Golden Wind Hall

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

"Creak—"

The latch on the little courtyard gate jumped, and then the doors were pushed open. A burly man in black robes embroidered with golden patterns strode inside. Seeing Painter Lu about to put brush to paper, he grinned. "The moment I heard those two loafers muttering, I knew Lu Sheng was going to paint again."

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

Hong Xin strode over, but stopped at the entrance to the side room. "Why can't I be here?"

Painter Lu frowned slightly, affecting an indifferent tone. "Of course you can. It's just quite a coincidence that you came now."

After saying that, he pointed at Hong Xin and told Gu Zhao, "This is my friend Hong Xin. He has a forthright nature and loves making friends."

Then he gestured toward Gu Zhao and introduced him. "Brother Zhang has only just arrived. He accidentally wandered into that alley, and I happened to be passing by. My hands itched, so I lent him a hand and invited him to my home as a guest. I was just about to paint another portrait for Brother Zhang."

Hong Xin chuckled. "Of course I know. Whenever you encounter a handsome young man, your hands start itching to paint."

Anger flashed through Painter Lu's eyes. He glanced sidelong at Gu Zhao, only to see him nod in understanding, looking as though a light had suddenly dawned on him. "No wonder the young man in Brother Lu's painting was so strikingly handsome, like an immortal riding the wind."

At that, Gu Zhao stroked his chin, looking rather pleased with himself. "Doesn't that mean I'm handsome too?"

"Brother Zhang is dignified in bearing and elegant in temperament. One look tells anyone that you are an extraordinary Young Master of both character and appearance!" Hong Xin praised loudly. Then he turned to Painter Lu and stressed again, "You don't even have good tea at home. Why not come sit at my place?"

Painter Lu's brows furrowed slightly, both dissatisfied and puzzled. "You have good tea at your home?"

Hong Xin smiled faintly. "I do."

Painter Lu's pupils contracted, and he said reflexively, "Could it be..."

A fierce gleam flashed in Hong Xin's eyes. Painter Lu could not help licking his lips. "In that case, Lu shall—cough, cough."

Painter Lu coughed twice, his eyes shifting, then clutched his chest and coughed several more times.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

When he raised his head again, Painter Lu's face had grown even paler. He said to Gu Zhao, "Please forgive me, Brother Zhang. Perhaps I caught a chill last night and came down with a cold."

"Then Lu will be unable to paint for Brother Zhang." Painter Lu frowned. "Brother Zhang might as well go with Brother Hong to rest at his place first. Wherever you wish to go afterward, have him show you the way."

"Once Brother Zhang has finished his business, please come by again. Since Lu promised to paint for Brother Zhang, I will certainly keep my word." Painter Lu spoke solemnly.

Hong Xin nodded in satisfaction before asking Gu Zhao, "Brother Zhang has only just arrived in Xiu Yue County. Have you come to visit friends, or to travel and study?"

"I came to gather inspiration." Gu Zhao said with a straight face, "I am compiling a collection of poetry, but my thoughts have run dry. So I travel the four corners of the world in search of inspiration."

"So Brother Zhang is a poet as well. Admirable, admirable!" Hong Xin quickly cupped his hands and asked ingratiatingly, "May I ask to hear one of Brother Zhang's masterpieces?"

"Easy, easy! Green mountains tower high, piercing the sky; white clouds drift lazily round the mountaintop. Climb halfway up and pause to catch your breath; look up, and it's still ahead!" Gu Zhao swayed his head as he recited. Once finished, he clapped his hands and laughed, quite proud of himself.

Hong Xin, "..."

Painter Lu, "..."

"Fine poem! Fine poem!" Hong Xin gave him a thumbs-up, then said to Gu Zhao, "Lu Sheng is ill. Brother Zhang might as well come rest at my place, have some hot tea. If you wish to gather inspiration, I can accompany Brother Zhang around the area as well."

