The Monster Hunter's Notes
On the day I was born, my village was struck by a series of bizarre events. First, Old Wang's white-haired dog, which had been with him for eight years, donned a black robe and stood upright, wandering the streets before stopping at my house to bow. Meanwhile, a horde of unusually large rats with blood-red eyes scurried through the streets, gathering at my doorstep and refusing to leave.
This unusual sight enraged the village cats, sparking a fierce battle. Contrary to their usual behavior, the rats fearlessly clashed with the cats, leading to a gruesome scene with casualties on both sides. The villagers watched in stunned silence, while the elderly commented that such unnatural occurrences were omens of chaos as per ancient beliefs.
That night, the strange occurrences continued with eerie opera singing emanating from an open space near my home. Curious onlookers ventured out only to discover the performers were figures made of paper, and the audience was a motley crew of supernatural beings surrounding a coffin. Inside the coffin, an old woman watched the spectacle with great interest.
This sight terrified the villagers, who fled back to their homes, praying fervently for divine intervention from every deity they knew. The entire village, including my family, spent a sleepless night in fear.
The following day, the creatures had vanished, leaving behind a mess that confirmed the night's events were not a dream. In rural areas, such supernatural incidents were often taken seriously, causing widespread alarm and speculation about a curse on my family.
My grandfather, dressed in tattered clothes, rushed from the mountains and without explanation, began to beat my father and uncles severely, afterwards holding me and weeping bitterly. He ominously remarked that I was born a "bearer of sins, despised by both humans and ghosts," hinting at a mysterious affliction tied to my existence.
That night, I developed a high fever and struggled between life and death, with my grandfather and uncles fighting off a malevolent spirit attempting to drain my life force. They fell ill from the ordeal, taking a month to recover.
Years later, I learned of my grandfather's reasons for naming me Zhang Jiu Zui, meaning "Nine Sins," reflecting the burdens I carried from birth. Despite my introverted nature, inherited from my father's quiet demeanor, my grandfather took pride in my disinterest in worldly affairs, often taking me to his well-kept but humble abode filled with books on exorcism, folklore, and esoteric knowledge.
I spent years immersed in these tales of demons and diviners, shaping my understanding of the world until academic pressures from high school forced me to visit less. My high school years ended in disappointment when illness ruined my chances at university exams, an event my grandfather oddly celebrated as fortunate.
After deciding to retake the exams, my life took an unexpected turn when several luxury cars arrived at our village, heading straight for my grandfather's humble home. The well-dressed occupants from the cars approached with formal documents, knocking on his door with a sense of urgency and respect.
