The Butterfly Murders (1979) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Yu Zhen forged the notebook to eliminate his rivals in the Jianghu martial arts world and seize power. The eight pages described the butterfly murders as having already occurred, which allowed him to frame competitors for crimes they did not commit while he secretly developed a powerful weapon. By manipulating both the narrative and Tian Feng, he created a convoluted scheme that positioned him as the solution to a problem he himself created.

Foreshadowing: The film hints early on that the notebook's origins are suspicious, as the butterfly deaths seem to follow a convenient pattern for those in power.

• yu zhen
• forged notebook
• butterfly murders
• martial arts world
• jianghu
• tian feng
• power grab

Shen Qing is actually Yu Zhen himself, the deceased fourth brother of the 'Four Phases of Heavenly Thunder.' He faked his death six years earlier to establish the Shen's Family Fort in secret. Using the fort as a front, he developed an alloy for gun-barrel weapons while orchestrating the butterfly murders. His identity as Shen Qing was the disguise, not the other way around.

Foreshadowing: Mrs. Shen insists on waiting for the Four Phases to arrive before taking action, hinting at a connection she already suspects.

• yu zhen
• shen qing
• four phases
• disguise
• identity reveal
• mastermind

The fort served as a covert workshop for Yu Zhen to develop a powerful alloy for gun-barrel weapons. It appeared to be a prestigious family estate, but secretly functioned as a weapons manufacturing facility. The entire butterfly murder scheme was designed to eliminate competitors and cover up the weapon's development.

Foreshadowing: Ah-Zhi leads Hongye to a hidden gunpowder storage room, revealing the fort's clandestine military production.

• shens family fort
• weapon development
• alloy
• gun barrels
• covert workshop
• jianghu

Yu Zhen killed the tomb raiders to eliminate witnesses who knew about the treasure from earlier tomb robberies and to create a climate of fear that would distract from his real scheme. By framing the deaths on a mysterious 'killer butterfly,' he eliminated rivals while making the deaths appear supernatural and untraceable.

Foreshadowing: The original butterfly murder decades earlier occurred during a tomb robbery, establishing the pattern Yu Zhen would later exploit.

• tomb raiders
• killer butterfly
• murders
• jianghu rivals
• elimination

Tian Feng was manipulated into aiding Yu Zhen unknowingly. As a member of the infamous 'Seventy-two Smokes' gang, he was summoned to investigate the murders, a case that Yu Zhen engineered. Yu Zhen used Tian Feng as a pawn to do his bidding while believing he was solving the crimes, effectively making him an unwitting accomplice in the very scheme he was trying to stop.

Foreshadowing: Tian Feng arrives as an investigator but never questions why the pattern of murders conveniently serves someone's interests.

• tian feng
• seventy-two smokes
• manipulation
• pawn
• investigation
• jianghu gang

Ah-Zhi, the mute servant girl, likely discovered the hidden gunpowder storage and used her limited ability to communicate to guide Hongye to it. Her action suggests she either suspected something was wrong or was无意中 revealing evidence of the fort's secret weapons production. The discovery becomes crucial evidence that something illicit was happening within the fort.

Foreshadowing: Ah-Zhi's mute status makes her an unlikely suspect for deception, lending credibility to her discovery.

• ah-zhi
• gunpowder storage
• secret room
• evidence
• fort investigation

The original butterfly murder occurred decades earlier during a tomb robbery, where the previous fort owner was killed. Yu Zhen used this historical connection to create a pattern that seemed to span generations, linking past crimes to present-day deaths. This fabricated continuity made the butterfly murder legend appear credible and helped justify his scheme to 'solve' crimes he orchestrated.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows the first butterfly murder happened during a tomb robbery, establishing the motif Yu Zhen later weaponized.

• butterfly murders
• tomb robbery
• historical pattern
• jianghu
• decades
• previous owner

Mrs. Shen suspected the truth about her husband's identity. By insisting they wait for the Four Phases, the three brothers who were the real siblings of Yu Zhen, she was buying time and potentially seeking help from those who could recognize the impostor. Her plan proved futile as she was killed before they could arrive, but her hesitation reflected her growing suspicion of Shen Qing's true identity.

Foreshadowing: Mrs. Shen's mysterious death coincides with the arrival of the Four Phases, suggesting her suspicions were well-founded.

• mrs shen
• four phases
• wait
• brothers
• suspicion
• identity

In the climactic confrontation, Hongye exposed Yu Zhen's true identity and the manipulation behind the butterfly murders. Yu Zhen (Shen Qing) and Tian Feng, along with other conspirators, perished in a fierce battle that destroyed the fort itself. The weapon they built was also destroyed, ending the threat but at great cost, leaving the martial world 'forever altered' by the revelations.

Foreshadowing: The timeline builds toward this confrontation from the moment investigators arrive, with each revelation bringing the truth closer.

• final battle
• fort destruction
• yu zhen
• tian feng
• weapon destroyed
• death

Attributing the notebook to Hongye served multiple purposes for Yu Zhen's scheme. First, it gave the forgeries apparent legitimacy through a known journalist's name. Second, it drew Hongye directly into the investigation, making him an instrument of Yu Zhen's plan. Third, once Hongye began investigating, he became a convenient suspect if anything went wrong. The false attribution was a careful setup to manipulate both the investigation and public perception.

Foreshadowing: Hongye's role as both investigator and narrator makes him the perfect unwitting pawn in Yu Zhen's design.

• hongye notebook
• forgery
• attribution
• journalist
• manipulation
• setup

The murders escalated as Yu Zhen needed more chaos to cover his tracks and eliminate rivals. With investigators arriving, including Hongye and Tian Feng, the timing became critical. Each new death heightened suspicion within the fort and pushed the investigators closer to the truth, while also creating more bodies that Yu Zhen could blame on his fictional butterfly killer. The escalation forced everyone's hand, ultimately leading to the final confrontation.

Foreshadowing: The investigation itself triggers the escalation, as Yu Zhen loses control of the narrative he created.

• escalation
• deaths
• chaos
• investigation
• cover tracks
• rivals eliminated