This paper explores the commonali ties and divergences of the philosophies of recluse, as well as the transformation of the literati's metaphysical thought during the Wei-Jin Dynasties. It does so by looking closely at the contemporary views of Xu You and Cao Fu, or what is called "Xu-Cao discourse" in the paper. Traceable to the classical Taoist text Zhuangzi, the Xu-Cao discourse of Wei-Jin periods was inaugurated by Ji Kang in his Biographies of Sages, Wise Men, and Lofty Recluses (Shengxian gaoshi zhuan). Kang was followed by many others, who further developed new and sometimes quite different lines of interpretations on Xu and Cao. The paper first examines the basic structure and ideas of the discourse. It then contextualizes the discourse against the various ways in which the literati understood both their times and their own vocations, as well as the ways in which they faced up to the choice of entering a governmental office or not. Furthermore, the paper investigates the discourse's theoretical underpinnings by clarifying its connections to two intellectual sources: the Zhuangzi and contemporary Zhuangzi studies. It indicates that contemporary Zhuangzi studies had shaped the formation of the discourse in three major aspects: (1) yiyin weigao lun, the notion that the worth of reclusion is higher than that of holding an office; (2) xian buji sheng lun; the notion that a man of virtue is lesser than a sage; (3) yinyi caiyong lun, the notion that a hermit can also be serviceable. Finally, the paper relates to the Neo-Taoism of Wei-Jin periods and ends with a discussion on three prominent issues: (1) the philosophies of reclusion; (2) the controversy over conformity and naturalness; (3) the doctrine of sagehood.