SWORDSMEN (2011)
Xiaotian
Do not be afraid
it'll be over quickly
I'll pull on three
1..
Where's the tooth?
Xiaotian, you tricked me!
I want to keep my tooth
Xiaotian!
You tricked me!
Ill get you
Father
What is it, son?
My tooth hurts
Your tooth hurts Let me have a look
Which one hurts?
Keep your mouth open
Open wider
This one?
This? Show me
Zhigens wife visited the paper mill yesterday
to chastise the people who didnt go
to the celebration for her newborn
I was busy with an order,
So, I ran
Really?
Judging from her body, shes pregnant again
She is?
Mother
When will you have another child?
Why do you ask?
He talks too much
Lets replace him
No
Yes, we will
No...
Yes...
No...
Jin Xi, would you like some?
five spice stew
Thats alright
I already ate
Oh, thats right...
I almost forgot, youre a vegetarian
This village has prospered
since the paper mill opened
More and more visitors come here to buy paper
Welcome, gentlemen
You sell wine?
Youre lucky
We make our own wine, `TThousand Springs```
It may be rustic
But it is as good as old wine
Give me four pints Yes, sir
Wait
Give me eight
Eight pints of `TThousand Springs```
Are you martial artists?
On your way to the county town?
I must tell you
A few months ago
a father and daughter duo of your trade
passed through here
They sold me some `MMighty Pills```
I can attest that
they were very potent!
Sir, your wine...
This wine is also called `FFragrant Bottle```
or `DDrop at the Door```
It tastes horrible
Waiter
Does this village have a general store?
Yes..
Its across that way
Were here for money
Are you here to buy paper?
Were here for money
Do you have a letter of credit?
Were here
for the money
Understood?
Wheres the money?
Please don't fight
Where is the money?
You cut me, idiot
Help!
Father!
Father, are you alright?
Father
Toes, no fatal wound
Chest, no fatal wound
Lower back, no fatal wound
Genitals, no fatal wound
Shoulders, no fatal wound
Fangzheng!
Watch your children
Knees, no fatal wound
Palms, no fatal wound
Soles, no fatal wound
These herbs will kill the smell
Ankles, no fatal wound
Two soles are not fatal
`RRobbery convict -Yan Dongsheng```
Your honor
Xu, you seem flustered
Whats the matter?
I discovered that
one of the dead men is the top ten wanted criminal
His name is Yan Dongsheng
Your honor must remember
Yan was the mastermind
behind countless heinous crimes
We brought him to justice
After being held for three days,
he overpowered us and escaped
Youre saying that this Liu Jinxi
accidentally captured Yan Dongsheng?
Yes
Not only captured
but killed the criminal
Yes
It means the case was solved in `mmy``` jurisdiction
Good. Excellent!
Make arrangements for me to meet this hero
Not only meet
but also thank him on behalf of the people
and the county government
Lets go
Who is Liu Jinxi?
Here, sir. Coming
Villagers
Weve solved the case
The dead man is
Yan Dongsheng
Hes the notorious criminal
responsible for countless murders
Thanks to our hero
Liu Jinxi
Yan was brought to justice
This is a blessing
Jinxi Jinxi
Jinxi wants to eat pears
To the market he hurries, here and there
Time to core and pare the pears
Quickly Jinxi, eat the pears
He fights the thief, and peels his skin
Ayu cant believe what she sees
Tonight she will reward Jinxi
Reward Jinxi
July 1917, the 11th fortnight...
I was sent to Liu Village
Crime Scene: General Store
People involved: a papermaker, two fugitives
How could an unarmed paper maker
defeat a trained killer like Yan Dongsheng?
Do you know Liu Jinxi?
Everyone knows everyone in this village
Has he always lived here?
Well, no
No
He moved here when he married Ayu
He told us differently
he adopted the clan name, Liu
His real family name was Gong
Gong?
Fangzheng was only a few years old
When his father left
Ayu married Jinxi and gave birth to Xiaotian
I once asked Jinxi
Where are you from?
He said, Gong Village
He said he came from a family of butchers
Butchers?
