Chapter 170 Professor Zhang (2/2)
There was virtually no way that science could explain the events which Lin Feng had listed out, although we could. Take the discovery of the Nanfu battery at Dunhuang, for example. We knew that demigods or immortals with powers such as Master Six's could travel back in time with apparent ease. The Death Valley at Kunlun, come to think of it, was hardly different from the Labyrinthian Canyon that Zhu Mei had enchanted with his Windchaser magic. Then there were also the sightings of the mysterious island in 1933; that, for all we knew, could have been another demigod or immortal performing his or her magic by conjuring a piece of land in the middle of the sea and the event must have been witnessed by someone.
But the old man was overwhelmed into speechlessness by Lin Feng's retorts. Until he broke into laughter, a roaring, thunderous laughter! This time, it was our turn to be flabbergasted! The old man continued sniggering as he produced a box of teabags and made us tea. He chuckled again. ”Good, very good! I'm pleased that you are so interested in all these, young lad!” I nudged Lin Feng in the ribs and whispered, ”Hey, did you just drive him nuts by your machine-gun-like peppering?”
The old professor burst into another peal of laughter. ”No, no, no! I'm nowhere as nuts as any of you! I am really glad! The things that you just mentioned...” He looked at Lin Feng and continued, ”Indeed, we cannot explain most, if not all, of them. Some of them may just be myths or hoaxes, but I daresay that scientists today like me do indeed have no way to explain them!” He pointed a bony finger at Lin Feng. ”And it all falls to young people like you to unravel these secrets!” And he continued guffawing again!
But I was still confused. I interrupted immediately. ”Wait a minute. Professor, we're not here to talk about unraveling mysteries and secrets. We're here to discuss with you about what happened at Yellow Soil Ridge. Is there any way you can attribute this incident as ”unexplainable” or ”inexplicable?” I'll be direct—there's no way you'd find any scientific way to expound what happened then. This is why we are here. To implore upon your authority to keep things under wraps lest panic and fear will spread.”
The old man eyed me suspiciously. ”He must be wondering if we were behind what happened!” But I knew better than to keep the truth from him. ”I'll be frank. You might not believe in the paranormal. But what happened was just exactly that!”
The old man slammed a fist into his table. ”NONSENSE! How can young people like you believe in such rubbish!” My head shook as I sighed, exasperated. It was as I feared; the old man was a stubborn intransigent unless we pummel some sense into him. I took out a pair of glasses; the ones Father gave me last year. It functioned like a set of lenses that allowed mortals to see spiritual beings like ghosts and wraiths. The old man saw me producing the glasses and barked, ”What's this! Save it! There's no way I'll believe in all that nonsense!” I ignored him, smiling weakly as I used a talisman to activate a pseudo-Divine Sight while handing the set of glasses to the old professor.
That was because Professor Zhang was of an advanced age that did not permit the consumption or use of any talismanic charms. Hence, the glasses were the only viable alternative for him to glimpse the supernatural. I walked to the window and opened it, looking out to find a few wandering spirits drifting aimlessly about. Satisfied that they looked harmless enough, I was hardly perturbed to find them, but an impatient Professor Zhang grumbled, ”What are you up to, boy!?”
Just then, one of the ghosts drifted by under the window. Realizing my chance, I shouted at him, ”Hey! You there! Yeah, you! Come here!”
Two minutes later, the old professor was sitting in his room, his mouth hanging wide, stunned beyond words. Somehow, we were beginning to worry; it was a relief for us that the appearance of a ghost did not scare the living daylights out of him, but he might be caught up in despair as the very foundations of his belief system could crumble!
The old man stared wordlessly at the ghost for so long that we could have thought that he had truly gone mad. But the ghost turned to me suddenly and asked, ”So, what is the reason for summoning me here, dear sir?”