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"The 'Ghost Pot' is a totem worship practiced during the clan and tribal period, and also a ritual implement of the ancient 'Zhu You' (a type of healing arts). It is not a stone or pottery vessel, but rather the skull of a shaman or priest. Before the priest dies, he uses the most mysterious and eerie 'bone shrinking technique' in Zhu You to reduce the size of his skull. The higher the skill level, the smaller the skull shrinks, and the stronger the magic power becomes," Mr. Zhu explained.

"How big was your ancestor's skull?" Professor Cong teased maliciously.

"It's shrunk by 50%, about the size of a medium-sized porcelain bowl. That's already quite good; the magic power is considerable," Mr. Zhu replied seriously.

Professor Cong said awkwardly, "Your Zhu family ancestor's skull wouldn't have been preserved until now, would it?"

“That’s right, it’s indeed in my hands now,” Mr. Zhu said calmly.

Professor Cong and the others were stunned and speechless with surprise.

Mr. Zhu smiled slightly, took out a square box made of yin wood from behind him, gently placed it on the table, and then introduced it, saying, "This is a 'yin wood' box. It is extremely cold. Even in the height of summer, you can feel the chill."

"What is 'Yinmu'?" the forensic pathologist asked with great interest.

“Purple sandalwood that has been immersed in water for over a thousand years is called ‘yin wood,’ which is extremely rare. This was left behind by the ancestors of the Zhu family,” Mr. Zhu explained.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the dark purple wooden box, eagerly anticipating what was inside.

Mr. Zhu slowly opened the lid of the yin wood box, lifted the black cloth inside, revealing a yellowish-brown skull about the size of a bowl, mottled and looking very old...

Everyone craned their necks to examine the ancient skull closely. It was more than half the size of an ordinary person's skull, with the skull and jawbone tightly interlocked to form a single unit. There were six holes in total, including the eye sockets, ear canals, nasal cavity, and mouth. Apart from that, it didn't seem to have anything particularly special about it.

"Hmm, it's the size of a baby, with very hard bones, nothing special about it," Professor Lu muttered to himself.

"Is this a ritual implement from a primitive clan or tribal society?" the forensic doctor asked in surprise.

“Exactly,” Mr. Zhu said with a smug look, while turning to Professor Lu and the forensic doctor, “Please attach the testing electrodes to this male corpse, keep your eyes peeled, you are about to witness something incredible…”

Professor Lu and the forensic doctor exchanged glances, then, with some skepticism, firmly attached the thin copper electrodes from the electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) devices to the corpse and around its head, and turned on the power switches of the monitoring equipment.

Several horizontal colored bars appeared on the screen. At this moment, physiological parameters such as heart rate, respiration and blood pressure were all zero. Clinically, this is a dead person without any signs of life.

Mr. Zhu carefully lifted his ancestor's skull with both hands and gently placed it on the lower abdomen of the male corpse. Then he bent down, took a deep breath, pressed his lips to the long hole at the mouth area of the skull, and blew hard...

The experts watched with disdain, thinking that using a skull from thousands of years ago to try and revive the dead was utterly absurd. Absurd, utterly absurd…

Mr. Zhu kept blowing hard, his neck veins bulging and his skin turning red.

Director Bi looked at him with a smile.

Professor Cong sighed and shook his head. What era are we living in? The organization still wants me to participate in such superstitious activities. He stood up, ready to tell Director Bi that he had decided to withdraw from this boring research group.

With a "beep," the buzzer on the monitor sounded an alarm.

Everyone was startled, and their eyes all turned to the monitor screen.

On the screen, the horizontal white line displaying the heart rate slowly curved, then formed a slightly wavy pattern—that was the deceased's heartbeat…

Professor Cong, Professor Lu, and forensic doctor Mu were all terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) signal reflects the number of times the heart beats per minute. Based on the ECG waveform, the instantaneous heart rate and average heart rate are measured. The average heart rate of a healthy adult at rest is 75 beats per minute, with a normal range of 60-100 beats per minute. Under different physiological conditions, the heart rate can range from a minimum of 40-50 beats per minute to a maximum of 200 beats per minute. If the heart rate falls below 20 beats per minute or rises above 100 beats per minute, the monitor will sound an alarm.

At this moment, the male corpse's heart rate was exactly 20 beats per minute; the heart of a body that had been dead for three days had begun to function again...

"This is impossible!" Professor Cong exclaimed. "There must be something wrong with the monitor."

"Look!" the forensic doctor suddenly whispered.

