CLOUDS AND WATER

by Ivan Mayne

Not a fanfic per se, but a separate love story inspired by CTHD...on a fine spring day a lone warrior returns to meet an old friend of his...for a duel over a woman they both loved twenty years ago...

CLOUDS AND WATER

A Martial Arts Screenplay By Ivan Mayne

Everything is defined by a change of state.

EXT. FOREST PATH DAY

The setting is 18th Century China. We see as a pair of feet enter the frame.

These are battered and scarred feet, tied up with bandages at various points. Slowly it is revealed that these feet are that of an equally tattered and scarred figure.

He is a man, around 40-50, tall and ragged, obviously a man who has been through a lot in life, battered by the winds of change and chance.

His face, though, is admittedly handsome, and despite the number of scars that are on it and the amount of unshaven beard stubble that lies on it.

We see that around his waist he proudly carries a sword, and in one hand he is holding a pipe, which he regularly holds up to his mouth and smokes.

The forest path is in the early stages of spring and the flowers are in full bloom.

The man puts the pipe to his mouth and takes a long draw on it.

Then he looks forward into the distance.

He is hesitant to go forth at this point, and we do not know for what reason.

A soft wisp of smoke emerges from his mouth.

In his eyes there is a faraway look.

We see as he twirls his pipe between his fingers with incredible dexterity.

Then we hear a voice calling out to him, it is that of a young girl.

VOICE

Master, wait up for me!

The man turns around, and we see that there is a young girl following him.

This is a wide-eyed and innocent-looking young girl, she is strangely, for a servant girl, much less torn and tattered looking than her master, who seems to do so willingly. She also carries two swords with her.

The man takes another draw on his pipe.

MAN

Yes, I will do so! Hurry up!

He blows some more small curlicues of smoke out of the corner of his mouth.

The girl hurries up beside her Master.

There is in her look in her arms of utmost concern for her Master. She is his handmaiden.

HANDMAIDEN

Master, why have you come here? You once said that you would never come here again, Master, is that what you told me, Master?

The man just shakes his head as he looks at the maidservant while blowing some more smoke curls from his mouth in his almost nonchalant fashion, his eyes turn towards the sky.

MAN

Shhh...there is a person who has prepared for our arrival for very long. He is a friend who I haven't seen in many years.

HANDMAIDEN

A friend?

MAN

A friend.

EXT. MANSION DAY

We see this is an elegant country mansion, most likely some sort of retreat for its occupant, and we see that this occupant is a stately, dignified man, almost a complete opposite from the man that we saw before at the beginning of this tale.

Like the man we saw at the beginning, this man is also approaching 40-50 years of age.

But like the man we saw just now, it is also evident that this fellow has some skill in the martial arts, as evidenced by the bejeweled and highly expensive-looking sword that is around his waist.

He takes out his sword and starts practising with it a few moves, it is obvious that this is a skilled man, his moves elegant, clean and inspiring as the figure that he cuts.

Then he sheathes his sword.

We see as his stable groom readies a horse for him to ride on.

GROOM

Master, your horse is ready.

ELEGANT MAN

Very good, you prepare another horse for my squire here, we are off to meet a special guest.

Nearby the squire, a young man, stands.

SQUIRE

Master, who is this guest? I haven't heard of guests in this place for very long.

ELEGANT MAN

He is a friend, a very old friend.

SQUIRE

How old?

ELEGANT MAN

I knew him way before I employed you.

The squire nods, wide-eyed.

SQUIRE

Wow, that's very long ago, Lord Yun.

The man's name is YUN XING TONG.

YUN XING TONG

It is.

He smiles back at the squire, who is obviously a simple man.

The squire gets onto the horse behind his Master.

YUN XING TONG

Giddyap!

The two horses set off from the mansion.

On the way, the squire asks in his typical manner of childlike naivete.

SQUIRE

Master, tell me who is this friend exactly? I would be very happy if I could welcome your new friend, and know what to call him.

YUN XING TONG

His name, Shui Liu Can.

SQUIRE

The Chant of Flowing Water! What a lovely name!

The Elegant Man smiles.

YUN XING TONG

The Chant of Flowing Water indeed´

Then at this moment we see that it starts raining all around them.

SQUIRE

Wah! Speak of the Devil, I just mentioned flowing water, and now comes the rain!

YUN XING TONG

I cannot keep him waiting!

EXT. COUNTRY PATH DAY

The man we now know as Shui Liu Can looks up towards the sky.

His face is greeted by the raindrops, which he tries to shield off with his sleeve.

FADE TO BLACK

Across the blackness we continue hearing the noise of rain.

The blackness lights up a while, replicating the effect of lightning.

Then we hear the sound of thunder crashing.

Then against the blackness we start seeing huge droplets of rain fall from the dark depths of the sky.

The rain drops are falling with the force of an army charging.

EXT. COURTYARD OF YUN ESTATE NIGHT

We see the Yun Estate displayed before us in all its glory, a silent giant in the long and cacophonous night of rain.

We now see the courtyard, where the rain is falling in torrents.

Standing in sharp contrast to the heavy downpour and the darkness of the sky is a lit window in the house.

Against which we see a female silhouette. This is a MIDWIFE.

We first see as it turns around, shouting to someone further in the house.

WOMAN

It's a boy!

Then we hear the cry of a baby that continues through the transfer into:

INT. YUN ESTATE BEDROOM NIGHT

An older man walks into the room, taking the baby from the midwife and holding it in his arms.

This is LORD YUN.

LORD YUN

Tonight, I have a son. And you I shall name Xing Tong, for you nothing shall be impossible.

MIDWIFE

He's a healthy boy.

LORD YUN

Good, now I want his mother to be tended to.

Then Lord Yun and his magisterial, stern presence exit the room.

EXT. COURTYARD YUN ESTATE NIGHT

The downpour continues to rage on in the courtyard of the Yun Estate.

It is at this moment that we see a pair of feet enter the frame, it is a man, and he is carrying his wife along with him.

The wife is heavily pregnant, and she is breathing heavily, and in great agony.

MAN

Oh God, is there anyone who can help me?

His shouts are loud, but his voiced is drowned out by the rain.

We see as on his face, tears mix with the rain.

At this moment he turns around, and sees a few of the mansion's guards coming towards him.

He starts screaming at the guards.

MAN

OH GOD. Thank God, thank God...you have to help me, all of you.

The guards though seem to draw their swords most inhospitably.

GUARD ONE

The Lord has chosen this mansion for his private endeavor, I do not know how you managed to find this place, but my advice is that you leave now.

INT. YUN ESTATE BEDROOM NIGHT

The midwife looks out of the bedroom and sees the man, which worries her. And she calls out to Lord Yun...

MIDWIFE

Sir, sir! There's someone outside the house! The guards are hara...

She is about to finish "harassing" when she sees Lord Yun in his room.

INT. YUN ESTATE LORD YUN'S BEDROOM NIGHT

In his room, still in a state of excitement, Lord Yun is pacing restlessly when the midwife enters.

MIDWIFE

My Lord, there is a man outside the house, I think his wife is pregnant! The guards, the guards, they are, harass...

Lord Yun contemplates before shaking his head.

LORD YUN

Thievery is common these days. We do not know what kind of visitor this is. Why would someone like that stumble upon our mansion as such? I have taught the guards to handle these matters with the utmost tact and diplomacy.

MIDWIFE

My Lord, we have to help him, his wife is about to give birth!

LORD YUN

How do you know that? This is our compound, outsiders are not allowed in so easily!

MIDWIFE

I believed what I saw, my Lord. Please, we must let him in.

LORD YUN

Very well then, let him in.

Just then Lord Yun hears some cries...

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD NIGHT

One of the guards has been brutally wrestled to the ground by none other than the man, who has laid his agonizing wife down by the side.

The man also has confiscated the guard's saber, and is waving it at the others while he sits atop the body of the guard he has confronted and presses his face to the ground with one hand.

On the ground we see as the guard's mouth projects a stream of blood that mixes with the rainwater...

MAN

All right, I hope you guys get it! My wife is in agony, and you have to save her.

Nearby the ailing wife screams...

At this moment, we see as none other than Lord Yun emerges from the mansion.

Handsome, dignified, stern and commanding, he glares coldly at his guards with his eyes. Behind him walks the midwife.

In front of the guards he draws his sword, which releases with a magnificent metallic slide from its sheath.

LORD YUN

The man is harmless! I have told you all before that he should be hushed away with diplomacy if possible!

GUARD TWO

But he just beat one of us...

LORD YUN

Self defence is valid cause in this case! Now leave, all of you!

The guards disperse as instructed by their master.

Lord Yun and the midwife run over to the ailing wife of the man, who is thrashing around on the ground.

MIDWIFE

I don't think she can take it anymore...

LORD YUN

Then we must get to work!

The man is startled as he sees Lord Yun, sword unsheathed, walk towards his wife.

MAN

WHAT...what are you trying to do, Sir?

LORD YUN Shut up, and just let me tend to your wife!

The woman is screaming in agony on the ground already...

From a distance, we watch as the midwife and Lord Yun huddle around the woman.

WOMAN

It's coming out, I can feel it...

LORD YUN

Do your breathing...

MIDWIFE

You sure you know what you are doing?

LORD YUN

I do...

With an isometric aerial view, we see as where Lord Yun, the midwife and the man have crowded around the screaming wife, a small spurt of blood is seen.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LORD YUN'S BEDROOM NIGHT

An image of a hand holding a silken kerchief, and cleansing a sword with it.

The kerchief is stained with blood.

Slowly it is revealed that the hand belongs to none other than Lord Yun himself.

Behind Lord Yun stands the midwife, who is carrying the new child in her hands.

MIDWIFE

My Lord, the woman...

LORD YUN

We can only leave her to the fates now. I have done all I could. Desperate times called for desperate measures, I had to deliver her.

MIDWIFE

Aye, it's a hearty boy she bore.

LORD YUN

Indeed...

At this moment the man enters the room, obviously he's a man who is rather rough in the ways of the world, uncouth, unsubtle and with a temper quick to flare and quick to please.

MAN

Oh, thank you so much, I just have to thank you for this. You managed to deliver my child...thank you, thank you so much. The missus and I were on a long journey, and everywhere we looked we could not find a place to stay...

Lord Yun puts a hand up, and the man quietens down immediately.

LORD YUN

That I perfectly understand. It was my duty to do so...you have not told me your name yet...

MAN My surname is "Shui", as in "water".

LORD YUN My surname is "Yun", as in "cloud".

SHUI

How is the missus doing so far?

LORD YUN

I have heard that she is all right.

SHUI

Good, good´

But it is obvious that Shui is obviously very tense at this moment.

LORD YUN

By the way, the night is long. Where are you going? What do you wish to do?

SHUI

There have been floods in my hometown, we were reduced to eating tree bark, I was going to go far away for a better life´

LORD YUN

So you have nowhere to go at this moment?

SHUI

Not that I have, maybe I'll stay a few more days.

Lord Yun just nods.

SHUI

Did you ever think of something to name the child?

LORD YUN

You mean you never thought of it?

SHUI

Not really, but I just want to hear your suggestion, I mean it was my fortune to have met you´and for delivering my child safely perhaps you should name him too?

LORD YUN

Me name your child...it is such a rainy night, and your surname sounds just like water?, the rain sounds like the chanting of monks in a temple. So I shall name your son Shui Liu Can----the Chant of Flowing Water.

SHUI

Wonderful name, sir.

At this moment the midwife comes in with infant Shui Liu Can draped in the delicate silken cloths, and hands the child over to Shui.

LORD YUN

Now here's another surprise, my child was born here on the same night as yours.

SHUI

They could be sworn brothers. Oh but before anything I really want to know, how is the Missus so far? Is she okay?

LORD YUN

I believe she would be.

EXT. YUN ESTATE DAY

We see as the rain has stopped and the ground is drying up.

Where the rain used to be, now only puddles of water are left.

The sun hangs high in the sky at the moment.

And all is bright and clear.

EXT. FORESTS DAY

We are back in the surrounding forests of the villa once more, and we see here that it is still raining heavily.

The squire starts shouting to his master.

SQUIRE

Lord Yun, Lord Yun! Must we still carry through this?

YUN XING TONG

He cannot wait for me, so therefore neither can I wait for him! Giddyap!

EXT. FOREST REST STOP DAY

We see that Shui Liu Can and his handmaiden have instead come to a small rest stop in the middle of the forest path, a convenient rest-stop.

HANDMAIDEN

Can he wait?

SHUI LIU CAN

Let him wait for a little while.

And it is here that we see Shui Liu Can smoking his pipe at the table.

He blows out his familiar curlicues of smoke.

The rest stop owner looks out from behind the counter and smiling, starts talking to Shui Liu Can. Who hardly seems to be paying any attention.

REST STOP OWNER

Wah, the "All Souls Festival", always raining around this time of year, huh, just like in the old poem. You going to offer anything to your ancestors, hmm? If you are I have a deal for you...

The rest stop owner seems to prattle onward and onward...his voice grows indistinct while Shui Liu Can's back is turned towards him.

The rest stop owner comes out from behind the counter and walks towards Shui Liu Can while continuing to prattle...

REST STOP OWNER(cont.)

I still have some leftovers that might serve well when you go to do your offerings today, and I see that you are poor, so it really is not going to cost you much...

The rest stop owner does this in a continuous ramble, and we look over his shoulder as he walks nearer and nearer to Shui's table.

REST STOP OWNER (cont.)

I mean I see that you're in such tatters, sir, that I am wondering what really happened...so I have decided that you only need to pay up with...

It is then we see that he removes a small throwing dagger from the folds of his coat...

REST STOP OWNER (cont.)

YOUR LIFE!

The dagger goes flying towards Shui, his handmaiden sees this first and foremost and tries to block it.

Shui can take care of himself well enough and deflects the dagger with single stretch of his sword, still in its scabbard.

Shui's handmaiden rushes at the rest stop owner, who removes another hidden dagger from within his coat, this time a longer dagger for close combat purposes.

They are on the verge of clashing when the dagger that he threw first comes back and embeds itself in the temple of the rest stop owner.

Turns out that Shui has picked it up and done the throwing.

SHUI LIU CAN

He's not worth it. He's not worth two of you, he is only worth one of me.

The handmaiden nods and backs away from the corpse.

Shui then goes out into the rain outside.

We see as he draws his sword, holding it in one hand while twirling his pipe in the other with amazing skill and dexterity.

SHUI LIU CAN

If you already have been waiting for me, come and I will not tarry.

HANDMAIDEN

Master, did your friend have anything to do with this?

SHUI LIU CAN

If only he had, my girl, if only he had.

The handmaiden quickly backs off and heads back to the sidelines.

Shui Liu Can looks off into the distance and starts preparing for the worst.

Then indeed, out of the bush more men step out, all fully armed with their own weapons.

Shui Liu Can turns around, and sees that there are more men stepping out behind him, he looks around and nods.

SHUI LIU CAN

If that friend of mine had something to do with this, I would be dead by now. Thank God that you do not come on behalf of his orders.

EXT. FOREST DAY

Yun and his squire are hurrying at a full gallop through the rain.

Yun is possessed of an almost unearthly sense of urgency, as though everything had depended on this moment in his life.

As we CLOSE UP on his face we realize that in his eyes there is a religious, almost fanatical devotion to this cause that he is currently taking up.

He closes his eyes.

It is as though he is trying to forget something.that something that once happened a long time ago.

FLASHBACK BEGINS

EXT. YUN ESTATE DAY

We are right where we left off the last time, the sun is shining brightly in the sky.

We start hearing some off-screen conversations.

They are clearly between Lord Yun and one of his men.

LORD YUN(o/c)

So you are telling me that he fell you to the ground that quick.

MAN

Yes, couldn't even see how fast he did it but soon as I turned around, seemed to have my own knife at my neck.

INT. YUN ESTATE STUDY DAY

Lord Yun is sitting opposite his man, who is battered and bruised, and one of those that was beaten up by Shui the night before.

LORD YUN

He was that good?

The man nods.

Lord Yun looks down, his head deep in thought.

LORD YUN

You may take your leave.

The man leaves the room.

