Cao Cao was more than ever perplexed. He bade his visitor be seated, and, as Zuo Ci asked for refreshment, wine and food were brought in. The Taoist ate ravenously, consuming a whole sheep, and drank in proportion. Yet he showed no sign of intoxication or repletion.
“By what magic are you here?” said Cao Cao.
“I am but a poor Taoist. I went into Shu, and on Mount Omi, I studied the way for thirty long years. One day I heard my name called from out the rocky wall of my cell. I looked, but could see nothing. The same thing happened next day, and so on for many days. Then suddenly, with a roar like thunder, the rock split asunder, and I saw a sacred book in three volumes called 'The Book of Concealing Method'. From the first volume I learned to ascend to the clouds astride the wind, to sail up into the great void itself; from the second to pass through mountains and penetrate rocks; from the third, to float light as vapor, over the seas, to become invisible at will or change my shape, to fling swords and project daggers so as to decapitate a man from a distance. You, O Prince, have reached the acme of glory; why not now withdraw and, like me, become a disciple of the Taoists? Why not travel to Mount Omi and there mend your ways so that I may bequeath my three volumes to you?”
“Oft have I reflected upon this course and struggled against my fate, but what can I do? There is no one to maintain the government,” replied Cao Cao.
“There is Liu Bei of Yiazhou, a scion of the dynastic family; could you not make way for him? If you do not, I may have to send one of my flying swords after your head one day.”
“You are one of his secret agents,” said Cao Cao, suddenly enraged. “Seize him!” cried he to his lictors.
They did so, while the Taoist laughed. And Zuo Ci continued to laugh as they dragged him down to the dungeons, where they beat him cruelly. And when they had finished, the Taoist lay there gently respiring in a sound sleep, just as if he felt nothing whatever.
This enraged Cao Cao still more, and he bade them put the priest into the large wooden collar and nail it securely and then chain him in a cell. And Cao Cao set guards over him, and the guards saw the collar and chains just fall off while the victim lay fast asleep not injured in the least.
The Taoist lay in prison seven days without food or water; and when they went to look at him, he was sitting upright on the ground, quite well and rosy looking.
The gaolers reported these things to Cao Cao, who had the prisoner brought in.
“I do not mind going without food for years,” said the victim, when Cao Cao questioned him, “yet I could eat a thousand sheep in a day.”
Cao Cao was at the end of his resources; he could prevail nothing against such a man.
That day there was to be a great banquet at the new palace, and guests came in crowds. When the banquet was in progress and the wine cup passing freely, suddenly the same Taoist appeared. He had wooden clogs on his feet. All faces turned in his direction and not a few were afraid; others wondered.
Standing there in front of the great assembly, the Taoist said, “O powerful Prince, here today you have every delicacy on the table and a glorious company of guests. You have rare and beautiful objects from all parts of the world. Is there anything lacking? If there be anything you would like, name it and I will get it for you.”
Cao Cao replied, “Then I want a dragon's liver to make soup: can you get that?”
“Where's the difficulty?” replied Zuo Ci.
With a pencil the Taoist immediately sketched a dragon on the whitewashed wall of the banquet hall. Then he flicked his sleeve over it, the dragon's belly opened of itself, and therefrom Zuo Ci took the liver all fresh and bloody.
“You had the liver hidden in your sleeve,” said Cao Cao, incredulous. “Then there shall be another test,” said the Taoist. “It is winter and every plant outside is dead. What flower would you like, O Prince. Name any one you will.”
“I want a peony,” said Cao Cao.
“Easy,” said the Taoist.
At this request they brought out a flower-pot, which was placed in full view of the guests. Then he spurted some water over it, and in a very short time up came a peony with two fully expanded flowers.
The guests were astonished, and they asked the Taoist to be seated and gave him wine and food. The cook sent in some minced fish.
“The best mince is made from the perch of River Song,” said the Taoist.
“How can you get fish five hundred miles away?” said Cao Cao.
“Not at all difficult. Tell someone to get a rod and hook, and fish in the pond just below this banquet hall.”
They did so, and very soon several beautiful perches lay on the steps.
“I have always kept some of these in my ponds, of course,” said Cao Cao.
“O Prince, do you think to deceive me? All perches have two gills except the River Song perch, which has two pairs. That is the distinguishing feature.”
The guests crowded round to look, and, surely enough, the fish had four gills.
“To cook this perch one needs purple sprout ginger though,” said the Taoist.
“Can you also produce that?” asked Cao Cao.
“Easily.”
Zuo Ci told them to bring in a silver bowl, which the magician filled with water. Very soon the ginger filled the bowl, and he presented it to the host. Cao Cao put out his hand to pick some, when suddenly a book appeared in the bowl and the title was “Cao Cao's New Treatise on the Art of War”. He took it out and read it over. Not a word of his treatise was missing.
Cao Cao became more mystified. Zuo Ci took up a jade cup that stood on the table, filled it with fine wine, and presented it to Cao Cao.
“Drink this, O Prince, and you will live a thousand years.”
“Drink of it first yourself,” said Cao Cao.
The Taoist took the jade pin from his head-dress and drew it across the cup as if dividing the wine into two portions.
Then he drank one half and handed the cup with the other half to Cao Cao. But Cao Cao angrily refused it. The Taoist then threw the cup into the air, where it was transformed into a white dove which circled round the banquet hall and then flew away.
All faces were turned upward following the flight of the dove, and so no one had noticed the going of the Taoist. But he was gone; and soon the gate warden reported that he had left the palace.
Said Cao Cao, “A magician like this ought to be put to death, or he will do some mischief.”
The redoubtable Xu Chu and a company of three hundred armed men were sent to arrest the Taoist. They saw the Taoist, still wearing his wooden clogs, not far ahead but striding along quickly. Xu Chu rode after Zuo Ci, but in spite of all his horse could do, he could not come up with Zuo Ci. He kept up the chase right to the hills, when he met a shepherd lad with a flock of sheep. And there walked the Taoist among the sheep. The Taoist disappeared. The angry warrior slew the whole flock of sheep, while the shepherd lad looked on weeping.
Suddenly the boy heard a voice from one of the severed heads, telling him to replace the heads on the bodies of his sheep. Instead of doing so, he fled in terror, covering his face.
Then he heard a voice calling to him, “Do not run away; you shall have your sheep again.”
He turned, and lo! the sheep were all alive again, and Zuo Ci was driving them along. The boy began to question him, but the Taoist made no reply. With a flick of his sleeves, he was gone.
The shepherd lad went home and told all these marvels to his master. He could not conceal such a story, and it reached Cao Cao. Then sketches of the Taoist were sent everywhere with orders to arrest him. Within three days were arrested in the city and outside three or four hundred persons all blind of one eye, lame of one leg, and wearing a rattan head-dress, a black loose robe and wooden clogs. They were all alike and all answered to the description of the missing Taoist.