Bloodshot eyes
indicate a brain hemorrhage
Yan received a heavy blow to the temple
below which the vagus... nerve serves a key function:
it regulates the heartbeat
Traumatizing it can stop the heart
To damage the Vagus Nerve...
...with a single blow to the temple
reguires extraordinary skills
Only three fugitives killers are capable of such a thing:
Fang Rishou
He was once a war hero...
but was later discharged for violent behavior
Became a gambling addict...
he squandered his fortune
He set fire to the gambling den... Dozens were killed
He vanished afterwards
Zhao Yiguang, also known as The Eye Collector
He ambushed the Tai Fen Convoy
The victims had their eyes gouged...
...and tongues removed
It took them three days to die
Bu Yuan
a psychopath famous for his knife skills
He slit his victims veins and drained their blood
He even threw their heads into boiling soup pots
He arrived just after the Spring festival
That year
One afternoon
he came to the tavern
Wine, please
Yes, sir
Sir, what are these?
What?
You dont know?
Theyre amulets
On the first day of spring
men wear them on the left arm
and women wear them on the right
to ward off ghosts
He claimed that
his village didnt practice the same ritual
His home village was in Lianzhou
It left a deep impression on me
Lianzhou...
Lianzhou have amulets too, They do
I hope theres not a problem
Jinxi is a good man
Leave it
I dont like the smell of fish bladder
Mrs. Tung said theres a potion
I can take to prevent pregnancy
Its mercury;
its poison
It will harm your body
What if I get pregnant?
Then well have another baby
You..
seem upset?
No, I was just thinking
about the two men that died
But they were bad men
Officials said they were going to rob a supply convoy nearby
They were just passing through
So...
Jinxi, you did good
The detective may be a bit eccentric
but he doesnt accept bribes
so he must be a good man
We should offer him a meal on the house
Men are just sacks of stinking fluids
with no redeeming qualities
A good man?
Good or bad, its determined by our physiology
The Ren-ying meridian controls hunger
His Ren-ying appears to be overdeveloped
The short man was a born glutton
Give me four pints...
Wait... Give me eight
Wine impaired his Qi,
a contributing factor to his cardiac arrest
He died because his Ren-ying meridian betrayed him
As for me
my weakness is my Shanzhong meridian
It controls emotions and gives us empathy
My Shanzhong meridian is overdeveloped
It makes me too empathetic;
it almost cost me my life once
I caught a young man
who stole from his adoptive parents
But I send him home
I put humanity above the law
I never imagined that he would poison our food
Both his parents died
I sustained internal injuries
Thats why I use two needles:
one in the Shanzhong,
to suppress my empathy;
the other in the Tientu,
to control the poison
I treat my body
and my personality flaws at the same time
Since then `hhe``` follows me around
He says: "you cant trust humanity"
Only physiology and the law dont lie
Its you
Theres no door
No need for doors here
Looking for Jinxi?
Hes not home
No
Ive come to see you
Ill make you congee for your cough
Please dont bother
Its no trouble at all
No trouble at all
Last night, the tavern keeper told me that
Jinxi only joined the clan a few years ago
His last name
wasnt Liu originally?
It was five years ago
At that time...
I was pregnant with Xiaotian
I asked for his name to be added in the clan records
Thats all
Well then...
how did you two meet?
It was a long time ago...
I can barely remember
On that day he was just passing through
He told me he had a fight with his family
And hed run away
He never talks about his family
Unresolved conflicts?
They can be resolved
Did Jinxi know your former husband?
No
Did I...
say something wrong?
That man abandoned us
just like that
He said, `II`lll see you tonight```
It turned out...
hed been planning to leave
He even took his favorite pillow with him
He abandoned his wife and child
Jinxi doesnt need to know...
such a man
Sometimes
Jinxi says to me
Ill see you tonight
I tell him not to use those words
Not to say them...
On the subject of his family, Im afraid if I asked
he might just disappear too
First interrogation of the suspect; July, 12th fortnight
Describe your fight with Yan Dongsheng
I think...
it was like this...
I grabbed him like this
Continue...
