Tossup

While playing a board game, a man in this novel remains composed as his bone is scraped for poison. (10[1])Earlier in this novel, (10[1])that character hopes to “die on the same day, in the same month and in the same year” (10[1])as men he met at an inn. A ritual in this novel is performed for three days and three nights to summon an eastern wind before a battle. A strategist in this novel “borrowed” arrows for a battle (10[1])whose wind he used to carry fire ships into a fleet. That crushing defeat was suffered by Cáo Cāo (10[1])(“tsao tsao”), the main antagonist of this member of the Four Great Classical Novels. (10[4])For 10 points, name this historical Chinese novel titled for the conflict between Wei, Shu, and Wu. ■END■

ANSWER: Romance of the Three Kingdoms [or Sānguó Yǎnyì]
<Washington A + Sheffield A, World Literature>
= Average correct buzz position

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