Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Even before Zhang Xiu launched his first feint, Ma Chao had already led a force of Western Liang cavalry, expanded from the Flying Bear Army, into the depths of the forest under cover of darkness. This force was well-equipped, the Western Liang soldiers were strong and powerful, and their horses were equally plump and robust. Ma Chao knew this was no time to conserve his horsepower; he had to reach his designated location as quickly as possible to complete his strategic deployment.

Under the leadership of Ma Chao, the Western Liang cavalry, like a black torrent, rapidly advanced towards Beidi County under the cover of darkness. Their movements were swift and stealthy, without a sound, like a group of ghosts moving through the darkness.

The Qiang general had barely lain down to sleep when the gong suddenly blared from the tent. This was the third time the Western Liang army had attacked. Mi Tang and his generals hurried out of the tent, cursing profusely.

As soon as they met up, the leaders clamored to wipe out this group of hateful Xiliang soldiers. Mi Tang was also furious at this time, but he was a little more cautious and said, "Let's wait a while. It won't be too late to talk about it when they launch an attack."

This time, however, was different from the previous situation. This time, the Xiliang army was fully lit with torches, appearing brightly lit from afar. Illuminated by the flames, the distant Xiliang army formations flickered amidst the shadows, their lights flickering. Mi Tang and the other leaders strained to see, only to see a tall, upright figure looming within the ranks. That figure seemed to emanate a unique aura, like a ray of light in the darkness.

Their eyes fixed on the figure, trying to discern it. Its outline was blurred in the firelight, sometimes clear, sometimes hazy, as if shrouded in a veil. Their hearts raced as they wondered if it was truly Ma Chao. Though they couldn't see clearly, the figure's posture and aura instilled a strange sense of familiarity and awe. An invisible pressure emanated from the blurry form, causing their breathing to quicken. Rumors about Ma Chao and his past fame raced through their minds, leaving them increasingly uncertain and hesitant to make a quick judgment.

Mi Tang immediately put aside his contempt and said to the generals, "Ma Chao's arrival in person is definitely not a tactic to tire out the troops. Perhaps he's really planning an attack this time. We should cautiously defend the camp." The generals nodded in agreement, for after all, Ma Chao's prestige had long been deeply imprinted in the minds of the leaders. Now that Ma Chao was personally in the army, the generals no longer dared to shout so brazenly about exterminating the Xiliang troops.

In the Xiliang army, Ma Dai wore clothing very similar to Ma Chao's, riding a snow-white horse and clutching a spear. He kept galloping back and forth among the troops. To better imitate Ma Chao's physique, he deliberately padded a lot of clothes under his armor, making himself look a little more burly.

Ma Dai strained his brains to recall and imitate Ma Chao's daily movements and forms. Due to the distance, he managed to achieve a near-perfect resemblance. He silently encouraged himself, knowing this moment was crucial. He absolutely could not lose his brother's momentum, let alone his reputation. He threw himself into the action, striving for perfection in every movement, as if truly embodying Ma Chao. With a fierce aura, he displayed a unique majesty within the ranks.

This time, the situation was drastically different from the previous two. Zhang Xiu, before the battle line, unleashed a furious challenge to the Qiang tribe, shouting, "My general is here! Come out! Who dares to fight at night?" and other utterly arrogant words. The Qiang leaders were now frozen in fear, fearing that their leader, Mi Tang, would lose his temper and order one of them to fight. Mi Tang was helpless, fearing Ma Chao's formidable reputation. He feared that if he opened his camp to meet the enemy, the Western Liang troops would seize the opportunity and charge into his ranks, so he remained patient. Mi Tang endured with such intensity that veins bulged in his forehead, yet he fretted over the lack of warriors capable of standing up to Ma Chao. Tired of his scolding, and seeing the hour drawing to a close, Zhang Xiu withdrew with his troops. Their departure stirred suspicion in Mi Tang. Logically, after two such attempts, Ma Chao had come personally this time, surely demanding a decisive battle. Why had he left like this again?