I held onto him
I refused to let go
then he spun me around
You used leverage
against Yans brutal force
No wonder
Yan couldnt shake you
How did Yan lose his ear?
It was chaos
I think...
the short man came at me...
...from behind with a sword
I ducked of course
then I heard a scream
I didnt know what was happening
Are you saying...
that they wounded each other?
Yes!
They cut one another, just like that
How odd
How did the short man die?
I know!
I saw it
He ran from here to there
He flew up there
and BANG - he fell
Then he died
You let him throw you
You used your hands to bounce back up
then summoned Qi energy
to your whole body
You were ready to kill
You hit his Yunmen meridian
It caused a blood clot...
inside a blood vessel
blocking the blood flow
obstructing the flow of blood
to the coronary arteries
resulting in cardiac arrest
The tall man broke the door
and dragged me out here
He pushed me into the pondy
and tried to drown me
I fought for my life
But I couldnt breathe underwater
How did Yan die?
It was you who dragged him into the pond
Water resistance
blunted the force of Yans blows
A direct blow to the Vagus Nerves
would either kill the victim
or severely damaged the brain
leave him paralyzed for life
It was a vicious blow;
you must have wanted Yan dead
Liu Jinxi
What kind of man are you?
I was lucky
Thank you for everything
Ill see you tomorrow
Tomorrow?
You have more questions?
Ill know very soon
In recognition of Jinxis heroism
and contribution to the village
the village has decided to
sponsor Fangzhengs college studies
and county examination fees
If he does well in the examination
well host a celebration ceremony
and make all the arrangements
Ayu
Will Fangzheng be an adult this year?
Yes, hes twelve
After the rites
he will receive new clothes
and be considered an adult
You and your husband have worked hard to raise your children
When they grow up and succeed
you will be proud parents
Its the dream of all parents
Thank you
The House of Jinxi is surrounded by a water of jade
I foresee a man of prominence
Impossible!
Youre breathing
more heavily than me
For a martial artist like you
each breath should last at least ten counts
How else could you collect Qi
in your bodys core?
Two counts
This cant be
Let me help you
its heavy, sir!
No need, really
Its alright
Its heavy, sir
Its alright
Help!
Jinxi, hang on! Dont move!
Help!
Help me!
Given his weight and the height he fell
the branches should have broken
by the force of the impact
Density could also be a factor
If he could counter
the momentum of the fall with an equal upward force
he might stop the fall
But his body is 800 times denser than air
Unless he can shift his body density at will?
He defied gravity with `QQinggong```
Are you alright?
If you hadnt come today
I wouldnt have fallen
Its karma
It was an accident
No
What I mean to say is:
the fabric of existence
is composed of a myriad of karmic threads
Nothing exists in and of itself;
everything is connected
For example
if I hadnt come to this village
I wouldnt have met Ayu
If her husband hadnt left
I wouldn�t have married her
If I hadnt gone to the store
I wouldnt have seen the criminals
and they wouldnt have died
Then you wouldnt have come here
No one truly has free will
When one man sins
we all share his sin
We are all accomplices
Are you saying that a killer
doesnt have free will when he kills?
He was conditioned to the act
And when he kills
Because were all part of that sin
were all accomplices?
I wasnt thinking of killers
I found no proof
Then leave him alone
Hes a reformed man
Were not here to reform criminals
Then whats our purpose?
To serve the law
If the law doesnt help reform people
What good is it?
A true martial artist can control
the flow of his Qi and his mental state
He may appear to be a good man
but hes still a killer
Go to Lianzhou and dig around
Once you get the information
report back to me
Baijiu
Take care of yourself
Dont forget your condition
You cant actually fight
What are you saying?
He might be a trained killer, you said so yourself
You think...
hes going to silence me?
Just be careful
Have some more
Wherere your manners? We have a guest
Have some more
Have more
Xu Baijiu
Where are you from?
Fucheng, Chaozhou
Its not far
I hear your hometown is in Lianzhou?
Its so far away
What brought you out here?
You either love it here
or hate where you come from
Yes, I like it here
Fucheng is close
You must go home often?
I hear the weather there is nice
Well...
