Zuo Ci, the Mocking Sage

Zuo Ci, the Mocking Sage was released in 1999 as part of the Portal Three Kingdoms expansion for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. This set was unique in its thematic focus, adapting the characters and events of the historical Chinese epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms into the game's mechanics. The expansion was designed specifically to serve as a beginner-friendly entry point for the game, utilizing simplified rulesets that focused on combat and direct interaction rather than the complex stack-based mechanics prevalent in standard sets at the time.

The card features artwork by the illustrator Gao Shan, who provided a visual interpretation of Zuo Ci, a legendary Taoist hermit and sorcerer from the Three Kingdoms period. The design team sought to capture his reputation as a master of illusions and avoidance, resulting in a card that possesses hexproof-like abilities, rendering him untargetable by opposing spells. While initially received as a niche set due to its limited distribution in the Asia-Pacific market, it has since become a highly sought-after collector's item due to its thematic consistency and the unique mechanical flavor applied to its historical figures.