A Chinese folklore tale of Left Cai's extraordinary abilities, including fishing giant fish, acquiring rare ingredients, and eluding capture, during his time as a guest of Cao Cao.
ZuoCi, also known as Yuan Fang, was a native of Lujiang. He possessed extraordinary powers from a young age. He once sat at Cao Cao’s side, and Cao Cao, with a smile, said to the guests, “Today, we have a grand gathering, and we have a variety of rare delicacies. The only thing missing is a dish made from perch caught in the Wu Song River.” Yuan Fang replied, “This is easy to obtain.” He then took a copper plate, filled it with water, and hung bait on a bamboo pole to fish in the plate. After a while, he pulled up a perch. Cao Cao applauded and the guests at the banquet were all amazed. Cao Cao said, “One fish is not enough for everyone here; it would be best to catch two.” Yuan Fang then added more bait and continued fishing. After a while, he caught two fish, both over three feet long and lively. Cao Cao personally prepared the fish and generously distributed them to the guests. Cao Cao said, “Now we have the perch, but unfortunately, we don’t have Sichuan ginger.” Yuan Fang replied, “This can also be obtained.” Cao Cao was concerned about him buying it nearby, so he said, “I sent someone to Sichuan to buy brocade last year. You can instruct my envoys to buy an additional four zhang (a unit of measurement).” After Yuan Fang left, he returned shortly with the ginger and said, “I saw your envoy at the Sichuan brocade market and told them to buy an extra four zhang as you instructed.”
Over a year later, Cao Cao’s envoy returned, indeed having purchased an extra four zhang. Cao Cao asked him, and the envoy said, “On a certain day last year, I met a person in the market who conveyed your order to me.” Later, when Cao Cao went on an outing to the outskirts with over a hundred attendants, Yuan Fang carried a jar of wine and a piece of meat, personally serving wine to all the officials. All the officials were intoxicated and full. Cao Cao found this strange and ordered an investigation. Upon inspecting the wine shop, they discovered that all the wine and meat had disappeared the previous night. Cao Cao was very angry and secretly planned to capture Yuan Fang. When they went to Cao Cao’s residence to apprehend him, he retreated and vanished into the wall. Cao Cao then offered a reward for the capture of Yuan Fang.
Someone saw him in the market and attempted to capture him, but all the people in the market transformed into the likeness of Yuan Fang, making it impossible to identify him. Later, someone encountered Yuan Fang on Yangcheng Mountain and tried to pursue him, but he walked into a herd of sheep and disappeared. Cao Cao realized that he couldn’t capture him, so he sent a message to the sheep herd, saying, “Cao Gong (Cao Cao) no longer intends to harm you. Originally, it was just a test of your magical abilities. Since it has proven to be effective, I simply want to meet with you.” Suddenly, an old ram bent its two front legs and stood upright like a human, saying, “Startled like this.” The person immediately said, “This is the one!” Everyone rushed toward that ram. However, there were hundreds of sheep, all of which had turned into rams, bending their two front legs and standing upright, saying, “Startled like this.” So, they couldn’t figure out which one to catch. Laozi (Lao Tzu) said, “The reason I have worries is that I have a body; if I didn’t have a body, what would I have to worry about?” People like Laozi can be said to be able to exist without a body. Isn’t that extraordinary?
《左慈显神通》
左慈字元放，庐江人也。少有神通。尝在曹公座，公笑顾众宾曰：“今日高会，珍羞略备。所少者，吴松江鲈鱼为脍。”放云：“此易得耳。”因求铜盘贮水，以竹竿饵钓于盘中。须臾，引一鲈鱼出。公大拊掌，会者皆惊。公曰：“一鱼不周坐客，得两为佳。”放乃复饵钓之。须臾，引出。皆三尺余，生鲜可爱。公便自前脍之，周赐座席。公曰：“今既得鲈，恨无蜀中生姜耳。”放曰：“亦可得也。”公恐其近道买，因曰：“吾昔使人至蜀买锦，可敕人告吾使，使增市二端。”人去，须臾还，得生姜。又云：“于锦肆下见公使，已敕增市二端。”后经岁余，公使还，果增二端。问之，云：“昔某月某日，见人于肆下，以公敕敕之。”后公出近郊，士人从者百数。放乃赍酒一罂，脯一片，手自倾罂，行酒百官，百官莫不醉饱。公怪，使寻其故。行视沽酒家，昨悉亡其酒脯矣。公怒，阴欲杀放。放在公座，将收之，却入壁中，霍然不见。乃募取之。或见于市，欲捕之，而市人皆放同形，莫知谁是。后人遇放于阳城山头，因复逐之，遂走入羊群。公知不可得，乃令就羊中告之，曰：“曹公不复相杀，本试君术耳。今既验，但欲与相见。”忽有一老羝，屈前两膝，人立而言曰：“遽如许。”人即云：“此羊是。”竞往赴之。而群羊数百，皆变为羝，并屈前膝，人立，云：“遽如许。”于是遂莫知所取焉。老子曰：“吾之所以为大患者，以吾有身也；及吾无身，吾有何患哉。”若老子之俦，可谓能无身矣，岂不远哉也。