Since my father died
and my mother remarried
I seldom visit
But I sometimes get homesick
I heard that you left home ten years ago
Dont you ever miss it?
Ever thought about going back?
No, I havent
Are you telling me that
Xiaotians never met his grandfather
Eat up, the food is getting cold
Fangzheng said...
that you owned a horse before
Its rare for most families to own horses
Dont you think?
What kind of horse?
Yes...
I had a horse once
But my father killed it
My father saw that I loved my horse
so he killed it
and fed me its flesh
I ate it without knowing
Then he said
if I could stomach eating my horse
I could face anything
nothing could defeat me
Would you go back to a place like that?
Did it taste good?
Not at all
Its late
Yes, its late
I could...
have a shower first
Am I sleeping upstairs?
Ill find my own way
Please continue
After years of killing
the murderers face becomes pale
the eyes turn green
even the air around the body grows cold
Why arent your eyes green?
Thirsty?
Im thirsty
Sons of the clan
youve reached the age of adulthood
From this day forth
you must dress and conduct yourself as men -
Protect and serve the emperor
Liu Kaitai
Liu Fangzheng
Liu Tianxiang
Liu Tin Lok
With these clothes, you become a man
Liu Tiannan
Look promising
Bow
And again
Offer incense
You looked quite moved
Were you?
Ive always wondered why you left home and changed your name
What happened ten years ago?
I needed a change
I caught a young thief once
I thought he would reform...
...and let him go home
I never imagined that he would poison his own parents
Tell me
If he had run away and changed his name
could he really have changed?
I dont think so
You want to arrest me
I was a convicted murderer
I was in Lianzhou prison for ten years
I was originally from Gong Village
My father was a butcher
another butcher borrowed money from us..
...but never paid us back
My father said
men are no different from animals
But this man is lower than an animal
because hes greedy
My father handed me his cleaver
I hacked the man to death
I felt nothing
I suddenly froze
I heard the mans son crying
The child was still alive
He was staring at me
my father was wrong
Humans are not animals
A murder sentence should be
more than ten years
There was an amnesty ten years ago
I knew I had to change
I had to leave my hometown to live a new life
Start over
I needed to be Liu Jinxi
I almost succeeded
Father, the market is open
Please leave us alone
Please!
Father! We need to hurry!
Xu Baijiu, you should come too!
Ill be right there
Hurry!
Alright
Hurry!
Lets go
Hes surrounded by an energy field?
Hes radiating Qi energy
repelling even the flies
He lied to you
How could a common butcher develop... such powerful Qi?
Take this, I guarantee it wont cut him
You told me it wouldnt cut?
Pine trees are prickly
Whoever dares to bully Liu Jinxi?
Now you have to deal with me!
You frown when youve done wrong
Each new moon has two prongs
Xu Baijiu, go away!
No boat will ferry you along
Your letters will have no name
Have you no shame?
Ive verified the facts
Theres no Gong Village in Lianzhou
There were no butchers in Lianzhou
with a last name Gong
But ten years ago...
a butchers family was massacred
A butcher named Zhang borrowed money but didnt repay the loan
The villagers said they had never tasted anything so delicious
Their fest was used for savory bun filling
You must be familiar with the case
Are you alright?
Im fine, Captain
Youll get used to it in time
Listen
the 72 Demons are the last surviving Tanguts
They used to be civilized, like us
But after the massacre of 800,000 Tanguts
The survivors became savages
They ate raw meat and left their dead unburied
Hunger for revenge is what keeps them alive
I guess its karma
After this killing...
Tang Long, the second in command, went missing
Liu Jinxi has lived here
for exactly... ten years, hasnt he?
So he is Tang Long
You disappeared for 10 years
but you were never imprisoned
You Killed the butchers family
Youre not a butcher`ss son
You were the 72 Demons second in command
I must return to the county to get a warrant for his arrest!
Xu Baijiu, where are you going?
Are you leaving?
Yes
I suppose your work here is done?
You healed quickly
The doctor said
you nearly cut a major artery
That would have killed me
You were lucky
May be youre lucky?
