In the final years of the Eastern Han dynasty, Dong Zhuo seized power and chaos engulfed the land. The young Ma Chao rose to prominence in Xiliang, slew the Qiang and Hu chieftains in battle, brought the various tribes under his command, and strengthened the foundations of the Ma family army.
When the forces from Guandong campaigned against Dong Zhuo, he defeated Hua Xiong with a thrust of his spear and joined the Three Heroes in battling Lü Bu, making his name in a single fight. When chaos broke out in Chang'an, he rode through the night to restore order, then raced a thousand li to quell a rebellion in Liangzhou.
Later, Ma Chao led the iron cavalry of Xiliang east into the Central Plains, seized Tong Pass through cunning, and routed Yuan Shu's army, his forces advancing straight toward supremacy over the land. In an age when warlords fought for dominion, he relied on courage and strategy, set on restoring the Han dynasty, and embarked on a heroic quest to conquer the realm.
