Рай — это берег праха смертных

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Everyone put on white coats, masks, and plastic gloves, and then stripped the unconscious "anchor" naked, revealing his burly, fat, and fleshy body.

"Wow..." The forensic doctor glanced at the "anvil's" private parts and let out a soft exclamation.

Professor Lu stood in front of the gurney, holding a sharp scalpel, with forensic doctor Mu acting as his assistant.

"Dr. Mu, prepare the hemostat..." Professor Lu instructed, then his trembling hand gently inserted the scalpel into the skin of the "anchor" on the neck...

"Crackling sounds..." Suddenly, a series of crisp cracking sounds erupted from the cervical vertebrae of the "anvil," and the neck abruptly stretched out...

Chapter 189

With a series of loud "bangs," the leather straps binding "Anvil" snapped, and "Anvil" slowly sat up. The head on its long neck opened its gaping maw and let out a chilling, grotesque laugh...

Professor Lu, along with forensic pathologist Mu and Professor Cong, were so terrified that they collapsed to the ground and fainted on the spot. Seeing the situation was dire, engineer Pi, who was standing behind, turned and ran, only to be slapped hard on the back of the neck by "Anvil," causing him to see stars and fall to the ground.

Director Bi was horrified and hurriedly reached for a pistol at his waist. However, before he could pull back the bolt, "Anvil's" massive jaws had already bitten into his skull. With a "crack," his skull shattered instantly, and blood gushed from the cracks in his skull, as well as from his eyes and ears. His body slowly slumped down, and he died without uttering a sound.

"Who exactly are you?" Mr. Zhu, who came from a family of Feng Shui masters and was well-informed, suppressed his fear and stammered as he asked.

The long-necked "Anvil" shook its head, blood still dripping from its mouth, and looked down at him: "I am Secretary Xing of Huanglongfu County Committee in Guandong. Who are you?"

"I, my surname is Zhu, I am the founder of the discipline of human life science in China, and a visiting professor at Peking University..." Mr. Zhu calmed down a bit, and his speech gradually became more fluent.

Secretary Xing twisted his head, his gaze slowly falling on the iron box... He seemed to sense that the thing was faintly emitting a weak magnetic field.

Mr. Zhu moved slowly, trying to cover the iron box on the table.

"Get out of the way!" Secretary Xing bent his neck, poked his head in front of Mr. Zhu, and roared ferociously.

Mr. Zhu trembled and obediently stepped aside.

Secretary Xing reached for the metal box and found it was locked with a brass padlock. He pinched the padlock and twisted it, snapping it off with a "snap" and opening the box lid...

In an instant, he felt a powerful magnetic field rushing towards him. "Huh, what is this thing?" he asked Mr. Zhu, puzzled.

The Wormhead Barbarians are a species that has been passed down from ancient times. Their sensitivity to this skull from Feng Hou, which is five thousand years old, far exceeds that of humans. This is because the rapid development of modern industrial society has led to the gradual degeneration of human senses.

“That’s the ‘Ghost Pot’,” Mr. Zhu replied tremblingly.

"What is a 'ghost pot'?" Secretary Xing asked as he put on his brand-new navy blue Zhongshan suit and gently brushed off the dust.

“This…” Mr. Zhu stammered, “It is… the head of an ancient person.”

“Ancient things? Hmm, Father will definitely like it…” Secretary Xing muttered to himself, casually grabbing the “ghost pot” and stuffing it into his pocket. Then, he stretched his neck, which was more than two meters long, and tilted his head to look at the ceiling opening above the crystal coffin elevator. Without saying a word, he jumped up…

The main lights in the memorial hall were all turned off, with only the floor lamps emitting a soft orange glow, through which guards could be seen patrolling at the main entrance.

Secretary Xing did not retract his long neck, because once the host returned to its original state, the power of the Wriggling Barbarian would immediately disappear.

"Who goes there!" A guard noticed a figure moving in the hall and shouted loudly. In an instant, several soldiers quickly surrounded the area.

Secretary Xing turned and ran behind the curtain, then leaped onto the window, which was over three meters high. He forcefully pried open the iron bars, and with a crash, burst through the window, landing in the garden under the night sky. With a few more leaps, he retracted his neck with a "clucking" sound, and quickly disappeared into the darkness of Qianmen Street…

As dusk fell and the streetlights came on, Qianmen Street was bustling with people. Secretary Xing hurried along with his head down, his imposing figure still standing out in the crowd.