I know a shortcut
Let me lead the way
Otherwise, you wont make it to Feng County by nightfall
That would be a shame
Few people know about this path
I came across it by accident
Will you close the case after you leave here?
Yes
I will
You dont believe me?
We part ways here
Keep going straight
After an hour...
youll reach the main road
Keep walking...
and youll find Feng County
What are you waiting for?
Goodbye, then
That road did lead to Feng County
Why didnt he kill me?
Xu Baijiu
Youve worked for me
for ten years and still so naive?
Captain, its different this time
I could lend you the men under my command
but theyre just a bunch of cowards and bums
Hire some outlaws
but using criminals to stop a criminal...
is playing with fire
Xu Baijiu
Just let it go
Tang Long is not a wanted criminal
why do you want a warrant?
The 72 Demons are notorious outlaws
And Tang Long is their second in command
Wheres the proof?
Even if you bribe the judge for a warrant
youre risking your life
Ill report the judge!
Nonsense!
How much do you want?
20 taels of silver
What?
Where will I find that?
I only receive 4 taels a year!
Business hours are over
Come back to me when you have the money
I never expected to need help from this person:
My wife
Ill pay you back
Is business good?
yes
Ill burn incense for your father
Dont bother
Im afraid father wouldn`tt like it
Before hes passed away...
he made it clear
What about you?
You still blame me?
Does it matter?
Father was wrong to sell fake medicine
But the medicine..
didnt cost any lives
He got on his knees
and begged for your mercy
you wouldnt let go
What did it feel like?
It wasnt up to me
Its the law
And your father
He was only guilty of selling fake medicine
he didnt need to kill himself
I know
you said it before
Youll never forgive me
you still dont understand
Not forgiving...
youd have to still care
Is the law really more important than humanity?
Captain
what has the world come to?
Whatever the world has become
you have no choice but to be part of it
Tsu Kun, wherere you taking me?
wheres my reward?
Whatever you have to say, tell Master yourself
Are you saying
Tang Long is in the village that you mentioned?
Yes
And... he has two sons?
Yes
One is his
One is from his wifes previous marriage
Are you telling me this...
because you think I want information about Tang Long?
Tsu Kun, whats going on?
Answer me
You didnt go to the 36 Constellations
You didnt go to the Black Dragon Gang
Instead, you came here
Because you know...
we have a connection with Tang Long
True?
No
Master... its not... It`ss not what you think
Tsu Kun, help me
Tsu Kun, help me... help me...
Tell him
who Tang Long is
Tang Long is the son of our Master
You came here with the information
so that I would kill my own son
You... How dare you!
Tell me
Should I kill Tang Long?
Well?
Should I kill him?
None of you can match him
None of you can match Tang Long!
Master wants to...
bring Tang Long back!
(chanting)
Did you ever work the land?
I did
What are they reciting? Theyre praying for souls to be released from purgatory
You see
when you till the earth
you cant avoid harming the small creatures in it
Jinxi performed a brave deed
by killing two criminals
we make a record of Jinxis great deed
Jinxi is a man of integrity
His bravery and kindness
are a blessing to us
and an example for our youth
We will remember
and be inspired...
Go down on your knees
Kneel!
I am Liu Jinxi
Liu Jinxi?
I am Liu Jinxi
Tell the truth!
Father!
Who are you?
This is a family matter
so shut up!
Shut up!
Be quiet!
You deny youre Tang Long
My house is on fire
Help!
Im not going back
You know that `hhe``` wants you back
He wont give up
You are Tang Long
You still are
Ill get you some water
The chief told us to shelter in the fortress
Thats why I`mm packing
Ive already packed your belongings
Good
What do you mean?
I cant go with you
So were not going either
We should... we should leave
and start a new life somewhere else
its useless...
How can you say that?
Have some water
Dont say that
Its too late, do you understand
Thanks for letting me be Liu Jinxi
But Im not Liu Jinxi
Jinxi
That day by the pond
if the woman you met hadnt been me
Would you have stayed?
Sir, spare my children
Kill me if you must! Theyre innocent
Sir, I beg you
Sir... Please dont...
