The Assassin

Nie Yinniang is raised and trained by the nun Jiaxin from age ten in a secluded monastery. She becomes a formidable assassin, yet she occasionally shows mercy during missions, which Jiaxin views as a weakness. This merciful streak becomes the trigger for a harsher test of her resolve.

Jiaxin imposes a ruthless assignment: Yinniang must travel to Weibo and kill Tian Ji'an, her cousin and the military governor. The order forces Yinniang to suppress personal attachments and execute a political target. The mission marks a turning point in her path as an assassin who must act without mercy.

Princess Jiacheng explains that Yinniang's betrothal to Tian Ji'an was a political move to secure Weibo's stability. The arrangement was later canceled in favor of a different marriage, and Yinniang was sent to live with Jiaxin. The backstory clarifies the conflict between blood ties and political duty that haunts Yinniang.

Yinniang arrives in Weibo to begin her mission, moving toward Tian Ji'an's territory. She wrestles with the knowledge that she must kill a man who is also a husband to policy and father to children. The mission's onset foregrounds the film's central moral questions.

During a tense moment, Yinniang contemplates killing Tian Ji'an in front of his children. She cannot reconcile mercy with duty, and she hesitates rather than striking. The scene crystallizes her inner conflict and foreshadows the choices that will define her path.

In a state meeting, Tian Xing voices views that anger Tian Ji'an, who demotes him and sends him away to Linqing under Nie Feng's protection. The political atmosphere grows unstable as factions maneuver for advantage. This power play tightens the circle around Yinniang's mission.

The convoy is ambushed on the road, but Yinniang arrives in time to rescue the wounded survivors. She helps guide them toward safety and a new destination. The incident deepens her bond with the survivors and introduces the unpredictability of the mission.

In a village they meet a young mirror-polisher who becomes part of the journey. Yinniang takes on a guardian role for the newcomer while continuing to protect Tian Ji'an. The encounter adds a lyrical counterpoint to the martial action.

During the journey, Yinniang continues to protect Tian Ji'an rather than kill him as planned. She argues that killing him while his sons are young would plunge Weibo into chaos. The decision reframes her loyalty and questions the value of political order.

Jiaxin rebukes Yinniang for emotional failures while praising her exceptional martial prowess. The confrontation reveals Jiaxin's uncompromising view of duty and leaves Yinniang at a crossroad. The clash underscores the rift between technique and feeling.

Yinniang spares the life of the old nun, choosing mercy in a decisive moment. This act affirms her break from Jiaxin's rigid path and signals a new moral compass. After sparing the nun, Yinniang joins the traveling mirror-polisher as his guardian.

With her mentor spared and a new ally in the mirror-polisher, Yinniang abandons the strict assassin path. She becomes the guardian on the road, guiding the pair through the Tang frontier. The ending hints at a future defined by restraint rather than killing.