Guiguzi

Guiguzi (鬼谷子), also called Baihece (traditional Chinese: 捭闔策; simplified Chinese: 捭阖策; pinyin: bǎihécè), is a collection of ancient Chinese texts compiled between the late Warring States period and the end of the Han dynasty. The work, between 6,000 and 7,000 Chinese characters, discusses techniques of rhetoric. Although originally associated with the School of Diplomacy, the Guiguzi was later integrated into the Daoist canon. The set of books is also sometimes called Benjing yinfu qishu (traditional Chinese: 本經陰符七術; simplified Chinese: 本经阴符七术; pinyin: běnjīng yīnfú qīshù). The author is referred to as Guiguzi, active in the 4th century BC. The name translates literally to 'Sage of Ghost Valley'. There are many theories about Guiguzi's origin. One hypothesizes him to be from the Zhongyuan dynastic state of Wey (now Henan); the other claims him to be from Yedi (鄴地, now Hebei) in the state of Wei. Other theories attribute his origin to either the city of Dancheng in the state of Chen, or near the county of Yunyang (Shaanxi) on the bank of the Han River. During the Wei and Jin dynasties, he was regarded as a hermit and a daoshi (Daoist priest) who lived apart from the masses in Ghost Valley (鬼谷).