A Film Workshop Co Ltd Production
Is it an avalanche?
No.
It is a herd of horses galloping.
a Tsui Hark Film
Adapted from
by Liang Yu Sheng
Seven Swords
The Imperial Edict has decreed
The practice of Martial Arts is outlawed
Anyone who violates it
will be punished by decapitation.
We don't know each other.
Why do you want to kill us all?
For a simple reason.
The Emperor's order is to kill all martial arts practitioners.
Every head counts for a reward.
Shut Up!
The order also said that
if we surrender our weapons.
The punishment would be milder.
The Emperor has to suppress all possible rebellion.
Death is the mildest punishment.
What about the aged?
and the children?
Three hundred pieces of silver per head.
You're worth even more.
How much can we make from this deal?
Up to now, we've taken 173
33 are worth 1,000 pieces of silver.
The others at 300 each.
A total of 66,000 pieces of silver.
I have to raise my prices.
The targets get fewer and fewer.
"I am about to go out of business."
The next target is...
Same old way.
If you know their names, put them on the plaques.
Otherwise, just put whatever you like.
What happened?
Where are the plaques?
I just put them on.
The death-row plaques have been stolen!
Find him!
Is it him again?
Do you want him dead or alive?
Interesting!
Did you see that?
What do you mean?
This person is good at martial arts.
But he does not want to hurt anyone.
Look.
Little lady, have you seen an injured man?
Looks like you've been trained in fighting.
Is this man after you?
Quick! You go.
He is greedy.
He won't let any one of us go free.
Isn't that Yuanying?
What are you doing?
Water! Bandage!
I have some bandages here.
Yi Town is under attack. They are getting near.
What did he say?
What are these?
Death-row plaques from the bodies.
With the prisoners' names and offenses.
Not only martial arts practitioners,
but innocent people are also executed.
Go away!
Dad.
They are Fire-wind's army.
Only three hundred miles away from here.
They will be here soon.
You have to run for your lives.
Or you will all become names on plaques.
Someone from our village is on these.
(Zhang Lang)
That's Hua's father!
Hua, Stop it!
Get up.
Dongluo.
Bastard.
You are here for no good.
You don't remember me? But I remember you!
Twenty years ago,
you tortured me at the Ministry of Punishment.
You remember what you did?
Of course you don't remember me.
My name is Qiu Dongluo.
Yuanyin?
He saved my life. I don't know what he did before.
This man was an executioner in the previous dynasty,
specializing in murdering revolutionaries.
Fire-wind was his subordinate.
Look at these!
They left me with these scars.
They tortured me at the Ministry of Punishment.
He is spreading false information.
Don't fall for it.
-Kill him. -The Ministry of Punishment...
something from the previous dynasty.
When I was young.
I killed so many
Now I want to repay my sins by saving lives...
You press on the wound. Let me dress it.
Throw him out of the village!
No way!
We can't send him back
to Fire-wind.
What do you have in mind then?
Let's just get it over with, kill him!
The way he tortured Dongluo...
let's do the same to him.
Just hang him out in the sun for three days.
He'll confess!
We need to find out the truth before we execute him.
Tie him up!
Han.
Lock him up in the stable. Keep an eye on him!
Han.
You go back and guard the man.
Interrogate him after dark.
He came with bad intentions.
Probably about the Imperial Edict.
What edict?
To kill all martial arts practitioners?
This government is even more brutal than the bandits.
Don't listen to rumors.
Righteousness exists in Heaven and on Earth
merging into all life forms.
Teacher is gone.
You have to take a stand.
This matter is in your hands
What can I say? This is out of my control.
What can I do?
The rope is ready.
And someone will be hung.
No one is going to speak up for him!
Ask Han for help.
He will listen to you.
We grew up together
You don't like killing, do you?
I was told to keep guard.
You ask me to let him go?
Do you realize how much trouble I will get into?
Evil deeds deserve retribution.
And good deeds deserve gratitude.
Exactly!
I'm trying to show gratitude where it's due.
Is this gratitude to you?
Then forget I spoke.
You save him and I get blamed?
You think it's fair to me?
I'll just tell it this way.
That I tricked you by saying that Fang needed you urgently.
And I saved him while you were away.
Nonsense
Who will believe that I am so easily tricked by you?
If I said that Fang is in danger, wouldn't you go?
Her father is the Chief. Who would believe that story?
Let me say something.
Saving a life is more important.
Tell others that it is my idea.
I'll probably get a beating. No big deal.
Fang, I can't...
Like you said, my father is the Chief.
They won't be too harsh on me.
Han, how about this.
Let us put him onto the carriage.
