Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The midday sun pierced through the clouds, dazzling the remaining snow on the walls of Chang'an. As Dong Bai's dark cloud, treading snow, led the way up the hill, a silver-armored torrent of over a thousand cavalrymen surged from the horizon. Aurora Horses crushed the last sliver of ice, their silver manes glistening pearly in the sunlight. Frost flakes condensed on Ma Chao's black armor rustled and fell. The cold gleam of the lion-swallowed sword at his waist echoed brilliantly with the golden inscription of the "Horse" banner behind him.

"It's the Young Master!" Zhang Liao's roar echoed with the clashing of armor. Dong Bai abruptly removed her helmet, letting her long hair dance wildly in the wind. The mourning cord still tangled in her jet-black hair. She gave the horse a hard kick, and the black steed charged out like an arrow. Behind her, more than a dozen generals simultaneously urged their mounts on, the crisp sound of iron hooves breaking thin ice blending into one.

As the two armies drew closer, the Aurora Horse suddenly reared up and neighed, the sound shaking the snow from the branches. Ma Chao pulled on the reins, his black cloak rustling in the wind. He spotted the silver-armored girl ahead—Dong Bai.

"Mengqi!" Dong Bai cried out with tears in her voice. She nearly fell when she turned over to dismount, but was caught steadily by Ma Chao. The warmth of the young man's palm came through the armor, carrying the familiar smell of gunpowder. Dong Bai looked up at the face that had appeared in her dreams countless times, and suddenly pounded his chest fiercely: "You bastard... you promised to come back alive..."

Ma Dai dismounted, his knees slamming heavily on the snow: "Brother!" He choked and grabbed Ma Chao's wrist, "I knew it... I knew it..." Zhang Liao and Xu Huang knelt on one knee at the same time, their blood-stained bandages fluttering in the wind. Hua Xiong stuck his Iron-Backed Snake Spear into the ground, and when he clasped his fists, the frozen earth rustled: "Major General, the Western Liang Iron Cavalry awaits your order!"

The goose-shaped formation of over ten thousand Xiliang cavalrymen behind him suddenly froze. The clatter of iron hooves, like a surging tide, ceased abruptly, replaced by the uniform sound of reins being pulled in. The neighing of warhorses and the rustling of armor created ripples across the wilderness.

Black armor and weapons connected in the sunlight formed a vast steel wall. Countless spears stood up like a forest, their tips reflecting a blinding cold light that shot straight into the sky. The wolf-headed swords at the soldiers' waists swayed slightly with their breathing.

"Bang!" The centurion in the front row was the first to dismount, his knees thumping against the frozen ground. The tremor resonated like thunder across the wasteland, instantly igniting the entire army. Then, eighty thousand cavalrymen landed simultaneously, stirring up a mist of snow and black armor that surged like a tide of submission. All their spears pointed slantingly toward the sky, interweaving in the sunlight into an impenetrable silver web. Ice beads condensed on the spear tassels fell, leaving tiny dents on the ground.

"Welcome back to camp, young master!" A hundred thousand roars shattered the sky, startling a cloud of crows. As Ma Chao's gaze swept over, over a thousand pairs of eyes simultaneously ignited with a burning fire, a thirst for revenge, a determination for iron-blooded vengeance.

"Awaiting orders from General Shenwei!" The sound surged like a tsunami. The moment Ma Chao raised his hand, the entire Great Wall of Steel held its breath—the young man who had bathed in blood on the walls of Chang'an had finally returned.

Ma Chao's left arm firmly wrapped around Dong Bai's trembling waist, his right hand already pressing hard on Zhang Liao's blood-stained shoulder armor. As he leaned forward, his black armor collided with the frozen ground, sending up icy shards that landed beside Zhang Liao's blood-crusted bandages. "Brother Wenyuan, it's a good thing you left this wound alone! When we conquer Chang'an, I'll offer you three large bowls!" Before he finished speaking, he had already reached out and grabbed Ma Dai, the warmth of his palm penetrating his brother's armor and penetrating his heart.

Xu Huang was about to stand when Ma Chao grabbed his shoulder. The young general's fingertips traced the notch on his axe blade, his eyes blazing with heat. "This mountain-splitting axe, Gongming, deserves its share of blood!" He spun abruptly, his black cloak fluttering, completely enveloping the 100,000 cavalrymen behind him.