And right where he leaves off we see that we

FLASH FORWARD to a certain time in the future.

It is the same room, and there we see that a child is framed in the doorway.

And then Lord Yun is now a little older, somewhat changed in appearance.

The child is actually YOUNG YUN XING TONG, who has come here to meet his father. He is at this age around six years old.

LORD YUN Come here, son. I would like you to meet your new playmate.

Lord Yun gestures, and in one corner of the room we see seated, is already the YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN.

LORD YUN

I trust that the two of you are going to be great. You and your playmate here are going to grow up together.

YOUNG YUN XING TONG

But father...

LORD YUN

I know your reservations, but he is from now, your friend.

A big smile crosses Lord Yun's face.

THEN WE FLASHBACK to see Lord Yun back in his study again, apparently deep in thought.

There is a look of shock on his face.

Lord Yun is startled as he turns towards the open doorway to his study.

He slowly but surely walks out of his study so that he stands in the corridor outside. Then from within his study we see as he turns and freezes.

EXT. FOREST DAY

CLOSE UP on Yun Xing Tong's eyes as they open.

Yun Xing Tong and his squire are still sitting on their horses when a scream comes over to them from somewhere in the distance.

Yun Xing Tong brings his horse to a standstill, and the Squire also stops.

SQUIRE

Master, why are you stopping?

YUN XING TONG

Something's going on in the distance.

SQUIRE

What about that friend of yours, weren't you urgent to meet him?

YUN XING TONG

Sometimes there are things that can wait.

EXT. FOREST PATH DAY

We see now that the men who have surrounded Shui Liu Can on all sides are closing in.

The leader of the men walks around Shui Liu Can, mocking and taunting him as he does so, on his face there is a dismissive smirk.

So far already one body lies dead on the ground, obviously taken care of by Shui Liu Can himself.

Apparently that was the one that made the scream.

LEADER

Well, he was always a liability to us anyway, good that you have taken care of him.

SHUI LIU CAN

Who sent you?

LEADER
Why do you need to ask that question? Do you not know that more people than you know have heard of your return?

(Beat)

Apparently you are very famous now.

SHUI LIU CAN

Really? I consider all that something very good to know.

LEADER
Indeed, your reputation precedes you, we would like to test it.

The leader turns to his men, who now surround Shui Liu Can on all sides.

LEADER (shouting)

Take him down!

With a top-down shot, we see as the men all start to converge around Shui Liu Can.

With little effort, a sword goes through the belly of one of them, another has his throat sliced, between thrusts and parries Shui Liu Can still has time to take puffs on his pipe.

Then, with the pipe out of his mouth he blows a stream of smoke at one of the grunts surrounding him and runs him through with his sword when his vision is clouded.

Then he starts taking on three men with each hand, in one his pipe acts as both a mini-polearm and an acupoint node-hitter, within a few moves he has paralyzed one of the men who is carrying a spear, tucked the pipe in his own waist, grabbed the spear and starts swinging the spear around.

Now with far larger range than most of his opponents, they try to reduce the distance advantage by closing in, but he makes short work of most of them with a few brief strokes of the spear, one rushes in fast enough to slice the spear in two, but then we see that Shui Liu Can throws away one end of the spear shaft, unsheathes his sword, but not completely, just fast enough to get the hilt rammed into his stomach, hard.

He doubles over, gasping for air.

Then with the end of the spear shaft where the point is, he rams it hard into the man's back.

The remaining men are still large in number, but they are now clearly fearful of Shui Liu Can already.

Slowly they start stepping back, a few of them even start backing off.

Shui Liu Can smiles.

SHUI LIU CAN

So, I assumed that you just expected this rabble to take me on?

The leader of men is already somewhat discouraged, but the front that he is putting on is still quite boisterous.

LEADER

Those were the scum, everyone who remains are the true heroes!

The surrounding men give a wild yell and raise their assorted weapons.

We see them, swords, knives, copper staffs, axes, spears, a pair of short iron claws at the end of sticks, short spearheads, halberds, and one has a strange weapon resembling a weighted chain at the end of a long pole.

At the sight of all this, the handmaiden starts quaking from where she sits.

We see as her hand tries desperately to unsheathe her sword.

But it is quaking.

Her Master on the other hand, is armed with the same amount of nonchalance that has characterized him up to now.

LEADER
Remember, everyone, whoever gets this man, will be duly rewarded with DOUBLE the original amount that was promised!

The yell goes up from all the men combined, this time even louder.

The leader immediately goes up with his own sword and clashes it with that of Shui Liu Can.

The leader of these men, is in fact, pretty skilled, and almost a match for Shui himself.

The surrounding men cheer on as the leader and Shui engage in a lightning- fast sword battle, in a second, the two men appear engulfed by the silver arcs that their swordpoints trace through the air.

Beads of perspiration form on the leader's face, he is holding on but barely.

LEADER
What are you guys thinking about now? Get him!

The surrounding men nod and rush into the fray.

But as Shui sees himself surrounded by the men he takes a flying leap up into the air and leaps into the forest nearby.

LEADER COWARD!

That's what you have always been, that's what you'll always be!

(Beat)

Get him!

With a great cry all of his men rush into the forest.

Well, all except one.

He walks over to the rest stop in the midst of the forest, and there he starts to eye Shui's handmaiden.

Leaning on one of the pillars of the rest stop, he looks lustily at the damsel he thinks he has entrapped.

He whistles a tune out of his mouth while he holds his saber in his hand.

The handmaiden draws her own sword from its sheath.

The man pretends to look impressed, and lets out a whistle from the side of his mouth.

EXT. FOREST DAY

As through the forest Shui leaps there is a look of calm on his face.

As though he has fought many more, worse battles before this.

He turns around, and a smile spreads across his face.

The rabble of men is following him.

He just moves onward, peacefully.

In the distance, Yun Xing Tong and his Squire wait as the screams of battle come nearer.

Yun Xing Tong's eyes are closed.

SQUIRE

Master, are you remembering?

YUN XING TONG
Quiet, he comes.

The squire nods along with Yun, and both men ride quietly into the deep green of the woods.

CLOSE UP on Yun Xing Tong's eyes, they open.

And sure enough, in the distance he indeed sees Shui Liu Can taking flying leaps across the trees, while the entire rabble of men follows him.

The Squire has a wide-eyed look on his face.

SQUIRE

That's your friend, Master.

YUN XING TONG
Yes, and the wait is finally over.

SQUIRE
Well, he's here.and he's being chased.

YUN XING TONG

Wait here. This is something I must finish.

The Squire nods.

Yun Xing Tong draws his sword and takes off quietly through the forest.

By now the mob that is following Shui Liu Can is already quite dispersed, the faster ones in front, the slower ones behind, and all of them are pretty scattered after following Shui for so long.

The leader is still among the fastest, and is still among those in the lead among who has followed Shui.

Then finally, at one point, Shui finally stops.

He stands there and smiles in his own unmistakably, deceptively calm fashion.

It is exactly this manner, though, that is holding everyone off.

We see at this point that one of the men is starting to freak out, the one carrying a bronze rod. He is a man senior in years, and starts shaking his head.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

I don't think we would even be able to carry on with him much longer.

LEADER
Quiet, I have promised you all increased bounty, are you not happy?

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

I tell you, I have not seen anyone like him before.

LEADER
What do you mean?

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

I don't know, but I believe men like him are easy to underestimate. Where he possesses strength, he feigns weakness.

No one notices it, but Shui is making distinct eye contact at the Bronze rod fighter at this point.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER (cont.)

He has lived on nothing but chaos, but with chaos, he feigns peace.

There is a silence throughout the group of men by now.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER (cont.)

He appears to run away all the time, but whenever he runs away, he always runs so that he will come back to fight another day.

The Bronze rod fighter lays down his weapon beside him, gets onto his knees and starts kowtowing before the figure of Shui Liu Can.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

This man is already a greater warrior than I, he will not get any better, and that shall be his curse. Leave him.

Some of the warriors dismiss this old man with a snicker, as he leaves the place, shuffling silently.

The leader just laughs out loud, and licks his lips as he brandishes his sword.

LEADER
Mutterings of a fool, Shui Liu Can has always been a coward, and he will die a coward's death! Three of you forward with me, and we shall take him down. The rest of you just watch if you believe what that old fool has to say.

The leader of the mob and three other strongest ones go forward to attack Shui.

One has the weighted chain at the end of the staff.

One has a pair of short spearheads.

One carries a pair of hatchets.

And the last one is the Leader himself.

The four men surround Shui Liu Can, enclosing him in a box.

The man with the weighted chain-and-staff is the first to attack, the weight at the end of his chain swinging wildly as he attacks Shui Liu Can, it appears to be a tight battle, but Shui Liu Can manages to parry every single swing of the weighted chain.

Then the leader comes up with his own sword, rushing into the fray, Shui Liu Can bends over acrobatically, dodging the first thrust of the sword, and before long, he has slipped over to the third man, who is carrying the hatchets.

The man with the hatchets attempts to take advantage of the distance between him and Shui Liu Can and attacks Shui with a fast series of repeated hacks.

Shui manages to parry but barely.

As the four men fight they close in faster and faster on Shui, and Shui is starting to realize that he is having less and less of a chance to escape, he retries the old trick of leaping upwards when surrounded.

LEADER
Hah, you can't fool us this time!

The leader also makes an upward leap, and with a swift kick he knocks Shui Liu Can off course.

Shui Liu Can falls towards the ground, but lands on his feet.on the head of the man with the two hatchets, and from there leaps, launches one kick that sends the hatchet man flying off course, and two kicks to the heads of the man with the weighted chain and the man with the short spearheads, who both fall backwards, mouths filled with bloodied teeth.

The leader sees this, charges at Shui, who using his pipe that he has concealed all this while, gives him a firm hard acupoint attack, paralyzing him instantly and then running him through without even turning his head.

The man with the weighted chain picks himself up, and runs towards Shui, before leaping high into the air and landing before him.

Then we see as he wields his weighted chain-and-staff around, bashing up flurries of dust everywhere he goes.

He hits a tree trunk, and bits of bark come off.

Before long, a cloud of soil pellets, dust and tree bark seems to follow the man wherever he goes. The man heads right up to Shui, and slams one into Shui's chest.

Shui is repelled backwards by the force, and collapses in a pile on the ground.

But he picks himself up.

The man with the weighted chain-and-staff underestimates his foe and comes forward ready to smash Shui's head sideways, but Shui is first to strike and with a swift stroke of the sword breaks the chain that holds the weight and sends the weight flying into a nearby tree trunk.

Then the others, watching all this, start yelling a cry that is something halfway between rage and despair, and come charging forward with their various weapons.

But using his pipe and sword combined, Shui begins to finish them off almost effortlessly one by one.

Three of them are paralyzed by node hitting, one of them has his sword twirled out of his hand, one is slashed across the chest, four others run away screaming.

The one with the halberd comes charging forward, only to have the once- mighty halberd head sliced in half by Shui's sword, which goes on to slice all the way down the shaft, he knows better and releases his grip before the sword reaches his fingers, and runs away.

The one with the short iron claws comes up and launches a series of strong attacks against Shui, the two claws seem effective for parrying both of Shui's weapons at first, and the others start stepping back and cheering, just waiting for the iron claw guy to finally get Shui.

IRON CLAW GUY

Run like the cowards you are, while I finish off one of your own!

Some of the other men seem to nod and leave, except for a few who still seem supremely confident of their own skill.

EXT. FOREST REST STOP DAY

The handmaiden of Shui is covered in blood, with her sword in hand.

The guy who has stayed behind to attack her is now lying on the ground, dead. Obviously there has been a terrible fight just before, or so it seems.

The handmaiden is clearly frightened at this point in time, and her hand shaking, she sheathes her sword.

Then she runs off into the forest.

EXT. FOREST DAY

The bronze rod fighter is heading back through the forest and shaking his head, then we hear as he calls out.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

Tell me, who is it that lurks there?

It is none other than Yun Xing Tong, who has arrived silently as a ghost through the woods, and is watching the battle from the sidelines with all the cool dispassion of a God.

YUN XING TONG
It is I.

The bronze rod fighter closes his eyes.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

I knew it.I am old, and my time on earth would not be long. He is the kind who walks with death, and now it has marked me.

YUN XING TONG

I am not death, I may be worse.

Yun Xing Tong walks over to the Bronze rod fighter, and when directly in front, slices across immediately with his sword.

The bronze rod is immediately broken in two, but the bronze rod fighter remains unharmed.

With the stump of the bronze rod in hand, the bronze rod fighter starts crying.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

Why did you not kill me? I am marked by death.

Yun Xing Tong does not answer the Bronze Rod fighter at all, but moves on.

YUN XING TONG (mutters)

Good luck old man.

Yun Xing Tong just continues walking.

We see as he slides into the battleground.at this moment the rain has ended not so long ago, and the mist is rising from the ground as the sun starts evaporating the water there.

Yun Xing Tong is so stealthy that his first victim does not even realize it as he is strangled from behind.

Yun Xing Tong then goes on to more and more targets, finishing each one of them off with single strokes of the sword.

Then he starts rushing towards the fight between the man with the short iron claws and Shui Liu Can.

So far the man with the short iron claws is perhaps the one best capable of holding up to Shui's prowess.

So far we see that one of the claws has held Shui's blade tip to the ground, and the other is simply fending off attacks from Shui's pipe.

Around them the remaining fighters watch, some cheering, some waiting for their own opportunity.

Then comes Yun Xing Tong, slipping in silently like a ghost.

The man watches some more, then we see as he rushes into the fray.using his palms, giving Shui and his opponent a hard push.

And before you know it, his force alone has pushed both Shui and the man with the claws, up against a nearby tree.

Shui is still pinned to the tree by the man now, whose claws are digging into his flesh on the merit of Yun's force alone.

CLOSE UP on Shui's face. He knows who has come.

Over the shoulder of his opponent, who is still too perplexed to know what is going on, he sees Yun Xing Tong.

Then Yun Xing Tong goes up and we hear the sound of metal tearing through flesh.

The man with the iron claws falls.

Yun Xing Tong pulls out the sword.

CLOSE UP on its bloodstained blade.

Shui looks at Yun, then he looks down at himself.

He notices that on his shirt there is in fact a small cut.

CLOSE UP as he opens up the small cut with two fingers of his.

There is indeed, a bleeding cut in there, of the kind made by a sword.

Shui looks up at Yun.

The remaining warriors see this, and slowly pack up their weapons.

But before they leave, they gather together in formation right in front of Yun and Shui.

And then unthinkably, they salute Yun and Shui by crossing their hands so that a fist is in a palm.

An Ascetic Swordsman is leading this.

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

If you had killed both men, we would have given you a lot less respect.

The remaining men get up, dust off their clothes, and leave.

Shui looks at Yun with a surprising amount of fondness.

SHUI LIU CAN

I...I...knew that they could not have sent you at all. Thanks, thanks a lot.

YUN XING TONG

Anything for an old friend, I suppose.

SHUI LIU CAN

Yes, anything for an old friend.

Yun Xing Tong laughs, and the two men set off on their journey.

SHUI LIU CAN

Oh yeah. I just remembered. I brought someone along too. My maid. I left her at the rest stop in the forest.go and fetch her, shall we?

YUN XING TONG

Of course, I have actually brought some horses along to ease your journey.

Soon the two men reach the horses, which the Squire has taken care of up till now, and both men mount them.

Yun Xing Tong is on one of the horses.

On the other horse sits Shui Liu Can, with Yun's squire as well.

Then the two men set off from there.

SHUI LIU CAN Thanks for taking me over to your place personally.

YUN XING TONG My pleasure.

(pause)

You have a handmaiden now?

SHUI LIU CAN
Long story short, I am getting old, I need someone to take care of me.

YUN XING TONG

You seem to have some more years left in you.

SHUI LIU CAN

You said that right after saving me from possible death.

YUN XING TONG

Saving you? Guess I did.

SHUI LIU CAN

I see you still command respect.

YUN XING TONG
I am lucky I do.

Just at this moment the Squire spots the handmaiden.

SQUIRE
There's a girl over there!

The two men see Shui's handmaiden, all bloodied and tired at this moment.