Then, you take him away.
Here's your favorite kind of jerky.
Be back before dawn, OK?
You'd feel bad knowing that I'm here taking the blame.
I'll miss you, Fang.
Two days ago.
We were about to...
At a time like this, that's all you can think about!
Are we leaving or not.
Or do you two need to finish off your business first?
I'll be waiting for you.
Dad
Get...help...Have to ...get help...
Don't worry.
We've just left Martial Village. You're safe.
No
Take everyone.
Fire-wind will come... people will die...
There's the harvest. We can't leave now.
Without food, we'll die anyway.
Three hundred pieces of silver per head.
They won't even spare the children.
What do you think we should do?
We have to go to Mount Heaven... For help
Mount Heaven?
Mount Heaven.
503 pounds of fried wheat.
80 pounds of dried fruit.
360 catties of dried beef.
7 carts of yellow corn.
9 carts of white corn.
Three donkeys.
Fourteen sheep.
Kualo!
Nine women.
No, six!
Is it nine or six?
Hair-wolf!
It was nine,
but three died on the road
So now it's six.
You.
What's your name?
Her name is Green Pearl.
A Korean from the other side of the Yalu River.
Finally you are back.
You shouldn't have left me.
Do you still recognize this saber?
Do you remember?
You hear that?
A demon's snarling in your stomach.
We all have a few demons inside of us. Let me scare this one away.
Listen!
They are gone.
I want that one.
You are not Green Pearl.
You are mine.
Remember?
These clothes are yours. I've kept them.
It has your scent.
General!
General! We found Dagger-peak's body.
Did you forget this is my private sanctum?
Rip this one's clothes off.
Turn him in as a serious criminal and get the bounty.
Stone-beast.
Dagger-peak was killed beside the creek outside Martial Village.
This village used to have 99 households.
To protect themselves from bandits.
They all practice martial arts.
There are a total of 283 people, including children.
Three hundred pieces of silver per head.
We can ask
for 85,000 pieces of silver.
They've never liked the idea of us counting the children
within the Northwestern Boundary.
This is the last place where we can make a fortune
Should we
raise the price this time?
Black-spirit. Send a message to the Duke.
When we have a deal, we will start the massacre.
It's all your fault!
To sneak him out of the village, that was all.
Now we have to take him to Mount Heaven?
Now there's no more road, no food either.
You want Fang to take the blame all by herself?
Stop saying that I give you trouble.
If you are in trouble, I am in trouble as well.
Save the village by believing in him?
Look, look at him.
He was talking in his sleep!
How far are we from Mount Heaven?
Did you understand that?
It started yesterday since we went uphill.
Are you cold?
When my parents were alive.
Our whole family used to huddle like this to stay warm in the winter.
I have not heard you talk like this for a long time.
I miss home too.
How nice if we were home right now.
How nice can that be?
You wouldn't mistake me for Fang, would you?
Whatever happened between you and me is history now.
Fire stones from the sky!
Follow the fire stones!
Follow them.
Master!
Han!
The real reason I'm here, is to seek help.
There is an Imperial Edict.
Anyone who practices martial arts will be executed.
They are the army.
There are many of them.
They kill everyone.
The children and the aged.
Not one spared.
This is not a battle.
This is a disaster.
A moment in time to some,
may seem forever to others.
A swordsman often dies under his own blade.
Cause and effect, that is one's karma.
You rescued them.
And from whence the mortal world they came, back into it they go.
Only the Almighty knows their destiny.
Yun-chong.
I know how you feel.
You don't have to go.
Yun-chong.
Yes, Master.
I know,
since you know what may be ahead.
If you leave Mount Heaven,
do you think you can still keep your promise?
I wanted to put my past behind me,
but if you ask me to go back into the world.
I really do not know, Master.
Yuanyin! Don't run so fast.
You will feel dizzy.
Please help us.
Help the innocent villagers.
There are hundreds of lives in the village.
-Adults and children! -Yuanyin
-I beg you. -Don't beg him!
It's no big deal.
You don't understand.
I'd rather fight till I die than to beg on my knees.
Dying on my feet is better than dying on my knees.
Are you coming?
Han.
Wait for me.
We're leaving.
Mulang.
Take your Celestial Beam.
Xin.
Take your Star-chasers.
Are we going to help them?
Why are you in such a hurry?
I still do not feel at ease.
Yun-chong.
It is time for Chu to end his solitary meditation.
Get him.
Yes, Master.
Look.
Don't look!
Are those fire stones?
It is not our business!
Pull out the sword.
This is the first sword I cast after I came to the Mountain.