On the display screen, the respiratory impedance parameter window showed that the deceased was breathing, with a reading of 1-2 breaths per minute. Normal, quiet breathing in newborns is 60-70 breaths per minute, and in adults it is 12-18 breaths per minute; this value was clearly too low. However, the non-invasive blood pressure Korotkoff sound transmitter on the screen remained silent, indicating that the blood pressure was still zero.

"Strange, the deceased's heart rate was 20 beats per minute, respiratory resistance was 1-2 breaths per minute, and blood pressure was completely absent..." Professor Lu asked, puzzled.

"So, there's something wrong with this life monitoring equipment," Professor Cong said smugly, as if he had found evidence.

At that moment, Professor Zhu was still blowing into the 'ghost pot' when he heard Professor Cong's words. He couldn't hold back any longer and immediately raised his head to retort, "Professor Cong, can you please respect some objective facts? Don't immediately suspect that the testing equipment is faulty just because you see a phenomenon that violates common sense, instead of reflecting on your own foolishness and stubbornness in ignoring the truth?"

Professor Lu stood to the side, muttering blankly, "If the monitor is working properly, I simply don't know what to say. This is just too... too unbelievable!"

The forensic pathologist pondered for a moment and said, "The heart is pacing weakly, and the lungs are breathing slowly. Because most of the hemoglobin plasma in the blood vessels has seeped into other tissues, it cannot form pressure, so the non-invasive blood pressure Korotkoff sound transmitter did not respond..."

Just then, everyone heard a "poof" sound, and the male corpse actually let out a crisp fart!

"It stinks!" The forensic doctor quickly covered his nose and said in astonishment, "This male corpse ate chive dumplings for his last meal three days ago..."

"He passed gas! He actually passed gas, which means the deceased's intestines were moving!" Professor Lu exclaimed.

At this moment, Pi Gaogong, who had been sitting silently in his chair, got up and walked over. He looked intently at Mr. Zhu and said, "Mr. Zhu, can this 'ghost pot' of your ancestor further awaken this person's physical life characteristics?"

Mr. Zhu sighed, stroking the brownish-yellow skull, and said with regret, "Perhaps its magic power is not strong enough. The five-tone infrasound waves it emitted are not enough to make the male corpse's acupoint release enough high-energy hormones. But for now, this is all I can do."

“No, there’s another possibility,” Senior Engineer Pi said thoughtfully.

"Look everyone, the bones and muscles of this middle-aged male corpse are very weak, and his penis is thin and emaciated. This indicates that his physical condition was not very good before his death, and he may have suffered from chronic diseases. According to Mr. Zhu's life science theory, we can roughly infer that even if this person's urethral cavity stored some kind of life hormone, it would be pitifully small. Mr. Zhu, if that's the case, how could your ancestor's 'ghost pot' have awakened all his physical life characteristics?" Pi Gaogong analyzed.

Mr. Zhu nodded, agreeing that what Senior Engineer Pi said made a lot of sense.

"If we find a strong and healthy corpse, preferably one that knows martial arts and has profound internal strength, and whose occipital cavity contains a large amount of high-energy hormones, the five-tone infrasound magnetic field emitted by the 'Ghost Pot' might be able to awaken more of its vital physical characteristics," Pi Gaogong deduced.

“That’s right. In the era when the ancients lived, material conditions were extremely scarce. In their brutal struggle with nature, their physique and the hormones they released were much stronger than those of people today. The energy stored in the occult cavity at the bottom of the sea must have been much more abundant. Since the clan and tribal societies worshipped the ‘ghost pot’ so much, it means that they must have had magical effects,” Mr. Zhu pondered.

"The heart rate and respiratory parameters have both returned to zero..." the forensic doctor said in surprise, staring intently at the monitor display.

At this moment, Director Bi spoke up: "Comrades, this life monitoring system has undergone repeated testing and is in normal working order, without a doubt. Today, Mr. Zhu conducted a preliminary test on his ancestor's 'ghost pot,' proving that it can restore certain physical characteristics of the deceased. Of course, this experiment has violated modern Western physics theories, or more accurately, overturned some theories of modern science. Accepting such a cruel fact is indeed very disheartening. However, it has unveiled the mystery of the ancient Central Plains 'Zhu You Shu' (a type of healing arts), proving the wisdom of the ancient Chinese working people. They had already found a way to solve the mystery of human life and death thousands of years ago."

The experts fell silent, listening intently.

"All of you here are outstanding individuals in your respective disciplines, and your academic standing in China is universally recognized. The reason we have gathered here today is to let you witness the ancient and magical 'Zhu You Shu' firsthand and to scientifically demonstrate its incredible nature. In the future, the group's research results will be published to the public, both domestically and internationally..." Director Bi said solemnly.

