Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds-Chapter 40: Golden Wind Hall

Gu Zhao paused. Master Lu turned back, curious. "Hong Xin?"

CREAK—

The gate’s latch clicked, and the door was pushed open. A burly, well-built man in a black, gold-patterned robe strode in. When he saw Master Lu about to put brush to paper, he couldn’t help but grin. "The moment I heard those two loafers muttering, I knew you were about to start another painting, Lu Sheng."

Master Lu narrowed his eyes, asking in surprise, "What brings you here?"

Hong Xin strode over but stopped at the doorway to the side room. "And why shouldn’t I come?"

Master Lu’s brow furrowed slightly as he affected a casual tone. "Of course you can. It’s just... quite the coincidence."

With that, he gestured to Hong Xin and said to Gu Zhao, "This is my friend, Hong Xin. He’s a straightforward man who loves making friends."

Then he gestured toward Gu Zhao. "Brother Zhang is new in town and wandered into this alley by mistake. I was just passing by, and feeling the itch to paint, I offered him a hand. I invited him to my home as a guest, and thought it would be a perfect chance to do a painting for him."

Hong Xin chuckled. "Of course, I know. Whenever you meet a handsome young man, you can’t resist the urge to paint."

A flash of anger crossed Master Lu’s eyes. He glanced sidelong at Gu Zhao, only to see him nodding in understanding, a look of sudden realization on his face. "No wonder the young man in Brother Lu’s painting was so strikingly handsome, like an immortal about to ascend."

At this, Gu Zhao stroked his chin, looking rather pleased with himself. "So, you’re saying I’m quite handsome, then?"

"Brother Zhang, you have a dignified bearing and a refined air. One look is all it takes to see you are a young master of exceptional character!" Hong Xin exclaimed. He then turned back to Master Lu and stressed, "You don’t have any good tea here. Why not come over to my place for a while?"

Master Lu frowned, a mix of annoyance and doubt in his voice. "You have good tea at your place?"

Hong Xin smiled faintly. "I do."

Master Lu’s pupils contracted. Subconsciously, he breathed, "Don’t tell me..."

A harsh glint flashed in Hong Xin’s eyes. Master Lu couldn’t help but lick his lips. "Well, in that case, I... COUGH, COUGH."

Master Lu gave two dry coughs, his eyes darting about. Then he clutched his chest and let out another series of coughs.

COUGH, COUGH, COUGH...

When he looked up, Master Lu’s face was even paler than before. He said to Gu Zhao, "My apologies, Brother Zhang. I think I caught a chill last night and have come down with a cold."

"In that case, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do your painting today," Master Lu said, frowning. "Brother Zhang, why don’t you go with Brother Hong to his place and rest for a bit? Afterward, wherever you’d like to go, he can be your guide."

"Once you’ve finished your business, please come back again. Since I promised to paint for you, I will certainly see it through," Master Lu said with a serious expression.

Hong Xin nodded in satisfaction before turning to ask Gu Zhao, "Brother Zhang, since you’re new to Xiuyue County, are you here to visit friends, or on a study tour?"

"I’m here to gather inspiration," Gu Zhao said with a perfectly straight face. "I am in the middle of writing a collection of poetry, but my well of ideas has run dry. So, I’m traveling the land in search of inspiration."

"So, Brother Zhang is a poet! My admiration!" Hong Xin quickly clasped his hands, playing along. "Might I be so bold as to hear one of your masterpieces?" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Gladly, gladly! The green mountain’s so high it pierces the sky, / The White Clouds drift slowly around the peak. / I climb halfway and stop for a breath, / Then look up to see it’s still out of reach!" Gu Zhao recited, bobbing his head. After finishing, he clapped his hands and smiled, looking quite proud.

Hong Xin, "..."

Master Lu, "..."

"Great poem! A truly great poem!" Hong Xin gave a thumbs-up. He then said to Gu Zhao, "Lu Sheng is ill. Brother Zhang, why don’t you come to my place to rest and have some hot tea? If you want to gather inspiration, I can accompany you on a walk."

Gu Zhao looked at Hong Xin, then patted the bulging cloth pouch at his waist. He nodded and smiled. "Alright!"