It is powerful enough to cut through rocks,
and it revived me
It is called The Deity.
Master, that sword...
It flows like water
with no beginning and no end.
This is yours.
Take it.
This sword is the Heaven's Fall.
Chu.
The Master calls for you.
Yun-chong, excuse me.
You brought the men and the sword.
It's time you take them back.
This is the sword you abandoned then.
I have recast it.
Unlearn your past.
And find no more regrets in this lifetime.
Hua, did you see Fang help the prisoner escape,
and put the lives of Han and Yuanyin in jeopardy?
Hua!
Yes or no?
Hua.
Just tell the truth.
Yes...
No.
Yes or no?
Guan! You're disturbing our court procedure.
You can't speak whenever you want to.
One more word, I'm throwing you out.
We all have the right
to speak up!
Let me have a go.
What are you doing!
Shut up!
Fang helped a prisoner escape
and put the village in danger.
According to our rules.
We have to make an example of her.
My teacher.
Martial Village takes its rules and regulations seriously.
Fang, the defendant, is found guilty.
This is the verdict.
Guan!
Take her out
and hang her.
Chief!
-They're here! -What?
-Fire-wind... -What is it?
Fire-wind's troops are outside the valley.
Hold your posts!
All men grab their weapons!
Let's go
Why didn't you sound the alarm?
Dongluo! Take your men and check it out.
Rest of you come with me! Get ready for battle!
Hua, get away!
The tower on the right is empty. Go.
Quickly!
Get inside, hurry!
Stay inside.
Go and grab the seeds!
Leave the door and come over here!
These are our hope!
Teacher, here are some smaller bags.
Good! use the small bags
One each, hurry!
What are you doing?
Hua is the oldest.
All of you have to obey him.
Nice heads!
We can escape from here.
They are in!
We are going to lose!
Retreat!
Hurry up and hide!
Find a place to hide!
Get away! Don't touch me.
Quick!
Forgive me
Ancestors of Martial Village.
For I have failed,
I cannot protect the village anymore.
May your spirits be with me.
All I can do is die fighting!
Dad.
Fang.
Why are you still here?
Who would've thought, a cute chick in this shabby village?
I saw her first.
She's mine.
Fang.
It's time, are you ready to die?
Stone-beast.
Go get him!
Hurray!
These two must be worth a lot.
Hey, give us your names.
I want to know whose heads are going to make me rich.
I've got to set a good price.
I am your ancestor!
Get down.
Don't go over there.
You again? He who doesn't kill.
What a good deal!
Remember,
my name is Fu.
Go back and tell Fire-wind,
we'll be waiting for him.
You are all here.
The teacher is right.
You are all good people.
Remember good deeds in your heart and no empty flattery.
We grew up together?
You really hated fighting and killing.
Fang
Are you OK? Fang!
Han
What took you so long?
We went to find help.
We brought back seven swords from Mount Heaven.
Look.
I got one as well.
Where is the kid?
Fang. Stay here.
Let me go find him.
Drink your enemy's blood.
And you will not be afraid of them anymore.
Drink it!
Little brother.
Growing up is tough.
You will see the ugly side of the world.
When you grow up.
It will all become clearer to you.
I know.
Everything is ugly.
But within all the ugliness.
You'll eventually find something beautiful.
And it'll be yourjob to protect it.
Are you brave enough for that?
Yes.
But I don't know anything.
You have to learn.
Let me teach you.
You want to be my master?
No.
Call me brother.
We are good brothers.
Right?
More!
Don't fool around.
As branch leader of the Heaven and Earth Society...
I represent all our members,
in thanking
the five of you.
We are not five.
She's the sixth.
Han's the fifth.
There are seven of us.
I think we caught Fire-wind by surprise.
And we shouldn't give him any time to think.
He won't have time to breathe.
Let alone think.
What's the plan?
Look at the sky. Cloudless and full of stars.
So?
Have you ever watched the stars on a night like this?
The sun will come up in a few hours.
The seven of us should go watch the sunrise.
We have not seen a sunrise away from Mount Heaven for a long time.
This is really worth it.
General.
He was running away. We caught him by the river.
Fu's back!
And he brought help.
How many?
Three...
No, four... No, no. Six.
Three or four or six? Which is it?
Counting Fu himself, a total of seven.
One martial arts expert equals twenty normal heads.
That means more than a hundred heads.
This is big business. A deal of over two hundred thousand.
Seven people?
And they defeated you and three hundred of your men.
They killed Hair-wolf, Stone-beast and Mud-trot!
Seven of them?
What weapons were they using?
Swords.
Seven swords?
