The 5th year of Qianlong's reign
a rebel cult known as "Herders"
began assassinating Qing officials
Legend has it, their leader Wolf is a ruthless killer
a self-proclaimed prophet
who promised followers eternal life
To prevent the Herders rebellion from growing
the Imperial court dispatched The Guillotines
to rid Qing of its final threat
When death is distant
we know no fear
Without blood on our swords
we know only fear
Only when our hands are bloodied
and we conquer our fear
can we hope to fight our enemies!
On the 15th day of next month
the Herders will gather in Beijing
to present a special gift to Qianlong
We've been betrayed
Leng, Field Commander
Hutu, Strategist
Chen Tai, Vanguard
Su, Intelligence, Defense
Buka, Vanguard
Shisan, Defense
Musen, Defense
Attack
I've seen you before
Why don't you just kill me?
The Guillotines were a covert operation
created at the start of Qing Dynasty to quash the resistance
Guillotines were all of Manchurian descent
They posed as the Emperor's groundskeepers
taking care of the Imperial court's surroundings
But they were skilled assassins
to eliminate political dissenters
with mysterious identities
To ensure their loyalty
they were forbidden to learn to read and write
Their weapon was a hooded device
with retractable blades
control by trigger
Once capped over the head
the blades are triggered, decapitating the victim
It was considered the deadliest weapon
before the advent of firearms
Who defied orders and put the team at risk?
Gua-erjia Gong-e, Chief Commander
Tell me!
I didn't defied orders
I just reacted to the situation
You will not take part in tomorrow's mission
No!
Sir
Please allow Musen to atone for her mistake
Sir
As their leader
I'm responsible for their mistakes
Musen is always the last to leave training
As a female Guillotine...
The late emperor issued an edict before I was born
Boy or girl
your command was to be passed on to your offspring
Sir!
Dismissed
Leng stays
Musen
Take it easy
No one will reproach you once you're the Chief
That's right
When your father passes
everyone will obey you
When the late emperor sent you here
did you ever imagine reaching these heights?
I'm nothing
without the Guillotines
If only you are my son
Watch over Musen tomorrow
Yes, sir
I waited for you my whole life
Just get to it
What do you have to tell me?
I've seen you before
How old are you?
Are you Manchu
lower caste
or worse?
Do you think you have me trapped?
Do you really think I could be captured so easily?
And you?
Who do you think you are?
You're a fugitive who fled 15 years ago
claiming to be an Indian carried to China by a white tiger
but you're just a Han Chinese
A false prophet of the lowest caste!
I've had a recurring dream
In the dream, a man kills me
I've never got a clear view of his face
until last night
I finally saw it
It was you
I can kill you right now
No, no, no
In the dream, you don't kill me here
Even if I don't kill you now
tomorrow, you'll be executed
in the market
The time's not right
The place's not right
So I won't die tomorrow...
except if you are the executioner
loan be
You can't
Guillotines can't be seen in broad daylight
What if you die tomorrow
will my fate change?
The rebel Wolf
and his cohorts
have been convicted
of treason
Sentenced to death
by decapitation
Execute the Herders!
As caution to others!
Kill all the Herders!
Long live the Great Qing!
Han man?
How much?
Five taels
Three taels
You're Han slaves without souls
I'll come back to free you!
Wolf!
I'm sorry
Wolf
Rest in peace
Attack!
Do it
Attack!
NOW!
Emperor Qianlong, born Hongli
Haidu, Imperial Guard
Musen
Your Majesty
If we dispatched the firearms squad
Wolf wouldn't have escaped
Today
my daughter, Musen, is dead to me
Now she's dead
you're free to hunt down Wolf
Sacrifice your lives if you must
Wolf must be capture
Yes sir!
Remember
your lives belong to the imperial court
and to your fellow Guillotines
I was liked you
Joined the Guillotines as an orphan
The Guillotines is my home
It's everything to me
Now I entrust everything to you
If possible
bring back Musen's body
We'll take the female Herder Bailan along
when the chance comes
we'll exchange her for Musen
The emperor assigned an imperial guard
named Haidu to accompany you
Beware of this man
Move!
We're spending the night here?
Do you have a problem?
Dogs!
They're useless idiots
They call themselves Guillotines?
Are they for real?
Didn't we play like this as children?
You compare them with us?
