Gan Ji

Not to be confused with Xiang Yu's lover, Yuji.

Yu Ji (于吉, rōmaji: U Kitsu) is generally regarded as the fictional name for Gan Ji, a Taoist practitioner during the late Han Dynasty. He is commonly known as a sage who is said to have prophesied Sun Ce's death.

Dynasty Warriors
Yu Ji makes his first appearance in Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends as a dangerous sorcerer who uses his magic to mislead the people of Wu. Upon being confronted by Sun Ce, he responds to his attacker's courage by conjuring harmful phantoms and illusions. Though his efforts manage to weaken the Little Conqueror's health, he is ultimately forced to escape.

In Dynasty Warriors 5, he challenges the lone Sun Ce to a duel within the vicinity of Jian Ye Castle. Aside from creating illusions of himself, Yu Ji also bewitches several soldiers into assisting him. He also conjures phantom versions of Sun Jian and Da Qiao in an attempt to demoralize Sun Ce even more.

During Sun Ce's invasion of Xuchang in Dynasty Warriors 7, Yu Ji greets him with apparitions of his previous foes to wither the former's resolve. Watching his illusions be defeated one by one, he personally decides to test the younger man's might at full power. In spite of his defeat, the sorcerer distracts Sun Ce long enough for Xu Gong's men to mortally wound their target with arrows. Yu Ji also appears as an adversary in Da Qiao's second legendary stage. There, he attempts to overwhelm the couple with illusions of past figures like Lu Bu and Zhang Jiao only to be thwarted by their combined assault in the end.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, Yu Ji is employed by Xu Gong and the Wei army to assassinate Sun Ce who had been out hunting. His sorcery would have sufficed enough in rendering the Little Conqueror as easy prey if not for the interference of Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, and Zhou Tai. If the player manages to defeat him and Xiahou Dun in battle, Sun Ce's entourage will learn enough information on their lord's assailant to hunt him down. Although Yu Ji attempts to slay his foes with an army of phantom soldiers and magicians, the amount of power used in summoning them causes his magic to wane. His downfall against the forces of Wu immediately lifts the curse plaguing Sun Ce.

Warriors Orochi
During the prologue of the second game, Yu Ji sides with the mystics who oppose Orochi at Hinokawa. He is also present in Chi Bi where the mystic leaders Taigong Wang, Fu Xi, and Nu Wa form an uneasy alliance with the Orochi army to test the strength of humanity for themselves.

Quotes

 * "The Little Conqueror. Your head will make a nice trophy."
 * "Humph! You won't fool me with your silly tricks!"
 * Yu Ji and Sun Ce; Dynasty Warriors 5


 * "Just what are you?"
 * "You were fortunate enough to be born with fame, charisma, and luck many times that of other men. Therefore... Your life will last, only half as long as other men."
 * Sun Ce and Yu Ji; Dynasty Warriors 7

Historical Information
Gan Ji was born in Xuzhou, Langye District. Not much was written about him, but there are two primary accounts of his activities. The Jiangbiao Zhuan states that he was a wandering hermit who traveled within the eastern sections of China as an herbalist and doctor. He was said to have healed the injured with holy water and Taoist prayers. His status as a "miracle worker" allegedly earned him thousands of followers within Wu, although the authenticity of this record is disputed as radical propaganda for Taoism. One of his disciples was Gong Chong.

According to Book of Later Han, either he or his disciple presented one hundred volumes of Taiping Jing to Emperor Shun sometime during his reign. Since he was not described within detail in the latter record, most people agree that it was likely that someone like Gong Chong could have delivered the text in Gan Ji's name. In legends and folklore, Gan Ji was said to have personally authored the text after rigorously creating the writing material himself from hundreds of pure white trees.

Sometime in 200, Sun Ce intercepted a Taoist social gathering. He was angered by the popularity of their teachings and sought to execute the ringleader. Despite pleas from thousands of his men and possibly his own mother to spare the taoist, his order was carried out without fail. Record of Three Kingdoms doesn't specifically identify the ringleader as Gan Ji (the person is unnamed), but the Soushenji does under the "Yu Ji" name. Fan Ye, the compiler of Book of Later Han, identified Gan Ji with Yu Ji as though they are one and the same person based on observations regarding the ringleader's popularity. People are still divided over whether this is truly the case.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms adapts Yu Ji's account from the Soushenjì into its narrative. He was a wanderer who traveled around the Jiangdong region and convinced people that he was a mystic who had healing powers. Sun Ce, on the other hand, became suspicious of his sorcery and had him imprisoned on grounds of heresy. The merciful pleas of his followers went ignored as the healer was executed via decapitation. For this, Yu Ji's spirit rose from the dead and began to haunt Sun Ce which eventually brought about his demise.