Sword Master

Yen Shisan, a tattooed master swordsman, has been asked to kill Shao-Feng by Mu-Yung Chiu-Ti but refuses the contract. He nonetheless travels to the place where Shao-Feng was last known to fight, hoping to face the legendary rival. Upon arriving, Cult Leader Hsieh informs him that Shao-Feng died 36 days earlier, leaving Yen Shisan with no immediate foe and a waning purpose.

Deprived of his rival and facing a terminal illness, Yen Shisan decides to live as a gravedigger and attempt to do good in the time he has left. He carries a magical pill that can cure all wounds except his own sickness, a reminder that his own life is slipping away. The quiet life stands in contrast to the looming threat of Divine Might.

A drunken street fighter known as Ah-Chi arrives at the brothel and is pressed into service after running out of money. He befriends Hsiao Li, the lowest-status prostitute, and their bond gives them a fragile edge against a brutal system. The Big Boss plans to promote Ah-Chi, but events pull them toward the deeper conflicts plaguing the wulin.

The Big Boss dispatches enforcers to capture Hsiao Li and Ah-Chi, but Yen Shisan defeats them with his gravestone and asserts his looming duel with Shao-Feng. The villagers begin to plead for help against the local tyranny, sensing Yen Shisan's growing power and protective resolve. Yen Shisan also takes the opportunity to teach Ah-Chi his '13 Strikes' technique.

Chiu-Ti and her warriors uncover Ah-Chi's true identity, unmasking him as Shao-Feng. She coerces him into agreeing to marry her for the third time, then reveals why he left her twice before. He explains his wish to live a simple life away from slaughter, while she promises a similar life that collapses into revenge.

News reaches Yen Shisan that the man he has taught may be Shao-Feng himself. Determined to face his longtime rival, Yen Shisan prepares for a fateful duel, even as Shao-Feng returns to the village seeking rest. Hsiao Li attempts a seduction, but Chiu-Ti interrupts with an attack, forcing Yen Shisan to protect Shao-Feng.

Chiu-Ti's warriors attack the village as vengeance stirs, slaughtering most inhabitants and reducing the settlement to ash. In the chaos, Shao-Feng and Yen Shisan escape with Hsiao Li, who is gravely wounded but revived by Yen Shisan's magical pill. Only a handful survive to face the coming storm.

Facing an overwhelming assault from Divine Might, the two swordsmen discuss their strategy to defend the home without needless bloodshed. Yen Shisan convinces Shao-Feng that his two techniques, used together, can defeat the attackers while sparing lives. The bond between the rivals deepens as they prepare for a grueling battle.

Chiu-Ti's warriors join forces with Divine Might's masked fighters to assault Supreme Sword Manor. The manor's defenders are hard-pressed, and the assault tests the resolve of Shao-Feng and Yen Shisan. Yen Shisan arrives just in time to avert an honorable suicide and to turn the tide.

In the ensuing clash, Shao-Feng wields his skill to rout the combined attackers with surgical precision. He unmasks Divine Might's fighters as branded rejects from Supreme Sword Manor, revealing the true loyalties behind the conspiracy. The revelation shakes the wulin and shifts the balance of power.

In the heat of the conflict, Chiu-Ti fatally stabs her chief servant, her act of jealousy and coercive marriage sealing her fate. Yen Shisan delivers a final betrayal by stabbing Chiu-Ti in the back, leaving her to die in Shao-Feng's arms. It is the climactic moment that ends her bid for control.

The two swordsmen push each other to the utmost, and Yen Shisan is finally disarmed and killed. He dies with honor, on the sword he respected, as Shao-Feng swears to remember him. Shao-Feng retrieves Yen Shisan's sword and carries it to his gravesite in a poignant gesture.

At Yen Shisan's gravesite, Shao-Feng exchanges swords with the dead rival and begins a new life as a wandering swordsman. He vows to right wrongs and fight for justice, with Hsiao Li by his side. The final image is of their journey into the forest, signifying a lasting vow to protect the innocent.

The closing scene reveals a tranquil forest and the face of Guan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. It underscores the film's theme of mercy and protection for the weak. The eternal question of whether violence can be justified is framed by this serene, symbolic ending.