A Deadly Secret

A Deadly Secret

Year: 1980

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: Chinese

Director: Mou Tun-Fei

DramaAction

A treasure hunt ignites a wave of violence in this Hong Kong action thriller, but the film also explores tender emotions. Ting Tien (Pai Piao) spends a frigid winter night on a balcony, hoping to glimpse his beloved Ling Shuang‑hua (Szu Shih) as she makes her morning walk. Their romance is portrayed with sensitivity, even though it cannot alter the tragic destiny that awaits both of them.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – A Deadly Secret (1980)

Trace every key event in A Deadly Secret (1980) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Di Yun is condemned and tortured

Di Yun is sentenced to death for larceny and rape, insists on his innocence, and is thrown into a brutal prison where jailers and the presiding magistrate Ling Tuisi torment him. The abuse mirrors the cruelty faced by another inmate, Ding Dian. The court's cruelty sets the stage for a web of lies and hidden motives.

Ling Tuisi's courthouse / prison
2

Wan Gui and Qi Fang visit; doubt sown

Wan Gui and Qi Fang visit Di Yun, urging belief in his guilt. Qi Fang is swayed by Wan Gui's manipulation and begins to doubt Di Yun, a rift that will widen as her future with Wan Gui takes shape. Their visit plants the seeds of betrayal that will drive much of the tale.

months after sentencing Prison / Ling Tuisi's courthouse
3

Wan Gui frames Di Yun

Wan Gui uses jealousy and deceit to frame Di Yun by getting him placed unconscious in the bed of the master’s wife, paid to accuse him. The plan leads to the wrongful conviction and Di Yun's imprisonment. This act reveals Wan Gui as the true orchestrator behind the injustice.

before trial Master's residence
4

Despair and a saving warning

Months pass as Di Yun endures injustice; he attempts suicide but is saved by Ding Dian. Ding warns of danger and hints that Di Yun may have chosen imprisonment, deepening the tragedy and setting up their eventual alliance.

months after sentencing Prison
5

Martial artists arrive to be jailed; Liancheng manual hunt begins

Several martial artists arrive, confessing crimes and demanding imprisonment. Ling Tuisi orders them to be placed in the same cell as Ding, hoping this will coax the elusive Liancheng manual from them. The situation ties Ding and Di Yun closer together as strangers in danger.

later Ling Tuisi's courthouse cell block
6

Ding Dian trains Di Yun

Ding Dian defeats the other martial artists and agrees to train Di Yun. Under Ding's tutelage, Di Yun makes rapid progress and proves himself a promising martial artist. The unlikely mentor-student bond begins to form in the claustrophobic prison.

during this period Ding's cell / training area
7

Shuanghua's forced marriage crisis

Ling Tuisi threatens Shuanghua, Ding's betrothed, to force Ding to reveal the manual. Shuanghua mutilates her face to avoid the marriage, aligning with her secret love for Ding. The coercion intensifies the stakes around the Liancheng manual.

shortly after Shuanghua's home / Ling Tuisi's courthouse
8

Secret meeting; Shuanghua reveals the manual

Ding and Shuanghua meet in secret; she reveals the location of the Liancheng manual and promises to leave him a daily flower on the windowsill as a token that she still cares. The act strengthens their bond despite the danger.

evening Ding's cell / Shuanghua's home
9

Shuanghua dies in a coffin; poison revealed

Ling discovers the secret meeting and locks Shuanghua in a coffin; she suffocates. Ding suspects foul play as the windowsill flowers remain unchanged. The tragedy deepens the danger around the manual and the conspiracy.

soon after Master's residence / coffin chamber
10

Coffin discovery and a funeral tablet

Ding and Di Yun break out to examine Shuanghua's coffin, discovering a funeral tablet and the tragedy that befell her. The two men are drawn into the belief that the coffin hides critical clues to the manual.

days after Shuanghua's coffin site
11

Liancheng poison; the deception exposed

Ling corners Ding with a coffin lid coated with poison and offers an antidote in exchange for the manual. Ding sees through the lie and the confrontation ends in a forced escape with Di Yun. The poisonous trap reveals the perverse nature of the treasure plot.

confrontation Shuanghua's coffin site
12

Ding reveals the manual's true origin

Ding explains that the Liancheng manual belonged to Mei Niansheng and was handed down to him; Qi Zhangfa and Wan family conspired to imprison Di Yun so they could seize it. The revelation reframes the entire prison ordeal.

after the escape Prison yard
13

Di Yun flees; confrontation with the conspirators

Di Yun tries to relay the manual to his master’s descendants but runs into Qi Zhangfa, Yan Daping, and Wan Zhenshan, who try to kill him. The path leads to further chaos as loyalties collapse and the true players close in.

moment after Temple road / chase scene
14

Ling Tuisi intercepts; Ding dies

Ling Tuisi arrives to claim the outcome. A fierce fight over Ding ends with Ding dying before a clear victor emerges. The death removes a major obstacle to the captors' plans.

immediately after Temple grounds / courtyard
15

Treasure turns to poison; Di Yun survives and destroys the temple

The treasure is revealed to be poisoned; anyone who touches it bleeds. Di Yun survives the carnage, killing Ling Tuisi, Wan Gui, and Yan Daping; Qi Fang dies in the crossfire. He burns the temple, erects a gravestone for Ding, and departs, having witnessed the tragic chain of events.

final battle Tian Ning Temple ruins

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:51

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