In the final years of the Republic, demons and monsters run rampant, and taboos are everywhere.
Never look into an antique mirror at midnight: it may reflect your face after you die.
Never answer a voice in the wilderness: it could be a changeling ghost looking for a replacement.
Never light a white candle in an old house: its flame may summon the people who lived there a century ago.
Those who break the taboos all die in bizarre ways, their souls vanishing without a trace.
Hidden in the shadows of society is a mysterious organization called the Taboo Investigation Bureau, dedicated to investigating these unspeakable horrors. Its ranks are filled with unusual people: a Maoshan sect dropout, a spirit-medium heir, a treasure hunter, a mute Nuo opera performer... But the most dangerous of them all is Gu Jiuyuan, the Bureau’s chief “purifier,” who bears a bizarre curse.
His left eye has double pupils, allowing him to see both the living and the dead. The palm of his right hand bears the “Nine Abyss Soul-Devouring Curse,” which forces him to devour evil spirits’ soul power to stay alive. In the end, he will become a demon. Seeking a way to break the curse, he ventures into one forbidden wasteland after another, each consumed by taboos.
When Gu Jiuyuan tears through layers of eerie illusions, he discovers that every taboo points to the same thousand-year conspiracy. And hidden in his bloodline is the final key to opening the Gate of Guixu.
Will he become a vessel of salvation, or a calamity that destroys the world?
The taboos have been recorded, and the deadly game has begun...
· Strange cases with an overarching conspiracy, a brisk pace, and constant twists
· Hard-hitting folk horror infused with traditional occult arts such as Maoshan magic, spirit mediums, and Nuo opera
· A morally gray ensemble cast, each with secrets of their own, making it hard to tell friend from foe
· A bizarre taboo unraveled every three to five chapters, with no dull moments
Turn to the first page and step into a world beyond words...
Remember: some rules, once broken, can never be undone.