Shui leaps off his horse immediately and runs towards her, where he grabs her by the hands.

She looks at him, eyes downcast, tears flowing, expression silent.

SHUI LIU CAN

Oh God, what happened to you? Are you alright? Did I not tell you to stay put?!

HANDMAIDEN

It's okay Master, I just killed one of the men.

Shui Liu Can almost wants to slap her, like a father would a child.

Then he retracts his hand.

SHUI LIU CAN

Good, you did well, now come, let's meet my old friend.

Shui Liu Can gestures to Yun Xing Tong.

SHUI LIU CAN

That is Yun Xing Tong, the friend who I was telling you about.

Yun Xing Tong nods from his horseback.

SHUI LIU CAN

Come, let's head over to his place, there we'll get you washed up, and a change of clothes too.

The handmaiden nods.

She gets on the horse along that Yun Xing Tong sits on, and then the two horses set off, Shui and Yun's Squire on one, and the handmaiden and Yun on the other.

Then they head off to Yun's mansion.

EXT. STREAM DAY

Here we see that small assortment of fighters that have managed to leave the aforementioned battlefield unscathed, and they are all helping themselves to the water here.

Along with them, but separate, is the old fighter with the bronze rod. He is drinking from the same stream, but at a different end.

The Ascetic Swordsman who led the show of respect to Yun Xing Tong appears to be their ringleader, at this moment, one of his companions, who holds a belt full of daggers, shakes his head and sighs.

DAGGER FIGHTER

We're leaving empty-handed like this? Right after you made us bow to that man?

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

Shush! From what I have seen we should not go on with our mission.

A third warrior pipes up, this one using a staff.

STAFF FIGHTER

What do you mean our mission is not worth undertaking.it was going to make us rich!

The Ascetic Swordsman takes a drink from the stream before speaking.

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

Rich? Yes, of course I know that it would make us rich, but about dead?

STAFF FIGHTER
What do you mean?

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

You heard me right, I said dead. That Yun Xing Tong could have killed us if he wanted to, he let us live, why do you think he did so?

DAGGER FIGHTER

I say you're being a big sap, brother, he let us go because...

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

He knew only too well that killing us was the easy thing to do, to let us go was the harder one.

Another fighter with a pair of crescent blades starts shaking his head.

CRESCENT BLADE FIGHTER

What in the world are you talking about?

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

Hard to say, sometimes I feel that what we are after is too sacred for us to ever attain.

DAGGER FIGHTER

You mean.

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

Yes, we must give up. The secrets of the Cloud-Water Sword Style are no longer worth our pursuit.

With a top-down shot, we see as the Bronze Rod fighter, who has been drinking water by the sides all along, walks over and joins them.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

He is right indeed, I know that all of you have waited a long time for this moment, but if you will hear how it all began, you will understand everything much clearer.

(Beat)

Your generation within the martial realm has not heard the truth often, but mine has. There is a lot more to how Yun Xing Tong and Shui Liu Can created the Cloud-Water Sword Style than we will ever know. As far as I am concerned, it began with Yun Xing Tong's father.

FLASHBACK BEGINS

INT. LORD YUN'S STUDY DAY

This continues the flashback that we witnessed through Lord Yun just now.

This is a study, and here we see that a child is framed in the doorway.

And then Lord Yun is now a little older, somewhat changed in appearance.

The child is YOUNG YUN XING TONG, who has come here to meet his father. He is at this age around six years old.

LORD YUN

Come here, son. I would like you to meet your new playmate.

Lord Yun gestures, and in one corner of the room we see seated, is already the YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN.

LORD YUN

I trust that the two of you are going to be great. You and your playmate here are going to grow up together.

YOUNG YUN XING TONG

But father...

LORD YUN

I know your reservations, but he is from now, your friend.

A big smile crosses Lord Yun's face.

YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN

Hi, you may not have seen me often here before, but the truth is that your father is a man of great merit. He has been my benefactor since the day I was born.

YOUNG YUN XING TONG

Dad, why haven't you told me about you being a "benefactor" of anyone? I did not know you were, you were so...

LORD YUN

Chivalric?

Then Lord Yun laughs.

LORD YUN(cont.)

Indeed, I may not be like Justice Bao or Judge Dee, but I hope I come very close.

At this moment we see a woman framed in the doorway as well, it is none other than Yun Xing Tong's mother, LADY YUN.

LADY YUN

Well I see that Tong-er has found the friend that you wanted him to have.

LORD YUN

Indeed, I am in fact, going to take him out of the schoolroom and have him home-schooled from now on with this new friend of his.

LADY YUN

I see all is fine, he seems like a great kid.

LORD YUN

Indeed.

YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN

From now on, I will be your partner and friend.

YOUNG YUN XING TONG

Dad, why are you taking me out of my school?

LORD YUN

I just see that as it stands, you would do better with this boy as your companion, you can learn more with him, form a closer friendship, and make it one that will last a lifetime. As of this moment I have found the best kind of schoolteacher for the two of you boys, and for me, I will give you two a little surprise.

(Beat)

What I really want to do is to be with you boys, you know what I am saying?

YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN

Wow, this is better than anything that my dad ever promised me.

LORD YUN

It is indeed. He is a good man, but he did not have the kinds of opportunities that I am offering the two of you right now.

YOUNG YUN XINGTONG
Who is his father anyway?

LORD YUN

That will be our little secret for now.

Lord Yun winks at young Shui Liu Can.

Young Shui Liu Can smiles back at Lord Yun.

YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN

I will not let you know who my father is, but you would probably never grow up to be like him!

YOUNG YUN XINGTONG
Yeah?

YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN

Yeah!

The two children start fighting.

LORD YUN

Ha ha ha...cut it out, the both of you!

The two children continue not listening.

LORD YUN

I said cut it out!

Lord Yun brings his palm down on the side of his chair, and the children stop fighting.

They turn to look at Lord Yun.

YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN
Sorry.

LORD YUN

That's good, the two of you should not fight.none of you should fight anyway.

(Beat)

Now let the two of you get to know each other, you're going to know each other for a long time.

And laughing, Lord Yun walks out of the room

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

It is here that Lord Yun meets up with his wife, who looks absolutely anxious and worried at her husband.

There is also a certain amount of ridicule involved, like one would reserve for what one believes is a person who has lost his mind.

LADY YUN

I don't know, but after all these years, I don't think keeping your vow is such a good idea.

LORD YUN

Such is a gentleman's duty, and we must remember that.

LADY YUN

We?

LORD YUN

Yes. That means you have to keep it quiet too.

LADY YUN

Look, you got yourself into this, you get out of it yourself.

FLASHBACK ENDS

EXT. FOREST STREAM DAY

We are back at the forest stream that we left, and we see that the old man's train of thought has been interrupted by the Ascetic Swordsman.

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

Sir, you were saying that Lord Yun had secrets?

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER
Indeed, some of those things kept him on the border of life and death.

(Beat)

It was that that his wife knew.

EXT. YUN ESTATE NIGHT

We see one of the many halls in the mansion, where the window is now alight.

The Bronze Rod Fighter's narration continues through the transfer.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER (v/o)

You see, it so turned out that Shui was no ordinary man, but in fact, rather, a wanted criminal.

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN (v/o)

Wanted, for what?

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER (v/o)

Who knows and who cares? It was because he was wanted that everything that could happen, did.

We slowly close in on the window with the light in it.

INT. YUN ESTATE DINING HALL NIGHT

This is in fact, one of the Yun Estate's many dining halls, perhaps one used for the reception of guests.

Using a lighter, we see as a hand lights up a pair of candles.

In the dim shadows, we see that there is someone seated at a dinner table in the room, and where some wine is laid before him.

But other than that we see little else.

Lord Yun is slowly revealed to be the man who lit the candles.

We see as he turns to the shadowy figure at the table, which of course, we know, is Shui.

As he sits opposite Shui at the table, he looks at this man who has entered his life and starts talking.

As this conversation continues we are made aware of the presence of a pendulum clock in the background, one of the many imports from the West at this time of limited free trade in history, and of course a luxury probably only a family of influence could afford.

It is the ticking of the clock that punctures the pauses of silence in the conversation between two men.

LORD YUN

What I want to know is, would you like to see me dead at this moment?

SHUI

Does it matter, would you want to kill yourself if you had the chance?

LORD YUN

Yes, I could.

SHUI

I am going to see to believe.

LORD YUN

If it is that you hate me so.

Lord Yun pours a cup of wine.

Then he dashes it against the floor.

We see as the floor starts to sizzle and bubble as part of it is eaten away.

LORD YUN

This wine is poisoned. I CAN JUST DRINK IT if you truly hate me so.

SHUI

Naw, I know that trick, the wine jug itself contains two compartments, one with poisoned wine, one with non-poisoned wine, you drink from the unpoisoned one by activating a secret mechanism only you know...and you pretend to die.

LORD YUN

Is that so?

Lord Yun starts to pour himself another cup of wine.

SLO-MO as the trickle from the wine jug fills the cup.

Then Lord Yun lays down the wine cup on the table.

His hand reaches out for the cup and he lifts it slowly but surely, to his mouth.

Droplets of sweat start to form on his forehead.

He is almost ready to drink from it.

Then all of a sudden a scream rends the air...it is a female voice.

FEMALE VOICE(o/c)

NO!

None other than Lady Yun bursts through the door, a handmaiden following her.

LADY YUN

Please my Lord, think twice before you do anything silly.

(to Shui)

Please, you must understand that he really means it.

Shui nods, his face still in darkness.

SHUI

So he does.

Shui slowly emerges into the light, we see that his face is now beaten and scarred.

LADY YUN

My Lord, what happened to him, why did you do this?

LORD YUN

Sorry I did.

Lady Yun, though looks at Shui sympathetically, and he smiles weakly at her.

LADY YUN

Oh lord, may you burn for what you did to him!

Lord Yun raises up his hand to calm his wife down.

It is at this moment that the ticking of the clock, which should have been a prominent sound in the background up to this point, slowly FADES OUT, and we hear Lord Yun's brief, succinct explanation of things.

LORD YUN

On the same night that you delivered our son, he also came to our house, his wife hugely pregnant, and given the urgency of the situation I delivered the child personally. The wife died of complications, and there was nothing that I could do about it. He found out, he went berserk. I knew he was a martial arts exponent from the way he harmed our guards the night before just to get in. He started trashing the place and fighting with the guards, demanding to see me. He was becoming dangerous, so I could but choose to lock him up.

LADY YUN

Oh God.

Tears are flowing out of Shui's eyes at this moment, he looks at Lady Yun, and then at her husband.

SHUI

I know. I am trouble, that is what I have always been...I..I...am a murderer.

It is at this point that Lord Yun turns to Shui.

LORD YUN

I know that you have good reason to hate me as of this moment, but I hope that you can see that I fully intended to drink that wine.

He points to the wine cup on the table at this point.

LORD YUN (cont.)

And the fact that I have been forgiven, is that my beloved wife has been the judge of all this, and she has forgiven me.

Lord Yun goes over to his wife and hugs her.

LORD YUN

The Missus has judged me well.

CLOSE UP on Shui as his face, crossed with both pity and rage, FADES TO BLACK amidst the following voices:

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER (v/o)

Such was it that the judgment of a woman came to the aid of Lord Yun, and spared his life from that day on, so that he may live and that this tale may not have come to an end at that point.

FADE IN:

EXT. STREAM DAY

We are back at the stream in the forest, where nearly all of the other swordsmen have had their attention rapt by the old Bronze Rod fighter.

CRESCENT SWORD FIGHTER

Women, who can trust those fickle creatures? That Lord Yun was a fool to surrender his life to the judgment of a woman.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

Of course he may not have been as smart as some of us.

This bon mot immediately meets a bout of laughter from some of the other fighters.

The Ascetic Swordsman then pipes up.

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

So, a woman's judgment sealed the fate of two generations.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

Indeed, that was so!

(Beat)

Now, let us continue with this new knowledge. Where were we?

DAGGER FIGHTER

When Lady Yun was worried about her husband's commitment.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER
Right, right.

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY Lady Yun is leaning against her husband's shoulders as they walk through the courtyard gardens of the Yun Estate.

LADY YUN

I'm worried my dear, is our child going to be safe at all? I mean, he's with the child of a.wanted murderer, no good can ever come of anything like that!

LORD YUN

Don't you remember, it was you that took pity on that wanted murderer.

LADY YUN

I felt sorry for him, and for the mother who could no longer see her child, may her ghost rest in peace. BUT isn't this getting too far.?

LORD YUN

The wanted murderer was the father, but the son is innocent as they come. He deserves his chance at life.

LADY YUN

You have no idea what's going on these few years, after a six year chase some agents have at last found traces of that man, and they are closing in.

(Beat)

There is already a reward of one thousand pieces of silver for that man's head.

Lord Yun nods.

LADY YUN (cont.)

He may live separately from us, but sooner or later they are going to find out who his benefactor is, and then we are going to be in trouble, a proud noble family, with a reputation all set to be cast adrift in the wind? (Beat) Our children and our children's children bear our curse!

LORD YUN

Look, you do not understand that if I wanted pride or nobility, I would not have retreated to this country estate for some quiet. If it happens, it will happen, we can live without pride or nobility. It is not.everything.

Lady Yun's eyes fill with tears as she slowly starts to get choked by sobs.

LADY YUN

Not everything huh.I suppose that it's 'not everything' only to you.

Lord Yun nods.

LADY YUN

And if you feel that you owe that man everything indeed, why did you have to it that day.

FLASHBACK OCCURS

INT. YUN ESTATE DAY

We are back at the shot earlier where we saw Lord Yun frozen in the doorway.

Then we see him run down the corridor just outside.

EXT. YUN ESTATE DAY

We see Shui himself confronting two of the mansion's guards. He is screaming and shouting in the typical manner of the country bum that he appears to be.

SHUI

I demand to see the Master of the House!

One of the guards stops him.

GUARD 1

He is busy at this moment, and he will attend to you shortly.

SHUI I don't give a damn, I want to see the Master right this minute.

GUARD 2

Now I have no idea who you think you are, as if all the trouble you caused last night was not enough.

It is at this moment that Lord Yun emerges, and holding up a hand, stops the guards in their actions.

LORD YUN

Stop there. I have come here to see the man.

SHUI

There you are, why did my wife die? I left her in your hands.you could not have let her die...ANSWER ME!

Guard 1 attempts to stop Shui by rushing up from behind to hold him back, but Shui floors him with a single stroke.

LORD YUN

Good, that's the way.

GUARD 1

Be careful, sir, this guy is...

LORD YUN

I know he's good. I want to see him try.

SHUI

He's right, that's our business.

Shui rushes toward Lord Yun with a flying kick, but Lord Yun catches his leg, twists it around, and brings him down to the ground. Shui is quick to rebound, and delivers a few more blows at Lord Yun, all of which he seems slippery enough to dodge. Then one more blow nearly gets Lord Yun, but he catches it and responds with an elbow to the stomach, which sends Shui reeling back a little.

Shui does not quit, but keeps coming and coming, fists and feet flying in a tight and ruthless formation, we see as one blow catches Lord Yun across the face, a full leg sweep wipes him off his feet, and just when Lord Yun is about to get up and deliver another blow, a hard one is dealt to the neck.

Lord Yun now lies on the ground in pain.

SHUI Well you got that fight you wanted.

Lord Yun picks himself all of a sudden and grabs Shui by the throat, but Shui is no slouch and his equally quick reflexes grab Lord Yun's as well.

It is at this moment that we see more of Lord Yun's guards enter the fray, and all of them are carrying their respective sabers, posed and ready to strike.

LORD YUN

Come clean, you're a wanted man, aren't you?

SHUI

So what if I am?

LORD YUN Admit it!

Shui just spits in Lord Yun's face.

Some of the guards immediately rush forward, apprehending Shui immediately.

CLOSE UP on Shui's face, which we see is rather dispassionate to these men even though right now his level of skill could take them out easily.

The men push Shui to the ground, force him down on his knees and lock his hands behind his back.

Shui does not react still.

Lord Yun, now much more assured, looks down at Shui.

