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aoist　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　headdress；　a　black　loose　robe　and　wooden　clogs。　They　were　all　alike　and　all　answered　to　the　description　of　the　missing　Taoist。

There　was　a　great　hubbub　in　the　street。　Cao　Cao　ordered　his　officer　to　sprinkle　the　crowd　of　Taoists　with　the　blood　of　pigs　and　goats　in　order　to　exorcise　the　witchcraft　and　take　them　away　to　the　drill　ground　on　the　south　of　the　city。　Thither　he　followed　them　with　his　guards；　who　surrounded　the　crowd　of　arrested　persons　and　slew　everyone。　But　from　the　neck　of　each　one；　after　the　head　was　severed；　there　floated　up　into　the　air　a　wreath　of　black　vapor；　and　all　these　wreaths　drifted　toward　a　center　where　they　joined　up　into　the　image　of　another　Zuo　Ci；　who　presently　beckoned　to　him　a　white　crane　out　of　the　sky；　mounted　it　and　sat　as　on　a　horse。

Clapping　his　hands；　the　Taoist　cried　merrily；　〃The　rats　of　the　earth　follow　the　golden　tiger；　and　one　morning　the　doer　of　evil　shall　be　no　more。〃

The　soldiers　shot　arrows　at　both　bird　and　man。　At　this　a　tremendous　storm　burst　over　the　city。　Stones　were　driven　along；　sand　was　whirled　about；　and　all　the　corpses　arose　from　the　ground；　each　holding　his　own　head　in　his　hands。　They　rushed　toward　Cao　Cao　as　if　to　strike　him。　The　officials　covered　their　eyes；　and　none　dared　to　look　another　in　the　face。

The　power　of　a　bold　man　will　overturn　a　state；

The　art　of　a　necromancer　also　produces　wonders。

Read　the　next　chapter　and　you　will　know　the　fate　of　Cao　Cao。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　69　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　69

Chapter　69

Guan　Lu　Sees　Things　In　The　Book　Of　Changes；

Five　Loyal　Subjects　Die　For　Their　State。

The　sight　of　the　corpses　of　his　victims　rising　to　their　feet　in　the　storm　and　running　toward　him　was　too　much　for　Cao　Cao；　and　he　swooned。　However；　the　wind　quickly　fell　and　the　corpses　disappeared。　His　followers　assisted　Cao　Cao　to　his　palace；　but　he　was　very　ill。

A　poet　celebrated　the　episode　of　the　murdered　Taoist：

He　studied　his　magical　books；

He　was　learned　in　mystical　lore；

And　with　magical　fleetness　of　foot

He　could　travel　the　wide　world　over。

The　magical　arts　that　he　knew；

He　employed　in　an　earnest　essay

To　reform　the　bad　heart　of　Cao　Cao。

But　in　vain；　Cao　Cao　held　on　his　way。

Cao　Caos　illness　seemed　beyond　the　art　of　the　physicians；　and　drugs　seemed　of　no　avail。　It　happened　that　Minister　Xu　Zhi　came　from　the　capital　to　visit　the　prince；　who　bade　the　latter　take　a　cast　from　the　〃Book　of　Changes〃。

〃Have　you　ever　heard　of　Guan　Lu？　He　is　more　than　human　in　his　skill　at　divination；〃　said　Xu　Zhi。

〃I　have　heard　a　lot　about　him；　but　I　do　not　know　how　clever　he　is。　You　tell　me　about　him；〃　replied　Cao　Cao。

〃He　is　from　Pingyuan。　His　face　is　ugly　and　coarse；　he　drinks　to　excess　and　is　rather　dissipated。　His　father　was　an　elder　of　Langye。　Since　a　lad　Guan　Lu　loved　to　study　the　stars；　staying　up　all　night　to　watch　them；　in　spite　of　the　prohibition　of　his　father　and　mother。　He　used　to　say　that　if　domestic　fowls　and　wild　geese　knew　the　seasons　naturally；　how　much　more　should　humans。　He　often　used　to　play　with　other　children　at　drawing　pictures　of　the　sky　on　the　ground；　putting　in　the　sun；　moon；　and　stars。　When　he　grew　older　he　studied　the　Book　of　Changes　very　deeply　and　observed　the　winds。　He　was　a　marvelous　calculator　and　excellent　physiognomist。

