Pang Tong

Pang Tong (Chinese: 庞统; Hanyu pinyin: 龐統; Wade-Giles: Páng Tǒng) was a Daoist mystic who lived in China during the Three Kingdoms period. He had a minor role in the wars of the era. He was a major character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Little is known about Pang Tong. He was a known associate of Zhuge Liang, the two having met some time between 197 and 200. Some popular accounts hold that Zhuge Liang consulted with Pang Tong before the plot at Red Cliffs, but this is unlikely.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Pang Tong had a much larger role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Like Zhuge Liang, he is depicted as a mystic capable of magical acts, particularly the art of the "Stepless Walk." As part of a plot with Zhuge Liang, he entered service with Cao Cao as an advisor. During the Red Cliffs campaign, he convinced Cao Cao to chain his ships together, which allowed the flames to spread faster. Cao Cao discovered the betrayal and ordered Pang Tong killed, but Pang Tong escaped, disappearing from the deck of the flagship and reappearing on shore.