A few days ago, he came to Beijing to attend a meeting. Yesterday morning, during a break in the meeting, he went to Tiananmen Square alone, intending to pay his respects to Chairman Mao's remains at the Memorial Hall. As he slowly walked up the stone steps of the Memorial Hall with the crowd, a stranger pulled him out. "Comrade, please come with me," the man said politely.

In an office inside the memorial hall, the man checked Secretary Xing's work permit and letter of introduction for entering Beijing, then hung up a phone call. Soon after, a middle-aged man rushed in. Without saying a word, he carefully scrutinized Secretary Xing, finally nodding in satisfaction, and introduced himself: "Secretary Xing, hello, I am Director Bi, working in the central government. Please come with me."

"Director Bi, what's going on? I'm still waiting to pay my respects to Chairman Mao's remains." Secretary Xing was puzzled; he didn't seem to have done anything wrong.

Director Bi smiled slightly and said, "I will explain this to you in detail in a moment."

Secretary Xing followed Director Bi up a hidden staircase to the underground passage of the memorial hall, and then entered an underground office, where armed soldiers guarded the door.

Inside the room, Secretary Xing listened quietly to Director Bi's account.

"Why choose me?" Secretary Xing asked calmly.

"Because your height, weight, and especially your walking posture are very similar to Chairman Mao's, you are the most suitable candidate among all the people we have looked for," Director Bi explained sincerely.

Secretary Xing glanced at the guards outside the door, pondering how to escape.

"Secretary Xing, stop looking. You can't escape now. You know all the secrets. Think about the consequences..." Director Bi said coldly.

Indeed, I have learned of this enormous secret. If I don't do it, I will surely be silenced, and my young wife in Huanglong Prefecture might also be implicated... It seems that I have no choice but to agree first and then devise a better plan.

“Okay, it’s a blessing for every Communist Party member to be able to contribute to the revival of the great leader. I’m willing to do it.” Secretary Xing readily agreed.

"That's wonderful. Please rest assured, your family and relatives will be taken care of by the government," Director Bi said happily.

And so, he was taken to the "759" basement of the Xishan Villa, where Director Bi treated him to fine food and wine and personally accompanied him. That night, Secretary Xing was bound to a stretcher with a belt, awaiting the momentous surgery the following night...

"Beep beep..." A series of urgent car horn sounds came from behind.

Secretary Xing was startled, but his thoughts quickly returned to reality. He hurriedly moved aside to avoid the car, walked to a Chinese scholar tree, and sat down on the stone platform.

Alas... Although I have escaped with my life, I cannot return home. I can never go back to Huanglongfu. My time as county party secretary is over. The only pity is that my newlywed young wife will have to spend her life alone in an empty house.

Where to go? The capital is definitely not a place to linger; I must leave the city tonight before they catch me. Old Man Li Dihuo once said he was going to the Guanzhong Plain, specifically to Fengling Temple in Hedong, Shanxi. Why don't I go there and meet him?

With this in mind, Secretary Xing got up and went directly to the Beijing Railway Station, bought a ticket, and boarded a train bound for Shanxi.

The following day at noon, Dongdan Street was bustling with cars and people.

A black sedan was slowly driving along the street. The windows were covered with black curtains. Inside sat the leader and Youliang. The sedan stopped briefly at a street corner, the door opened, and the two quickly got out. The sedan then continued to drive forward.

There was a quiet little teahouse in the alley on the right. It was deserted with few customers. The leader and Youliang went up the stairs and came to a private room.

A pot of fine jasmine tea had already been brewed on the coffee table, filling the air with a faint floral fragrance. A listless old man sat on the sofa, his neck wrapped in white bandages; this was none other than the leader's undercover agent—Technician Pi.

"Commander..." Senior Engineer Pi stood up quickly when he saw the commander enter, glanced at Youliang, and hesitated before speaking.

"Go ahead and speak, it's nothing serious," the commander said, sitting down on the sofa. Seeing the bandage on Senior Engineer Pi's neck, he asked in surprise, "What happened to you?"

“Something terrible has happened. Last night, during the final stage of the ‘Xuanyuan Plan,’ the ‘rootstock’ turned out to be not human, but a monster…” Pi Gaogong said with lingering fear.

The commander asked, puzzled, "A monster?"

