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(Guī [Pronunciation: gōng huí qiē]. Meaning: Strange or bizarre. From *Bencao Gangmu*.)

Li Shizhen said: In the era of Tai Chu (Primordial Beginning), heaven and earth had not yet formed. A single Qi (vital energy) gave birth to humans, thus creating men and women. When men and women engage in sexual intercourse and blend their Jing (essence), spontaneous generation occurs. This is like plants beginning to produce offspring: first there is a single Qi, then roots and seeds appear, continuing the lineage as species. Human variations sometimes occur beyond ordinary principles. These are matters that should be known by masters who govern life, and recognized by erudite scholars. Therefore, I have compiled this section titled "Ren Kui" (Human Anomalies), appended at the end of this category, to broaden knowledge and serve as references for observing omens of disasters.

The *I Ching* (Book of Changes) states: "The alternation of Yin and Yang constitutes the Dao." The blending of male and female Jing leads to the transformation and generation of all things. The Way of Qian (Heaven) forms males, and the Way of Kun (Earth) forms females. This describes the mechanism of continuous generation between men and women, which is merely the innate capability of Yin-Yang creation. Chu Cheng, Grand Commandant of Qi, stated: If the female's blood arrives first to envelop the male's essence, a boy is born; if the male's essence arrives first to envelop the female's blood, a girl is born. If Yin and Yang blood arrive simultaneously, a body neither male nor female is produced; if Jing and blood are scattered separately, it indicates twins or multiple fetuses. The *Daozang Jing* (Daoist Canon) states: Conception on the 1st, 3rd, or 5th day after menstruation ceases results in a boy; conception on the 2nd, 4th, or 6th day results in a girl. Li Gao (Dong Yuan) stated: Conception within 1-2 days after the blood sea clears results in a boy; conception on days 3-5 results in a girl. The *Shengji Jing* states: If Qi moves to the left, Yang nourishes it resulting in a boy; if Qi moves to the right, Yin nourishes it resulting in a girl. Zhu Zhenheng (Danxi) refuted Chu Cheng and supported Dong Yuan, basing his argument on the *Shengji Jing*'s theory of left/right movement, attributing it to the different attachments of the uterus on the left and right. These theories can be considered comprehensive. I privately believe Chu Cheng cannot be simply dismissed, nor is Dong Yuan entirely correct. Chu Cheng spoke of the sequence of Jing and blood arrival; the *Daozang* spoke of the odd/even nature of days; Dong Yuan spoke of the waxing/waning of female blood; the *Shengji Jing* and Danxi spoke of the left/right position of the uterus. Each held one view; observing them together reveals the underlying principle. For singleton pregnancies, days can be used for prediction; but can days predict twins or multiples? Historical records show many cases of triplets or quadruplets. Their genders varied: half male/half female, more males than females, or vice versa. *Xiqiao Yeji* records that during the Tian Shun reign of our dynasty, a commoner family in Yangzhou gave birth to five boys, all raised to adulthood. Given this, how can the theory that days 1, 3, 5 yield boys and days 2, 4, 6 yield girls be true? How could one conceive a boy on the first day and a girl on the second? Thus, the theories of Chu Cheng, the *Shengji Jing*, and Danxi regarding Jing/blood and uterine sides are insightful, while those of the *Daozang* and Dong Yuan regarding days are questionable. Wang Shuhe's *Maijing* (Pulse Classic) distinguishes the gender of irregular births by the floating/sinking of pulses on the left and right; Gao Yangsheng's *Majue* (Pulse Rhymes) distinguishes twin/multiple shapes by the longitudinal/transverse and smooth/oblique pulse qualities. These may be speculative rather than accurate observations. Wang Bing's *Xuanzhu Miyu* states: Birth of three sons indicates peace; birth of three daughters indicates national licentiousness and misrule; birth of ten sons indicates feudal lords competing for power; birth of a flesh mass indicates famine. This discusses human affairs, implying that Qi transformation relates to other factors. Qian represents the father, Kun the mother—this is normal. But there are five conditions preventing fatherhood and five preventing motherhood. Why? Is it not due to deficiency of Yang Qi in men and obstruction of Yin Qi in women? The five conditions preventing motherhood: Luo (Screw), Wen (Line), Gu (Drum), Jiao (Horn), Mai (Pulse). *Luo*: Vagina rotates inward with a screw-like structure. *Wen*: Small vaginal opening, i.e., imperforate hymen/virginity without canal. *Gu*: No opening, like a drum. *Jiao*: Protrusion like a horn, anciently called *Yinting* (vaginal prolapse). *Mai*: Lifelong menstrual irregularity, metrorrhagia, or leukorrhea. The five conditions preventing fatherhood: Tian (Heaven), Jian (Castrated), Lou (Leak), Qie (Timid), Bian (Change). *Tian*: Impotence, anciently called *Tianhuan*. *Jian*: Genitals castrated, eunuch. *Lou*: Cold sperm lacking consolidation, frequent seminal emission. *Qie*: Weak erection or inability to respond to stimuli. *Bian*: Hermaphroditism, vulgarly called *Er Xing* (two forms); *Jin Shu* attributes this to chaotic Qi, termed *Ren Kui*. Types include: changing gender upon contact with opposite sex, alternating male/female every half month, or capable of marriage but not procreation. These are functional but sterile. Full-term pregnancy is ten months—normal. But births occur at seven, eight, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen months. Some say this is due to Qi deficiency. Yu Tun's *Yixue Zhengchuan* mentions births at seventeen to twenty-four months. Liu Jingshu's *Yi Yuan* records Wen Panshi's mother in Taiyuan giving birth after three years. Is this also extreme Qi deficiency? (Note: Seven-month births are often viable; eight-month births are harder to sustain. Seven changes but eight does not. *Wei Lue*: Huangniu Qiang people give birth at six months. *Bowuzhi*: Lao people give birth at seven months. *Jin Shu*: Fu Jian's mother gave birth at twelve months. Liu Shuo's mother at thirteen months. *Han Shu*: Yao and Emperor Zhao of Han born at fourteen months. *Thirty Kingdoms Spring and Autumn*: Liu Cong's mother at fifteen months. *Sou Shen Ji*: Yellow Emperor's mother Fubao gave birth at twenty-five months.)

