Controlling the Five Thunders and the Two Worlds

Chapter 40: Golden Wind Hall

Gu Zhao stopped, and Painter Lu turned back curiously, "Hong Xin?"

"Squeak-"

The door latch of the courtyard jumped, and then the gate was pushed open. A burly man in black clothes with gold patterns walked in. Seeing Painter Lu about to start painting, he couldn't help but grin. "When I heard those two idlers mumbling, I knew you were going to paint again, Mr. Lu."

Painter Lu narrowed his eyes and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

Hong Xin strode over, but stopped at the door of the side room. "Why can't I come?"

Painter Lu frowned slightly, pretending to be nonchalant, "Of course you can come, it's just a coincidence."

After saying this, he pointed at Hong Xin and said to Gu Zhao, "This is my friend Hong Xin. He has a generous personality and loves making friends."

Then he waved his hand towards Gu Zhao and introduced him, "Brother Zhang is new here and accidentally wandered into the alley. I happened to be passing by and was eager to lend a hand. I invited him to my home as a guest so that I could paint a picture for him."

Hong Xin chuckled and said, "Of course I know. When you meet a handsome boy, you can't help but want to paint."

Painter Lu's eyes flashed with anger. He glanced at Gu Zhao and saw Gu Zhao nodding in understanding. He looked as if he had suddenly realized something. "No wonder the young man in Brother Lu's painting is so handsome and ethereal."

At this point, Gu Zhao touched his chin, looking a little proud. "So, doesn't that mean I'm handsome too?"

"Brother Zhang is handsome and elegant, and you can tell at first glance that he's a fine young man of extraordinary character and appearance!" Hong Xin exclaimed in praise. He then turned to Painter Lu and emphasized again, "You don't have any good tea at home, so why don't you come sit over at my place?"

Painter Lu frowned slightly, looking somewhat dissatisfied and puzzled. "You have good tea at home?"

Hong Xin smiled slightly, "Yes."

Painter Lu's pupils shrank, and he subconsciously said, "Could it be..."

A fierce look flashed in Hong Xin's eyes, and Painter Lu couldn't help but lick his lips, "In that case, Mr. Lu can cough."

Painter Lu coughed twice, his eyes turned, and then he covered his chest and coughed several more times.

"Cough cough cough..."

Looking up, Painter Lu's face turned even paler. He said to Gu Zhao, "Please forgive me, Brother Zhang. I may have caught a cold last night."

"In this case, I, Lu, will not be able to paint for Brother Zhang." Painter Lu frowned and said, "Brother Zhang, why don't you go with Brother Hong to his place to rest for a while? Then, wherever you want to go, you can let him lead the way."

"When Brother Zhang's business is done, please come again. Since I have promised to paint for Brother Zhang, I must do it." Painter Lu said seriously.

Hong Xin nodded in satisfaction, then asked Gu Zhaodao, "Brother Zhang, you are here to visit friends or study in Xiuyue County for the first time?"

"I'm here to collect folk songs." Gu Zhao said seriously, "I'm writing a collection of poems, and my thoughts are running out, so I'm traveling around looking for inspiration."

"So Brother Zhang is also a poet. I admire you!" Hong Xin hurriedly bowed and asked, "May I ask what Brother Zhang's masterpiece is?"

"Okay, okay! The tall green mountains reach the sky, and the white clouds float around the mountaintops. Climb halfway up the mountain to take a breath, and look up to see that you are still in front of me!" Gu Zhao shook his head and recited a poem. After finishing the poem, he clapped his hands and smiled, looking quite proud.

Hong Xin, “…”

Painter Lu, “…”

"Good poem! Good poem!" Hong Xin gave a thumbs up, then said to Gu Zhao, "Mr. Lu is ill, so why don't you go to my place to rest and drink some hot tea? If you want to collect folk songs, I can also accompany you for a walk."

Gu Zhao looked at Hong Xin, touched the bulging cloth bag around his waist, nodded and smiled, "Okay!"

……

Under Painter Lu's reluctant gaze, Gu Zhao and Hong Xin left the courtyard together and headed north of the city. Contrary to Gu Zhao's expectations, they didn't stray further and further away, but instead walked on a fairly wide street. The number of pedestrians around them not only didn't decrease, but actually increased.

There were even many people who knew Hong Xin and greeted him.

"General Hong!"

"Master Hong!"

Hong Xin bowed in return and laughed heartily, "Hello, how are you feeling today?"

"Comfortable!"

"Be full of energy!"

Everyone laughed when they heard this, and then dispersed.

Gu Zhao watched them leave. He only felt that their faces were flushed, they were full of energy and looked radiant. He couldn't help but wonder if he had guessed wrong.

Then they arrived at their destination.

The main gate faces east, with red pillars made of bluestone. On the left and right are not stone lions, but two stone sculptures of generals holding swords and spears. With the smoke of incense wafting out of the gate, they look like living creatures.

When Gu Zhao looked up, he saw three big words written in gold paint on the plaque at the gate: Jinfengtang!

Gu Zhao: (°ー°〃)
Compared to those houses that exude a gloomy and sinister aura, Jinfeng Hall is completely free of ghostly aura. Instead, it is bustling with incense, just like a Buddhist or Taoist temple in the modern world.

But Gu Zhao knew that the Golden Wind Sect was full of ghosts!

Thinking of this, Gu Zhao couldn't help but look at Hong Xin beside him, so this guy is also a ghost?

This time when entering the city, Gu Zhao was relatively cautious and did not actively release his spiritual sense to sense. Therefore, unless the other party released his aura either unintentionally or actively, it would be difficult for Gu Zhao to clearly sense the other party's identity.

But he couldn't sense it, but the Five Thunder Order was a treasure. Both Painter Lu and Hong Xin could sense it, so he would naturally be alert.

Seeing Gu Zhao looking at him, Hong Xin smiled and extended his hand, "Please come in, sir!"

Gu Zhao smacked his lips. He came into the city this time just to secretly investigate the strength of the Golden Wind Cult. He never thought of going directly into their lair!
Well, it doesn't seem to be the old nest. After all, this is only Xiuyue County, not Changping Prefecture. Since we are here to investigate, it is better to come during the day rather than at night, not to mention...

"At worst, we can use artillery fire to plow the land!" Gu Zhao was still a little excited, and then followed Hong Xin in.

Jinfeng Hall covers a large area, and there are many believers and common people inside. Some people are burning incense in the main hall, some believers are praying for the people in the side hall, and some common people are invited into the backyard.

When Gu Zhao passed by the main hall, he saw a statue as tall as a man placed on the altar. It was the same wooden statue that he had seized from the green-clothed female ghost that day.

Looking down, Gu Zhao raised his eyebrows, because right below the statue was a wooden sculpture.

Well, this time it's exactly the same...

As he got closer, Gu Zhao could feel that as the people in the hall burned incense and worshipped, a faint trace of spiritual power emanated, and then was absorbed by the wooden statue on the altar.

These spiritual powers come from the people, so they carry the worldly air. If ghosts can absorb and refine them, they will be able to stabilize their spirits and bodies, act in broad daylight, and even resist some forces that specifically restrain evil spirits.

“So those guardian ghosts and gods can withstand a few more of my thunderbolts.” Gu Zhao thought, “No wonder they are called gods.”

Perhaps the mental power that an ordinary person can provide is extremely weak, but little by little, as time goes by, the mental power stored in this wood carving will definitely not be less.

Gu Zhao's eyes flickered, and he felt a little more wary of the Golden Wind God King. Then he followed Hong Xin around the main hall and came to the quiet room in the backyard.

(End of this chapter)