[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-commanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds":3,"chapter-commanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-commanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-chapter-62":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Commanding the Five Thunders Across Two Worlds",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2363190,4620,"Chapter 62: Chapter Sixty-Two: The Ghost Mansion","commanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-chapter-62",62,"\u003Cp>Generally, haunted houses have crooked trees, overgrown weeds, broken window paper everywhere, half-open doors, scattered furniture, accumulated dust, and cobwebs all around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if a commoner enters a haunted house, the ghost inside will use magic to transform the house into a beautiful, elegant residence, serve delicious food and drink, and lower the commoner’s guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all of this is merely an illusion; once the spell is broken, the true haunted house immediately reappears—perhaps even built beside a grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Gu Zhao immediately suspected this was the ghost’s illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no matter how he concentrated his eyes, scrutinized carefully, or extended his spiritual sense, he found not a trace of magical energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not an illusion?” Gu Zhao asked in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not an illusion!” Daoist Yan Song touched the corridor pillar beside him. “Unless the opponent’s magic power far exceeds ours, they can’t make us sense nothing unusual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it’s also possible he’s an expert in illusions,” Bai Ke jumped out of Xiuniang’s satchel and landed on her shoulder. “If we’ve encountered a powerful ghost skilled in illusions, trouble will be great.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike a weak opponent you might still fight, once trapped in an illusion with no escape, your life and death are no longer your own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiuniang turned back and saw the mansion’s gate still open; she felt uneasy. “Do we still go in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist Yan Song also looked at Gu Zhao, waiting for his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course we go in,” Gu Zhao nodded. “We’ve come this far!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caution is wise, but once a decision is made, you must press forward. If a deserted haunted house in a county town can make us hesitate and freeze, how will we ever stand our ground in this world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist Yan Song’s eyes flickered with approval, then he stepped forward first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three entered in single file and soon reached the main hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as before, the tables and chairs were neatly arranged, the paintings and calligraphy were dust-free, and even the incense burner on the side table burned a coiled incense stick, sending up wisps of smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist Yan Song sniffed. “There’s flower pollen in the incense—the owner is a refined person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiuniang glanced at the vase on the side shelf, painted with a hundred birds and flowers. “So beautiful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao looked up at the portrait hanging at the front of the hall: a middle-aged scholar in Confucian robes, wearing a square cap, holding a scroll, his face gentle and dignified, gazing straight ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao met the scholar’s eyes in the painting and felt as if the man was looking right back at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Gu Zhao studied the portrait, his eyes flickered. “Could this be a painting spirit or painting ghost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Painting spirits don’t cultivate their physical bodies—only their spiritual souls—and being skilled in illusions makes sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before Gu Zhao could test it, footsteps sounded from behind the hall, and a cold voice suddenly spoke: “Entering without invitation, intruding without notice—that is the act of a wicked guest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone turned sharply and saw a white figure slowly entering the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman wore a pale moon-white silver-threaded cloud-flower gauze dress, her black hair coiled up, adorned only by a simple carved ebony hairpin; no other ornaments, yet her skin gleamed like snow, her face radiant as moon and flower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her features were gentle, they carried a faint fragility, and her brows and eyes clearly held coldness. “You entered without a letter of introduction, without knocking—what is your purpose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman didn’t attack but accused them of trespassing; Gu Zhao was momentarily stunned and asked instinctively, “Is this your home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman frowned. “Of course this is my home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing her accusation, Gu Zhao felt awkward, for the Five Thunder Talisman in his mind remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only two possibilities existed: either her cultivation base far surpassed his, hiding her aura so the talisman couldn’t sense her, or she, like Bai Ke, had never harmed the innocent and her soul carried no malevolent energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gu Zhao quickly recovered, bowing respectfully. “Forgive our intrusion—we apologize.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three had already used magic; the woman surely knew their identities. Gu Zhao didn’t hide it. “We are all Daoist practitioners, inexperienced newcomers. Seeing strong yin energy here, we came to investigate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman nodded. “Now you’ve seen it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao praised, “Hmm, your home is truly beautiful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman, “….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could speak, Gu Zhao continued praising: “Madam, living alone in seclusion, your elegance is refined. It seems we’ve found the right person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman frowned. “What do you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao didn’t answer, but brought up another matter: “When we entered the city, we met a butcher who sold human flesh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman knew who he meant. Coldly, she said, “Chu Da. Every seven days he kills a living person, drains their blood to cultivate, then sells the flesh as mutton.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He tried to kill us, so he’s dead,” Gu Zhao said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman looked at the three and wasn’t surprised. Daoist Yan Song had revealed considerable magic power during his inspection; Bai Ke on Xiuniang’s shoulder was clearly a demon beast—but the three deferred to Gu Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she heard Gu Zhao ask further: “Madam, kind-hearted and harmless, you surely wouldn’t associate with evil beings. May I ask, do you know of any demons or monsters in the city who commit atrocities?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Xiuniang and Bai Ke didn’t understand how Gu Zhao knew the female ghost hadn’t harmed anyone, Xiuniang trusted him completely and said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist Yan Song’s thunder seed, born from the Five Thunder Talisman, could eliminate evil and accumulate merit—so it likely had similar sensing abilities. He merely stood aside, observing silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the woman was puzzled. She looked at Gu Zhao, a faint sneer on her lips. “How do you know I haven’t harmed anyone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How do I know? Of course because the Five Thunder Talisman didn’t react to you!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao thought this, but wouldn’t say it aloud: “We trespassed into your residence, behaved rudely, spoke disrespectfully—yet you show no anger on your face, no harsh words from your mouth. That shows propriety.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman’s faint mockery faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evil spirits who commit atrocities use illusions to harm people—they’d never bother cleaning their own surroundings,” Gu Zhao continued. “You’ve kept this house spotless, warm, and serene, with not a trace of blood or strangeness—you truly cherish this place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if recalling something, the woman’s eyes grew distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao pointed to the portrait in the main hall. “If I’m not mistaken, the gentleman in the painting is your relative. You keep the house clean and hang his portrait in the main hall—you still hold affection within your heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Madam, you uphold propriety, love cleanliness, and still carry human emotion,” Gu Zhao stepped forward, bowing with a smile. “Thus, I can judge your heart is kind and you’ve never harmed anyone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman stared at Gu Zhao, silent for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>",1158,"2026-06-21T06:19:08.116Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","02bfabc20717eb8462ba403f3819bdb993ceb8e91a604bddd5f6d3521c80e4fc","commanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-chapter-63","commanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-chapter-61",141,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcommanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-cover.jpg"]