LORD YUN

When I saw what you did to my guard I knew you could not be trusted. I have spent the best money on those who guard this personal sanctuary of mine, and yet you managed to beat the best of them? I think there's more to you than meets the eye.

SHUI

So, big deal!

LORD YUN

Remember that I can turn you in.

SHUI So why aren't you? Got something to hide yourself? Why are you living all alone in this forest then?

LORD YUN

I have nothing to hide, I am not on the run from anything.

Shui just laughs.

SHUI

You are.

Lord Yun looks into the eyes of Shui.

Then he turns around.

LORD YUN

Men, lock him up before he endangers anyone.

The men nod and drag Shui off.

FLASH BACK ENDS

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

We see Lady Yun, choked with sobs, talking to her husband.

LADY YUN

God, for all the world, I hated you, I hated the man who wanted to protect me.

LORD YUN

You hated me for that? Who told you?

LADY YUN
He told me, Shui did.

LORD YUN

He told you that? When?

LADY YUN

Right after you let him out of the room, after you decided that a woman like me was the only one fit to judge both your fates. He felt indebted to me.

A smile of sorts actually crosses Lady Yun's face at this moment.

It is noticed that a very ugly, indescribable expression crosses Lord Yun's face at this moment, but it is very soon that it disappears.

LORD YUN

Well, I do not think that he told you the whole story at all.

LADY YUN

He didn't?

Lord Yun shakes his head and looks into his wife's eyes.

LORD YUN

He didn't.

FLASHBACK BEGINS

INT. YUN ESTATE ROOM DAY

Here is a room where we see that Shui is tied to a chair and over seen by two guards.

One is carrying a whip, and the other a dagger.

Shui is beaten and bruised, bare-chested at this point.

Sweat is trickling all over his body.

On the table in the room is a tub of wine, from which the dagger carrying guard drinks regularly.

DAGGER-CARRYING GUARD Nothing like wine on a cool day, it warms the blood.

He takes a sip from the tub of wine, and then lets out a long "Ahhhh."

He turns again to look at Shui.

Shui is looking at the dagger carrying-guard intently.

It is at this moment where Shui does not notice that he is whipped across the chest by the guard with the whip.

GUARD WITH WHIP Talk, you hear? Who did you murder?

Shui though, maintains perfect silence under interrogation.

The dagger-carrying guard goes up to Shui and casually marks a notch in his skin while drinking wine.

DAGGER-CARRYING GUARD

I think a little wine may get him in the mood.

He drinks another mouthful, and then spits the wine into Shui's wound.

Shui grits his teeth, but does not scream.

GUARD WITH WHIP

He's not talking.

DAGGER-CARRYING GUARD
Well he never needed to talk, I pity our Master's judgment for taking in some vagabond of the streets like him.

The other dagger-carrying guard picks up a chair off the ground and appears just about to smash Shui across his face.

It is at this moment that we see the door to the room open.

In steps a glowering Lord Yun.

The guard with the chair is now caught by surprise, and he lays down the chair quietly.

CLOSE UP on the chair's four legs as they touch the ground.

Lord Yun walks up to the guard.

LORD YUN What are the two of you doing?

DAGGER-CARRYING GUARD
We...we.. were just trying to stop him from escaping. He was attempting to.

LORD YUN

What were my instructions?

DAGGER-CARRYING GUARD

We were not to hurt him, Sir.

LORD YUN

Then how is it that you are behaving?

GUARD WITH WHIP

HE TRIED TO ESCAPE!

Lord Yun is silent, then he takes the chair and smashes it right across the dagger-carrying guard's face, he collapses from the force of the hit.

Lord Yun steps over to the guard with the whip, who is too frightened to retaliate, and simply, slowly, quietly, steps out of the room.

Lord Yun shuts the door to the room slowly.

Shui turns around and looks at Lord Yun.

It is at this moment that we see that Shui breaks free of the ropes that have held him to the chair.

Lord Yun registers a look of shock at this feat.

SHUI

I could have left, but I chose not to.

LORD YUN

Wha.? Why...why...did you choose to suffer like that?

SHUI

Because I realized that like me you wanted to protect those you loved, I am sorry for what I did.

LORD YUN

And you just allowed yourself to be hurt.

SHUI

Yes. But I want to tell you this: I am a murderer, and I am on the run. But that should not stop me from being able to see my son.

It is at this moment Lord Yun kicks Shui violently to the ground again.

LORD YUN

If you could break those ropes, it just meant that you were more dangerous than I thought.

The guard with the dagger turns out to have actually faked the faint. He gets up, as does the guard with the whip.

They come into the room again.

Lord Yun exits, leaving Shui to scream at him.

SHUI

YOU BEAST.!

FLASHBACK ENDS

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

Lord Yun caresses the face of his wife as he continues.

LORD YUN

Now you know why that night I sent for you. I wanted you to be my judge.

(Beat)

I had known till then that Shui himself may have been a murderer, but he was no ordinary man. I could not allow him to hurt anyone all the same. So what did I do? Everything I did in the room that night was staged by me, so that I could receive your judgment in its purest form.

(Beat)

I know there was nothing so much as a well-written opera that caught your fancy, my dear, and showed me your true feelings, that night what I performed was my own one-man opera.

There is a moment of silence between husband and wife.

Lady Yun's tears seem to dry for a while as she breaks into a smile.

Then she laughs, not a merry laugh, but one that is slightly insane.

Then she collapses into her husband's arms, and stays there.

The couple are now in a spinning world, and one that has only the two of them in it.

Lord Yun also gives an equally bitter smile for a while, and clasps his wife's head to his bosom.

He looks up into the sky.

Slowly we pull up from the couple...until

FLASHBACK ENDS

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREAM DAY

The motley crew of swordsmen have now finished washing up, and are putting on their clothes and getting ready to move off.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

I think we would have to continue another day, or we may not continue at all, the day is running late. I think this will be all that I have to tell you, I hope you have decided for yourself what is best.

(Beat)

For me, I have decided not to return.what about you?

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

A sad history underlies the Cloud Water Sword Style, I wish to hear no more of it, or become part of its legacy. I will take my leave too.

The other fighters all seem to reply.

OTHER FIGHTERS So will we.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER
If Heaven allows, may we meet again!

OTHER FIGHTERS
AYE!

Both groups take their leave.

The bronze rod fighter heads off in one direction.

The other fighters head off together in the same direction.

There is only the flowing water of the stream and its gentle tinkle to accompany us.

Slowly we move away from the stream and we see the depths of the forest, laid out before us in their quiet magnificence.

FADE TO BLACK.

EXT. YUN ESTATE DAY

It is already morning and the sun is casting its light upon the mansion.

INT. YUN ESTATE-GUEST HALL DAY

This is the hall in the Yun Estate that has received guests for years. It is elaborately and lovingly decorated, shelves filled with books, and vases,and other treasures from all over the Empire.

In this room we also see a Western-style mantle clock on one of the shelves.

At the table in this hall we see the servants are busily serving up dishes in bamboo steamers on the table.

There is also a large clay pot, in which contains some hot rice congee.

It is then into this room that we see Shui and his handmaiden, they are in fresh clothes now.

Shui looks elegant, charming and somewhat younger, now that he is also shaven, but is hard to ignore the various streaks of white in his hair that belie his age.

His handmaiden, just bloodied and frightened the day before, is now much prettier,or at least she appears fresh-scrubbed.

In one corner, with equally graying hair, sits Yun Xing Tong.

We see that he is reading, and as he turns his head up to face the screen, we see that on his face is a pair of Western-style reading glasses, perched precariously on his nose.

He smiles at Shui Liu Can, who appears rather taken aback by the fact that his friend is wearing glasses.

Shui Liu Can is almost taken aback with laughter.

SHUI LIU CAN

Hah, you picked up those funny Western gadgets too.

YUN XING TONG

I have no choice, I have what is called farsightedness.

SHUI LIU CAN

Really, I can't tell that from the way you fight.

YUN XING TONG

Some things stay with you, I guess, my edge hasn't dimmed.

Yun Xing Tong laughs, removes his glasses and tucks them into a metal casing.

Shui Liu Can looks around the room, fairly awed at what he sees, then he and his handmaiden sit down to breakfast.

Long years of wandering have not made Shui Liu Can too cultured at the dining table, we see as he grabs dumplings from one bamboo steamer, forcing them into his mouth, and using the ladle, scoops up huge helpings of rice porridge from the claypot into his bowl.

His handmaiden starts laughing at her Master.

YUN XING TONG

You are embarrassing the young lady here, I say.

SHUI LIU CAN

Well, ha ha, I think she is used to it. It's the way that she always has seen me.

YUN XING TONG
Oh is it?

The handmaiden giggles quietly and lifts her eyes up to Yun Xing Tong.

HANDMAIDEN

Yeah, that's the way he eats.

YUN XING TONG

Really, did all those years away make you lose your table manners?

SHUI LIU CAN

Not really, just made me realize how unimportant they could be.

Shui Liu Can keeps stuffing buns and dumplings into his mouth while slurping porridge.

He drinks the tea straight from the pot.

Yun Xing Tong just smiles, bordering on laughing at the sight of this middle-aged man, seemingly prematurely aged with streaks of grey in his hair, and yet with the mannerisms of a child.

He sees as he passes the teapot over to the handmaiden, who pours it into her own cup and drinks.

The two seem to enjoy the breakfast tremendously, particularly Shui Liu Can himself.

It is at this moment that something that the Handmaiden seems to have noticed all along, but has not remarked upon, starts commenting.

HANDMAIDEN That Western clock you have on the shelf, Sir, it seems to have some problem.

YUN XING TONG

Oh really, what might that be?

The handmaiden starts pointing to the clock that Yun Xing Tong has put on his shelf.

HANDMAIDEN That clock over there, it seems to be spoilt.

YUN XING TONG

Really? I think I will go and check it out.

Yun Xing Tong gets up from his seat.

We see as he heads towards the shelf where the clock is placed.

His back is towards his guests as he says this.

The Handmaiden just nods, shrugs it off and continues eating.

YUN XING TONG The clock is still moving.

Then we see as Yun Xing Tong puts the mantle clock back on the shelf. We hear a ticking sound in the background, which lasts for a few seconds and ceases.

He quickly walks back to the table.

Yun Xing Tong sits down.

SHUI LIU CAN

Good, I don't know if my eyes were playing tricks on me, for a moment there it looked as though it had stopped.

YUN XING TONG

Your mind was not playing tricks on you, it was still moving.

Shui Liu Can nods as he goes back to eating.

The handmaiden, though, turns around and gives a look at Yun Xing Tong, before turning back.

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

This is later in the day, after breakfast, Shui Liu Can, Yun Xing Tong and Shui's handmaiden are walking it off around the compound of the Yun Estate.

SHUI LIU CAN

By the way, I've noticed something.

YUN XING TONG
What have you noticed?

SHUI LIU CAN I haven't seen the mistress of the house it be...

YUN XING TONG
It's been fifteen years since she died. It was a fever.

A look of sympathy crosses the handmaiden's face.

HANDMAIDEN
You're a.

YUN XING TONG (to the handmaiden)
Yes, I'm a widower.

SHUI LIU CAN

I should have figured it out. My condolences.

YUN XING TONG

I have had time to get over it. Were you expecting to see her when you returned?

SHUI LIU CAN

I...

Yun Xing Tong cuts him off.

YUN XING TONG

It doesn't matter. I buried her in the hills nearby. In the end, death comes to all. It's the time that is spent with them that matters. (turns to handmaiden) Young lady, you might like to know more about how your Master spent his days here.

HANDMAIDEN

Oh.

YUN XING TONG

Yes, in fact my father was his father's benefactor, your Master was a poor man who grew up without a mother.

FLASHBACK BEGINS

INT. YUN ESTATE STUDY DAY

We continue from the earlier flashback.

LORD YUN

That's good, the two of you should not fight.none of you should fight anyway. (Beat) Now let the two of you get to know each other, you're going to know each other for a long time.

And laughing, Lord Yun walks out of the room.

Yun Xing Tong and Shui Liu Can look at each other.

YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN

There is a reason why your father is telling us not to fight.

YOUNG YUN XING TONG

And why is that?

YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN

The reason is because soon, fighting each other is what we would have to do.

And young Shui Liu Can says that with a smile.

Young Yun Xing Tong looks at him puzzled.

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURYTARD DAY

In the courtyard we see that young Yun Xing Tong, Shui Liu Can and Lord Yun are waiting for someone.

There is a sense of dead stillness hanging in the air.

YOUNG YUN XING TONG

Who are we waiting for?

LORD YUN

The man who will come to begin your new education.

Young Shui Liu Can gives a sly look at Young Yun Xing Tong.

YOUNG SHUI LIU CAN

Now who might that be?

Just then a shadowy figure leaps up onto the roof of one of the blocks in the Yun Estate.

LORD YUN

THERE HE IS!

We see that the shadowy figure is easily, as one can tell, none other than Shui himself, wearing a mask to cover the various and sundry scars on his face. A cloak is draped around his shoulders.

Young Yun Xing Tong looks up in awe.

YOUNG YUN XING TONG
Who is he?

SHUI

You shall call me Phantom Face!

Shui/Phantom Face leaps down from the roof.

SHUI/PHANTOM FACE

Lord Yun, I am here!

YOUNG YUN XING TONG

Father, I didn't know you had such friends in the martial realm.

LORD YUN

Oh son, there are a lot of things you still don't know about me. They will be revealed to you.

The two children run to Shui/Phantom Face and prostrate themselves in front of him immediately..

CHILDREN

Please, start training us!

Shui/Phantom Face nods.

SHUI/PHANTOM FACE

Good, fencing training will start warming up soon enough! (Beat) Now where is the lumber pile?

MULTIPLE DISSOLVES:

EXT. YUN ESTATE LUMBER PILE DAY

The two children are hard at work trying to split as many logs of wood as they can.

We see that Young Yun Xing Tong himself is slightly behind. He wipes his brow as he sees Young Shui Liu Can catching up.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

We see the two children using wooden rods that Shui/Phantom Face has improvised for them for their training engaging in basic but heated combat.

The fight ends with Shui Liu Can winning.

Then we see as Shui Liu Can smiles cheekily at Yun Xing Tong, then he says:

SHUI LIU CAN

See, I told you that we'd be fighting each other soon enough.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. YUN ESTATE STUDY DAY

It is here that we see a new character, an elderly zither teacher, guiding the children along in the art of playing the zither.

He is doing so with both eyes closed.

As the two children practise, we see that Shui Liu Can seems to have musical instincts as keen as that of those he has in martial arts.

With his eyes closed, he has as an instinctive feel of hitting the right note as the old zither teacher himself.

Yun Xing Tong, though, seems to have a little more difficulty in hitting the right notes on the zither, occasionally going off-key.

We see the elderly zither teacher laughing as he sees this.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. YUN ESTATE GUEST ROOM DAY

We see on a chess table that young Shui Liu Can and young Yun Xing Tong are playing a game of Chinese chess.

We see as young Shui Liu Can keeps trying to move his "General" piece around, which is being threatened by the pieces of young Yun Xing Tong.

YOUNG YUN XING TONG
Checkmate!

Young Shui Liu Can finally sees that his own pieces have nowhere to go, and throws his hands up.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. GRAVEYARD DAY

We see as Yun Xing Tong bows before his own mother's grave while dressed in grave mouring clothes.

Shui Liu Can stands besides him.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOREST DAY

We see as the two children and the adults both go hunting on horseback. Both Yun Xing Tong and Shui Liu Can are now much older, comfortably leaving childhood behind and entering the teenage years.

The adults are both chasing after a deer with their bows and arrows ready.

Lord Yun lets fly an arrow. He misses.

Shui/Phantom Face also lets fly.

It hits close to the deer this time, but still misses.

Young Yun Xing Tong attempts a shot at the deer himself.

His arrow strays somewhat off-target.

Young Shui Liu Can lets his arrow fly, it brushes just past the deer's head.

Young Yun Xing Tong shoots another, it brushes past the deer's leg.

It is at this point that Lord Yun shoots the deer and scores it in the leg.

The kids and their dads let out a collective cheer.

