Seven Swords

In the mid-17th century, the Manchus conquer the Ming territories and establish the Qing Empire. Anti-Qing sentiment rises in the wulin as a new law forbids martial arts, and Fire-Wind sees an opportunity to profit by enforcing it with his army.

Fu Qingzhu, a retired executioner, resolves to halt Fire-Wind's tyranny and protect Martial Village. He gathers two young villagers, Han Zhibang and Wu Yuanying, and prepares for a dangerous journey.

The trio travels to Mount Heaven to seek help from Master Shadow-Glow, a reclusive swordsman and sword-forger. Shadow-Glow agrees to aid, and his four apprentices join the quest.

Shadow-Glow allows his four apprentices—Chu Zhaonan, Yang Yuncong, Xin Longzi, Mulang—to accompany the group. Each is gifted with a special sword, and the seven vow to defend Martial Village against Fire-Wind.

The Seven Swords return to Martial Village and, in the nick of time, repel Fire-Wind's soldiers. Their combined skills and courage help save the villagers from the initial assault.

To stall Fire-Wind and allow villagers to evacuate, the Seven Swords raid the enemy base, burning the barn and poisoning their horses. The raid buys precious time and demonstrates their willingness to sacrifice for the village.

During the raid, Chu Zhaonan encounters Green Pearl, Fire-Wind's Korean slave girl, and brings her along as they escape. A romantic thread starts to form between them.

As villagers flee, their food and water are poisoned and their path is marked for the pursuing army. The Seven Swords suspect a spy among them, with Green Pearl as the prime candidate since she cannot speak their language.

A romantic bond deepens between Chu Zhaonan and Green Pearl. In a trap set by Fire-Wind's men, Chu loses his sword while freeing Green Pearl; Chu is captured, and Green Pearl escapes to alert the others before dying from injuries.

The other six swordsmen march to Fire-Wind's base to rescue Chu Zhaonan, confronting the enemy to reach him. In their absence, the spy Qiu Dongluo sets fire to the cave entrance to guide Fire-Wind to the villagers.

Village chief Liu Jingyi and his daughter Yufang discover Qiu Dongluo. He murders Liu Jingyi and continues to slaughter the unsuspecting villagers, while Yufang kills him in the end, though the trauma leaves her hysterical.

The Seven Swords win the battle, slaying Fire-Wind and forcing his army to retreat temporarily. The victory is hard-won and costs the swordsmen dearly, strengthening their resolve to protect the wulin.

When the Seven Swords return, they find almost all villagers dead—only Yufang and the children survive. Han Zhibang calms Yufang, but the loss weighs heavily on the group and shifts their mission.

The swordsmen decide that saving the wulin requires pressing the Qing emperor to lift the martial-arts ban. They set out toward the capital to plead their case, hoping imperial mercy will restore balance.

Han Zhibang stays behind at first to protect the survivors, but Yufang urges him to rejoin. He rushes to catch up as the others depart toward the capital, determined to continue the fight.