Zhonglin Xu

Xu Zhonglin’s life is honestly a bit of a mystery, which just adds to his legend. The guy’s mainly known for cranking out “Investiture of the Gods” back in the Ming dynasty—yeah, we’re talking 16th-century epic fantasy, where gods, demons, and humans are all tangled up in some cosmic drama. Born in what we now call Nanjing, Xu wasn’t exactly a spotlight-chaser. There’s this old copy of his book stashed away in a Japanese library, and it’s got his name—sort of—scribbled in as “the Old Recluse of Mount Zhong.” Pretty poetic, right? Some people even started calling him “Zhongshan Yisou,” which sounds fancy but really just means “laidback old dude from Mount Zhong.” Rumor has it, he might’ve written the whole saga as part of his daughter’s wedding trousseau. Can you imagine getting a whole mythical novel as a wedding gift? Wild. Anyway, “Investiture of the Gods” is still a big deal in Chinese lit circles, packed with supernatural showdowns, legendary heroes, and a whole lot of action. The story’s been reprinted, adapted, and spun off a million ways, but Xu’s original version, printed by Shu Zaiyang, is like the holy grail for fans. There’s not much else on Xu’s personal life—he’s kind of a ghost outside of his work. But hey, if you’re gonna be known for something, leaving behind a world-shaking mythological epic isn’t a bad way to go.