"Men of Xiliang!" Ma Chao's roar tore through the sky, startling the wolf-head flags at the gate. "I've heard your mourning cloths crying in the wind and snow for three months! I've seen your blades chip away at the city wall!" He suddenly ripped open his clothes, revealing the hideous arrow wound on his heart. "This scar was left by me in Chang'an! From today on, the emperor of Chang'an will fill it with his life!"

"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!" The roar surged like a raging tide, shaking the battle flags. Ma Chao looked at the steel torrent formed by the blood-red armor before him, and his Adam's apple rolled heavily. He took a deep breath and shouted in a voice like a bell: "Everyone, get up! Follow me back to camp!" Before he finished speaking, the Aurora Horse was already slowly stepping forward on the broken ice.

Ma Chao swiftly mounted his horse, turned, and extended his calloused hand to Dong Bai. The girl's eyelashes fluttered as she placed her palm upon the warmth. He gently retracted his arm, and Dong Bai landed gracefully in front of him, her back pressed against his armored chest. The Aurora horse, as if sensing its master's heroic spirit, raised its head and let out a clear neigh.

"Gee!" Ma Chao whipped the reins, sending his warhorse galloping. Behind him, Zhang Liao, Ma Dai, and the others simultaneously mounted their mounts, their movements coordinated as one. Amid the clang of armor clashing, eighty thousand cavalrymen thundered into action. A forest of spears gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and in the rising snow and mist, large banners bearing the Chinese character "马" fluttered.

The mighty cavalry surged towards the camp like a black tide. The sound of horse hooves rumbled like thunder, startling a flock of crows. From afar, this iron-blooded army seemed poised to shatter the entire wasteland, vowing to avenge its bloody foes in Chang'an with a raging prairie fire.

The midday sun shone obliquely on the battlements of Chang'an. Guan Yu's Azure Dragon Crescent Blade gleamed coldly, and he narrowed his eyes to gaze at the surging Xiliang army several miles away. Zhang Fei's knuckles turned white as he gripped his snake spear, his eyes wide: "Brother! That Xiliang camp is in turmoil. Are they up to something?"

Before he could finish his words, a gust of wind swept in, carrying shattered snow, and lifted the plain mourning cloth in front of the Xiliang camp into the air. Guan Yu's pupils constricted—the camp, once shrouded in white banners, was now transformed into a dazzling torrent of iron armor. One hundred thousand soldiers simultaneously tore off their mourning bands in unison, their dark red chain mail glistening in the sunlight, like thousands of unsheathed blades.

"Pass the order!" Guan Yu turned abruptly, his long beard rustling in the wind. "Hurry and report to my brother! The Xiliang army has abandoned mourning and is preparing for war. Something big is going to happen!" He lowered his voice and ordered his personal guards, "Quickly notify Generals Lü Fengxian and Zhao Zilong to guard the city gates and increase vigilance!"

Zhang Fei thrust his lance fiercely into the wall, shaking off a cloud of brick dust. "I, Zhang Fei, want to see what these Xiliang barbarians are up to!" Before he could finish his words, a deafening roar suddenly erupted in the distance, rolling across the wilderness like thunder. Guan Yu, hand on his sword hilt, gazed at the once-raised wolf-headed banner in front of the Xiliang camp, a sense of foreboding welling up within him—as if a dormant beast were awakening amidst the ice and snow.

The silver hooves of the Aurora Horse crushed the last thin layer of ice, and from a hundred feet away, Ma Chao could see the scene in front of the camp. A cold wind whipped up the shattered snow, sweeping across the steel walls of a hundred thousand cavalrymen. A forest of spears shone a blinding cold light in the sunlight. The soldiers' dark crimson armor and fluttering battle flags dyed the entire camp a boiling sea of ​​blood.

Ma Teng, clad in heavy black iron armor, stood at the camp gate, his graying hair fluttering in the wind. Beside him stood Li Ru, Jia Xu, Xu Shu, and Lu Su, exuding a touch of elegance amid the austere military formation. As Ma Chao's figure drew closer, the old general took a trembling half-step forward, tears welling in his cloudy eyes.

"Gee!" Ma Chao jerked the reins, and Aurora Horse neighed loudly, galloping towards him like the wind. The clatter of hooves resonated like thunder, startling a flock of crows. One hundred thousand soldiers knelt on one knee, the clashing of armor shaking the earth. "Greetings, General Heaven!" The roar soared into the sky, startling the enemy defenders on the Chang'an city walls into a sudden change of expression.