Your Majesty
As commanded
we've gathered children from the Eight Clans
Their star signs are aligned with Prince Hongli
Hongli, Qianlong
Emperor Yongzheng
Your Majesty, please choose two
to serve the prince
He's Feimo Haidu of Zhenghuang Clan
Your majesty
His stars are the most auspicious match for the Prince
But...
Your Majesty
Which one should we send to train as a Guillotine?
Haidu is staunch and loyal
The look in Leng's eyes
tell me that he's ready and willing to die for Hongli
Guillotines have no identity, no position
Haidu should stay with Hongli
Send Leng to the Guillotines
LGHQ
Haidu
You will be remembered
for your contributions to the empire
I wish I were send to the Guillotines instead of you
You are too soft
How can you treat those thugs like brothers?
Stand her up
Pull the rope
Hit her
It's one of our informants
We're still miles from Wuguan
We are in Wolf's presence already? "I'm waiting for you" Wolf
It's just the beginning
Let's move
Musen doesn't have much time
Let's go
Get down, bitch
LGHQ
What is this?
Answer me
Isn't it obvious?
We tossed her into the well
If we can't find Musen
we'll return and finish her off
That's not part of the plan
You weren't part of our plan
You need to keep me informed
He speaks with such authority
Want to be part of the team?
Alright...
Watch the female Herder
Let's go
We're thugs
If you stay
You die
Su
Go back and watch Haidu
Yes, Leng
There was a man who rode in from the west
Wuguan Region
on a white tiger in white armor
He could kill anyone within ten paces
If someone strikes us
we strike back twofold
If someone kicks us
we chop off his foot
If someone bullies us
we'll show him how it feels to be bullied
It's Wolf
StoP
Move over!
Wan Jiang Base Commander, Green Army
Where're you from?
We're from the Capital
What's your business?
Tea merchants
We're just here to do business
Please let us pass
The Capital
Retreat!
We need to be careful
We're surrounded by Han Chinese
they consider us the enemy
Come out here
Let me go
Found out anything?
The town is filled with smugglers
they trade cattle, horses and goats
Don't move!
Stay put! We're here to arrest criminals!
Don't move!
Sit down!
Smallpox!
Run!
It's smallpox!
Run!
I found out
a man traded a hundred cattle
for six barrels of gunpowder
They have all kinds of gunpowder
in Agai-er
I'm guessing
the Herders bought explosives from there as well
Where do the Herders keep their explosives?
Can you pay me first?
Thank you
That's all I know
You must know
that one of us was killed
Even the Green Army is afraid of the Herders
you don't stand a chance against them
Stay here
What are you doing?
You trust a man like him?
You may 9°
You trust that thug over me?
I only trust my men
Where's the female Herder?
Didn't I order you to watch her?
I killed her
and that man of yours
him too
Idiots
Let's split up
Hutu, Chen Tai
check for signs of activity in the East Market
Buka
Search the residential area
Shisan
Take the crowds in the North End
If someone strikes us
We strike back twofold
If someone kicks us
we chop off his foot
We'll show you how it feels to be bullied
If you stay
You die
If someone
strikes us
We strike back twofold
That's loads
That's a lot of money
Run!
Thief
You stole from the wrong man
Don't hurt my father
"Peach Blossom Spring"
Bravo
Buka can read quite a few words
You spied on my brothers?
Your brothers?
The court forbids Guillotines from learning to read and write
I taught them how to write their names
ls his name "Peach Blossom Spring"?
Do you want to get them killed?
LGHQ
Once you capture Wolf
you will rejoin me at court
On the 15th day of the 8th month
the Firearms Squad will be made official
I'll assign you two
to lead the squad
What about the Guillotines?
The firearms squad will replace them
They know nothing but killing
not even the identities of their targets
Your Majesty I beg you to spare my brothers
Haidu and I
are your only brothers
His Late Majesty
didn't send me to the Guillotines to destroy them
My father sent you to the Guillotines
to work for me
You serve me
Have you forgotten?
Come on
Haidu will assist you in this mission
You two must work together
and succeed
They work for Gong-e
It's their fate
We work for His Majesty
That's our fate
The shadow plays are all about Wolf
Wolf is portrayed as the savior
I found these leaflets circulating in the market
Who in this hellhole would read this stuff?
I've seen these leaflets before
Everyone who bought paper stencils had them
This one stands out
among all the paper stencils we've found
There's a Herder symbol in the center
LGHQ
What does it say?
Don't pretend you can read
Hand it over
Why did you burn it?
Leng, stick with me tomorrow
Who do you think you are?
