Ma Tianba#

In life, a brave heart met a noble lord, Loyal and true, bound by a warrior's accord. Grateful and steadfast, he sought to repay, Unyielding in courage, keeping danger at bay. Ma Tianba was originally named Ma Er.

Flaming Mountains were scorching hot all year round, with not a blade of grass growing around. Anyone attempting to cross the mountains, even if they had a head of iron and a body of steel, would melt into a puddle. Despite this, some merchants, driven by the lure of profit, attempted to cross the mountains to trade horses in the west.

Yet, upon setting foot in the Flaming Mountains, they were beset by guais. None survived, except for one horse, which bolted and ran for sixty miles after sensing the danger. Exhausted and thirsty, it collapsed at the gate of a manor. An old man named Xu, who lived alone in the manor, took pity on the horse. He took it in, fed it, and cared for it. Gradually, the horse regained its strength and grew robust.

The horse was intelligent and always responded to the old man's kindness with grateful neighs. The old man, seemingly able to understand the horse, said, "I was the eldest in my family. If you wish to join me, you shall be called Ma Er, as my second brother." The old man treated Ma Er with genuine affection, often going hungry himself to ensure Ma Er was well- fed. Ma Er took note of this and remembered it in his heart.

The Flaming Mountains were in perpetual drought, and without the Plantain Fan, there was no spring to sow and no autumn to harvest. Moreover, Xu was getting on in years. One day, as he was feeding Ma Er as usual, he suddenly collapsed by the stable.

Seeing this, Ma Er hoisted the old man onto his back and galloped towards the Plantain Cave on the Emerald Mountain. He ran non-stop for over seven hundred and seventy miles. Yet, by the time they reached the Emerald Mountain, the old man had already passed away. Heartbroken, Ma Er refused to return to the manor and began wandering the mountains.

Seeing Ma Er's gentle nature, the yaoguais in the mountains often bullied him. Ma Er endured their taunts and jests, never getting angry or speaking back. Homeless and unbannered, he lived this way for many days, his once robust body growing thin again.

One day, as he was scavenging along the mountain path for scraps discarded by the lesser yaoguais, he saw an old bull sleeping by the roadside, with fire burning on his fur. Alarmed, Ma Er tried to wake the bull but to no avail. With no other choice, Ma Er hoisted the old bull onto his back and ran towards the Plantain Cave.

Along the way, somehow, the yaoguais, seeing Ma Er carrying a burning bull, were furious. They shouted and attacked, but Ma Er, ignoring them, charged ahead, sustaining many injuries.

It was only when they finally reached the Plantain Cave that Ma Er realized the burning bull was the Bull King, who had got drunk somewhere with friends and was now in a deep sleep. With a few calls from Rakshasi, the Bull King was startled awake from his drunken stupor. Seeing the battered Ma Er, the Bull King laughed heartily, "You are one tough horse! From now on, join my banner, and you shall be named Ma Tianba!"

Thus, Ma Er became Ma Tianba. He trained and practiced martial arts under the Bull King, growing stronger and eventually becoming a great general under the Bull King's command.