Biography
When neighboring lords invaded Lingling, Xing proved his skill by slaying the commanding officer of every invasion himself. He wielded a huge battle axe which he called "Cleaver Of Mountains". After stopping countless attempted invasions and slaying bandit leaders he gained a great deal of fame.
In 209, the warlord Liu Bei attacked Liu Du. Liu Du's son Liu Xian organized an army to resist the invaders. However, when Liu Xian heard that Liu Bei's army was led by Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, he called upon Xing to fight them.
Liu Bei attacked the stockade where Liu Xian and Xing were waiting. Zhuge Liang taunted and lured Xing into a trap. When Xing charged in, Zhuge ordered Zhang Fei to attack Xing when he was retreating, to kill him quickly. Zhang tried slashing at him with his edged spear but Xing was too quick. He wheeled around and blocked Zhang's thrust with his axe.
Xing and Zhang dueled for five rounds with neither side emerging as the victor. Xing was surrounded on all sides but he kept the fight going until Zhao Yun arrived. Xing was unable to resist two of them so he turned around and charged into the enemy formation. Xing encountered Zhao again and realized that he had no hope of escaping, so he dismounted to fight on foot.
Xing's ferocity and bravery caught the attention of Zhuge Liang, who wanted to win him over to Liu Bei's side. Zhuge told Xing to convince Liu Xian to surrender. Xing pretended to agree but launched a secret attack on Liu Bei's camp at night. He was slain by Zhao Yun during the battle.
Read more about this topic: Xing Daorong
Famous quotes containing the word biography:
“Had Dr. Johnson written his own life, in conformity with the opinion which he has given, that every mans life may be best written by himself; had he employed in the preservation of his own history, that clearness of narration and elegance of language in which he has embalmed so many eminent persons, the world would probably have had the most perfect example of biography that was ever exhibited.”
—James Boswell (174095)
“Just how difficult it is to write biography can be reckoned by anybody who sits down and considers just how many people know the real truth about his or her love affairs.”
—Rebecca West (18921983)
“In how few words, for instance, the Greeks would have told the story of Abelard and Heloise, making but a sentence of our classical dictionary.... We moderns, on the other hand, collect only the raw materials of biography and history, memoirs to serve for a history, which is but materials to serve for a mythology.”
—Henry David Thoreau (18171862)