On reentering the city, Liu Bei met a person in the street wearing a hempen turban, a cotton robe confined by a black girdle, and black shoes. He came along singing a song:

"The universe is rived, O! Now nears the end of all. The noble mansion quakes, O! What beam can stay the fall? A wise one waits his lord, O! But hidden in the glen, The seeker knows not him, O! Nor me, of common humans."

Liu Bei listened.

"Surely this is one of the people Water Mirror spoke of," thought he.

He dismounted, spoke to the singer, and invited him into his residence. Then when they were seated, he asked the stranger's name.

" I am from Yingchuan, and my name is Shan Fu.I have known you by repute for a long time, and they said you appreciated humans of ability.I wanted to come to you but every way of getting an introduction seemed closed. So I bethought me of attracting your notice by singing that song in the market place."

Liu Bei thought he had found a treasure and treated the newcomer with the greatest kindness. Then Shan Fu spoke of the horse that he had seen Liu Bei riding and asked to look at it. So the animal was brought round.

"Is not this a Dilu horse?" said Shan Fu. "But though it is a good steed, it risks his master. You must not ride it."

"It has already fulfilled the omens," said Liu Bei, and he related the story of the leap over the Tan Torrent.

"But that was saving his master, not risking him. It will surely harm someone in the end. But I can tell you how to avert the omen."

"I should be glad to hear it," said Liu Bei.

"If you have an enemy against whom you bear a grudge, give him this horse and wait till it has fulfilled the evil omens on this person, then you can ride it in safety."

Liu Bei changed color.

"What, Sir! You are but a new acquaintance, and you would advise me to take an evil course and to harm another for my own advantage? No, Sir! I cannot listen."

His guest smiled, saying, "People said you were virtuous. I could not ask you directly, so I put it that way to test you."

Liu Bei's expression changed. He rose and returned the compliment, saying, "But how can I be virtuous while I lack your teaching?"

"When I arrived here, I heard the people saying:

"Since Liu Bei came here, O blessed day! We've had good luck, long may he stay!

"So you see, the effects of your virtue extend to the ordinary people."

Thereupon Shan Fu was made Commanding Adviser of the army.