The Legend of Zhong Kui: Chapter One - The Ugly Scholar's Curse

In Tang Dynasty China, during the reign of Emperor Dezong, there lived a remarkably talented yet hideously ugly scholar named Zhong Kui. His face was so frightening—with bulging eyes like lanterns, a leopard-shaped head, and a wild iron-colored beard—that innkeepers would gasp and step back when he entered their establishments.

The legendary Zhong Kui as a scholar in Tang Dynasty China

Despite his terrifying appearance, Zhong Kui possessed extraordinary literary gifts. His essays flowed like silk, his calligraphy sparkled like pearls. More importantly, he had an upright character that feared no evil. When the imperial examinations were announced, he journeyed from his home on Mount Zhongnan to the capital, Chang'an, carrying dreams of serving his country.

The magnificent capital dazzled him—palaces reaching toward clouds, officials in crimson robes, scholars in flowing garments, merchants and farmers bustling through streets. At a fortune-teller's booth on Cross Street, the mystic Yuan Youchuan (descendant of the famous diviner Yuan Tiangang) examined Zhong Kui's face with growing concern. "You have the features of great nobility," he said carefully, "but I see a dark cloud over your fate. Within ten days, disaster will strike."

Zhong Kui merely laughed. "A true gentleman concerns himself with righteousness, not fate. Let Heaven decide my destiny."

The written examination went brilliantly. The topics—five poems on "The Imperial Banquet" and an essay on "The Parrot"—flowed effortlessly from Zhong Kui's brush. The chief examiner Han Yu (the famous Tang poet-official) and his deputy Lu Zhi were amazed. After reading countless mediocre submissions, they finally found true genius. "Not since Li Bai and Du Fu have we seen such talent!" they exclaimed, ranking Zhong Kui first.

The imperial examination hall in Tang Dynasty Chang'an

But disaster struck at the palace examination. When Emperor Dezong saw Zhong Kui's grotesque appearance, he recoiled in disgust. "How can such an ugly man represent our dynasty as top scholar? It would make us a laughingstock!"

Han Yu desperately defended his choice, citing historical examples of ugly but capable officials. But the treacherous Chancellor Lu Qi seized the opportunity to curry favor: "Surely among three hundred candidates, we can find someone more... presentable?"

Enraged by this injustice, Zhong Kui leaped up and struck Lu Qi with his ceremonial tablet. In the ensuing chaos, as guards moved to arrest him, Zhong Kui grabbed a soldier's sword and plunged it into his own chest, dying instantly in the Golden Palace Hall.

The court fell silent. Lu Zhi courageously stepped forward: "This chancellor who calls others too ugly to serve is himself known as the 'Blue-Faced Ghost.' His jealousy has cost us a great talent!"

Shaken and remorseful, the Emperor exiled Lu Qi and issued an extraordinary decree: Zhong Kui would be posthumously appointed as the Divine Demon-Queller, with authority to hunt evil spirits throughout the realm. He would receive a state funeral with full honors.

Rising as a spirit, Zhong Kui accepted his divine commission and journeyed to the underworld's capital, Fengdu City—a place of howling winds and tormented souls. At the gates, a judge who looked strangely similar to Zhong Kui himself challenged him, then quickly bowed upon learning his identity and divine appointment.

The mysterious Fengdu City, capital of the Chinese underworld

King Yama, ruler of the underworld, received Zhong Kui in his palace beneath a sobering inscription: "Stop your evil ways! These burning coals and molten iron await—is your fleeting pleasure worth eternal torment?"

"I'm surprised you've come here," Yama said after the formalities. "We have our ghosts under control—suicide victims, murder victims, the drowned and starved. But the living world? That's where the real demons hide."

Zhong Kui was skeptical. "But the living world has laws and daylight. How can demons exist there?"

Yama smiled grimly. "The difference between human and demon lies in the heart, not the form. An evil person is already a demon; a righteous ghost can become a god. Haven't you heard of Cao Cao, that treacherous warlord? Was he truly human? Let me show you something."

He produced a registry that made Zhong Kui's eyes widen. It listed demons living among humans: the Flatterer, the Fraud, the Miser, the Gossip, the Seducer, the Drunkard, the Deceiver, and dozens more, each representing human vices taken to monstrous extremes.

"They cluster in cities among the wealthy and powerful," Yama explained. "Your mission is to hunt them down. But remember—not all deserve death. Some need redemption, others punishment. You must judge wisely."

"I cannot do this alone," Zhong Kui admitted.

"I anticipated that," Yama replied. He summoned two lieutenants:

Han Yuan (The Wronged Scholar): A brilliant but impoverished intellectual, clothes threadbare and dusty, belly full of knowledge but often empty of food. Life had beaten him down, but his spirit remained unbroken.

Fu Qu (The Denied Warrior): A powerful fighter with the strength of a tiger, trained in military strategy but never given the chance to serve. His unused talents burned within him like a caged flame.

Both had died with their potential unfulfilled, making them perfect allies for Zhong Kui's mission.

Zhong Kui assembling his ghost army with Han Yuan and Fu Qu

Yama also provided a mount—the mystical beast Bai Ze, who was actually the transformed spirit of an ancient traitor seeking redemption through service. Finally, at the Bridge of Helplessness, a small bat-demon volunteered as guide, claiming it could sense evil wherever it hid.

With his sword of justice, his official tablet of authority, two capable lieutenants, three hundred ghost soldiers, a mystical mount, and a supernatural guide, Zhong Kui set forth from the underworld to begin his hunt in the world of the living.

As they crossed the boundary between death and life, the bat guide squeaked excitedly: "The demons of the living world have grown comfortable and careless. They wear human faces and walk in daylight, thinking themselves safe. They're about to learn otherwise."

Thunder rumbled in the distance. The hunt was about to begin.