The Three Swordsmen

In a formal presentation, Siu Sam-siu and Ming Kim are declared the top contenders for the title. The event sets the stage for a high-profile duel scheduled for the first day of the new year. Excitement and tension run through the jiang hu as rivals prepare to face off.

Butterfly, wife of Ming Kim's brother-in-law, disguises herself as Ming Kim to win Siu's attention. Siu shows her prowess by easily dispatching the intruder. Soon after, officers from the Godly Blades Troupe arrive and attack Siu, escalating the danger.

The officers accuse Siu of sneaking into the imperial palace, stealing the Ngo-nan Sword and the Godly Jade Jar, and murdering the Empress, claiming he fights to defeat Ming Kim. He denies it and flees the scene. The charges drive him into exile from the capital.

Siu flees to Butterfly's home where he reunites with his former lover Red Leaves. She reveals she had framed him to hurt him in the past, and that the true mastermind is the King of Yin-tun, leader of the Ming-fa Sect. Red also explains Yin-tun's plan to manipulate events from behind the scenes.

Siu defeats the Ming-fa sect followers who had poisoned Red and breaks their influence. He then brings Red to Tik Suen's Sword Storage Villa, where Red is married to Tik Suen. The stage is set for the next confrontation over truth and loyalty.

Wang leads the Godly Blades Troupe toward the villa to arrest Siu, but Tik discovers Red has left. Siu is hiding in Butterfly's home, evading capture but watched carefully. Wang's pursuit intensifies as he closes in on Siu's whereabouts.

Siu confronts Wang in a tense exchange, maintaining his claim of innocence. Tik arrives demanding Red back, and Wang retaliates by killing Tik, forcing Siu to flee and protect Butterfly from Ming-fa followers.

Siu and Butterfly travel to the Half Day Horizon where Ming Kim and Choi-yee join them to investigate. They uncover an underground chamber and discover the King of Yin-tun alive, who had framed Siu years earlier. Yin-tun's plan appears to be revenge against Ming Kim.

Siu, Ming Kim, and their allies confront Yin-tun in battle. Yin-tun escapes as Prince of Hau and Wang arrive to arrest Siu. Hau insists on arresting Siu, while Ming and Wang defend his innocence, only for Yin-tun to set a fire that tests everyone. Siu defeats Yin-tun and escapes, while Hau vows to arrest him later (15 days hence).

Wang learns Red is healing; the poison's origin comes from a foreign flower brought by Yin-tun. After Ming defeats Yin-tun, he destroys the flower and plants evidence in Ming Kim Villa for Choi-yee, who is from a foreign land. Wang suspects someone in Ming Kim Villa is framing Siu, who stays there to heal his wounds.

Butterfly decides to marry Siu, and her family approves. On the night of the wedding, Red arrives warning Siu of danger. Yin-tun, disguised as Butterfly, injures Siu and Red and hides in Choi-yee's room. Choi-yee is revealed as the mastermind behind the framing; she kills Yin-tun, then captures Butterfly after Butterfly overhears the schemes.

On the day of the duel, Ming Kim purposes to injure himself to ensure a fair fight against Siu, while Siu is still wounded from the Yin-tun fight. The duel turns into a three-way spectacle when Wang exposes Butterfly's location in a coffin. Ming concedes defeat to Siu and recognizes him as the world's greatest martial artist, though Siu cares more about Butterfly's safety than the title.