Sir...
Im sorry
What happened?
It must be the 72 Demons It doesnt look good
Even if we capture Tang Long,
the Demons might still ambush us
Nothing will stop them
we should just let them kill each other
and return later
What for, if hes dead?
Hell receive a death sentence anyway
Xu Baijiu, what do you really want?
I must bring him to justice
You promised never to return?
Is this Tang Long?
Tang Long of the 72 Demons
They will come back
Xu, one hundred nine out of our
Let them kill each other
No, we should all stay
Stay if you want to
Were leaving
Well return for the corpses
The other day in the forest...
why didnt you kill me?
You promised never to return
And you believed me?
I did
Ayu told me something
She said:
Xu Baijiu is a good man
He just doesnt know it
There is no such thing
Good men dont exist
The human body is amazing, it can trick you
I want to use your body to trick them
Tang Long
You must die
There are three stages of death:
the brink, the degeneration and the final death
in the first stage, we appear dead
Most people will be fooled
I want you to enter this first stage
Enter the dying phase
youll be in a coma
Most people cant tell the difference
Hes dead?
But to trick the 72 demons
you need to enter
the more dangerous second stage
When the demons arrive
Ill press the Vagus Nerve in your neck
to induce the degeneration stage
You immediately enter the death phase
your breathing and pulse will stop
youll show no signs of life
youll lose all sensation
Sensory memory disorder occurs
You can stay in this condition up to 15 minutes
if I fail to
revive you in time
you will truly be dead!
Were taking Tang Long`ss body to the court
Step aside!
You drove Tang Long to his death!
Duo-a...
nuo-zi-die...
The dead will not return
come back
The soul will return...
Which one of you is Tang Longs son?
Tell me, which one of you is Tang Longs son?
His name is Xiaotian
Hes four years old
Tang Long used this hand to kill
Im returning this murderous arm to the clan
I m done with the 72 Demons
You choose a woman and a child
over your own home?
Our brother Tang Long...
is dead
Our brother Tang Long...
is dead
You still need to tell the Master
Hes waiting for you at home
Go
Very nice...
Sing again, grandfather loves it
Altogether, the thumb, index and middle finger
sing an opera for the little sister
Grandfather loves to hear children sing
middle finger, sing an opera for the little sister
Very nice...
You should sing for grandfather every day
middle finger, sing an opera for the little sister
middle finger...
Father
What happened?
Im no longer with the 72 Demons
Everyone is here
Lets eat
When your father was little
he looked just like me
especially when he was angry
My splitting image
Even if he got lost
people would send him back to me
Dont you agree?
Why do you nod?
Look at him now
He doesnt look like me anymore
But my grandson does
much more than he ever did
The beans are good
Xiaotian, have some beanie
Beanie beanie, yummy yummy
Eat beanie or be skinny
I didnt tell you to sing
Beanie beanie, yummy yummy
Eat beanie or be skinny
I didnt tell you to sing
Beanie beanie, yummy yummy
Eat beanie or be skinny
I didnt tell you to sing
I beg you, please
Please stop, I beg you...
Stop
Children must do as theyre told
When your father was little
he hated it when I was away
Once he stripped the leaves...
...from the tree in front of the house
I asked him what happened
He said:
I once promised him
when all the leaves had fallen
I would return
Thats why he stripped all the leaves off
Then he said:
the leaves were long gone
but why were you still not back?
In the end, I burned the tree down
I hated it...
for disappointing my son
Bastard!
After that
Everytime I go out
my son made me take him with me
He said:
Now the tree is gone
how will you come home?
Ive cut off my arm for you
Were not related anymore
I will let you go
Im a fair man
When one leaves... another takes his place
Your blood is mine
His blood is mine too
The world has abandoned us Tanguts
How could you forget?
How could you raise a family like youre one of them?
You are a traitor
Theres a needle in his heel...
We need another one!
You were given to me by God
But He let you betray me
Dont blame me for killing you!
This investigation is now closed
October 1917, 18th fortnight
Xiaotian
More rice or more soup?
Soup
Eat slowly
Jinxi
Ill see you tonight