Baomen Zizang (Uterus) is a *Qiheng* (Extraordinary) Fu organ, the gateway of human generation—normal. But births from the hypochondrium, forehead, back, or thigh occur. Why? Is the Zizang receiving mixed Qi with different ligamentous attachments, as recorded in *Song Shi* where a boy's genitals grew on the spine and a girl's on the head? (*Shiji*: Lu Zhong married a Gui Fang woman; she bore three sons from her left hypochondrium and three from the right. Their descendants ruled for a millennium. Heaven's rise requires extraordinary beings. E.g., Xi Si gave birth to Yu via broken back; Jian Di gave birth to Xie via broken chest. *Wei Zhi*: Huangchu Year 6, Governor Kong Xian reported Qu Yong's wife Wang gave birth from the right axilla/upper abdomen. Mother was unharmed. Wound healed, mother and child safe. *Yi Yuan*: Jin Dynasty, Li Xuan's wife Fan was pregnant but didn't deliver; a sore appeared on her forehead. Child emerged from it, became a general named Hu'er. Also: Zhao Xuan's mother in Changshan had normal pregnancy but itchy thighs; sores formed, child emerged safely. *Wild History*: Putian magistrate's residence neighbor gave birth from thigh. Wound healed, safe. Confirms Qu Yong's case. Buddhism says Sakyamuni was born from Maya's right hypochondrium, same principle. *Songshan Ji*: Woman in Yangzhai pregnant thirty months; child emerged from back, entered mountains at age five to study Dao. *Langya Man Chao*: Chenghua era, Suzhou woman pregnant, hypochondrium swelled like abscess. Child emerged from abscess, wound closed. Child named Foji'er.

Li Shizhen said: Longqing Year 5, Feb, Tangshan woman pregnant, left hypochondrium swelled. Child born from side, both safe. Yang generates, Yin grows; solitary Yang does not generate, solitary Yin does not grow—normal. But unmarried men feeling desire conceive partners; unmarried women feeling desire become pregnant; women grow beards; men lactate; men give birth. Why? Are meridians/Qi changing, like virgin nations conceiving naturally or roosters laying eggs? (*Shiji*: Jiang Yuan stepped on giant footprint and conceived Qi; You Song clan swallowed bird egg and conceived Xie. Both no-husband pregnancies. *Xuanzheng Lu*: Song Xuanhe early, Zhu Jie's wife (41yo) had chin itching overnight, beard grew one chi long next morning. *Caomu Zi*: Yuan Zhizheng era, capital prostitute grew beard one chi long. *Xie Cheng Hou Hanshu*: Jiyang Li Yuan's family died of plague, leaving one grandson weeks old. Slave Nanyang Li Shun nursed him, milk turned red. *Tang Shu*: Yuan Dexiu's nephew orphaned; Yuan nursed him, bloody nipple discharge stopped when infant ate. *Song Shi*: Xuanhe Year 6, male fruit seller in capital pregnant, gave birth. Midwives failed, seven tried before escaping. *Xiqiao Yeji*: Ming Jiajing Yiyi, farmer Kong Fang had abdominal distension for months, gave birth from side to a flesh mass. Dissected: fully formed infant with limbs/hair.) Boys born face down, girls face up; drowning follows this pattern. Yin-Yang endowment is fixed—normal. But male-to-female or female-to-male transformations occur. Why? Is it perverse Qi causing anomalies? *Jingfang Yizhan*: Male to female due to excessive castration; Female to male due to women holding power. *Chunqiu Qiantan Ba*: Male to female means sages leave office; Female to male means low-born become kings. Though discussing human affairs, the subtle changes in Zang-Fu and meridians are unfathomable. (*Han Shu*: Ai Di Pingjian era, Yuzhang man became woman, married, had son. *Hou Hanshu*: Xian Di Jian'an Year 20, Yueci man became woman. Li Shizhen: Longqing Year 2, Shanxi Censor Song memorialized: Li Liangyu of Jingle County married Zhang for four years, divorced due to poverty, worked as laborer. Longqing Year 1 Jan, intermittent abdominal pain. Feb 9 Year 2, severe pain. By April, scrotum retracted into abdomen, becoming female vulva. Menstruation started, changed to female dress. Age 28. *Hongfan Wuxing Zhuan*: Wei Xiang Wang Year 13, woman became man. *Jin Shu*: Hui Di Yuankang era, Anfeng woman Zhou Shin gradually