"Yes, luckily I ran fast and only injured my neck. Director Bi was bitten to death by that long-necked monster..." Senior Engineer Pi nervously recounted the terrifying events that occurred in the underground chamber of the memorial hall last night in detail. Before he finished speaking, he picked up his teacup with trembling hands and gulped down a large mouthful.

"So, the 'Xuanyuan Plan' has failed?" The leader couldn't hide his joy and said slowly, "The director wanted to defy fate, but ended up 'losing both the wife and the army'... Hmm, then what about Feng Hou's 'Ghost Pot'?"

"The 'Xuanyuan Project' team was officially disbanded this morning. The experts all went home after signing confidentiality agreements. I heard from Mr. Zhu in private that the 'Ghost Pot' has been stolen by that monster, who is said to be a county party secretary," said Pi Gaogong, looking exhausted.

"Oh, that's interesting. Without the 'Ghost Pot,' the director can't do anything. Do you know where that county party secretary is from?" the leader asked thoughtfully.

"Huanglong Prefecture in Guandong, which is Nong'an County in Jilin Province. That guy calls himself Secretary Xing of the County Party Committee," Senior Engineer Pi replied after thinking for a moment.

The leader also took a sip of tea, recalling the long-necked monster among the people who had been with Jia Shiming at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar not long ago. Could they be of the same kind? Thinking of this, he put down his teacup and asked, "Did that monster's neck suddenly stretch to more than two meters?"

"That's right, Commander, you know about that monster?" Senior Engineer Pi asked in surprise.

“Hmm, I have seen similar creatures before,” the commander replied thoughtfully.

"I heard that the director has already sent people to Huanglong Prefecture overnight to secretly investigate this person," Senior Engineer Pi continued to report.

The leader smiled slightly: "If he were really the county party secretary there, he would probably have already fled far away. Who would go back and wait to be killed?"

“That makes sense,” Pi Gaogong mumbled.

The leader stood up and said kindly, "Pi Gong, you need to take good care of your health and go back to work at the Chairman's Memorial Hall. Report to me immediately if anything happens."

"Yes, please rest assured, sir," Senior Engineer Pi replied respectfully.

The leader led Youliang out of the teahouse, letting out a long sigh of relief, and said, "Youliang, you don't need to kill anymore. The 'Xuanyuan Plan' has failed, and the wheels of history cannot be turned back."

Youliang stared blankly at the commander, not understanding the meaning behind his words.

"Secretary Xing of the County Party Committee..." the leader muttered to himself, "Where would that long-necked monster go after stealing the 'Ghost Pot'? Hmph, he's probably going to join up with that fellow of Jia Shiming's. After all, the 'Ghost Pot' was originally in the hands of that old Taoist Jia, and maybe Secretary Xing was sent by him..."

"Uncle Commander, what are you saying? Youliang doesn't understand." Youliang looked up at the commander with a puzzled expression and asked.

The commander smiled slightly and said, "Alright, we can now set off for northwestern Yunnan. If all goes well, you will reclaim your Nizi, and as for me, I will not only obtain the 'Ghost Pot,' but also find that mysterious 'Blue Moon Valley'..."

Chapter 190

Meri Snow Mountain, also known as "Prince Snow Mountain," is located in the northeast of Deqin County, Diqing Prefecture, in northwestern Yunnan Province, between the Nujiang and Lancang Rivers in the middle section of the Hengduan Mountains. It has 13 peaks with an altitude of over 6,000 meters, known as the "Thirteen Peaks of the Prince." In 1908, the Frenchman Magér Davies first named it "Meri Snow Mountain" in his book "Yunnan."

As dusk fell, a ray of the setting sun slanted across the summit of Kawagebo Snow Mountain. The azure sky, the snow-capped peaks, and the surrounding landscape were filled with a desolate and eternal silence, a sense of isolation from the world.

The slopes on both sides of the Mingyongqia Glacier are covered with dense alpine shrubs and endless coniferous forests. Below the forests are alpine meadows, and the boundless plains are blooming with purple rhododendrons. Occasionally, bamboo partridges can be seen clucking and suddenly jumping up from the sea of flowers, glancing at the strangers walking among the flowers, and then flying away into the distance.

