The Blade

Ding-on is an orphaned blacksmith working in Sharp Foundry under a master who is a friend of his deceased father. The master treats him with respect and trust, shaping his early skills. Ling, the master's daughter and a narrator of the tale, watches the budding camaraderie around the forge.

Ling narrates the story and finds herself attracted to both Ding-on and his colleague Iron Head. The developing tension between the two men creates a quiet undercurrent of rivalry as she observes their different temperaments and loyalties.

Ding-on and Iron Head witness a monk fending off thugs; the monk is later killed in revenge. Iron Head taunts the thugs, claiming his Sharp Foundry ties, which provokes the master’s anger. As punishment for reckless behavior, the master disciplines Iron Head.

The master announces Ding-on as his successor, boosting Ding-on’s standing at the foundry. Iron Head’s resentment grows louder as he watches the appointment. The balance shifts and Ding-on is placed on a path toward leadership.

That night, Ding-on overhears Ling speaking with her grandmother about his father’s death while saving Ling’s father from Flying Dragon. The revelation fuels his desire for vengeance. He takes his father’s broken sword and bids farewell to his master, setting out alone.

Ling makes a desperate attempt to catch up with Ding-on but runs into trouble with thugs. Ding-on hears Ling’s screams and turns back to rescue her. In the ensuing fight, he loses his right arm and tumbles off a cliff.

Ding-on is saved and nursed back to health by a peasant named Blackie. Crippled and unable to pursue revenge, he buries his father’s broken sword and tries to build a quiet life with Blackie. He begins to doubt the path of vengeance he once planned.

Meanwhile Ling and Iron Head venture out to find him, while Ling grows increasingly disillusioned with life after witnessing Iron Head exploit a prostitute he had saved earlier.

Ding-on endures humiliation while working at a restaurant and dreams of revenge. A gang of bandits attack, burn his house, tie him upside down, and beat him mercilessly, shattering any sense of security he had left.

Blackie discovers a hidden martial arts manual and passes it to Ding-on, giving him a new source of hope. The book’s incomplete techniques challenge him, but his determination begins to spark.

Ding-on trains with the manual and his broken sword, initially struggling due to handicap and missing pieces. Fueled by rage, he eventually unlocks a devastating spinning movement that compensates for his lost arm. The breakthrough marks a turning point in his fight against despair.

Ding-on uses his new skills to kill the bandits who burned his house and to save Ling from danger. He does not reveal his identity to her, keeping his transformation concealed.

Skeleton recruits Flying Dragon to help destroy Sharp Foundry. A battle erupts between Flying Dragon and the forge’s blacksmiths, while the master struggles to defend the forge and the workers.

Ding-on returns in time to defend his master and kills Flying Dragon after a long duel. Skeleton and his men flee in defeat. The crisis forces him to confront his loyalties.

Ding-on leaves Sharp Foundry with Blackie, turning away from the forge and the life he once sought. In the final scene, an aged Ling imagines herself embracing Ding-on and returning to happier times.