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He decided to retire. But as he gave the order, the roar of a bomb rent the air and arrows began to fly toward him thick as swarming locusts. All the hidden men were shooting at the rider of the white horse. And there, wounded by many arrows, poor Pang Tong died at the age of thirty-six.

A poem says:

Deep in the blue recesses of Xian Hills

Lay hid the modest cot of Pang Tong.

But now each village urchin knows his story,

And any village rustic tells his exploits.

He knew the empire must be triply rent,

And far he traveled lonely, to and fro.

None knew that Heaven would cast down his star,

Forbidding his return in glory clad.

A song was also written referring to Pang Tong:

They were two, the Phoenix and the Dragon,

And they would travel far to the west;

But on the road thither

The Phoenix died on the mountain slope.

The wind drives off the rain,

The rain sends off the wind.

It was the day of the Han restoration,

When the west was attained,

But in the attainment

The Dragon was alone.

Not only was the leader of the expedition slain, but more than half of his soldiers fell in the narrow road that fatal day. Some of the troops in the van escaped and ran off to tell Wei Yan of the mishap to the army, and he halted and turned back to help. However, it was difficult to march back, and he could not hack a way through, for the road was held by Zhang Ren, and archers and crossbowmen occupied all the heights.

Then one of the renegades proposed that they should try to return along the high road, and they started for Luocheng this way. But in front of them arose a great cloud of dust, betraying the approach of an enemy. Wu Lan and Lei Tong, the defenders of the city, were moving toward them, and Wei Yan was between the two armies closed in like the kernel of a nut. Wei Yan fought hard to get through. When his case seemed most desperate and hopeless, he observed signs of confusion in the army that lay between him and the city. Soon that army turned and faced the other way. He pressed forward and presently saw troops of his own side, led by the veteran Huang Zhong.

“I will rescue you, Wei Yan!” shouted Huang Zhong, as he came near.

Now the defenders of Luocheng found themselves between two enemies, and they were smitten heavily. They could not check Wei Yan and Huang Zhong, who got close to the very walls of Luocheng. Seeing them near, Liu Gui, who had been left to defend the city, poured out against them. Thereupon Huang Zhong and Wei Yan, in spite of the nearness of the army of Liu Bei, refused battle and turned sway from the city.

Liu Bei's army made a dash for two stockades, but when Zhang Ren came along the by-road, and the other three defenders of the city came on, the stockades could not be held, and Liu Bei's army had to retire. Now fighting and now marching, the army of Liu Bei strove hard to reach River Fu Pass, but Zhang Ren pressed close. However, Liu Feng and Guan Ping came up, and not only drove back the pursuers but chased them some seven miles. Finally, Liu Bei and his troops reached the Pass, weary and dispirited. His son and nephew returned from the pursuit with many horses they had captured from the flying enemy. However, nothing had been gained and the victory lay rather with the army of the Western Land of River.

One of the fugitives from the army finally reached River Fu Pass and told Liu Bei of the sad news of Pang Tong, man and horse wounded to death. Liu Bei turned his face to the west and mourned bitterly.

Although the body of the slain leader lay far away, they instituted sacrifice to call the spirit, and all the generals keened for him.

Then said Huang Zhong, “Now that our leader is no more, certainly the enemy will return to attack the Pass. What is to be done? I think we would better send to Jingzhou for Zhuge Liang and get him to lay plans for getting possession of the Western Land of Rivers.” And even then came in one to say that the enemy under Zhang Ren had come and were now offering a challenge at the rampart.

Huang Zhong and Wei Yan wished to go forth to fight, but Liu Bei disapproved, saying, “We have suffered a severe check, and the soldiers are low-spirited. Let us rather remain on the defensive until the Directing Instructor can arrive.”