Xingshijushi

Xingshijushi, or "Master Who Awakens the World" (醒世居士), appears to be a pseudonymous Chinese author or compiler rather than a clearly identified historical individual. Reliable catalog and reference sources connect the name most firmly with Eight Pieces of Brocade (Ba duan jin / 八段锦), a collection of eight vernacular stories.

Sources describe Eight Pieces of Brocade as a Ming-era or late Ming/early Qing story collection built around cautionary themes such as lust, gambling, drinking, and reckless talk. The tales focus on ordinary people and urban life, mixing entertainment, social observation, and moral instruction in the style of popular storytelling.

Because the real identity behind the pen name is unclear, very little can be said with confidence about the author's life. What has lasted is the voice attached to the name: direct, vivid, and interested in how small human weaknesses can grow into dramatic consequences.