Han Sheng and his group traveled eastward from the Nmai River in northern Myanmar, crossing the Gaoligong Mountains and the Nu River. They then traveled northward along the Nu River Valley, passing through Weixi and Gongshan. Along the way, they bought two strong Yunnan horses to carry their purchased supplies and food, heading towards Meili Snow Mountain.

They didn't pass through Zhongdian, but took a shortcut over mountains and valleys, so they didn't know that there was a little dwarf named Song Diweng waiting patiently in Zhongdian County.

Elder Anxi slowly stopped, knelt down, grasped the fertile black soil with both hands, and gazed at the Kawagebo snow peak with teary eyes, murmuring, "This old monk has finally returned... O Bon mountain god, Kawagebo..."

Han Sheng gently stroked Chen Caihua's disheveled hair and said with emotion, "Caihua and Momo, do you still remember this place? You two used to steal Old Master Ye's golden lilac eggs in Blue Moon Valley. Sigh, six years have passed in the blink of an eye..."

Shen Caihua held Mo Mo's hand, his eyes gazing at the distant snow-capped peaks, and nodded, saying, "I remember... there was a naked, white-haired old man in the valley."

Han Sheng smiled and said, "That's an old man from western Hunan. I wonder how he and Grandma Xiaoying are doing now."

With the old master on his back, Master Jia recalled his experiences over the years and sighed deeply.

Night fell, and a bright moon was quietly set in the dark blue night sky. The cool moonlight shone on the snow-capped mountains and glaciers, reflecting a clean and mysterious blue glow. Even the mist that perpetually shrouded the snow-capped peaks took on a faint blue hue. The world seemed to be a pale blue world, both sacred and tranquil.

Han Sheng led the group through alpine meadows and coniferous forests, relying on their memory to venture deeper into the snow-capped peaks. Under the deep blue night sky, the group trudged along the snow-covered ridges, traversing the vast expanse of heaven and earth.

Suddenly, a tranquil, mirror-like mountain lake appeared before my eyes...

A bright blue moon was reflected in the water, as if two moons appeared simultaneously in the sky and on the ground. For a moment, people seemed to be hallucinating, unable to distinguish where the sky ended and the earth began, seeing only a vast expanse of white...

At midnight, a pale blue mist suddenly rose from the lake, gradually enveloping and concealing the entire Meili Snow Mountain, which then disappeared into the mist.

At that moment, Han Sheng vaguely heard that familiar, ancient, and desolate sound of bells tolling...

"What a thick fog..." Elder Anxi said.

“Yes,” Han Sheng told the elder, “the entrance to Blue Moon Valley is only visible for a brief moment at midnight on a full moon night. If you miss that time, you can’t get in and will have to wait until the fifteenth of the lunar month next month.”

"Such a mysterious place exists in the world..." Elder Anxi exclaimed in amazement.

"That's why Blue Moon Valley is unknown to the world. Inside, there are snow-capped mountains, blue lakes, towering red pine forests, and an ancient Lama temple. The bell just now came from that temple. The land in the valley is fertile, and the Tibetan people live by farming and growing vegetables, self-sufficient. There's no electricity, no cars, and certainly no greed or fraud. The people are kind, simple, peaceful, and easygoing, living in harmony with nature, just like in a paradise," Han Sheng explained.

“This is what Tibet looked like in ancient times…” Elder Anxi said with deep emotion.

Han Sheng glanced at his watch; the hands pointed to 1:15 AM, the time for Blue Moon Valley to open. Suddenly, a winding path appeared in the mist, leading deep into the blue fog.

"We need to hurry." Han Sheng said, taking the lead on the path. The others followed closely behind, leading their horses. Then, the fog behind them gradually closed in again.

After walking for a long time along the misty path, we finally rounded a mountain pass, and a dense, dark primeval forest appeared before us. A secluded path led beneath towering red pines, and the night air was filled with the faint scent of pine resin. At the end of the path, a sapphire-blue alpine lake suddenly appeared before us…

A bright blue moon hangs in the night sky. Under its cool light, one can see a vast alpine meadow stretching for over ten miles within the valley. Rhododendrons bloom in vibrant colors, and the grasses grow lush and green. A clear stream, like a jade ribbon, babbles melodiously into the lake. At the edge of the meadow, a majestic white building looms at the foot of the mountain. The crescent-shaped jewel atop its golden roof reflects a silvery glow, and it is from there that the ancient and melancholic sound of a bell emanates.

"So beautiful..." Elder Peng couldn't help but exclaim.