Forbidden Land – CH 099

Upon hearing “Quishi Society,” Chen Demao’s expression suddenly changed. He glanced at the desk and slowly said, “You touched my things?”

Zhang Chao and Chen Rong exchanged a look. Unexpectedly, Chen Rong readily admitted, “Yes, I accidentally saw your notebook.”

Zhang Chao initially thought Chen Demao was about to get angry, but Chen Demao simply let out a light sigh and casually said, “The Quishi Society probably doesn’t exist anymore.”

Zhang Chao asked, “Professor, aren’t you a member of that Quishi Society organization?”

Chen Demao shook his head and said, “No.”

Chen Rong took out the notebook belonging to the girl in black from her bag, opened it to the first page, and handed it to him, saying, “Professor, can you explain what this means?”

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Chen Demao took it, glanced at it, and his face showed great surprise. He said, “You… you’re members of the Quishi Society?”

Chen Rong shook her head and said, “No, we found it. The annotations after the school song are very strange. It just happens to be exactly the same as what’s written in your notebook, Professor. So we were very curious about what this Quishi Society is and what the school song means.”

Chen Demao stared at the notebook, seemingly pondering for a long time, then muttered, “I never expected it, I never expected the Quishi Society to still exist.”

Upon hearing this, both of them became serious. Clearly, this Quishi Society was no ordinary organization.

Chen Demao said, “The Quishi Society was founded more than half a century ago by some professors and senior students at Zhejiang University, probably in the 1930s. Its purpose was to pursue a higher science than science itself.”

Zhang Chao didn’t understand and asked, “A higher science than science? What does that mean?”

Chen Demao explained, “It’s like the secret theological societies of great scientists abroad, which study God. The Quishi Society, in Chinese terms, studies ‘Dao,’ the ‘Dao’ as described in the Dao Te Ching, which encompasses all things in the universe and transcends all the laws of current science.”

Chen Rong exclaimed in surprise, “I didn’t know Zhejiang University had such an organization! I thought it only existed abroad.”

Chen Demao smiled and said, “The more advanced science becomes, the greater the reverence for the wonders of the universe, and the more one studies it. Members of the Quishi Society don’t distinguish between science and ‘superstition’; they only pursue ‘Dao.'”

Zhang Chao asked, “So how did the Quishi Society develop afterward?”

Chen Demao sighed and said, “The Qiushi Society has always been a secret organization, discreetly recruiting open-minded Professors and students. Many members are well-versed in Feng Shui and geomancy. They firmly believe that Feng Shui is the result of ancestral experience. Although many aspects of Feng Shui are difficult to explain scientifically, there have been many famous fortune tellers throughout history, and there are also some very capable Feng Shui masters in reality. It can be said that Feng Shui definitely has its merits. Although Feng Shui can’t determine a person’s or others’ destinies, it can play a positive role. For example, good Feng Shui can improve a person’s luck, but whether they ultimately succeed still depends on the individual.”

Zhang Chao exclaimed in amazement, “Is it really that magical?”

Chen Demao smiled and said, “Whether it’s that magical or not, I only know the basics of Feng Shui, far less than the members of the Qiushi Society. But it’s said that one of the founders of the Qiushi Society was Principal Zhu.”

“Principal Zhu!” Zhang Chao’s mouth dropped open. “Isn’t Principal Zhu a great scientist in meteorology and geography?”

Chen Demao said, “Older generations of scholars had access to many folk texts on feng shui and geomancy. Principal Zhu was proficient in meteorology and geography and consulted numerous ancient books on the subject, ultimately writing a work on nearly 2000 years of meteorological and geographical changes in our country, becoming one of the most important research sources in this field in 20th-century China. Ancient meteorological and geographical records are inextricably linked to feng shui and geomancy; it would have been difficult for Principal Zhu not to be an expert.”

Chen Rong asked, “Then why did the Quishi Society disappear later?”

Chen Demao said, “In the 1960s, as you know, the political climate was different. The Quishi Society’s research on feng shui and geomancy was considered superstitious, and it was reported at the time. The members of the Quishi Society dwindled to almost nothing. I know about the Quishi Society because when I was living in a cowshed, I was with my mentor, who was a member of the Quishi Society. He told me all these stories. That red booklet was also left to me by him.”

Chen Rong asked, “Professor, what’s the meaning of those strange annotations at the end of the school song in that notebook?”