Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds-Chapter 61: Teahouse

As it turned out, the amount of Evil Qi was not necessarily related to the level of one’s cultivation.

Of all the people Gu Zhao had killed so far, Ren Tianhe had the highest cultivation. Yet, the Evil Qi he provided was less than a third of that from the butcher, Zhu Da, whose own cultivation was less than a third of Ren Tianhe’s.

Gu Zhao didn’t go see the scene in the back room. Instead, he had Taoist Yan Song set a fire, burning all the evil in that place—along with Zhu Da’s mangled corpse—to ashes.

Zhu Da had intentionally avoided being seen when he brought the three of them in, so after setting the fire, they were able to slip away without any worry.

"I thought Zhu Da was a demon... I never expected he was a... a Mage."

"Practicing an Evil Technique, drinking blood, and eating people... He was already a Demon Fiend."

"Just how many people did he kill?"

"It’s hard to say, but from the looks of it, that butcher shop has been around for a long time."

"Oh my god!"

"Perhaps he used to be more restrained. But with the Court’s recent decline and Demon Fiends running rampant, the Golden Wind Sect stopped bothering with him, and he grew bolder."

"Where to next? The teahouse?"

"Alright!"

The three arrived at their second destination, a teahouse, which was bustling with people coming and going. Many patrons were inside, drinking tea and listening to a storyteller. It was a rare pocket of liveliness in Xiuyue County.

The trio entered the teahouse, ordered a pot of tea and two plates of pastries from a server, and found a seat in a secluded corner.

Inside, a storyteller on stage was performing with passionate fervor, and the audience below was completely engrossed, creating an incredibly enthusiastic atmosphere.

The Silk Embroideress looked around in disbelief. "How could there be a problem here?"

From inside the backpack on the Silk Embroideress’s back, Bai Ke carefully probed the area and whispered, "There is indeed a scent of blood, but it’s very faint. It might even dissipate completely in a few more days."

"It seems this one is more restrained than Zhu Da," Taoist Yan Song remarked. He picked up a pastry, sniffed it, and took a small bite. Then he lifted his teacup, smelled the tea, and took a sip. "The pastries and tea are fine." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Gu Zhao’s gaze swept across the room, finally settling on the stage. "If there’s nothing wrong with the teahouse itself, then the owner must be the problem."

"There are too many people here. We should come back tonight," Taoist Yan Song said in a low voice.

Gu Zhao nodded, picking up a pastry and handing it to the Silk Embroideress. "It’s about time for afternoon tea anyway. Let’s have a snack, and then we’ll find an inn to check into."

The Silk Embroideress happily accepted the pastry. She glanced around, and seeing that no one was watching, she quietly slipped it into her backpack.

"CRUNCH CRUNCH—"

Meanwhile, Gu Zhao and Taoist Yan Song drank their tea and listened to the storyteller on stage.

The storyteller was performing the *Golden Hairpin Record*, a tale about the daughter of a high official and a poor Scholar who elope and support each other. The story also featured a seductive Fox Demon. After a series of misunderstandings, it concluded with both women sharing one husband, supporting him until he passed the imperial exams and became an official.

"How cliché," Taoist Yan Song said, shaking his head.

"Utterly toxic," Gu Zhao critiqued.

But the audience around them was completely captivated.

"Bravo!"

"If only an official’s daughter would fall for me."

"Keep dreaming. Even if one did, it’d be a Fox Demon coming to suck your life essence dry."

"Doesn’t need to be a Fox Demon. The girls at Lingxiang Building have already sucked Old Zhao’s essence dry."

"Hahaha!"

"This storyteller is much better than the one we had a few days ago."

"That other fellow wasn’t bad, either. It’s just that after performing for several days straight, he seemed exhausted, and we got tired of his stories."

"I haven’t seen him around these past few days. Did he leave?"

"Probably. Storytellers are wanderers. They only have so many tales to tell. Once they’ve told them all and the audience gets bored, they have to move on to a new place, don’t they?"

...

After they finished their tea and pastries, the storyteller concluded his act and left the stage. Following a short break, two opera singers came on stage to perform a duet.

Gu Zhao and his companions didn’t stay to listen, however. They left the teahouse together.

"There’s still some time before dark." Taoist Yan Song glanced at the sky. "Shall we head to the next location?"

"Sure," Gu Zhao agreed with a nod.

They had come to Xiuyue County for the express purpose of Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits to gather Evil Qi. The sooner they finished their work, the sooner they could return to Cui Mountain Village and rest.

"The residence is just two streets over. Last time, I only passed by the mouth of the alley without going any deeper," Gu Zhao explained as they walked. "But the alley itself looked quite run-down, and there weren’t many people living there."

Taoist Yan Song chuckled. "Of course not. Not many people can live under the same roof as a Ghost."

The three soon arrived at the alley Gu Zhao had mentioned, and then...

Weeds sprouted from the cracks in the steps, and dry leaves littered the ground before the entrance. The bronze knockers on the tightly shut doors were rusted, and of the red lanterns that once hung on either side, only the bamboo frames and a few tattered shreds of paper remained.

"Uh... it’s an abandoned house?"

Following Gu Zhao’s senses to the gate, they realized that the residence before them had long since fallen into disrepair. Even the neighboring houses had their gates tightly shut, and few families seemed to live in the alley at all.

Gu Zhao rubbed his chin. "That explains it. If Yin Qi is seeping out even during the day, how could anyone possibly live inside?"

"Now *this* is a real Ghost House!" Taoist Yan Song marveled. "It’s got the right vibe. Filming a ghost-hunting episode here would be a guaranteed hit. Much more authentic than that stuff about ’sourcing goods from the back mountain’."

The Silk Embroideress and Bai Ke shot Taoist Yan Song a curious look. They often heard strange things from the old Daoist. They understood each word individually, but the combined meaning was often a mystery.

Gu Zhao played along. "In that case, you’d have to get the Ghost in this house to act as an NPC."

Taoist Yan Song gave a sly grin and asked Gu Zhao, "Shall we go in and take a look?"

Gu Zhao patted the cloth pouch at his waist. "Let’s go see. If the creature inside killed everyone who lived here, we can take the opportunity to uphold Righteousness and Heroism and dispense justice on heaven’s behalf. If it hasn’t done any evil, we’ll just ask for a cup of water and a place to rest for a moment."

The Five Thunders Order and the Thunder Seed required Evil Qi. Peaceful Demons and Ghosts that kept to themselves were not on the menu.

The Silk Embroideress clenched her fists and mustered her courage. "I’ll open the gate!"

No one in Gu Zhao’s group stopped her. The Silk Embroideress was currently equipped not only with the Celestial Fox Nail and the Cyan Feather Fan, but also eighteen Celestial Spirit Talismans that Gu Zhao had instructed her to keep on her person. Even Xu Kongting, transformed into a Corpse Ghost, would have had a difficult time trying to kill her.

"CREAAAK—"

The heavy gates were pushed open. The Silk Embroideress stepped cautiously over the threshold and moved past the spirit screen. But a single glance into the courtyard made her jump back in fright.

The others followed her in and were also taken aback.

In stark contrast to the overgrown weeds, dead leaves, cobwebs, dust, and rust outside, the area behind the spirit screen was spotlessly clean and tidy.

The flagstone path looked as if it had just been sprinkled with water. The surrounding lawns appeared to have been meticulously manicured. The walls of the front courtyard, the covered walkways, and the central hall had all been swept clean.

Looking ahead, the main doors of the central hall were wide open, revealing the furniture, paintings, scrolls, vases, and Incense Burner inside. Everything was immaculate, as if someone had been living there all along.