“Anonymous” is a common attribution in classical Chinese books, indicating that the author’s name has been lost or that the original text did not name an author; it is not the real name of a particular writer. No public information is available about this figure’s life, native place, or dates of birth and death. The only work attributed to “Anonymous” is the full text of The Complete Story of Zhong Kui, usually classified as classical literature. It is a chapter-division novel on gods and demons centered on the long-circulated folk legend of Zhong Kui, telling of his strange appearance, his failure in the imperial examinations, and his transformation after death into a deity charged with exorcising ghosts and driving away evil. Such novels often blend tales of the strange, religion, and folk belief, with accessible plots and rich imagination, and are representative of Ming and Qing popular literature. Owing to limited public information, the identity and editorial circumstances of this attributed author cannot be confirmed.