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. FOREST NIGHT

In a clearing in the forest the grown-ups and the children are feasting on the deer.

We see that carving up the deer is Lord Yun himself, who seems pretty effective with his hunting knife.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOREST NIGHT

The grown-ups and the young adolescents head home by nightfall, and here we see that Lord Yun is pointing out the stars and naming the constellations to everyone.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. YUN ESTATE LILY POND DAY

We see that Yun Xing Tong, Shui Liu Can and the handmaiden are now walking towards a pavilion overlooking a landscaped garden pond, filled with water lilies.

YUN XING TONG

So our days of youth passed.

HANDMAIDEN

Wow, the way that Master told me, I'd never have known it was so exciting. I just wish I could have a father the way the two of you had.

YUN XING TONG

Really, are you that poor a storyteller, Shui? I should have guessed, you never even told me that this handmaiden of yours was an orphan!

SHUI LIU CAN

Maybe I am.

YUN XING TONG

Well that is not the way that I remember you to be.

HANDMAIDEN

Well, how was my Master?

YUN XING TONG

He was quite the charmer. There was a girl whom the two of us both knew once, and she had the most beautiful name.it meant Daughter Among the Flowers.

(Beat)

Alas I never married her, she left me before I could. Your Master, could he charm her.

It is at this point that we see a servant bring a Go board into the pavilion, and the two men start laying out the respective black and white pieces on the board.

FLASHBACK BEGINS

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. YUN ESTATE STUDY DAY

We see the two young men, now comfortably into adolescence with their zithers ready, awaiting the elderly music teacher.

The elderly music teacher enters at this moment, carrying his zither, and behind him is his daughter. The same girl that we saw picking him up with the umbrella, but now we see she is a teenager much like the two young men are.

SLO-MO as she enters she turns her head and smiles.

We see as she enters that the sunlight seems to follow her, entangling itself in her jet-black hair.

SLO-MO again as she turns around and closes the door to the study behind her.

As the zither teacher sits down, we see that his daughter sits diagonally opposite the two youths.

She softly unfurls her sleeves and prepares to play the zither as well.

Shui Liu Can smiles at her as she sits down. Yun Xing Tong looks at the zither teacher, whose name is Mr Hua.

YUN XING TONG

Mr Hua, who is this new student of ours?

MR HUA
Zhong Ai, my daughter. She is here to take care of my aging body. For a girl she is very skilled in the arts, I hope you can learn from her, and she from you.

YUN XING TONG
Hua Zhong Ai, Hua Zhong Ai, My Daughter Among the Flowers.

MR HUA

You are quite the poet.

YUN XING TONG
I have not told many people about this, but I always wanted to be a poet to some extent.

Mr Hua laughs. Shui Liu Can grins. Hua Zhong Ai giggles.

Yun Xing Tong and Hua Zhong Ai make eye contact.

CLOSE UP on Yun Xing Tong's eyes.

Then we see that there is also a Western-style pendulum clock in the study, that we have not seen up to this point.

The ticking sound effect starts again as we see Yun Xing Tong gazing at Hua Zhong Ai. Then it stops.

FLASHBACK

The scene of just a few moments before flashes into Yun Xing Tong's mind again, Hua Zhong Ai walking into the room, and the sunlight seeming to follow her into it. FLASHBACK ENDS

INT. YUN ESTATE STUDY DAY

Mr Hua takes a ruler and slaps it down on the table.

MR HUA
Yun Xing Tong, why are you having such difficulty playing today?

Yun Xing Tong just looks sheepishly at Mr Hua.

FLASHBACK ENDS

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

Yun Xing Tong, Shui Liu Can and the handmaiden are now seated in the pavilion overlooking the pond with water lilies.

YUN XING TONG

Yes, I still remember it, the moment that girl came into the room, the sunlight just seemed to stream in with her.

(Beat)

I have never remembered any afternoon since where the sunlight was suddenly so dazzling.

Then Yun Xing Tong turns to Shui Liu Can.

YUN XING TONG

Did you remember that afternoon?

SHUI LIU CAN

I think I did.

YUN XING TONG

She was a remarkable one, she made me recall some of the finest days of my youth when she stayed with us. I remember that day where both our fathers disappeared mysteriously for much longer than usual. And we just took time off.

(Beat)

Ah yes, those days of our youth, filled with so many illusions. I will tell you that your Master and I just could not get enough of Hua Zhong Ai at all. We schemed around her just so we could see her as often as we could.there was once your Master stuck me downtown just so he could be near her.

HANDMAIDEN

Just what were you doing stuck downtown?

YUN XING TONG

Well, I drank too much and fell asleep.

FLASHBACK

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD NIGHT

We see the two strapping youths returning from their hunt, Shui Liu Can's horse is in the front, and Yun Xing Tong's in the back.

As they come near, we see that Yun Xing Tong's horse, albeit fine, is already somewhat tired. With good reason that it is dragging the carcass of a medium-sized bear.

The two youths get off their horses. Yun Xing Tong just lays the bear across his shoulders, he seems to carry it effortlessly.

As the two men approach the mansion they see Hua Zhong Ai still waiting for them there.

HUA ZHONG AI

Wow! Look what the conquering heroes dragged in!

SHUI LIU CAN
Oh he may be strong enough to carry it, but he is not as fast as me! That bear I shot with my bow and arrow.

Hua Zhong Ai claps for Shui Liu Can as well.

HUA ZHONG AI

Aha, so we have two great warriors here as well!

YUN XING TONG
Hah, well we would see who is the great warrior here soon enough. I would like to ask you, would you be able to carry this bear too?

SHUI LIU CAN

No, why would I do anything stupid like that, look at you, carrying a poor dead animal on your shoulders like that?

Yun Xing Tong is so angry he throws the bear down on the floor.

YUN XING TONG
HEY, I am asking if you're strong enough, and that's all!

SHUI LIU CAN

You are strong enough to do the dirty work, and that's all that matters!

Hua Zhong Ai is laughing at this spectacle.

HUA ZHONG AI

The two of you, just too funny!

Hua Zhong Ai walks down to the two youths.

And in the moonlight, Yun Xing Tong catches a glimpse of her features.

YUN XING TONG

You are not quite Chinese, are you?

HUA ZHONG AI

No, I am not. Mother is Uighur. And I have lineage that goes all the way back to the border, where they are not above inviting guests to interbreed with their wives, meant of course, to prevent incest.

Hua Zhong Ai giggles at this point.

YUN XING TONG

I knew it, I realized your features weren't very conventional.

HUA ZHONG AI

I am not too sure what kind of blood flows in me.

YUN XING TONG
It doesn't matter either. I am a Manchu noble by birth, my ancestors claimed this land as their own. And yet now they read the Confucian classics, in the Central Empire, we all drift and change. Yawn. I'm tired, and I think you are too. Let's all go to sleep.

Yun Xing Tong retires to his quarters.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. YUN ESTATE DAY

Yun Xing Tong is practicing swordplay on his own in the courtyard.

Nearby he sees a servant, carrying the water he needs to wash himself up every now and then.

YUN XING TONG

Excuse me, servant, it's been two days since dad and the teacher both went away. Where did they go?

SERVANT

I have no idea, young Master, your father went to visit a friend, that was all that he told me.

YUN XING TONG

Sigh. Hope he comes back soon enough. He's never been away for so long before.

It is at this moment that Shui Liu Can rushes in and joins Yun Xing Tong.

SHUI LIU CAN

Hey, brother! You know, both our dads are not here at this point, do you suppose we could take this chance to.

Shui Liu Can takes Yun Xing Tong aside.

YUN XING TONG

What is it that you want to talk to me about?

SHUI LIU CAN

You know, I see you practicing the sword every day, and I myself am starting to sicken of it! I suggest these few days we go into town, enjoy a bit of the good things, you know what I'm saying?

YUN XING TONG

Yeah.

SHUI LIU CAN

Great, because from the way you behave around Hua Zhong Ai, I can see that you don't get around often enough, it's unhealthy. The woman has got you in her grip.You need to go to town, break free. Come back a new person.

YUN XING TONG

WHOA, you're saying...

SHUI LIU CAN

That's right.

EXT. TOWN---RED LIGHT DISTRICT DAY

Yun Xing Tong is walking through the red light district, this though, is no ordinary red light district, but arguably the upmarket section of the place, and he is doing so dressed in his finery.

Shui Liu Can is guiding him along, both men are dressed in their best finery.

YUN XING TONG

How did you end up knowing so much about this place?

SHUI LIU CAN

This is the reason why your father demands I stay separately from you!

The two of them come in front of one house that appears to be bustling with clients.

SHUI LIU CAN

I will tell you this, there is one that will find worth your time around here.

Just then the voice of the courtesan pops up.

COURTESAN(o/c)

I am here.

Shui Liu Can and Yun Xing Tong both turn around.

They see the courtesan just standing behind them, she is indeed pretty, and yet somewhat ghostly.

COURTESAN

Now that you're here, what are you waiting for?

The courtesan grabs Yun Xing Tong by his hand and drags him into the brothel nearby.

YUN XING TONG
Whoa Shui, looks like you picked a pretty good one, you comin'?

SHUI LIU CAN

Later!

Shui Liu Can just waves Yun Xing Tong off.

Then the moment that Yun Xing Tong has left, he quickly runs off.

INT. BROTHEL DAY

The courtesan drags Yun Xing Tong by his sleeve up the stairs while snuggling up to him.

COURTESAN

We are going to have such fun.

It is at this moment that out of one of the Brothel rooms Yun Xing Tong sees that an old man with one leg and carrying a crutch is hobbling out, a rather pretty courtesan following him and helping him.

A look of disgust, almost awareness, comes over Yun Xing Tong's face.

He turns to the alluring courtesan with him.

YUN XING TONG
No, I don't think we should continue, I am going to change my mind.

COURTESAN
Why not?

YUN XING TONG

I don't know, I just don't feel like it.

COURTESAN

Just come with me.

She takes Yun Xing Tong into the room, and shuts the door behind.

EXT. YUN ESTATE-GATE DAY We see that Shui Liu Can alone has returned to the mansion, and he has done so on horseback.

INT. YUN ESTATE-DRESSING ROOM DAY

In the mansion, Shui Liu Can finds that Hua Zhong Ai is already ready to greet him as he enters, and we see that she is dressed in the garb of an Uighur dancer, and carrying a small hand- drum with her.

She rattles some of her small, delicate fingers on the hand-drum.

Shui Liu Can smiles.

EXT. YUN ESTATE PAVILION DAY

We are now at the pavilion by the pond filled with water lilies.

In the pavilion itself we see that Shui Liu Can is down, with the zither on his knees.

SHUI LIU CAN

I want you to dance.

Hua Zhong Ai nods, and then starts dancing.

She dances elegantly and beautifully, in that moment one would have thought that one was looking at the very personification of a gentle spring breeze itself.

INT. BROTHEL ROOM DAY

Yun Xing Tong is splayed out on the bed itself, and under the sheets the courtesan, now stripped down to her undergarments is attempting to ride him hard, but we see that he is still refusing.

She tries to kiss him, but he wouldn't let her.

Then she sighs, like someone who realizes that she has been shortchanged.

COURTESAN

You're not much fun, not like your friend said that you would be.

YUN XING TONG

I am weak, it's true.

The Courtesan laughs.

COURTESAN

Weak? Nah, you're quite a man, from what I see. Just need to have more fun.

YUN XING TONG
I am weak, for I view love too strongly.

The courtesan laughs.

COURTESAN

Love, is not the illusion of it good enough?

YUN XING TONG

I guess it's not good enough when you want to be a poet.

The courtesan just laughs at all this, and gives Yun Xing Tong a pinch on the nose, to which he laughs bitterly.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STREETS DAY

Yun Xing Tong walks on the crowded streets, alone.

Around him the world whizzes by, while he looks down at his feet.

CLOSE UP on his face.

We see as he closes his eyes.

FLASHBACK BEGINS

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD NIGHT

In his flashback, Yun Xing Tong has his lovely moonlight vision of Hua Zhong Ai. She smiles at him.

FLASHBACK ENDS

INT. INN DAY

Yun Xing Tong enters this inn and approaches the counter.

YUN XING TONG
Did you see my friend, we rode in earlier in the day.

COUNTER GUY

Yes, he left some time ago already, back on his horse.

YUN XING TONG

WHAT?

COUNTER GUY Yes, he hurried back for some reason. He wanted me to pass the message on to you, that he hopes you had fun.

The counter guy smiles.

YUN XING TONG

Get me my horse, I must leave.

EXT. FOREST DAY

Yun Xing Tong rides his horse at a quick gallop through the woods.

EXT. YUN ESTATE PAVILION DAY

We see that Shui Liu Can is still playing the zither while he watches Hua Zhong Ai dance.

Then we see as his playing of the zither gets more and more intense.

His fingers travel faster and faster over the strings.

Then with a heavy twang, he stops.

Shui Liu Can looks up at Hua Zhong Ai, who smiles gently at him.

HUA ZHONG AI

Thank you, I missed the frontier. That dance reminded me of the place.

SHUI LIU CAN

My pleasure.

Just then at this moment one of the house servants comes up to meet Shui Liu Can in the pavilion.

HOUSE SERVANT

Shui, there is someone who wants to see whoever's in.

SHUI LIU CAN

I will go meet him.

Shui Liu Can gets up, carrying his zither and follows the servant.

EXT. YUN ESTATE GATES DAY

At the gates of the Yun Estate we see a stranger, he is dressed like a typical gentleman of the period would. The heavy gateway door opens, and Shui Liu Can peeks out.

SHUI LIU CAN

Who is this?

GENTLEMAN

Are you the Young Master of the House?

SHUI LIU CAN

No I am not. But I am his friend. How can I help?

GENTLEMAN

I saw the Master a few days ago, I have personal information to give to him.

SHUI LIU CAN

Well, he is not in at the moment.

GENTLEMAN

Well then, I shall come back another day to this estate. Good day.

The gentleman leaves as quickly as soon as he arrived.

Shui Liu Can closes the door, there is a worried expression on his face.

Then he turns around.

At this moment Hua Zhong Ai has seen him, and she looks pretty pained herself.

HUA ZHONG AI

What's wrong?

SHUI LIU CAN

Nothing, someone just came looking for the Master of the House.

HUA ZHONG AI

Which reminds me, where's Yun Xing Tong, you seen him?

SHUI LIU CAN

No, I haven't.

EXT. FOREST DAY

We see as Yun Xing Tong hurries at a gallop through the forest, when all of a sudden, he sees the strange gentleman who popped up at the mansion just now.

The gentleman waves at Yun Xing Tong.

He stops his horse.

GENTLEMAN

Excuse me, heading for the Yun Estate?

YUN XING TONG

I am the Young Master of the House, why?

GENTLEMAN

Your father seems to have been gone for days, any idea where he's been?

YUN XING TONG

No.

GENTLEMAN

Good, when he is back tell him to contact me, I am staying at an inn in town. This is my calling card. He will know all about me.

The gentleman hands a piece of cloth with a bamboo rod painted on it to Yun Xing Tong, who keeps it within the folds of his coat.

Then he heads off through the woods himself.

But then he turns back to speak to Yun Xing Tong.

GENTLEMAN

Young Master Yun, I have something to tell you in the meantime.

Yun Xing Tong turns his horse around.

YUN XING TONG

What is it?

GENTLEMAN

You have a friend who from what I gather, appears to be something of a ladies' man.

YUN XING TONG
Is that so?

Yun Xing Tong lets out a short laugh and continues to gallop through the forest.

FLASHBACK ENDS

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. YUN ESTATE DAY

It is at this point that we know that Yun Xing Tong did not relate the exact version of what happened to the Handmaiden, but rather his own pared- down, understated version of things.

The two men are still at their game of Go. Yun Xing Tong is continuing his narration.

YUN XING TONG

Your Master always had a gift for music, helped him charm nearly everyone he met. Me, I was always better at silly things like chess, and Go.

We see that Yun lays his final piece on the board.

YUN XING TONG
Well, what did I just say there? I lost! Not bad, not bad at all.

Shui Liu Can looks at the pieces on the board.

SHUI LIU CAN

But.you could have won.