became man, personality set by 17-18. Emperor Wu Ningkang early, Nanjun woman Tang gradually became man. *Nan Shi*: Liu Song Wen Di Yuanjia Year 2, Yan region woman became man. *Tang Shu*: Xi Zong Guangqi Year 2 Spring, Fengxiang county woman Zhu Chen became man, died in ten days.) Humans differ from animals—normal. But humans turning into animals or animals into humans occur. Why? Are humans just objects in Great Void, bound by Qi intersection? Gaining spirit makes object-human; losing spirit makes human-object. Or Tanzi's saying: Extreme lust becomes woman, extreme violence becomes tiger; mind changes, form must change. Or Confucius' saying: Old objects attract spirits, becoming *Wuyou* monsters? (*Tanzi Huashu*: Old maple tree becomes feathered person (emotionless to emotional). Virtuous woman becomes stone (emotional to emotionless). Shishuo: Wuchang virtuous woman waited for husband, turned to stone. *Song Shi*: Kunshan stonecutter fell in cave, dug out after 3 years alive, turned to stone upon seeing wind. *Youming Lu*: Yangxian clerk Wu Kan picked colored floating stone, placed by bed, turned to woman at night. *Zuo Zhuan*: Yao executed Gun at Yushan, spirit became Yellow Bear entering abyss. Yellow Bear is dragon kind. *Hou Hanshu*: Ling Di era, Jiangxia Huang mother bathed, turned to softshell turtle entering water. *Sou Shen Ji*: Wei Wendi Huangchu era, Qinghe Song Shizong's mother bathed indoors, turned to turtle, returned home occasionally. *Yi Yuan*: Song Wendi Yuanjia era, Gaoping Huang Xiu entered mountains, turned to bear. *Huainanzi*: Niu Ai sick 7 days, turned to tiger, killed brother. *Gujun Guozhi*: Tengzhou barbarians often turn into *Shelisu* (small tiger with 5 fingers). *Bowuzhi*: Jianghan has *Shelisu* people who can turn to tigers. *Tang Shu*: Wu Zetian era, Chenzhou official turned to tiger due to illness, caught and stopped, hair grew. Xianzong Yuanhe Year 2, Shangzhou laborer about to turn to tiger, doused with water, prevented. Gu Wei *Guangzhou Ji*: Zhenyang Li ethnic boy 15-16 herding cow. Cow licked boy rapidly, spots turned white. Boy died, cow slaughtered for guests. Those who ate cow (20+ men/women) turned to tigers. *Sui Shu*: Wendi Year 7, Xiangzhou monk turned to snake, coiled around tree, 2 zhang long. *Baopuzi*: Fox, wild wolf, monkey, *Shelisu* reach 300 years, can transform into humans.) * Cantong Qi* says: Swallows/sparrows do not hatch phoenixes; foxes/rabbits do not breed horses—normal. But humans birthing insects/beasts/spirits or strange forms occur. Why? Did improper sensory actions trigger evil thoughts and form-responsive感应? Or humans born from eggs/horses? Divine presence or responsive conception? (*Bowuzhi*: Xu Yawang's mother laid egg, discarded. Lonely old woman covered it, hatched boy, succeeded Xu state. *Yishuo*: Late Han, horse gave birth to human named Ma Yi. Grew up, fled to Hu lands.) Humans have four limbs/seven apertures—normal. But remote tribes have three heads, shoulder-to-shoulder, flying heads, hanging tails. Though born of border residual Qi, akin to beasts, distinct from our kin, still奇异. (*Shanhaijing*: Three-Headed Nation, three heads on one body, east of Kunlun. *Erya*: North has Shoulder-to-Shoulder people, half bodies joined, take turns eating/watching. *Nanfang Yiwuzhi*: Lingnan streams have Flying Head Barbarians, red neck marks. Night: ears as wings, fly to eat insects, return at dawn. *Sou Shen Ji*: General Zhu Huan's maid had flying head, same type. *Yongchang Zhi*: Southwest border Pu people have turtle-like tails 3-4 cun long; sit by digging hole first. Tail break = death.) Thus, heaven-earth creation is infinite; human-object transformation is infinite. Jia Yi's Rhapsody: "Heaven and earth are the furnace, Creation the artisan; Yin-Yang charcoal, Ten Thousand Things copper. Gathering/scattering/living/dying—no fixed rule; Thousand changes—never ending. Suddenly human—why grasp? Turn to object—why fear?" This says all changes stem from One Qi. Superficial scholars, relying on partial views, cannot dismiss infinite global changes as absurd!