Kunlun Nu

The hero of the tale is a Negrito slave who uses his extraordinary physical abilities to save his master's lover from a court official's harem.

It takes place during the Dali reign era (766-80) of Emperor Daizong of Tang and follows the tale of a young man named Cui who enlists the aid of Mole,[1] his negrito slave, to help free his beloved who was forced to join a court official's harem.

[2] Mole's gravity defying abilities and agelessness suggests the fictional character is a practitioner of esoteric life-prolonging exercises akin to xian, or immortals.

According to a tale attributed to the Daoist adept Ge Hong, some hunters in the Zhongnan Mountains saw a naked man whose body was covered in black hair.

[3] The late Ming dynasty bibliographer and playwright Mei Dingzuo (梅鼎祚, 1549–1615) wrote a play entitled "How the Kunlun Slave Became an Immortal" (昆仑奴剑侠成仙).

Woodblock print of the Kunlun slave Mole (left) and his master Cui (right) from the 17th century.