[{"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-72":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},2363200,4620,"Chapter 72","commanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-chapter-72",72,"\u003Cp>Gu Zhao exclaimed, “How did you make it so beautiful?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage was entirely crafted from red sandalwood; though square in shape, its edges curved gracefully, elegant and refined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shaft extended forward, and each wheel had a diameter of one and a half meters, copper nails glinting with light; the carriage body was long and spacious, with a door at the front and carved windows on the sides and rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why else would it take several days?” Gu Qi muttered to himself, “You’re filming a fantasy short, need interior shots too—you’ve got to make it look good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao nodded; he’d merely made up an excuse, saying a classmate entering the short-film industry wanted a replica ancient carriage—simple exterior, but comfortable and durable inside, suitable for long journeys, needing interior shots—and asked him for help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Gu Qi had eagerly taken it all on, promising the client would be satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao hadn’t expected his own father to care so much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The wheels look like wood, but inside they have steel rings for support, and an outer solid rubber tire ensures durability.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qi explained, “And these two wheels don’t share a single axle, so the carriage can turn on the spot; it also has shock-absorbing springs, so even on rocky roads, the vibration is minimal—perfect for stable interior filming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the space you requested,” Gu Qi opened the door and lifted the curtain, “the interior is very spacious, taller than ordinary carriages; two hanging cabinets on either side provide storage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Behind this door is a hidden compartment—like in those ancient detective films where bodies are hidden in carriages; you can see how large it really is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao followed Gu Qi’s gesture and saw the carriage floor covered in thick padding; rolling back the padding revealed access to the hidden compartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the hanging cabinets on both sides were windows; against the rear wall stood a foldable low table, and slightly behind it, a less noticeable cabinet held frequently used items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The foldable table can be opened—it easily seats four people on either side, perfect for tea, snacks, even meals,” Gu Qi demonstrated, then asked Gu Zhao, “What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao gave a thumbs-up. “Strong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because it was his first time building a carriage, Gu Qi couldn’t resist adding low-relief carvings on both outer sides—one side featured plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum; the other, flowers, birds, fish, and insects; though simply outlined, they were vividly lifelike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao nodded; fortunately, his father knew restraint—though this carriage was more beautiful than the ordinary ones in Xiuyue County, it didn’t strike the eye at first glance; only close inspection revealed its extraordinary quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, all was ready!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clip-clop, clip-clop…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of hooves rang lightly as a carriage one size larger than ordinary ones traveled along the official road toward Wuhe County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage was large; the horse pulling it looked merely a draft animal, yet it moved without strain—the old man seated outside merely shouted twice and cracked his whip in the air, and the horse broke into a trot, pulling the carriage steadily forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t know Uncle Yan could drive,” Gu Zhao lifted the curtain and handed Daoist Yan Song a cup of water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist Yan Song rolled his eyes. “I just said those two words!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, when Gu Zhao brought back the carriage and fitted it with the horses bought in Xiuyue County, he’d wondered who to hire to drive it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, Daoist Yan Song had volunteered enthusiastically: “I’ll do it! I still remember hauling goods with carriages decades ago—I haven’t touched one since. Let me see if I’ve lost the touch!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the driver’s seat naturally went to Daoist Yan Song.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those who can should bear more,” Gu Zhao grinned. “After all, our group faces some danger—bringing a commoner along would be inconvenient.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist Yan Song took the cup, drank, then noticed they were catching up to the group ahead, so he handed the cup back to Gu Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Zhao returned to the carriage; Xiuniang took the cup and placed it on a shelf, then handed him a small handful of freshly shelled melon seeds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks!” Gu Zhao placed the seeds in his palm and ate them one by one. “You should eat too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We already did,” Xiuniang pointed to the trash bin filled with seed shells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the carriage, the curtains were drawn back, warm sunlight pouring in, bringing deep comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The foldable table was open, holding tea and snacks; Xiuniang and Zhuo Qingyan sat on one side, Gu Zhao on the other, and Bai Ke curled in the corner, lazily yawning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master, this carriage is so convenient—I feel we could even sleep here at night,” Xiuniang looked around, delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We could sleep here—there are blankets and bedding underneath,” Gu Zhao pointed down, teasing her, “How about we sleep at an inn tonight, and you guard the carriage?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiuniang raised her eyebrows and nodded. “Fine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Qingyan, who had been sitting quietly and coldly, couldn’t help herself at this remark; she tapped Xiuniang’s forehead. “Young Master Gu is just teasing you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know,” Xiuniang nodded. “But our carriage is so good, filled with so many things—if we leave it, what if someone steals it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiuniang said seriously, “Better I stay here—the blankets are so soft, and there’s bedding inside. It might even be more comfortable than an inn bed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhuo Qingyan’s eyes softened slightly as she glanced at Gu Zhao, who had leaned back against a cushion, sprawled on the blanket, and finished off the seeds in his hand. “Don’t worry—I’ll stick a talisman inside. No one will touch our carriage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, Daoist Yan Song asked curiously, “What kind of talisman can protect against ordinary people and prevent theft?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Peace Talisman,” Gu Zhao said solemnly. “We can pray to the gods, asking them to keep our carriage safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist Yan Song was speechless; Xiuniang and Zhuo Qingyan both laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Daoist Yan Song had driven the carriage alongside the group ahead—a quartet dressed in uniform, carrying swords and spears, clearly guards, escorting another carriage and thus moving slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women’s laughter escaped the carriage, drawing the attention of the already wary group; they turned and caught a fleeting glimpse of the women’s faces through the windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two carriages passed each other, a young but slightly frivolous voice called out, “Wait a moment!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, two guards obeying the order stepped forward to block the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daoist Yan Song pulled the reins, squinting at the men before him—and at the young man who had stepped out from the opposite carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the young man’s intense gaze, Xiuniang frowned slightly and promptly pulled the curtain shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his voice still came through: “Don’t be alarmed—I mean no harm. Where are you headed? Jiangzhou has been unsafe lately; bandits roam the roads. Traveling alone like this is very dangerous!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1156,"2026-06-21T06:19:08.116Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","971f6d6117789655524af8104a8b7f0d69e1cd30f70f29d23f4b1e185d6812f6","commanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-chapter-73","commanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-chapter-71",141,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcommanding-the-five-thunders-across-two-worlds-cover.jpg"]