〃His　fame　reached　the　ears　of　Shan　Zichun；　the　Governor　of　Langye；　who　called　him　to　his　residence　for　an　interview。　There　were　present　some　hundred　or　so　other　guests；　everyone　of　whom　could　be　called　able　of　speech。

〃I　am　young　and　not　over…bold；　said　Guan　Lu　to　the　Governor。　I　pray　you　give　me　three　flasks　of　wine　to　loosen　my　tongue。　The　request　was　astonishing；　but　the　wine　was　brought　in；　and　when　he　had　drunk　it；　Guan　Lu；　looking　contemptuously　at　the　other　guests；　said；　Now　I　am　ready。　Are　these　the　opponents　you　have　got　together　for　me　to　contend　with？　Are　these　gentlemen　sitting　around　me　disputants？

〃I　myself　am　anxious　for　a　match　with　you；　said　Shan　Zichun。　Then　they　began　upon　the　meaning　of　the　Book　of　Changes。　Guan　Lus　words　poured　forth　like　a　torrent；　and　his　ideas　were　most　recondite。　The　Governor　replied；　stating　difficulties；　Guan　Lu　swept　them　away　in　a　stream　of　eloquence。　So　it　went　on　the　whole　day　without　a　pause　even　for　refreshment。　Neither　Shan　Zichun　nor　his　other　guests　could　help　praising　Guan　Lu　and　agreeing　with　him。

〃His　fame　spread　wide　after　this　encounter；　and　people　spoke　of　him　as　the　Supernatural　Boy。　After　this　he　became　famous　in　another　way。　There　was　a　certain　Guo　En；　a　mon　man；　who　had　two　brothers。　All　three　became　lame；　and　they　called　in　Guan　Lu　to　cast　lots　and　discover　the　reason。　Guan　Lu　said；　By　the　lots　there　is　a　female　demon　in　your　family　tomb；　an　aunt；　the　wife　of　one　of　your　fathers　brothers。　Some　years　ago；　in　a　time　of　famine；　for　the　sake　of　a　few　carts　of　grain；　she　was　pushed　into　a　well　and　a　great　stone　was　thrown　in　on　her；　crushing　her　head　so　that　she　suffered　intensely。　She　plained　to　the　Most　High；　and　your　lameness　is　the　retribution　for　that　crime。　No　prayers　will　avert　the　evil。　The　three　brothers　wept　and　acknowledged　their　guilt。

〃Governor　Wang　Ji　of　Anping；　heard　of　the　diviners　fame　and　invited　him　to　e　on　a　visit；　and　he　went。　It　happened　that　another　guest　of　the　Governor　was　the　magistrate　of　Xindu；　whose　wife　suffered　from　headaches　and　his　son　from　pains　in　the　heart。　Guan　Lu　was　asked　to　discover　the　reason。　He　cast　lots　and　said　that　at　the　west　corner　of　the　main　hall　there　were　buried　two　corpses；　one　of　a　man　who　held　a　spear；　the　other　of　a　man　who　had　a　bow　and　arrows。　The　wall　was　built　across　them。　The　spearmans　master　had　gashed　his　head；　and　so　his　head　pained。　The　archers　master　had　stabbed　him　in　the　heart；　and　so　his　heart　suffered　anguish。　They　dug　where　Guan　Lu　indicated　and；　about　eight　spans　down；　found　two　coffins；　one　with　a　spear　inside　and　the　other　with　a　strung　bow　and　wooden　arrows。　All　were　much　decayed。　Guan　Lu　bade　them　remove　the　bones　and　bury　them　three　miles　outside　the　walls。　Thereafter　the　woman　and　her　son　suffered　no　more。

〃A　certain　Zhuge　Yuan；　Magistrate　of　Guantao；　newly　promoted　to　Governor；　was　leaving　for　his　new　post；　and　Guan　Lu　went　to　see　him　off。　One　of　the　guests　mentioned　that　Guan　Lu　could　divine　what　was　hidden　from　sight。　The　Governor　doubted　such　powers　and　said　he　would　put　a　test。　He　got　a　swallows　egg；　a　wasps　nest；　and　a　spider；　and　concealed　them　in　three　separate　boxes。　He　asked　Guan　Lu　to　guess　the　contents。　The　divination　made；　Guan　Lu　wrote　three　quatrains：

The　latent　life　will　declare　itself；

It　will　cling　to　your　lordly　hall；

Or　male　or　female；　flung　into　space；

Wide　wings　will　prevent　its　fall。