Yun Xing Tong looks down at the board.

YUN XING TONG

Oh really, I did, so I did.

Yun Xing Tong leans back and continues narrating. We slowly close in on his tired face.

YUN XING TONG

Well, Hua Zhong Ai was a remarkable young woman. Maybe it was all those strange strains of blood that flowed within her. Maybe it was all that bloodlines from the frontiers...but one thing we knew was that as youths we were ready to do anything for her.

As he speaks we continue to DISSOLVE TO:

INT. YUN ESTATE GUEST ROOM NIGHT

In this guest room we see Shui and his handmaiden, and there is a very tense mood between Master and Servant right now, not exactly the kind of thing we would expect to come between a Master and Servant, but rather a married couple.

YUN XING TONG (cont.)

Anything at all.

We see as the handmaiden is shouting at her Master, rebuking like a wife would a wayward husband.

HANDMAIDEN

Well, I may be a young girl, and you may say that I am inexperienced in the ways of the world, but I know what is going on. You have come here not to meet an old friend, you have come for revenge.

SHUI LIU CAN

You are only partially right. I have come for revenge against the man who is my friend.

(Beat)

I have awaited this moment for years.twenty years.longer than you have lived. This will be the greatest battle of my life.it is either that I win this one or that I die. If I win, we will be free.

(Beat)

And if I die, you will be free.

HANDMAIDEN I don't understand, if I were you I'd let your friend go, he is one of the saddest men I have ever seen.

SHUI LIU CAN

Really huh, what makes you think that he is a SAD man?

HANDMAIDEN

The way he spoke, it was for me to hear, not just you. He wanted me to know that he had already lost the greatest love of his life and that he was suffering enough for it.

Shui Liu Can kneels in front of his handmaiden and grasps her by her hands.

SHUI LIU CAN

I tell you, I want you to see what is going to happen over the next few days or so..I want you to see how far I am willing to go...

It is at this moment that we see Shui start crying.

SHUI LIU CAN

I promise you, all this will be over soon enough, then we will be out of here.

The handmaiden casts a steely glare into Shui Liu Can's eyes.

HANDMAIDEN

I want to be out of here now, I have no wish to stay here.

Shui Liu Can stands up.

SHUI LIU CAN

You don't understand, it will not be long before this is over.

HANDMAIDEN

NO, I want out of this right now, I cannot stand any one more moment in this estate.

It is at this moment that the Handmaiden grabs her two swords in their scabbards, puts them on and backs up against the door.

SHUI LIU CAN What do you think you are doing?

The handmaiden unsheathes both her swords and strikes a ready stance.

HANDMAIDEN

I am getting out of here, that's what. Right after I find out some things. And don't try to stop me.

SHUI LIU CAN
This is not the time.

HANDMAIDEN

Yes it is, I would not stay a moment longer in this house.

Her Master grabs his own sword by the sheath, and grips one hand around the handle.

We see that his grip is tight, but he is not willing to unsheathe the sword.

She looks at her Master, and sees that he is powerless in front of her.

She smiles, almost cruelly, and bolts out of the door.

EXT. YUN ESTATE CORRIDOR NIGHT

The handmaiden heads down the corridor, her feet patteringly stealthily and quietly, until she reaches a door and opens it.

INT. YUN ESTATE-GUEST HALL NIGHT

The handmaiden enters the guest hall quietly, leaps onto the rafters above, and starts crawling her way across them.

Just then we see another figure enter the hall.

We do not see the figure clearly in the dark, then he approaches the area where the moonlight is pouring in, and we see that it is Yun Xing Tong himself.

Apparently he is unable to sleep and is walking around the compound as result.

We see as he walks towards the shelf where his various books, as well as the Western-style mantle clock is.

He goes to that shelf, takes up the mantle clock, looks at it and then puts it back.

We see then that he heads in another direction, towards another room in the house.

Up on the rafters, the handmaiden heaves a big sigh of relief.

The handmaiden swings down from the rafters, takes a look at the mantle clock itself.

CLOSE UP: We see the time reads 9.25 or somewhere in the vicinity.

She takes the clock, hides it in her dress and is about to leave the room.

Just then we see as two figures enter the room very quickly, and one of them locks it from behind.

The figures are none other than Yun Xing Tong and his Squire.

The Handmaiden draws her swords immediately.

SLO-MO: We see that in a series of lightning-quick gestures, Yun Xing Tong has already drawn his sword, blocked her twin swords and with one hand, is proving stronger than as using his single sword he spins her twin swords around three times fast before twirling them out of her hands.

The swords slide across the floor, where the Squire collects them.

Yun Xing Tong moves the point of his sword up to where it is within inches of her throat.

Then he pulls it back.

YUN XING TONG
Tell me what you are doing out here at this moment.

The handmaiden is trembling as she stands, frozen to the spot.

HANDMAIDEN

I could not sleep.

Yun Xing Tong's squire trails equally shadowy behind him.

YUN XING TONG

Come with me, I know you do not wish to be around your Master. That is right. You should not be here.

HANDMAIDEN

I know.I did not want to see my Master come back to a person who has already lost enough.

YUN XING TONG

I should have known, you are an orphan, you know what it is like to lose everything.

HANDMAIDEN

Indeed, I know that Hua Zhong Ai, whoever she was, was that great love of your life. When she went away it must have broken your heart, like it probably did my Master's as well, which must be why he left, you settled down into an arranged marriage as a result, it was not a happy one, but you tried to make do, and then the Mistress of the House died, and now you are alone. I completely understand how that feels.

YUN XING TONG

Oh really, is that so?

HANDMAIDEN

Yes, I do.

YUN XING TONG

You are so right, and yet so wrong.

(Beat)

And I suppose you were looking at the clocks for some reason? What was that for? Were you trying to steal those clocks?

In front of this man though, the Handmaiden is still unwilling to out the truth.

HANDMAIDEN

Well, I sensed that something was wrong with those clocks, though I believe that my mind is playing tricks on me.

YUN XING TONG
I do not think your mind is playing tricks on you, I think you knew what was going on since you came.you are a smart little girl. (Beat) Tell me what you noticed.

HANDMAIDEN

The clocks.they seemed to be.

She takes out the clock, and indeed, the hand is still stuck in the vicinity of 9.25.

HANDMAIDEN (cont.)

Is there another clock nearby?

YUN XING TONG
Sure.

Yun Xing Tong leads the Handmaiden out of the room.

INT. YUN ESTATE STUDY DAY

This is the study where once Yun Xing Tong, Shui Liu Can and Hua Zhong Ai studied.

It is now choked with cobwebs, evident that it has not been opened in years.

HANDMAIDEN

This is...

YUN XING TONG

The study, where your Master and I once played the zither and chess and Go.now find what you want.

The handmaiden walks over to the huge pendulum clock in the corner, whose face is still shrouded in the dark at this point.

As she walks near to the face of the clock we finally see what it is that she has suspected all along.

CLOSE UP on the clock that she holds in her hand, the small mantle clock.

Then CLOSE UP on the face of the clock that stands in the study.

We see that both clocks are indeed, still in the vicinity of 9.25.

She looks around at the state of the once-bright study.

As a soft night breeze blows through, we notice that some of the cobwebs attached to a table in the study are stirring.apparently this whole place has not been cleaned at all in years.

She looks up at the clock again, and sees that indeed the clock has not moved one bit.

Then she turns around to look at Yun Xing Tong.

HANDMAIDEN

Yes, I knew it, all the Western clocks in this house have stopped, why?

YUN XING TONG

I have something to show you.

EXT. YUN ESTATE BEDROOM NIGHT

Yun Xing Tong brings the handmaiden to a bedroom that he has apparently shut off from the rest of the house, just like the study.

His squire has brought along a lantern.

YUN XING TONG
This is the bedroom of the Mistress of the House.

He unlocks the door with his own key, and opens it.

YUN XING TONG (to Handmaiden)

Come in.

And inside is another room that is as dirty as the study that once was the place where he played Go, Chess and studied music with his lifelong friend.

There is a small study desk by the window, which is at the end, and a bed, whose curtains are now gathering dust.

And in a corner stands another of the Western-style pendulum clocks, which have forever stopped ticking in the vicinity of 9.25.

And on the walls hang various scrolls of writing and poetry.

The Squire uses his candlestick to light some other candles in the room.

Yun Xing Tong guides the handmaiden over to one of the scrolls of poetry, and shows her one of the seals on it

It is a seal featuring some Chinese characters, that the handmaiden is able to read.

HANDMAIDEN

Hua Zhong Ai.

She turns with tears in her eyes to Yun Xing Tong.

HANDMAIDEN

I...I knew it. Hua Zhong Ai was the Mistress of the House, wasn't she?

Yun Xing Tong nods.

HANDMAIDEN

So, that's the time she died that is shown on the clocks?

YUN XING TONG

Yes, that's it.

HANDMAIDEN

No wonder I sensed it.time has stopped in this place.Sir Yun, you must have really loved her...and yet why did you say that she went away before you married the Mistress of the House.

YUN XING TONG

Because the Mistress of the House was no longer the same woman that I fell in love with, but even then I still loved her.

Handmaiden looks deep into Yun Xing Tong's eyes, and finds that he seems as hard and cold as a slab of marble.

HANDMAIDEN

What happened.?

YUN XING TONG

I think you know, you're going to be a woman yourself. But I want to tell your Master something; on the last night she was alive, she called out my name before she died.

SQUIRE
I know.

YUN XING TONG
How did you know?

SQUIRE

Hear it from the older servants all the time.

YUN XING TONG

Very well, I suppose I don't need to keep it anymore. She died while I was taking my Imperial Civil Service Examinations. For one week or so the best doctors were trying to heal her, but none of them could do a thing though they said that they tried their best. Maybe it was that she herself wanted to die. So she willed herself into it, and no one could stop her.

(Beat)

So what could I do? I gave the order that all the clocks in the house be stopped. It was the best way to hold a funeral service for her.

HANDMAIDEN

Why were you not by her side, Sir Yun? She was the greatest love of your life till then.

YUN XING TONG

Why? Does it matter anymore after all these years, after all when all this happened you probably were not even born yet!

The handmaiden stays quiet.

So does the Squire. Yun Xing Tong has silenced them both with his harsh demeanor.

Yun Xing Tong sighs and then goes over to the desk, where a book has been left open, and one of its pages dog-eared.

YUN XING TONG

And this is what I noticed after she was gone.this book, a classic, "Journey to the West". Evokes fantasies of worlds that never were and never will be. In it there is one page that is dog-eared. That page will provide the clue to our next destination. (Beat) Right now, that is where we'll be going.

The Squire nods and opens the door to the room.

Just then we see that standing outside is none other than Shui Liu Can himself, sword drawn.

SHUI LIU CAN

All right, did you think I did not notice what you were up to?

YUN XING TONG

Of course not, if you heard that all the better, I wanted your handmaiden to pass on her last words to you at first.

SHUI LIU CAN

Look, it has gone far enough, this was not what we agreed upon, but if it must end now it must!

YUN XING TONG

Do not forget, your handmaiden is with me.

SHUI LIU CAN (to Handmaiden)

Come on, come back with me, you don't belong here. I will settle this score once and for all and we will leave.

YUN XING TONG

She knows it all by now, you have arrived too late.

SHUI LIU CAN(to Handmaiden)

So you know it all by now, don't you? He told you all about the Mistress of the House?

HANDMAIDEN

I already know enough about everything. Now he wants to take me to know more.

YUN XING TONG

She is right. Now since you have come so far, allow us to leave, and where we are leaving is probably somewhere you can guess.

Yun Xing Tong holds up the copy of "Journey to the West" that he has in his hand, and throws it behind him.

Shui Liu Can readies to fight.

HANDMAIDEN

No, Master!

SHUI LIU CAN

If it doesn't end now, when shall it?

Shui Liu Can swings his own sword across at Yun Xing Tong, who draws out his own equally quickly and parries it.

YUN XING TONG Squire, take her out to where she must go!

The Squire nods, then he grabs the Handmaiden by her hand and prepares to make a run out of the window.

HANDMAIDEN

No, I must stay.I can't leave.

SQUIRE
Come on, it's what you wanted, right?

The handmaiden turns back, with some more tears in her eyes, and she nods.

She and the Squire both head out of the window.

The two men clash, whirl and separate, then they clash again, both men staring each other down while their blades are firmly pushed against each other.

The two men step out of the room.

EXT. YUN ESTATE CORRIDOR NIGHT

The two men enter the corridor, and there they start clashing.

This is a clash between master combatants, in a flurry of swords the two men trace out arcs in the moonlight as they encircle, face off and chase each other along the corridor's length.

Then we see that they leap out of the corridor, and tumble into the courtyard itself.

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD NIGHT

The two men engage in an ever-intensifying fight.

We see that Shui Liu Can is the faster, nimbler combatant, but Yun Xing Tong is stronger. But it is a very slight difference, both are almost an equal match for each other.

The two men approach the middle of the courtyard where we see that their fighting gets fiercer and fiercer.

But it is not long before we see that the two men are showing a mutual appreciation of each others' increased mastery over the years that they have not seen each other.

But for a fight between old enemies, it is soon apparent that the two combatants appear more and more unwilling to kill each other. Far more unwilling to kill each other than when they started to fight.

Several times both men have their swords pointed at each others' necks, and yet withdraw and resume combat as if nothing had happened.

The first to do so is Yun Xing Tong.

YUN XING TONG

I did not know twenty years would take you this far.

Whatever determination that Shui Liu Can already had to destroy his foe at the start of the fight has also started to dissipate into even though not glee, at least a kind of a sense of consensus with his friend/foe.

SHUI LIU CAN

I return the compliment.

The two men stop fighting at this point, and then slowly and cautiously, sheathe both of their swords.

When they are fully sheathed, Yun Xing Tong starts to speak.

YUN XING TONG

Let's save the fight for when we want it. You and I both know that. If you are the man that I think you are, you would know where I have told my Squire to take your Handmaiden to.

SHUI LIU CAN

Do you think I know?

YUN XING TONG

I believe that you will know. See you there.

Yun Xing Tong turns around, makes a run for the compound wall of his mansion, and then leaps over it.

Shui Liu Can just stays behind, but we see as a look of determination forms on his face.

EXT. FOREST NIGHT

We see a lone horse on which the Squire and the Handmaiden are seated, running through the forest at night.

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. WAREHOUSE NIGHT

This is an old warehouse at the edge of town.

We see as the remnants of the battle the day before enter the warehouse.

INT. WAREHOUSE NIGHT

Inside the warehouse, we see that a clandestine meeting is taking place.

At four chairs, seated are four martial arts clan bosses, flanked by their bodyguards.

The remaining warriors from the battle, led by the ascetic, enter the warehouse together.

The bosses are bosses LIN, SHA, HU and TANG.

One of the bosses, BOSS LIN, is the first to speak.

BOSS LIN You guys came back empty-handed.

The Ascetic Swordsman in the lead nods.

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

Yes, we did. I did. It wasn't right to fight any more of those two men any longer.

BOSS SHA

Really, did you think we assembled that entire team of mercenaries just to have the few remaining return empty-handed?

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

Yes, sometimes it's best to give up.

It is at this moment that we see Boss Tang point an accusing finger at Boss Sha,

BOSS TANG

You hired this man! Now you see what you've done!

BOSS SHA
I saw how good he was, how was I supposed to know that he was going to turn tail on us like that?

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

He saw only my expertise and little else. He also that I could work for free.

(Beat)

But I will only get the job done if I consider my target worthy. As for these two great swordsmen, whose history is but one of sorrow and loss. I have no wish to take up the sword against them just to inherit their fighting style, I will not let their bad karma rub off on me.

BOSS SHA

You still dare to say that!

BOSS HU

Stop arguing, all of you, let's just get rid of him and mount another new attack! I have my remaining reserve forces readily available. This time we must get our hands on the secret of the Cloud Water Sword Style that their fathers pioneered, and that they perfected!

BOSS LIN

Agreed to that!

BOSS SHA(to Ascetic Swordsman)

Take your leave, we need you no more.

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

Then take my leave I shall.

The ascetic swordsman turns to take his leave, the remainder still stay.