Ma Chao reined in his horse ten feet from the others. As he dismounted, his black armor clashed with the frozen ground, sending up a shower of ice. He strode forward and suddenly dropped to one knee before Ma Teng: "Father, Mengqi is back!" Ma Teng reached out his trembling hands, and the moment he lifted him to his feet, tears welled up in his eyes.

Ma Teng's calloused hands clasped Ma Chao's shoulders tightly, his murky tears splashing onto the boy's blood-stained armor, leaving dark stains. "My son..." his voice trembled, his Adam's apple rolling. His other hand trembled as he stroked Ma Chao's face, as if to confirm the person before him was real. "Do you know how many times I've seen you covered in blood in my dreams these past three years..."

The neighing of the Aurora horses still echoed across the wilderness as Ma Chao collapsed to his knees before Ma Teng. His trembling hands clutched the hem of the old man's robe, grasping at a last straw. "Father!" His cry was heartbreaking, tinged with remorse and torment, shaking the weapons of the surrounding soldiers slightly.

He placed his burning forehead against Ma Teng's calloused knees, his voice choked with sobs as he spoke: "It's all my fault for being young and impulsive. I didn't listen to your advice, which led to the loss of more than half of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry and the death of thousands of my brothers in a foreign land..." His burning tears fell on his black boots, leaving dark marks. "You should be enjoying your old age now, but you're still dragging your aged body around to fight for my mistakes..."

Ma Teng's hands were shaking violently as he stroked Ma Chao's helmet. "My son..." The old man's hoarse voice was filled with suppressed sobs. He suddenly squatted down and hugged the trembling boy into his arms. "As long as you come back alive, it will be a blessing from heaven!"

Silence reigned, save for the howling north wind that swept through the camp. Li Ru quietly removed his feather fan to shield his reddened eyes. Jia Xu's knuckles turned white as he clutched the jade pendant. Dong Bai turned his head away, his shoulders twitching slightly. A hundred thousand cavalrymen knelt simultaneously, the clash of armor like thunder rolling across the wasteland.

"Get up!" Ma Teng suddenly lifted Ma Chao's face, the flame of revenge burning in his cloudy eyes, "Look behind you!" He trembled and pointed at the soldiers lined up in an orderly manner, "These are brothers who are willing to die for you! Look at the top of Chang'an City!" The old man's voice suddenly rose, shaking the battle flags, "Those jackals are still waiting for us to avenge their blood debt!"

Ma Chao suddenly looked up, tears still welling in his red eyes, but already a burning murderous intent was burning within him. He drew his sword from his waist, pointing it directly at the blood-red sunset: "Father! When I take the emperor's head, I will use the bricks and stones of the Chang'an city walls to erect an unshakable monument for my fallen brothers!" A hundred thousand soldiers simultaneously raised their arms and shouted "Mighty General!" The sound rolled like thunder into the distance, startling the enemy defenders on the Chang'an city walls.

As Liu Bei's steed crushed the snow on the city walls, the roar of a hundred thousand Xiliang cavalrymen resounded like thunder. His whip clattered to the ground, his dark cloak whipping wildly in the roar, and he stumbled backward. Guan Yu, quick-witted, swept the hilt of his Green Dragon Crescent Blade across, barely touching his lord's lower back. "Watch out!"

"This...this..." Liu Bei's face paled, clutching the arrow slits on the parapet. In the distance, in front of the Xiliang camp, the wolf-head battle flag was blown almost straight by the strong wind. A hundred thousand soldiers raised their spears like a forest, reflecting a glaring cold light in the sunlight. Further away, a silver-armored cavalryman loomed in the snow and mist, his Aurora horse rearing its head and neighing, a cry that shook the whole area.

Guan Yu's eyes widened suddenly, his long beard trembling slightly in shock. He stared at the familiar figure, his Adam's apple rolling heavily: "General Shenwei Tian... Could it be that Meng Qi is still alive?!" Before he finished speaking, Zhang Fei had already pushed through the crowd and rushed over, his snake spear sparking on the blue bricks: "Who the hell is shouting about the battle? Wait for me, Old Zhang, to go down..." The words suddenly got stuck on his lips, his leopard eyes almost popping out of their sockets, "Wait... that horse... isn't that the Aurora horse that treads on snow without leaving a mark?!"

Liu Bei's fingers, gripping Guan Yu's arm, dug deep into his armor as he watched the cheering and jubilant crowd in the Xiliang camp, a wave of turmoil welling up in his heart. Ma Chao, thought long since lost in the chaos, had returned safely. What thrilling twist would this twist add to the chessboard of these turbulent times?