All of them used swords.
Especially the last one.
It made a strange sound.
It pierced through the pillar
and killed Mud-trot.
There's another young man, he did not use his sword.
I don't know how good he is.
Their attack is too fierce!
The seven swords are really something?
Yes.
General!
Kualo.
Gather one hundred men.
Get the horses. Prepare breakfast.
I will go with you.
And avenge our loss.
Yes!
Shouldn't we wait till it's dark?
It is just a small village.
Why should I wait till it's dark?
General
Fu is outside the gate.
What a good show! Fu.
You've regained your manhood.
I'm happy for you.
Oh, don't get all worked up.
Since you like money so much.
I have a big business offer.
That's very kind of you. How big?
Three thousand heads.
Three thousand?
That's a lot. Where are they?
There.
Are you one of the Seven Swords?
You look nice.
Just like a girl.
Easy, Fu.
You lucked out with one battle.
Do you think that would scare me off.
You think you can beat me? You?
Be afraid. Before it's too late.
Oh yeah? I'm waiting. Show me what you've got.
Before noon today.
If you don't surrender.
You'll have to deal with the consequences.
Fu,
you used to be very serious.
Today you are telling jokes!
I can give you a reply now.
After noon today.
These seven swords of yours.
Will disappear from the face of the earth.
And the village will be wiped out.
Really?
I won't give you the chance.
Didn't you say you wouldn't use a sword, wouldn't kill any more?
Fire-wind, listen carefully.
If your army does not retreat from the outpost before noon.
I'll kill you.
Fine.
Let's forget we were ever friends.
Let's wait and see how powerful the Seven Swords really are.
We were never really friends.
As for the Seven Swords, no need to wait.
It has already begun.
Guard! The town is on fire!
This is serious.
Stay and fight with me?
Yuanyin
Don't move.
The barn is on fire.
Fire-wind is a strong adversary.
Hold back. Don't ever under-estimate him.
Archer, up there!
So this is the wine which makes the soldiers lose their mind.
Get out of here. All of you!
Are you Fire-wind's woman?
Take away your stinky paw!
You're Korean?
You, too?
(Slave)
Are you Fire-wind's prisoner?
You're free now. Come with me.
You all want to control my destiny! All of you men!
If you really want to help me, just let me be!
Do you like being a slave?
Who are you? Where are you taking me?
I'll take care of you from now on. Wherever I go, you go.
So I'm your slave now.
Think what you want.
Green Pearl
Bandit!
How dare you take my woman away!
Barbarian
How many of them were there?
Bald-lion's checking on it now.
What's there to check?
Get my horse! We're going after them!
They fed the horses with a laxative.
Now they are sick.
None of them can run.
Useless! What were you all doing?
Han, no, Stop.
No, Stop.
I'm not ready!
Why? It's okay. We'll be married sooner or later.
Han, no
Please let me go.
I can't love two men at the same time.
When did it happen? When I was away?
No
Not while you were away. After you got back.
Who is he? Who is it? I'll kill him!
Don't go
You're no match for him.
I've checked the stable.
The barn and the well.
What about here?
Not yet.
This Yun-chong, where does he come from?
He's from Kweichow.
I'm from Lanchow.
How about you?
Same as him, from Kweichow.
Maybe you knew one another?
It's possible.
I'd like to know more about his past too.
I'll go and have a chat with him.
There's no hurry. We're still on guard duty.
I'll do it.
He's still busy on a plan for Fire-wind.
You're right.
They poisoned my horses and ruined my wine.
They didn't plan to attack.
But to stop me from attacking.
Fu, I know you need more time.
Let's see who will make the next move.
Have some wine.
It will cool you down.
We may not be able to finish harvesting today.
Do we have to leave today?
We must go.
Although we defeated Fire-wind this time.
We still did not find where he hides his loot.
We did not get him where it hurts.
We cannot have a head-on combat with him yet.
Otherwise more people will get killed.
Are they coming soon?
Very soon. They will come any time.
Press the holes on the sword.
Then it won't slip anymore.
It's that simple?
I'm no good.
This sword is for someone better trained than me.
Maybe Chief Liu.
Not everyone deserves to use a Mount Heaven sword.
Definitely not Liu!
Master is a wise man.
There must be a reason why he gave you this sword.
You have to let yourself go.
Let your mind go.
The sword will follow.
Do you want to go back and live like a dog again?
I have a slave mark on my body.
My family is from the other side of Yalu River.
I lived like a stray dog.
Just like you.
Don't let a mark on your body become one on your soul.
You life cannot be controlled by a mark.
Don't forget your name,
and your home.
Home?