Just then we see that a new figure enters the warehouse.

It is a hooded figure, we do not see the weapon that he is carrying, just that it is wrapped in a silken cloth package.

The bosses stand up and greet the newcomer collectively.

BOSS SHA
If it isn't the Mastermind himself, we welcome you.

HOODED FIGURE

Wait a minute, where do you think you are going?

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

The bosses don't want to employ me anymore.

HOODED FIGURE

Really, is that so? Why might that be?

ASCETIC SWORDSMAN

Just because I told them I would work for free, I did not tell them I also worked only for my honor.

HOODED FIGURE

Is that so?

(to the Bosses)

You are a fool to have decided to fire this man. This is the kind of man I was looking for.

BOSS LIN

What do you mean?

HOODED FIGURE

I meant that there is no recorded text, no recorded manual at all of the Cloud and Water Sword Style at all.

BOSS SHA
WHAT? But it was you who told us that there were! It's well-known all over the martial realm.

HOODED FIGURE
That is only a myth, I will tell you the real history of events here.

FLASHBACK BEGIN

EXT. FOREST DAY

In a clearing we see that two men have both arrived, carrying their respective swords.

The two men are none other than Lord Yun and Shui.

LORD YUN

Are you ready?

SHUI

Yes, I am.

The two men draw their swords and immediately fly into a fast and furious duel with each other.

After a series of clashes, the two men's blades separate.

They assume their respective offensive stances while encircling each other and staring each other down.

LORD YUN

You know why I brought you here?

SHUI

Because you did not want to see the Imperial Court finish me off, now that they're onto me and you?

LORD YUN

Exactly. I would prefer that we be our own judges, and not the court. But this is the price we must pay for letting each other into our respective lives. I am sure you know that. Me, a noble of the Manchu class. You, a wanted criminal. You know well that we don't belong in each other's worlds, and only one can be left standing in the end.

SHUI

Indeed I do.

The two men suddenly leap at each other and meet again in another series of clashes.

As they fight across the clearing, the leaves beneath their feet start stirring, as if being blown by a cyclone.

We see that so far Lord Yun is mainly on the defensive, while Shui is on the offensive.

They fight to the edge of the clearing, where we see that Shui seems to have pinned Lord Yun into a corner, and Lord Yun is painstakingly parrying the blow from Shui's sword.

The two men are already sweating profusely.

LORD YUN Tell me, what would you tell my son if you killed me now?

SHUI
I would tell him that you were a great man, and I would raise him as my own.

LORD YUN

And do you think that I would do the same?

SHUI

I would do better to think that you would.

Finally Lord Yun manages to gather enough strength to deliver a kick to Shui, sending him careening backwards.

Shui makes a forward rush again, and Lord Yun comes on fast. Lord Yun delivers a blow with his free hand, causing Shui to fall to the ground, then we see as he comes down fast, reversing his grip on the sword handle so that the sword cannot be pointed outwards, and now holds the blade at Shui's neck.

Right now he is stuck in a pose that is like a one-armed push-up with one arm holding the sword at his opponent's throat, and the other arm holding down Shui's arm that has held the sword.

Shui's sword is to the side and against Lord Yun's restistance.he brings it up to the back of Lord Yun's neck. Lord Yun moves his hand up to Shui's wrist, tightening his grip and trying to force Shui's arm away.

The two men are at a tense holdoff right now, one move and any of them may end up dead.

CLOSE UP on both their eyes, whose lashes are being coated in sweat. Sweat is already covering every inch of their faces at this point.

Using his free hand Shui starts pushing on Lord Yun's body.

Slowly he brings himself up to a semi-standing height.

SLO-MO: We see as Shui starts a wild body spin, taking Lord Yun along with him. The two men spin almost as one through the air, and while in mid-air we see as Lord Yun finally musters enough strength to twist Shui's arm to the side.

SLO-MO: Lord Yun makes a slash at Shui's neck, but we see that Shui delivers a body blow to him fast enough that the slash narrowly misses.

The two men separate in mid-air and while there, engage in a series of clashes there as they spin through the air.

The two men land, Lord Yun on his back, and Shui standing up.

Lord Yun leaps to his feet and then starts taking on the offensive in a series of powerful slashes.

Shui reverses his grip again and closes in for a series of equally powerful parries.

The fight accelerates meteorically, with the attacks from both sides getting more and more intense by the second.

While their swords go at each other their feet are engaged in an equally intense duel of leg sweeps.

Lord Yun is strong and steadfast, with the composure of a military man, but Shui himself is turning into a whirlwind, spinning around fast and increasing the intensity of his attacks.

Within split seconds, Shui changes his positions from standing to kneeling, each time with attacking the top and lower halves of his opponent's body in mind.

Lord Yun's defense now grows increasingly difficult.

Then finally we see that in a parry too slow by milliseconds, Lord Yun's abs are slashed across by Shui.

Lord Yun falls to the ground, still alive, but heavily injured.

Shui does not deliver the killing blow at this point.

But stands instead sympathetically, over his opponent.

LORD YUN

Kill me, you know what to do.

Shui shakes his head.

SHUI

No, I am not ready yet. I'm still not ready to tell your son.

Shui bends over and helps Lord Yun to his feet. Then Lord Yun pushes Shui aside.

LORD YUN

I do not need your help.

SHUI

No, you do. Get down and rest.

Shui lays Lord Yun on the ground, and takes out some ointment that he has brought with him, and with that, proceeds to attend to the wound.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOREST DAY

The two men are now headed once again across the forest path. Shui is dragging Lord Yun along on a makeshift stretcher comprised of two lengths of wood tied together by part of his outer garments.

NARRATOR(v/o)

That one duel was the basis for the myth of the Cloud-Water Sword Style, which the myth accorded to a series of duels between the two men, a series of exchanges of skill, through which they grew in power and passed that on to their children.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CLINIC DAY

At a small roadside clinic we see as the doctor bandages the now-profusely bleeding Lord Yun, and casts his eyes at Shui, who doesn't seem to care one bit.

NARRATOR (v/o cont.)

But that was the only formal duel the two of them ever had. And the only thing that had grew from the time they first met, they realized now, was their powerful sense of respect for each other. They would not be friends, but their bond ran deeper than most friendships.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOREST DAY

Lord Yun and Shui continue to ride along a forest path, laughing as they talk to each other.

LORD YUN

Do you think I would turn you in to the Imperial Court?

SHUI

No, not at all, or so I hope.

NARRATOR (Cont.)

But at the same time, another set of bonds was woven between their children.

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

CAPTION: THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE DUEL

This is a training session between Yun Xing Tong and Shui Liu Can, both young men are holding their practice staffs and engaged in a round of intense combat.

Shui, in Phantom Face Mask, is watching over them.

From the side we see that Hua Zhong Ai herself is watching the two of them fight.

There is a hint of a smile on her face.

We see as this fight progresses, Yun Xing Tong himself gains the upper hand over Shui Liu Can, and finally floors him.

Hua Zhong Ai laughs when she sees this.

Yun Xing Tong twirls his practice staff proudly.

It is at this moment that we see Shui Liu Can himself get up as well.

Hua Zhong Ai at this moment praises Shui Liu Can openly.

HUA ZHONG AI

Bravo, Shui Liu Can, it takes a hero to fall a great adversary, but an even greater one to stand up from a fall.

SHUI/PHANTOM FACE Well said, young lady! That is what I want my students to know.

Shui Liu Can smiles and in his fashion, winks cheekily at Yun Xing Tong.

It is at this moment that we see another figure enter the frame.

It is a man who we have not seen before, he is of average height, slightly taller than Hua Zhong Ai.

Hua Zhong Ai lets out a cry of joy as she sees this new man.

We see as Hua Zhong Ai goes forward and gives him an affectionate hug.

She smiles sweetly as she hugs him.

Then she pulls back and looks in his eyes.

HUA ZHONG AI

Brother, you're here, where have you been?

This man is her brother HUA YAN QIAN.

We see as Hua Yan Qian hands something on his back to a servant, we do not see what it is because it is wrapped in cloth. He gives a quiet nod.

Then he turns to his sister again.

HUA YAN QIAN

All over the world. These years traveling far and wide have indeed been eye- opening. I plan to write a book about it.

He hugs his sister for a while again.

Then he looks at the two young men who are resting in the courtyard and helping themselves to a large vat of water.

Shui Liu Can sees Hua Yan Qian.

SHUI LIU CAN

Hey, who is this? You didn't tell us you had this man in your life.

HUA ZHONG AI

He's my brother, a born wanderer, it seems to be an inherited trait in our family.

SHUI LIU CAN
Greetings then, how long will you be staying?

HUA YAN QIAN

Not for long, I will be leaving soon.

It is at this moment that we see a large crate being carried into the house by two men.

The two men are being extra careful with the crate.

YUN XING TONG
Did my father order another clock?

One of the porters, WANG, nods.

WANG

Yeah, your old sir seems to love all these gadgets.

Hua Yan Qian's eyes seem to sparkle as he sees this.

HUA YAN QIAN

Western clocks? I have seen so many on my travels, the port in Macau for one. I would like to see this one. Come, let me help you.

Hua Yan Qian comes forward and starts helping the porters with the clock.

INT. YUN ESTATE BEDROOM DAY

We are in the bedroom that Hua Zhong Ai will later die in.

The two porters have laid the clock in the corner and have by now unhinged the crate, revealing the exquisite pendulum clock within.

HUA YAN QIAN

This is a fine Western clock. Great workmanship. There are many more where this came from. Your father likes all this Western stuff?

YUN XING TONG

I guess he does.

HUA YAN QIAN

Now have you ever tried something, bend down and look at the pendulum.

Yun Xing Tong bends over and stares at the pendulum.

We see that in the pendulum his face is reflected.

CLOSE UP on his eyes as they move back and forth with the pendulum.

The pendulum moves back and forth, back and forth.

Then we see as Hua Yan Qian hits Yun Xing Tong on the back, causing Yun Xing Tong to experience a rude shock. He screams.

Hua Yan Qian laughs.

HUA YAN QIAN
Hah, you really felt like you were going into a trance there, weren't you?

YUN XING TONG

Guess, guess I was, heh heh.

HUA YAN QIAN

I tell you about these clocks, you can look at those pendulums just swing all day. Got you there, didn't I?

Hua Yan Qian slaps his hand on Yun Xing Tong's back.

Yun Xing Tong just laughs sheepishly.

It is at this moment that the teacher, Mr Hua himself, enters, along with Lord Yun.

MR HUA

My son, so you have managed to find me on your travels!

HUA YAN QIAN

Indeed I have, father.

MR HUA
Greet your host here, this is Lord Yun!

Hua Yan Qian greets Lord Yun.

LORD YUN

Well I never knew you had a son.

MR HUA
I have, but he often prefers to wander to strengthen his art, it's almost a tradition in our family. We almost always can't stay still. It's rare that such an occasion can be enjoyed by all of us.

It is then noticed that Lord Yun's expression turns very grave for a while, and then he looks at Mr Hua.

LORD YUN

Well I see that your son may enjoy his stay here tonight.

MR HUA
Yes, of course, of course.
(to Hua Yan Qian)

Son, offer your thanks to Lord Yun here.

LORD YUN

No need to.

Lord Yun just nods and smiles.

But it is noticed that Hua Yan Qian casts a very ugly look at Lord Yun.

Then he turns to his own sister.

HUA YAN QIAN

Take care.

Then he leaves the room.

FLASHBACK ENDS

INT. WAREHOUSE NIGHT

The four other mob bosses are growing impatient as they listen to the hooded figure.

BOSS LIN

So why are you telling us about this Hua Yan Qian? He has disappeared from the martial realm these days.

HOODED FIGURE
Patience, all will be revealed in time.

(Beat)

That was a fateful day, it turns out that Mr Hua had met with Lord Yun to in fact, discuss but one issue...three weeks later it would be revealed.

FLASHBACK BEGINS EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

This is the day where Yun Xing Tong was abandoned at the downtown brothel.

We now revisit the same bit of dialogue that we passed over early on.

HUA ZHONG AI

What's wrong?

SHUI LIU CAN

Nothing, someone just came looking for the Master of the House.

HUA ZHONG AI

Which reminds me, where's Yun Xing Tong, you seen him?

SHUI LIU CAN

No, I haven't.

HUA ZHONG AI

Don't tell him about this yet, but this is what I wish to tell you.

(beat)

My father, he wants me to marry Yun Xing Tong.

SHUI LIU CAN
What?

HUA ZHONG AI

He was just tired of our family being such poor wanderers, and wanted to settle down. Lord Yun agreed to being his benefactor all the way.and as he wishes, will marry me to Yun Xing Tong in the future.it's already agreed upon. Just right before Yun Xing Tong goes to the Capital for his Imperial Exam, we would have our wedding.

SHUI LIU CAN

WHAT?

HUA ZHONG AI

Yes, it's true. Don't tell Yun Xing Tong as of yet, but I want you to know this: we already cannot afford to be together for much longer.

SHUI LIU CAN

Look, if it was any other man who allowed this,I will not let this stand. You and I, we are kindred spirits, not you and Yun Xing Tong.

Hua Zhong Ai does not reply. Shui Liu Can continues.

SHUI LIU CAN

I will tell you this, Lord Yun is also the benefactor of my father and I, we would be nowhere today without him. If you are to be married to his son, and my friend, I can only wish you the best.

Hua Zhong Ai nods. Then a smile crosses her face, it is a bright, happy smile.

HUA ZHONG AI

I guess then I should be happy with what I have, right?

SHUI LIU CAN

Exactly.

The two of them go their separate ways after that.

EXT. FOREST DAY

Yun Xing Tong is galloping fast on his horse, on his face a mix of anger and bewilderment.

In the distance he sees the Yun Estate, and gallops even faster to reach there.

EXT. YUN ESTATE GATEWAY DAY

Yun Xing Tong raps the door knocker hard.

The gate to the mansion opens, one of the servants greets him.

SERVANT
Master, you're back.

YUN XING TONG
Get my horse to the stable, did anything happen while I was gone?

SERVANT

Just a gentleman came looking for your father, Shui Liu Can saw him off. One of your father's acquaintances, I guess.

Yun Xing Tong nods.

Yun Xing Tong enters the mansion.

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

Yun Xing Tong stands in the frontal courtyard of the mansion, and looks around.

YUN XING TONG

Shui Liu Can, where are you? You think I don't know what you have been up to? You're wrong!

It is at this moment that Shui Liu Can emerges from one of the houses in the mansion itself.

SHUI LIU CAN

Brother Yun, glad to see that you are back, how was the trip?

YUN XING TONG

Why did you leave me downtown?

SHUI LIU CAN

Leave you? You did not seem like you wanted to leave, you overslept in there for all I know.

Yun Xing Tong hisses through gritted teeth,

YUN XING TONG

So I did, so I did.

Shui Liu Can just laughs and comes forward.

SHUI LIU CAN

Come on, Brother Yun, there is nothing wrong with a man to indulge in illusions of desire, it is what a man runs on.

YUN XING TONG

Tell me, what did you do with Hua Zhong Ai while I was not around?

SHUI LIU CAN

I played the zither for her, nothing more. She was bored.

Yun Xing Tong nods.

YUN XING TONG
You were always a better zither player than I. I would have been the wrong person to entertain her, I guess.

SHUI LIU CAN

Very good, so now it's time to tell me how you were entertained!

The two young men head off together.

We see through a crack in one of the folding doors that Hua Zhong Ai has beheld all this.

Then she closes the doors, and the narration kicks in as we

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. FOREST NIGHT

We see Lord Yun coming home through the forest, tired, and his wound bandaged but still hurting, he knocks on the door.

NARRATOR (v/o)

Then that night, both fathers came back, and their children never saw anyone as tired and wounded as they were at that point.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD NIGHT

In the front courtyard we see as a servant opens the gate for Lord Yun, but he pushes the servant aside and continues to walk.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. SHUI'S HOUSE NIGHT

We are now at the small house where Shui Liu Can and his father stay in the middle of the forest.

Shui returns back, a rather sad expression on his face.

Shui Liu Can ushers his father in as he opens the door. As Shui enters, he turns to his son.

