Tadun and his allies, as Cao Cao's army reaches the valley of Daling River by autumn in the eighth lunar month, realize what is happening, hastily withdraw from their prepared positions, and gather to face Cao Cao to the north.

With tens of thousands of men gathered, Tadun, along with Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, and the two Wuhuan chanyu Louban and Wuyan, meet Cao Cao's army at White Wolf Mountain (near present-day Lingyuan, Liaoning).

The encounter is sudden for both parties.

Faced with superior numbers and the baggage left in the rear, Cao Cao's lightly armored men become afraid.

The Wuhuan, on the other hand, are evidently unprepared for battle as they are not in proper formations, nor do they attempt to take the initiative by harassing Cao Cao's march.

Undaunted, Cao Cao climbs a slope to observe the enemy's formations.

He sees that the Wuhuan are in disorder, and immediately unleashes his soldiers to exploit this weakness.

With general Zhang Liao leading the offensive, the light force swiftly defeats the Wuhuan cavalry, and Cao Chun's brigade captures Tadun.

Within a short time, Tadun and many of his men are killed and the battle is over.

Over two hundred thousand Chinese settlers and Wuhuan tribesmen surrender to Cao Cao.

In a single engagement, Cao Cao has broken the back of Wuhuan resistance.

…

The Yuan brothers and the surviving Wuhuan leaders, Supuyan, Louban, Wuyan and others, flee east with a few thousand horses to Liaodong (eastern Liaoning), where the warlord Gongsun Kang enjoys some degree of independence from the Han Dynasty imperial court due to Liaodong's distance from the capital and the chaotic state in China.

In the ninth lunar month, Cao Cao continues his march into Liucheng, and here he halts, making no intention to attack Liaodong despite the urgings of his subordinates.

He later explains that applying pressure to Liaodong may have bound Yuan Shang and Gongsun Kang against him, but if he left them to their own devices, they would quarrel among themselves.

A few days after Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi arrive in Liaodong, Gongsun Kang arranges to see them.

Yuan Shang plots to kill Gongsun Kang and take his territory for the Yuans, but Gongsun Kang strikes first, killing the brothers and sending their heads to Cao Cao.

The Wuhuan leaders who follow the Yuans are not spared either and all are decapitated.

Cao Cao returns after this victory to the North China Plain following a particularly difficult withdrawal from Liucheng, where the coldness of early winter, shortage of food, and drought all take their toil on Cao Cao's men.

He then rewards and compliments those councilors who had advised against the Wuhuan campaign earlier, acknowledging that the venture had been dangerous and risky and he had been blessed by fortune.

Indeed, Liu Bei had tried to persuade Liu Biao to attack while Cao Cao was away in the north, although, as Guo Jia had predicted, Liu Biao did not take the opportunity and later regretted this decision.