Professor Cong, a seasoned scholar known for his rigorous academic approach, retorted categorically upon hearing this: "I have already seen everything, but to expect me to admit that the skulls of people from primitive clan societies can resurrect the dead based solely on abnormal heart rate and respiratory parameters, and the fact that the corpse let out a fart, is absolutely impossible!"

Professor Lu nodded in agreement, supporting Professor Cong's viewpoint.

Director Bi smiled and said slowly, "That's because you haven't yet witnessed the truly powerful and magical 'Ghost Pot'."

"What did you say? There's a powerful, magical 'ghost pot'?" Professor Cong scoffed.

"Of course there is, it's the skull of Feng Hou from the time of the Yellow Emperor. That's the ancestor of the ancient 'Ghost Pot'," Director Bi said solemnly.

"'Feng Hou'? Are you referring to Feng Hou, the famous prime minister who was the descendant of Fuxi and ranked first among the Three Dukes, who invented the compass chariot during the Yellow Emperor's battle against Chiyou five thousand years ago?" Professor Cong asked in astonishment.

“Exactly,” Director Bi replied with a chuckle.

Chapter 159

Director Bi arrived at the end of the corridor, where two heavily armed soldiers stood in front of an iron gate, saluting him.

Director Bi nodded, took a key from his waist, opened the iron door to the secret room, and stepped inside. He casually turned on the light and turned off the infrared alarm embedded in the wall. It was a windowless, dark room, completely empty. He walked to a wall, inserted another long-handled key into an inconspicuous small keyhole, and turned it three times. Suddenly, a small door opened in the wall, revealing a dark green safe.

Director Bi turned the combination lock and gently opened the cabinet door. Inside was an ordinary cardboard shoebox. He opened the lid and inside was a yellowish-brown, six-hole skull the size of a goose egg...

Director Bi smiled slightly, closed the lid, carefully took out the shoebox, closed the safe, left the secret room, nodded to the two guards, and returned to the conference room.

"This is the 'Ghost Pot' from Feng Hou, which is five thousand years old..." Director Bi placed the shoebox on the table and gently lifted the lid, saying.

The experts stared wide-eyed in astonishment at the small, brownish-yellow skull.

Mr. Zhu's eyes widened, and hot tears slowly dripped down his cheeks. He murmured indistinctly, "An ancient totem... May my ancestors bless me, for I have seen the most sacred artifact of Eastern Zhuyou magic in my lifetime..."

The forensic doctor exclaimed in surprise, "This 'ghost pot' is so small; it seems its magical power far surpasses that of the Zhu family's ancestors."

"Of course," Director Bi said respectfully. "Historical records state that the Yellow Emperor once dreamt of a rare and powerful wind that swept away all the dust and grime from the earth, leaving only a pristine world. Upon waking, the Yellow Emperor interpreted his dream and thought to himself, 'The wind is the signal, the ruler. The dust is swept away, and the ruler is on the border. Is there anyone in the world named Feng Hou?' He lost his appetite and could not sleep, searching everywhere. Finally, he found Feng Hou in a remote corner of the sea (present-day Shedong Village, Jiezhou Town, Yuncheng City) and appointed him as his prime minister. Because Feng Hou was the Yellow Emperor's first prime minister, later generations called him the 'Founding Prime Minister' of China. Feng Hou's invention of the compass chariot and the Eight Trigrams Formation were unparalleled, helping the Yellow Emperor to quell the rebellion at Zhuolu in the north and pacify Chiyou in the south, unifying the Central Plains. Think about it, this is the head of Feng Hou, a descendant of Fuxi and the master of the Nine Palaces, Eight Trigrams, and the Book of Changes. The mysterious power contained within it must be unimaginable."

"Then let's give it a try. Let's ask Mr. Zhu to blow on it..." said the forensic doctor, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

Mr. Zhu looked at Director Bi with pleading eyes. He felt extremely honored to be able to touch the head of Feng Hou, the most powerful magic in history, with his lips. He couldn't help but tremble with excitement.

"Why do we have to blow air?" Professor Lu asked, frowning in confusion.

"The 'Ghost Pot' is the vessel through which a priest condenses his life's power using the 'Bone Shrinking Technique.' Its mysterious aura emanates in five infrasound tones, similar to the ancient musical instrument 'Xun,' except that the Xun produces notes using ordinary sound waves, while the five tones emitted by the 'Ghost Pot' are inaudible to the human ear. You see, the five holes—eyes, nose, and ear canals—each emit one of the five tones, while the mouth acts as the blowing port. The flow of air is used to activate the 'Ghost Pot's' aura, stimulating the deceased's urethral cavity to open the gate between Yin and Yang," Mr. Zhu explained.

