From The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, by Luo Guanzhong.
In late 189/190, the tyranny of Dong Zhuo, who controlled much of the imperial military and puppet-ed the Emperor Xian, had reached it's limit. The various local feudal lords vowed to band together and overthrow the tyrant, after a letter from Cao Cao requesting they support him in defeating Dong Zhuo. Their armies gathered and marched to the famous Si Shui Gate, outside the capital of Luo Yang. Dong Zhuo sent his general Hua Xiong, to fight the coalition, and he was both a skilled general and fighter, and caused much grief to the coalition. It was not until Guan Yu stepped forward and offered to fight him that the threat was eliminated. From the novel -
Even as they were at this meeting came in a scout to say that Hua Xiong with a company of mail-clad horsemen was coming down from the Pass. They were flaunting Sun Jian's captured purple turban on the end of a bamboo pole. The enemy was soon hurling insults at those within the stockade and challenging them to fight.
"Who dares go out to give battle?" said Yuan Shao. "I will go," said Yu She, a renown general of Yuan Shu, stepping forward. So Yu She went, and almost immediately one came back to say that Yu She had fallen in the third bout of Hua Xiong. Fear began to lay its cold hand on the assembly.
Then Imperial Protector Han Fu said, "I have a brave warrior among my army. Pan Feng is his name, and he could slay this Hua Xiong." So Pan Feng was ordered out to meet the foe. With his great battle-ax in his hand, Pan Feng mounted and rode forth. But soon came the direful tidings that General Pan Feng too had fallen. The faces of the gathering paled at this.
"What a pity my two able generals, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, are not here! Then should we have someone who would not fear this Hua Xiong," said Yuan Shao. He had not finished when from the lower end a voice tolled, "I will go, take Hua Xiong's head, and lay it before you here!"
All turned to look at the speaker. He was tall and had a long beard. His eyes were those of a phoenix and his eyebrows thick and bushy like silkworms. His face was a swarthy red and his voice deep as the sound of a great bell. "Who is he?" asked Yuan Shao. Gongsun Zan told them it was Guan Yu, brother of Liu Bei. "And what is he?" asked Yuan Shao. "He is in the train of Liu Bei as a mounted archer."
"What! An insult to us all!" roared Yuan Shu from his place. "Have we no leader? How dare an archer speak thus before us? Let us beat him forth!" But Cao Cao intervened. "Peace, O Yuan Shu! Since this man speaks great words, he is certainly valiant. Let him try. If he fails, then we may reproach him." "Hua Xiong will laugh at us if we send a mere archer to fight him," said Yuan Shao. "This man looks no common person. And how can the enemy know he is but a bowman?" said Cao Cao. "If I fail, then can you take my head," spoke Guan Yu.
Cao Cao bade them heat some wine and offered a cup to Guan Yu as he went out. "Pour it out," said Guan Yu. "I shall return in a little space."
Guan Yu went with his weapon in his hand and vaulted into the saddle. Those in the tent heard the fierce roll of the drums and then a mighty sound as if skies were falling and earth rising, hills trembling and mountains tearing asunder. And they were sore afraid. And while they were listening with ears intent, lo! the gentle tinkle of horse bells, and Guan Yu returned, throwing at their feet the head of the slain leader, their enemy Hua Xiong.
The wine was still warm!
The reason I picked that line from this scene was that Pan Feng kind of underwent a slight meme era in Chinese culture a few years ago. From Wikipedia -