think we should do now?" the King of Zhao asked after a long silence.

With that question, he had effectively conceded.

Lord Pingyuan bowed. "Master Lu’s actions are merely a response to our discourtesy. Perhaps we should send another member of the royal family to welcome him."

The King of Zhao nodded. "Very well, as you say. Lord Luling."

A man stood up from the crowd—the King’s own younger brother, Lord Luling. "Go at once and welcome Master Lu into the palace."

Lord Luling bowed and departed to carry out the order.

Outside the palace, the sky was clear. Lu Ge and Shen Dao sat on either side of the carriage entrance, watching the rain over the palace while basking in the sun.

"Grandmaster, do you think they will yield?" Shen Dao asked.

Lu Ge smiled lazily. "They will, they certainly will. The Zhao palace is not without capable ministers. And since that eunuch saw me summon the wind and rain with his own eyes, he will surely pass on my words. They only need to use their brains to understand the consequences of a never-ending storm. Unless, of course, they are prepared to abandon this palace and the city of Handan entirely."

Shen Dao blinked. "And if they grit their teeth and refuse to yield? What then? Will you really flood the palace and Handan?"

Lu Ge glanced at him. "You have quite a bold imagination. I am merely frightening them. Firstly, the common people are innocent; I am not so heartless as to let them be harmed. Secondly, if I truly did such a thing, within a few days, I and the entire Taoist school would be denounced by the world and hunted by everyone."