The Tale of Mazi

This is a legendary tale. During the Republic of China era, the land fell into chaos as all kinds of monsters and demons emerged from hiding, possessing ruffians and ordinary people and bringing disorder and calamity to the human world. The locals called these bandits and outlaws “mazi.” Possessed by spirits, the mazi were lawless, grotesque, and murderously bloodthirsty. Yet Heaven’s justice is clear, and righteousness must endure. Drawing on folk tales and historical records, the author has done their best to reconstruct a series of strange and bizarre cases: the unsolved case in Dongbali Lane, the wronged graves, Geng Tao abducting Japanese women and tattooing them as souvenirs, Cang Ziyu hanging himself after his beloved wife was raped by a Japanese officer, and his furious killing of the crown, among others.