PCJ – Chapter 485 You’re Going to Get Sick

“The temperature over there is lower than outside, so the growing season for the trees there is delayed,” Zhang Jiaohua explained.

Zeng Lei glanced inside and then at the outside environment, still finding it hard to believe. “How is that possible? It’s not an enclosed space—how could the temperature inside be lower than outside?”

“If you don’t believe me, you can use a thermometer to check. The temperature in there is at least several degrees lower,” Zhang Jiaohua insisted.

“Where am I supposed to find a thermometer now?” Zeng Lei shook his head.

“I have one at home. I’ll go get it,” offered a middle-aged onlooker, who quickly dashed off. Before long, he returned, slightly out of breath, holding a thermometer. He handed it to Zhang Jiaohua. “First, measure the temperature here; wait ten minutes, and it should be stable.”

Zhang Jiaohua handed the thermometer to Zeng Lei. “You do it yourself; otherwise, you might not believe the results later.”

Zeng Lei placed the thermometer in an open area. Once the reading stabilized, he noted that the temperature was about 23 degrees Celsius. The weather was pleasant—sunny with a gentle breeze.

“Now take it over there and place it on the open ground in front of that house. It’s under the same sunlight. I can guarantee the temperature there won’t exceed 20 degrees Celsius,” Zhang Jiaohua remarked, glancing at the thermometer in Zeng Lei’s hand.

After hesitating briefly, Zeng Lei walked inside, positioned the thermometer, and then came back out.

“If the temperature over there is lower than outside, what does it prove? That area is eerie, so it’s not surprising that it’s cooler,” Zeng Lei said. When he had entered, he had indeed felt that the place was much chillier than outside. Even in broad daylight, he had a spine-chilling sensation.

“That’s not right. You were inside—you should have noticed that the environment is not so different from outside. The temperature difference shouldn’t be this drastic in shaded areas. Moreover, the sunlight over there is adequate. The lower temperature isn’t because the place is shady but because of that house. That haunted house has issues. I’m certain those missing people disappeared in that house,” Zhang Jiaohua said, pointing at the haunted house.

“Dr. Zhang, don’t make baseless accusations,” Zeng Lei quickly responded.

“Officer, the time is almost up. Go check the thermometer,” reminded the middle-aged man who had brought it.

Zeng Lei had no choice but to walk over. When he picked up the thermometer and glanced at it, his expression turned incredulous. No wonder the place felt chilly—the temperature was around 17 degrees Celsius, nearly 6 degrees lower than outside. He also accidentally noticed another figure—the humidity. The humidity inside was nearly double that of outside. It was 20% outside but about 50% inside.

Zeng Lei didn’t want to stay in there any longer. He felt as though the coldness was seeping into his body. Hastily, he ran out.

Zhang Jiaohua seemed to know what was happening. “Feel it now? If you don’t do something about it, you might catch a cold and be sick for days.”

“Huh?” Zeng Lei was skeptical, but as he was about to retort, a sneeze interrupted him. “Achoo!”

Zhang Jiaohua, anticipating this, stepped aside in advance.

“What’s the temperature?” asked the onlooker who had brought the thermometer.

“See for yourself,” Zeng Lei replied grumpily while rubbing his nose.

“17 degrees? A six-degree difference!” exclaimed the onlooker, seemingly unaware of the humidity difference.

Pulling Zhang Jiaohua aside, Zeng Lei asked, “Can you tell me what’s really going on? Where did those missing people go?”

“I haven’t been inside, so how would I know?” Zhang Jiaohua peered at the house, signaling that unless he was allowed inside, he wouldn’t reveal the truth.

Zeng Lei firmly shook his head. “Don’t even think about it. I’m just a low-ranking cop. Whether or not the case is solved, it doesn’t affect me much. But if you so much as get a scratch, Hao Yue will kill me. She cares about you more than her own brother. I’m getting jealous!”

“Spineless,” Zhang Jiaohua rolled his eyes and turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” Zeng Lei was surprised. He thought Zhang Jiaohua would insist on staying.

“Home, of course. You won’t let me in, so why should I hang around?” Zhang Jiaohua replied without looking back.

“Hey, didn’t you say I’d catch a bad cold? Aren’t you a doctor? Achoo! Can’t you treat me?” Zeng Lei chased after him, dreading the onset of the illness.

“Figure it out yourself. If you stand in a horse stance for an hour, you might be able to expel the cold energy invading your body,” Zhang Jiaohua teased with a smile.

“A horse stance?” Zeng Lei’s face fell. Standing in a horse stance wasn’t the issue—it was doing so in public that embarrassed him.

“Up to you. A cold is just a few days of rest. Maybe Hao Yue will even take care of you,” Zhang Jiaohua laughed and walked away.

“Make way, make way!” As Zhang Jiaohua was leaving, a black sedan pulled up, and several people stepped out. Policemen quickly cleared a path through the crowd. Zhang Jiaohua stepped aside as well.

To his surprise, he recognized someone among the newcomers—Zhang Yichen. He hadn’t expected to meet him here.

As Zhang Jiaohua observed, Zhang Yichen felt his gaze and looked back. “Xiao Zhang! You’re here too,” Zhang Yichen greeted warmly, patting Zhang Jiaohua on the shoulder.

“I came with a friend, but they won’t let us in,” Zhang Jiaohua replied with a smile.

“Want to go in together?” Zhang Yichen asked.

“Of course,” Zhang Jiaohua eagerly agreed. With more companions, safety was less of a concern.

“Then let’s go. I have a few colleagues with me,” Zhang Yichen said. Unlike his usual attire, he wasn’t wearing a Daoist robe, likely due to the situation. He also adjusted his manner of address, referring to Zhang Jiaohua as “Xiao Zhang” instead of “Daoist Zhang.”

Zhang Jiaohua quickly greeted the others.

“Zhang Yichen, who’s this young man? Such a profound cultivation at his age!” asked an elderly man with short white hair and a bronze complexion, seemingly in his sixties.

“I’ve only known him for a short time, but we’re equals,” Zhang Yichen replied with a smile.

“Impressive! Truly a case of a young hero emerging. It seems I’m getting old and should consider retiring,” the elder sighed, realizing Zhang Yichen was implying that Zhang Jiaohua’s skills matched his own.

Meanwhile, Zeng Lei, who was assigned to assist the experts, was stunned to see Zhang Jiaohua among them. When he realized that Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t merely blending in but had been invited, he was utterly bewildered.

“Hao Yue’s going to kill me if she finds out I brought Dr. Zhang here. Achoo!” His worsening cold forced him to retreat to a quieter spot, where he started a horse stance to dispel the cold energy.

Watching this, Zhang Jiaohua smiled. “Take your time, Zeng Lei. By the time I’m back, I hope you’ve expelled the cold.”

Zhang Yichen chuckled, “You’re really good to your friend.”

“He’s a good person,” Zhang Jiaohua replied succinctly.

Zhang Yichen nodded. “The Dao is not easily shared. Some people have talent but lack destiny, while others have destiny but lack talent. Teaching the wrong person may harm rather than help.”