The Strange Tattooist

As the old saying goes, "A Chinese dragon tattoo should never go beyond the shoulder; a tiger should never descend the mountain; the Guanyin statue should keep her eyes closed, for she does not save the world when her eyes are open; when Guan Gong's eyes are open, he kills in the mortal realm." These are all taboos in traditional tattoo culture. My grandfather, however, was a tattoo artist. He set a clear price for his tattoos—eighty thousand per piece—but not only did people not find it expensive, some even offered five times the price to have one. People came from all over the country, and even from distant regions, seeking him out. The reason my grandfather's tattoos were so popular was simple: the things he tattooed were far too sinister.