"How do you know all this?" Professor Cong asked, half believing and half doubting.

"This is a mysterious proverb passed down orally from our ancestors, inherited by generations of the Zhu family," Mr. Zhu replied with considerable pride.

"Alright, let's begin immediately," Director Bi said, carefully presenting the 'Ghost Pot'.

Mr. Zhu received the "ghost pot" from Feng Hou with trembling hands. He immediately felt two different temperatures, warm and cool, travel up his arm, and a shiver ran through him. This was an experience he had never had before, even on the skull of his ancestor.

He respectfully placed the "ghost pot" on the lower abdomen of the male corpse, gently bent down, and because the skull was too small, his chin touched the corpse's genitals. Ignoring the limp penis rubbing against his chin, he gently placed his lips on the mouth of the "ghost pot" and began to blow air according to the method left by his ancestors...

A moment later, the forensic doctor suddenly screamed shrilly: "Look! The heart rate is rising! 20, 30, 40... 75, normal now, 80, 90..."

"Beep..." The life monitor sounded an alarm.

"120, 150, 180..." the forensic doctor cried out, his face pale.

Professor Lu stared intently at the respiratory impedance parameters on the display screen, reading out the numbers in astonishment: "2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12... 26!"

Professor Cong rubbed his eyes. The first loud Korotkoff sound of systolic blood pressure came through the microphone, followed by a low diastolic pressure. He couldn't believe the reality he was seeing. The male corpse's blood pressure was rising rapidly. "220!" he shouted in despair.

Something was pressing against his chin. Mr. Zhu squinted and glanced out of the corner of his eye. The corpse's limp penis had become erect, pounding against his Adam's apple like an iron rod...

"Ah!" The forensic doctor pointed at the engorged penis in astonishment, speechless for a moment.

Just then, the male corpse that had died three days earlier suddenly opened its eyes, sat up with a "whoosh," its blank gaze staring straight ahead. Then, it waved its hands, shaking off the electrodes, inflatable cuffs, and the "ghost pot" on its stomach. Its body sprang up, leaping off the conference table and running naked toward the door...

With a muffled thud, the male corpse slammed headfirst into the hard brick wall beside the door. Due to the force of the impact, his brains splattered out, and he collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound...

Professor Lu quickly stepped forward to examine him, then shook his head and said dejectedly, "His skull is fractured. He's really dead this time..."

"Hahaha..." Director Bi laughed heartily, "Well, now you all believe it, right? Feng Hou's 'Ghost Pot' really can bring people back to life."

Professor Cong clutched his hair tightly with both hands. "How is this possible? But it's absolutely true, it's absurd..." He had already pulled out several strands of hair, but he felt no pain at all. The cruel reality before him shattered his deeply ingrained materialistic worldview, and he even thought about dying.

"It's amazing, it's amazing..." Doctor Mu exclaimed excitedly, revealing his white tiger teeth.

The skull in the wind bounced up into the air, but luckily Mr. Zhu was quick-witted and caught it in mid-air, holding it tightly in his arms and refusing to let go.

Professor Lu stood before Director Bi, his face unusually grave, and said, "I am a professor of neurosurgery. Before this, I would never have believed in such ethereal things. But today, I have to admit that beyond Western modern medicine, there exists a mysterious ancient Eastern science that we are unaware of and have rejected for many years. It is truly magnificent..."

"Alright, Chairman Mao said, 'Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.' Now, through practice, the truth has finally been laid bare before you. In the past few days, you may not have understood why the organization forbade you from having any contact with the outside world. Now, I think everyone should understand that the 'Xuanyuan Plan' is far too sensitive..." Director Bi said calmly.

“Now we all understand,” the experts replied, their answers varying in tone.

Director Bi stretched out his hand: "Mr. Zhu, give it to me."

Mr. Zhu reluctantly handed the skull and crossbones that he was holding tightly back to Director Bi.

"Comrades, today the 'Wind-Behind Ghost Pot' has shown us a mysterious power from ancient times. You can all record these things and write them into the research report later. We must let all the people of China know about this discovery that is enough to shock the world," Director Bi said loudly, while carefully putting the skull back into the shoebox.

Professor Lu cautiously asked, "Director Bi, this is indeed a major event that is enough to shock the medical communities of both China and the West, but..."

"But what?" Director Bi asked.

"Is this all there is to the 'Xuanyuan Project'?" Professor Lu asked hesitantly.

“No, this is just the beginning,” Director Bi replied.