road　toward　Shanggui。　They　marched　all　night；　and　dawn　found　them　in　a　deep　valley；　which　the　guides　said　was　Block　Valley。

〃That　sounds　too　much　like　'Cut…off　Valley'；〃　said　Jiang　Wei。　〃And　if　a　force　held　the　mouth；　we　should　be　in　sorry　straits。〃

While　hesitating　whether　to　advance　farther　or　not；　the　leading　troops　came　back　to　say：　〃We　have　seen　a　cloud　of　dust　beyond　the　hills；　which　seems　to　indicate　a　body　of　soldiers　in　hiding。〃

So　the　order　was　given　to　retire。　At　that　moment　the　armies　under　Shi　Zuan　and　Deng　Zhong　came　out　and　attacked。　Jiang　Wei；　alternately　fighting　and　retreating；　tried　to　get　away。　Then　Deng　Ai　himself　appeared；　and　the　Shu　army　had　enemies　on　three　sides。　They　were　in　grave　danger；　but　Xiahou　Ba　came　to　their　rescue；　and　so　Jiang　Wei　escaped。

Jiang　Wei　proposed　to　return　to　Qishan；　but　Xiahou　Ba　said；　〃We　cannot　go　thither；　for　Chen　Tai　has　destroyed　the　force　under　Bao　Su；　and　he　himself　was　killed。　All　that　was　left　of　that　army　has　gone　back　into　Hanzhong。〃

It　was　no　longer　a　question　of　taking　the　Dongting　road。　Jiang　Wei　sought　out　by…roads　to　march　along。　Deng　Ai　came　in　pursuit；　and　as　he　pressed　hard　on　the　rear；　Jiang　Wei　sent　the　others　on　ahead　while　he　covered　the　retreat。

Soon　Chen　Tai　came　out　from　the　hills；　and　Jiang　Wei　was　surrounded　by　a　shouting　body　of　the　enemy。　He　fought　all　directions；　but　could　not　clear　the　way。　He　and　his　horse　were　very　weary　when　Zhang　Ni；　who　had　heard　of　his　straits；　came　to　his　rescue　with　a　body　of　cavalry。　Zhang　Ni　cut　his　way　in；　and　Jiang　Wei　immediately　broke　the　siege　and　got　out。　Zhang　Ni　saved　his　general；　but　lost　his　own　life　in　the　melee。　Finally　Jiang　Wei　got　back　into　Hanzhong。

From　Hanzhong　the　death　of　Zhang　Ni　in　battle　was