...

Under Master Lu’s reluctant gaze, Gu Zhao and Hong Xin left the small courtyard and headed for the northern part of the city.

To Gu Zhao’s surprise, they didn’t head into a more remote area. On the contrary, they found themselves on a rather wide street. The number of pedestrians around them wasn’t decreasing; in fact, the crowd seemed to be growing.

Many people even recognized Hong Xin and greeted him.

"General Hong!"

"Steward Hong!"

Hong Xin clasped his hands in return and laughed heartily. "Hello, everyone. How are you all feeling today?"

"Great!"

"Full of energy!"

Hearing this, the crowd laughed before going their separate ways.

Gu Zhao watched them leave. They all had ruddy complexions and were full of vigor, looking completely revitalized. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’Have I guessed wrong?’

Then, they arrived at their destination.

The main gate faced east, with red pillars set on a foundation of green stone. Instead of stone lions, two stone statues of generals, one holding a sword and the other a spear, stood guard on either side. As the smoke from the Incense within wafted out, it swirled around them, making them seem almost alive.

Gu Zhao looked up and saw three large words written in gold paint on the plaque above the gate: Golden Wind Hall!

Gu Zhao: (°ー°〃)

Unlike those mansions that reeked of gloomy Yin Qi, Golden Wind Hall had not a trace of Ghost Qi. Instead, Incense was burning brightly, making it feel like a Buddhist or Taoist Temple from the modern world.

But Gu Zhao knew that this Golden Wind Divine Sect was filled with Ghosts!

At this thought, Gu Zhao couldn’t help but glance at Hong Xin beside him. ’So, is this guy a Ghost too?’

He had been relatively cautious since entering the city, and hadn’t actively released his Divine Sense to probe his surroundings. Therefore, unless someone unintentionally or deliberately let their aura leak, it was difficult for Gu Zhao to clearly sense their true identity.

But even if he couldn’t sense it himself, his Five Thunders Order was a treasure. It had reacted to both Master Lu and Hong Xin, which naturally put him on high alert.

Seeing Gu Zhao look his way, Hong Xin smiled and gestured for him to enter. "After you, Young Master!"

Gu Zhao clicked his tongue. ’I only came into the city to secretly investigate the Golden Wind Divine Sect’s true nature. I never planned on walking straight into their den!’

’Well, maybe it’s not their main den. This is just Xiuyue County, not Changping Prefecture, after all. Since I’m here to investigate, coming during the day is surely better than at night. Besides...’

’Worst case, I’ll just level the place with cannon fire!’ A thrill of excitement ran through Gu Zhao, and he followed Hong Xin inside.

The Golden Wind Hall was quite large, and inside were many sect members and common folk. Some people were offering Incense in the main hall, while in the side halls, sect members were praying for the populace. Other commoners were being led into the rear courtyard.

As Gu Zhao passed the main hall, he saw a life-sized Divine Statue placed upon the Divine Altar. It looked identical to the Wood Carving he had confiscated from the green-robed Female Ghost.

His gaze shifted downward, and Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. Right below the Divine Statue sat a Wood Carving.

’Alright, now this one is a perfect match...’

As he got closer, Gu Zhao could sense faint wisps of Spiritual Telekinesis emanating from the commoners as they offered Incense and prayed. This energy was then absorbed by the Divine Statue and the Wood Carving on the Divine Altar.

This Spiritual Telekinesis came from the common folk, so it carried the worldly aura of the Mortal Realm. If a Ghost could absorb and refine it, it would be able to stabilize its Divine Soul Ghost Body, move about in broad daylight, and even resist certain powers that specifically counter malevolent forces.

’So that’s why those Dharma Guardian Ghost Gods were able to withstand a few more of my Thunderbolts,’ Gu Zhao thought. ’No wonder they’re called ’gods’.’

Perhaps the Spiritual Telekinesis provided by a single person was minuscule, but small amounts add up. Over time, the amount of Spiritual Telekinesis stored within this Wood Carving would be anything but small.

Gu Zhao’s eyes flickered, his wariness of the Golden Wind Divine King growing. He then followed Hong Xin around the main hall and into a quiet room in the rear courtyard.