Gu Zhao looked at Hong Xin, touched the bulging cloth bag at his waist, and nodded with a smile. "All right!"

Under Painter Lu's reluctant gaze, Gu Zhao and Hong Xin left the little courtyard together and headed north through the city.

To Gu Zhao's surprise, they did not head farther and farther into some remote place. Instead, they walked along a rather broad street, where the pedestrians not only did not thin out, but seemed to be growing ever more numerous.

Quite a few people who knew Hong Xin even greeted him.

"General Hong!"

"Director Hong!"

Hong Xin returned their greetings with cupped hands and laughed heartily. "Hello! How are you feeling today?"

"Great!"

"Full of energy!"

Everyone laughed at that, then went their separate ways.

Gu Zhao watched them leave. Their faces were rosy, their spirits high, every one of them glowing with health. He could not help wondering whether he had guessed wrong.

Then they arrived at their destination.

The great gate faced east, with bluestone walls and red pillars. On either side stood not stone lions, but statues of two stone generals holding sword and spear. Amid the incense smoke drifting from within, they seemed almost alive.

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

Gu Zhao: (°ー°〃)

Compared to those residences permeated by dense, chilling yin aura, Golden Wind Hall did not contain the slightest ghostly aura. Instead, incense flourished there, making it seem like a Buddhist temple or Daoist shrine from the modern world.

But Gu Zhao knew that Golden Wind Divine Cult was filled with ghosts!

At that thought, Gu Zhao could not help looking at Hong Xin beside him. So this fellow was a ghost too?

This time, Gu Zhao had entered the city rather cautiously and had not actively spread out his divine sense to probe. Thus, unless the other party deliberately or inadvertently released their aura, it would be difficult for Gu Zhao to clearly discern their identity.

But though he could not sense them himself, the Five Thunder Token was a treasure. It had reacted to both Painter Lu and Hong Xin, so naturally Gu Zhao had raised his guard.

Seeing Gu Zhao look at him, Hong Xin smiled and extended a hand in invitation. "Young Master, please!"

Gu Zhao smacked his lips. He had only come into the city this time to secretly investigate the true strength of the Golden Wind Divine Cult. He had never planned to walk straight into their nest!

Well, perhaps it did not count as their nest. This was only Xiu Yue County, after all, not Changping Prefecture. Since he was here to investigate, coming in daylight was better than coming at night. Besides...

At worst, I'll plow the ground with artillery fire! Gu Zhao felt a little excited as he followed Hong Xin inside.

Golden Wind Hall covered a considerable area. There were many cult members and commoners within. Some people offered incense in the main hall, cult members prayed for blessings for commoners in the side halls, and some commoners were invited into the rear courtyard.

As Gu Zhao passed the main hall, he saw a human-height statue installed upon the altar. It was identical to the wooden carving he had seized from the female ghost in green robes that day.

His gaze moved downward, and Gu Zhao's brows rose. Beneath that statue stood another wooden carving.

All right, this time they were exactly identical...

From this close, Gu Zhao could sense faint threads of spiritual thought power emanating from the commoners as they offered incense and worshipped, then being absorbed by the statue and wooden carving on the altar.

That spiritual thought power came from ordinary people and thus carried the worldly warmth of the living realm. If ghosts could absorb and refine it, they could stabilize their ghost souls and bodies, move about beneath the bright blue sky in broad daylight, and even resist certain powers specially designed to restrain yin and evil.

So those Guardian Ghost Gods could endure several more bolts of my lightning. Gu Zhao thought. No wonder they're called gods.

Perhaps the spiritual thought power provided by a single commoner was exceedingly weak, but grains of sand made a tower. As time passed, the spiritual thought power stored within that wooden carving would certainly not be little.

Gu Zhao's eyes flickered, and his wariness toward the Golden Wind Divine King deepened by several degrees. Then he followed Hong Xin around the main hall and into a quiet room in the rear courtyard.