Ma, while on expedition against the Wulin tribes (in modern eastern Guizhou and northwestern Hunan), died during the campaign from a plague, which also killed a large number of his soldiers.
Ma, sementara ekspedisi melawan suku Wulin (di Guizhou timur modern dan barat laut Hunan), meninggal selama kampanye dari wabah, yang juga menewaskan sejumlah besar tentara nya.