Forget him, Leng
Let's go
How did so many people die here?
They all died from smallpox
I studied medicine before
I know how to treat smallpox
Thank you
Bring the patients to me now
Waiter, give me a jug of wine
It's over there
Thanks
Tomorrow
atone
meet at Wine Springs
Do you know what I saw in the Capital City?
Our homes were still there
Some of our families were still there
The bustling market
was still there
Everything was the same
But I broke down and cried
Because our homes were no longer ours
The families left behind were forced into slavery
The market was transformed
into an execution site for our people
Those left in the city
lost their souls
They are slaves
And those who are not slaves
also can't raise their heads
Our people
are no longer treated...
as human beings
How did we lose our homes?
Fear!
How did we lose our land?
Fear!
How did we lose our freedom?
Fear!
Are we to lose the last vestiges
of our humanity to fear?
No
The heavens tell me
I'll die soon
But I'm not afraid
I want the heavens to know
I
refuse to die at the hands of a Han Chinese
How could I
die by the hands of one of our own?
You won't
Forget your Han name, Wang Lei
From now on, you're Nala Leng
LGHQ
You're one of us
Leng, you outcast!
LGHQ
Your words are poisoned!
Wolf!
When we were little, we braided each other's hair
Do you remember?
I thought you had forgotten
Just let the Guillotines finish off Wolf
as a favor to my brothers?
Your brothers again
When will the firearms squad arrive?
I promise to capture Wolf
before they arrive
Haidu
Help me just this once
Green Army Base, Wuguan
Haidu
Help me just this once
The rebel Wolf
has three days
to surrender
Otherwise, Guo Bai-Ian
and other captive Herders
will be executed
He's going to get Musen killed
Mister
That man said I'd get rice
if I give this to you
It's Su's badge
What about my rice?
Su
Shisan
Bravo
Where is Wolf?
Stay over there!
Tell me
Where is Wolf?
Tell me
Shisan, stop it!
Calm down
They killed Su!
LGHQ
Don't move!
Come on
I'll kill whoever comes near
Come on
I'm sorry
Get up
We're brothers
LGHQ
Shisan
Leave some wine for me
Give me
Smallpox victims are always around Wolf
No one goes near them
Their homes
are ideal hideouts for the Herders
If they want to play cat and mouse
we'll play along
Tomorrow at noon
Nala Leng must surrender himself
In exchange for Gua-erjia Musen
If Leng fails to appear
Musen will be executed
Wolf wants you dead
you can't go tomorrow
I must go
I promised Musen's father
to bring her back
You're going to exchange your life
for hers?
Our lives don't belong to us
They belong to His Majesty
The firearms squad is coming
to replace the Guillotines
Tomorrow
Let the Guillotines behead Wolf
then let my brothers go free
I'll go back with you
Looks like you've had enough of being bullied
Eat
I think you're ready for my story
As you know
Han weddings are grand, joyous occasions
One day
the wedding day of Zhuang's daughter
Qing soldiers barged in
and arrested everyone in the Zhuang family
Master Zhuang pleaded
I'm only a book dealer
What have I done wrong?
The captain asked
Have you ever sold a book
titled "The story of Ming Dynasty"?
Master Zhuang recalled
"The story of Ming Dynasty"
cost six coppers each
It sold well
The captain said
Emperor Yongzheng believes
the book appears to be about the achievements of the Ming regime
but in truth, it's an attack on the Qing court
Master Zhuang pleaded innocence
"I didn't write the book!"
The captain said he didn't order the arrest.
It was His Majesty!
The wedding banquet
turned into a funeral
Zhuang was sentenced to death by 1000 cuts
His four older sons were to be beheaded
The youngest son just turned 16
The judge took a year off his age
so that he could be spared
The young son was devastated
"My father and brothers are to be executed
How can I live on?"
But I did live
My story does not end there
Master Zhuang had a friend named Guo Mo,
a court advisor
He bribed officials
to save Zhuang's four sons
When Guo took them across the river
a group of masked men ambushed them
and beheaded them all
That's what
The Guillotines did
That month
your father was appointed Chief Commander
I've always wondered
whatever happened to the heads of my brothers?
Perhaps you can tell me?
We exchange heads
for a bounty
The heads are kept in the Tunyang Pagoda
as a record of our achievements
How much do you get per head?
Ten taels
Ten taels of silver
Ten
Only ten?
Is this true?
I'm not that kind of person
I'm not
Wolf