I thought tonight would be peaceful. Perhaps this was truly the tactic the generals believed it was—a tactic to tire out the troops. But then Mi Tang thought again: How could they tire out the troops like this? Could it be that Ma Chao had some other agenda? Mi Tang pondered, but nothing could make sense. He couldn't figure out Ma Chao's intentions, so he returned to his tent in frustration. However, Ma Chao's repeated attacks only deepened Mi Tang's suspicions, and he couldn't sleep.

The leaders looked at each other in bewilderment, none daring to step forward and respond to Mi Tang. Seeing their cowardice, Mi Tang couldn't help but feel angry, and finally he had to call on a close leader to lead the battle. The leader was extremely reluctant and hesitated for a long time. Only after Mi Tang glared at him fiercely did he lead his troops with an uneasy mood, opened the camp and rushed out.

At this time, Ma Dai, who was pretending to be Ma Chao in the Xiliang formation, was a little anxious when faced with the situation of the Qiang general going to fight. After all, Ma Chao was not there. With his strength, if he acted rashly and failed to kill the Qiang general quickly, he would definitely be exposed. However, he pretended to be very calm on the surface and still sat upright on his horse without moving.

Xu Huang on this side reacted extremely quickly. He first shouted to the Qiang general: "Bold Qiang general, how dare you come to challenge the power of my general!" Then he turned his head and shouted to the army: "General, wait a moment, I will go up and kill this arrogant man!" Xu Huang cleverly resolved the embarrassing situation of Ma Dai being unable to take action at the critical moment. Then he brandished his axe, rode out on his horse without hesitation, and fought fiercely with the Qiang leader.

Xu Huang rushed towards the Qiang general like a tiger descending from a mountain, his axe flashing with a cold gleam. The Qiang general, already timid, was even more panicked by Xu Huang's ferocious stance. Xu Huang swung his axe fiercely, creating a gust of wind. The Qiang general hurriedly raised his spear to block, but his arm went numb from the shock. Xu Huang then launched another round of violent attacks, slashing left and right with his axe, each blow powerful. The Qiang general was beaten back step by step, in a state of disarray, his moves in disarray and completely lost. He tried to fight back, but Xu Huang gave him no chance, his fierce aura almost suffocating him. Xu Huang's every swing of the axe was filled with the determination to kill. The Qiang general retreated continuously under his pressure, stumbling and nearly falling. Xu Huang seized the opportunity, roared, and with all his might, he launched a fierce blow at the Qiang general. The general's eyes widened in fear, but he could no longer dodge. With a scream, Xu Huang cut him down from his horse. The surrounding soldiers were stunned by Xu Huang's bravery, and for a moment, the battlefield fell into silence.

At this moment, there was an uproar in the Xiliang Dongqiang army. They only sent out one leader, and before they could find out whether it was Ma Chao, he was beheaded again. Mi Tang tightly grasped the handle of the scimitar at his waist with both hands, secretly angry in his heart, wondering why there were so many brave generals in the Xiliang army?

Mi Tang considered sending his chieftains out to fight again, but as he surveyed the cowardly expressions of his chieftains, he knew they were all terrified by Ma Chao. Even before Ma Chao had even made a move, the chieftains who had already been dispatched had already been slain, let alone Ma Chao himself. Helplessly, Mi Tang abandoned the idea and instead ordered his generals, "That Ma is extremely brave. Prepare yourselves! Secure the camp and string your bows and crossbows. If Ma Chao dares to charge, we will fight to the death. If we can hold him off for a day or two, once chaos breaks out in Xiliang, Ma Chao will no longer dare to watch his homeland being plundered. He will surely return to support us, and then we will be victorious." The chieftains breathed a sigh of relief when Mi Tang no longer urged them to fight. They returned to their tents to urge their spearmen to prepare for battle, pledging to resist to the death and resolutely defend the camp.