SHUI

Son, let me rest. I am tired.

SHUI LIU CAN

What happened?

SHUI

Don't mind it now, but I think you may not see your father for much longer.

SHUI LIU CAN

Come on dad, you're just tired.

Shui Liu Can leads his father over to his small straw bed, and lays him down there.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. YUN ESTATE MASTER'S STUDY NIGHT

We are now in the Master's Study, and here we see Yun Xing Tong seated with his father.

Yun Xing Tong shows his father the cloth with the bamboo rod painted on it.

YUN XING TONG

Father, do you know whose this is?

LORD YUN Of course I do, this is the symbol of the Imperial Detective, "Bamboo" Jin! Well what do you know, he's found us at last.

YUN XING TONG
What do you mean, are we criminals of any sort?

LORD YUN
No my son, we are not criminals of any sort at all, I will go to clear our name with this "Bamboo" Jin immediately.

YUN XING TONG

He says he is staying at an inn in town.

LORD YUN

Great, let's go to see him.

EXT. FOREST NIGHT

Father and son are riding through the dark forest at night, holding torches, and Yun Xing Tong is stammering as he asks a question.

YUN XING TONG

Father, how did you cope along ever since Mother left us?

LORD YUN

What do you mean?

YUN XING TONG
I mean, how did you deal with the loss of the great love of your life?

LORD YUN

Well I just coped somehow.

YUN XING TONG

Do you suppose men try to make do with the illusion of love when love fails them?

LORD YUN

Tell me son, why are you asking this?

YUN XING TONG
I think you know, father.

Lord Yun sighs.

LORD YUN

You're a better man than I.

YUN XING TONG

You mean...

LORD YUN

Yes, I can tell. Well, let's not talk about this for now.

INT. TOWN INN GUEST ROOM NIGHT

Yun Xing Tong and his son enter a large guest room, a grand suite, and in it we find none other than "Bamboo" Jin, seated at a chair.

Two guards are already standing at the door.

BAMBOO JIN

Ah, I see you have got my message, please be seated.

LORD YUN

I know you wanted to see me, for what purpose?

BAMBOO JIN

You see, Lord Yun, you know who I am, I am an undercover enforcer, and I have been tracking down this criminal for years. He once led a revolt during a period of flood and famine againt the corrupt local officialdom.

LORD YUN

If those in power force the people to revolt it is their own doing. I heard that they were reduced to the eating of tree bark.

BAMBOO JIN

That I know very well.

LORD YUN

And yet you insist on his capture even after that event has passed for somewhat more than two decades?

BAMBOO JIN

It is my duty. This man then was known as the "Water Ghost", and he led the peasants in a storm through the local official residence. The area in which they lived was devastated as a result of this revolt and the looting and pillaging that ensued. Damages to the local infrastructure were irreparable.

LORD YUN

I see. You know his real name?

BAMBOO JIN

That I do not know.

LORD YUN

I think I know who you are talking about. I have in fact, kept him alive all these years for you to capture.

BAMBOO JIN

Really?

LORD YUN

Indeed, a man by the surname of Shui tried to find refuge for himself and his pregnant wife some years ago, and I took pity on them and took them in. (Beat) But you know, I never suspected he might actually be a wanted man.

BAMBOO JIN

Well, he is, and there is a huge reward for his capture.

Yun Xing Tong witnesses all of this wide-eyed, unable to speak, and in horror.

LORD YUN

Indeed, I have decided that I should take you to him, after all, I have provided him with residence all these years. What's in this for me?

BAMBOO JIN One thousand gold pieces.

LORD YUN Very good...you'll keep your promise.

BAMBOO JIN

I will.

Yun Xing Tong can only look on flabbergasted at his father's sudden change of heart.

His father turns to him.

LORD YUN

Come on, let's go.

EXT. FOREST NIGHT

Lord Yun, Yun Xing Tong and Bamboo Jin are seated on their horses, behind them follow a group of around twenty or so men.

POV shot from horseback: In the distance we see none other than the house where Shui Liu Can and his father dwell.

The three men and their entourage stop outside the small house.

The small house, though, remains silent, there is nothing from within.

LORD YUN

Shui, I know you are in there, so come out, I'm sorry this has had to happen, but it looks like I have to turn you in for your own good.

From within the house we hear as Shui speaks.

SHUI

Really, huh? Looks like I have no choice then.

LORD YUN

That's right, come out then

Then there is silence.

The wind blows softly over the heads of the characters.

The night is congealed in a moment of stillness.

BAMBOO JIN

He is still not coming out.

LORD YUN

I know. Give him time.

Then we see the door creak open, and Shui steps out slowly, he is followed immediately by his own son.

SHUI LIU CAN

No, father, it's a trap. Don't walk into it.

Shui just smiles as he and his son walk towards the men waiting for them.

BAMBOO JIN

Ah, handing yourself over now, eh?

SHUI

Indeed I am.

SHUI LIU CAN

Father!

It is noticed that Shui Liu Can at this moment casts a very ugly look towards Yun Xing Tong, who just shakes his head in exasperation.

SHUI

Don't worry, it's about time I paid for certain crimes of mine anyway.

Shui takes out the "Phantom Face" mask from within the folds of his shirt and throws it on the ground.

Yun Xing Tong's eyes widen in shock.

BAMBOO JIN

The Ghost indeed, as of today it means that all of the key instigators of that peasant revolt are now brought to justice!

LORD YUN

And where's my reward in that?

BAMBOO JIN

Your reward will come in good time.

It is at this moment that we see Lord Yun remove his sword and in one firm stroke, a slash appears across Bamboo Jin's chest.

Bamboo Jin slumps down on his horse, apparently dead.

The surrounding men are still shocked to see what happened It is at this moment that we see Lord Yun force his horse into a gallop.

The men start to flee out of the way from the rampaging horse and its rider. Lord Yun shouts out to his son.

LORD YUN

Go back and save Shui!

By now the soldiers have regrouped and are chasing after Lord Yun.

Yun Xing Tong turns his horse around and rides forward to Shui.

Shui leaps onto the horse, and they turn around and gallop off.

Shui Liu Can looks on, and decides to rush into the action anyway.

Taking a sword of his, he rushes into the mass of soldiers, and with one fell stroke kills two of them.

SHUI

Good, but not good enough, boy! Catch! We'll meet at the Yun Estate later!

Shui throws his own sword towards his son, who grabs it and distracts the

Then he turns around to face his opponents.

EXT. FOREST NIGHT

A spear pierces the side of Lord Yun's horse.

It is thrown by one of the soldiers, and the others give a cheer as they see it.

CLOSE UP on the head of Lord Yun's horse, in its eyes reflected an indifference towards the world.

Lord Yun though struggles to pick himself up as the troopers close in on him.

Then we see as he pulls the spear out of the horse's side, and then starts running while the thirteen remaining soldiers close in. The first one to catch up nearly with him we see has his sword raised and is about to attack when we see that Lord Yun slashes him across.

The remaining twelve hurry, Lord Yun runs one through and slashes another.

One opponent with a whip hurls it at Lord Yun, but Lord Yun manages to free up one hand in time to grab the end of the whip and with a pull, drags the man to the ground.

Then he starts running with the others chasing him.

EXT. FOREST NIGHT Lord Yun runs some more, and then we see as a wooden log bridge runs ahead of him.

Lord Yun leaps onto the hollowed-out wooden log bridge, then one by one the soldiers come at him.

Lord Yun does not even need to skewer these guys at all, for most of them he settles it with a butt of the spear shaft hard enough to make them lose balance, and most of them fall into the river. Some already lose balance even before facing Lord Yun.

The last one sees this, and he is prepared, he takes a flying leap across the wooden log bridge, sword aimed at Lord Yun.

Lord Yun deflects the blow with the spear, but the spear is slashed into two, the last soldier slashes across, causing one more wound to cross Lord Yun's abs. Lord Yun drives the splintered end of the spear into the soldier's body, and then drives the spearheaded end into it as well before flinging the corpse into the river.

Then clutching his wound, Lord Yun finally heads across the hollow log bridge.

EXT. FOREST NIGHT

We see TOP DOWN that five of the soldiers are surrounding Shui Liu Can, one apparently stronger than the rest.

They have stared each other down for some time by now, and Shui Liu Can, two swords in his hands, is already in a ready defensive pose.

Shui Liu Can kills around four more soldiers all at once in a series of rapid body movements.

The last soldier comes on to face Shui Liu Can, cartwheeling towards his opponent and then delivering a kick.

Shui is thrown back, then holding his twin swords backwards, whirls both blades towards his opponents, who fends them off with his bare hands, then we see as the opponent dodges one slice, reaches into his boots for a short dagger with which he then lunges at Shui.

Shui parries the blow from the dagger with one of his swords and then with a final slash, kills him.

Then he starts running to catch up with the others.

EXT. FOREST NIGHT

We see as Yun Xing Tong and Shui reach a clearing while on their horse.

It is now quiet.

YUN XING TONG I think we've lost them finally.

SHUI Good, now we can head back to the Mansion.

It is at this moment that Shui suddenly sees that we see one figure on horseback comes thundering through the forest, the figure is dying, but he still manages to mount his horse pretty well.

As he wanders into the moonlight we see that it is none other than Bamboo Jin.who unfastens his shirt to reveal he is wearing body armor underneath.

BAMBOO JIN

Treated bamboo, among the finest and most versatile armor in the world. Hence my name. Your father wielded a good sword, Yun Xing Tong, but not good enough.

SHUI
He wants me, I'll settle this myself. I offer myself to you, Bamboo Jin, take what you will. After all, you have pursued me for very long.

Shui stretches out his arms, leaving himself fully exposed.

BAMBOO JIN

You are not kidding, are you?

SHUI

No.

BAMBOO JIN

Very well then.

Bamboo Jin prepares to kill Shui by drawing his weapon of choice, true to his name, a hollowed-out bamboo rod with a sharpened end.

He readies the weapon for the thrust, and then just as he is about to run through Shui, we see that a silvery blade cuts its way through Bamboo Jin's chest.

CLOSE UP as the blade intersects with the bamboo rod, and slices all the way through it. The blade then pierces Bamboo Jin's body, as though the treated bamboo armor were nothing but paper.

Then we see what has happened.

Yun Xing Tong has killed both of them in one stroke.

Then at this moment we see Shui turn his head back.

SHUI Well done, young man, your father couldn't pierce that armor well enough, you could.

YUN XING TONG

You wanted this, right?

SHUI

Yeah, I can't think of any better way to die.

Then we see as his voice weakens and he shuts his eyes.

Bamboo Jin is also near his dying breath.

BAMBOO JIN

He's right, you are better than your father.

Then he dies, for real this time.

Shui just stands there in the middle of nowhere, looking down at the corpses of the two men in their morbid embrace. He draws his sword out from the corpses.

Then he stands there, just staring in shock at his handiwork.

Then almost instinctively, he turns around, and sees that nearby are his own father, and Shui Liu Can himself, who have both come to meet him on the way back.

They also look down at the two corpses in shock.

Shui Liu Can realizes that one of them is his own father, and as he raises his eyes to meet Yun Xing Tong's we see anger and hatred reflected in them.

Yun Xing Tong just sputters out his best explanation.

YUN XING TONG
I wanted to save him, but he just stepped into the fray.

EXT. GRAVEYARD DAY

We see now Yun Xing Tong, Shui Liu Can, Lord Yun and the Hua family all gathered here in front of Shui's grave.

Hua Zhong Ai tries to comfort Shui Liu Can, who is crying.

HUA ZHONG AI

Your father knew what he had to do.

LORD YUN

He was an extraordinary man. Come on, let's go. We have paid him our last respects for this "All Souls" Festival.

It is at this moment that we see that most of the crowd turns back, except for Yun Xing Tong and Hua Yan Qian, who are left contemplating a while longer at the gravestone.

HUA YAN QIAN

Are you telling Shui something?

Yun Xing Tong does not answer.

HUA YAN QIAN(cont.)

Or is he telling you something from beyond?

Then we see as Hua Yan Qian leaves the place.

Yun Xing Tong is left behind.

Then we see as his father calls out to him.

LORD YUN

Tong-er! Come back here, why are you still standing there?

Yun Xing Tong just turns back from the gravestone.

FLASHBACK ENDS

INT. WAREHOUSE NIGHT

The hooded figure has just finished telling the backstory to the four gathered mob bosses.

HOODED FIGURE

So you see, Shui Liu Can's father died without even compiling a complete manual or founding the basis for any new branch of martial art. I was one of the key spreaders of the rumor that there was a manual for the Cloud- Water Sword Style.

The hooded figure takes the cover off his package, only to show that it is a bronze rod, now broken in two.

He tucks one end of the bronze rod around his waistbelt, and the other he holds in his hand.

Then he removes his hood to show that he is in fact, the old Bronze Rod Fighter.

The Ascetic Swordsman, as well as the others, are taken aback by this sudden turn of events.

HOODED FIGURE

And do you want to know why I spread that rumor? Because it was all part of my Master plan, as all of you were part of my Master plan.

BOSS HU

What? So you tricked all of us into this?

HOODED FIGURE

Indeed, I wanted to see how far the two of them would have come when they met again, after the incident that tore them apart.

BOSS SHA
But what for?

HOODED FIGURE

To gauge their strength of your hired men, and the strength of both Yun and Shui. When I stood there and shouted, I merely but wanted to separate those who would have the courage to go with me as opposed to those who don't. And when I let all those men die by the sword, I but wanted to see how good those two have become. And they have not disappointed me. These men that have returned are indeed some of the finest warriors today, for in beholding two of the greatest warriors I have known and in feeling the sorrow that comes with greatness, they have shown their noble spirit to me. They are not cowards nor reckless.

BOSS LIN

So there was no money to be made in this at all?

HOODED FIGURE

Not at all, all of you were but my pawns.

BOSS TANG
How dare we as clan bosses be dishonored such? Guards, get him!

The four clan bodyguards snap to attention immediately and rush forward to apprehend the Bronze Rod Fighter.

With single blows of the bronze rod the old Bronze Rod Fighter falls all of the guards.

Then he calls out to the Ascetic Swordsman.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER
You there and your pals, take care of these four bosses and we're off!

The four bosses have already jumped up from their seats and are preparing to run away, heading for the back of the warehouse.

But we see as the Ascetic Swordsman and three of his companions just takes a flying leap forward and kill their selected targets.

Then they turn back to the old Bronze Rod Fighter.

The Bronze Rod fighter reaches for one of the boxes in the warehouse, smashes it, and reveals inside similar "Ghost" masks to those worn by Shui as a rebel leader.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER
You will wear these masks, and you will come with me, and we shall all return as ghosts from there.

The Ascetic Swordsman nods, as though he understands the full impact of the words.

EXT. FOREST NIGHT

We see a lone figure hurrying through the forest, it is none other than Shui Liu Can himself, now dressed in wraparound ninja gear.

He is hurrying through the forest fast.

SHUI LIU CAN

He better not have touched her.

EXT. WATERFALL NIGHT

This is a small waterfall in the middle of the forest.

Around it all appears to be still.

Then we go THROUGH the waterfall and see that behind it is a SMALL CAVE, this is the WATER CURTAIN CAVE underlined in Hua Zhong Ai's copy of "Journey to the West."

INT. CAVE NIGHT

In the cave stands Yun Xing Tong and his Squire. There is a small lamp with them.

The Handmaiden sits on the ground.

YUN XING TONG

What a nice quiet place. Here we shall wait.

HANDMAIDEN

This is the "Water Curtain Cave" that the Mistress underlined in her book.

Yun Xing Tong nods.

HANDMAIDEN

So you are saying that my Master and the Mistress of the House actually...

YUN XING TONG

Even that I do not know. But this is the test.

SQUIRE

You expect him to find us?

YUN XING TONG

Of course I do, he has never been one to disappoint.

HANDMAIDEN

Look, you're making me scared, what, what is this place?

YUN XING TONG

Oh no nothing much at all...but before all this I want you to know why your Master had to leave the the martial realm for so long.

FLASHBACK BEGINS EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD NIGHT

We see Hua Zhong Ai, Yun Xing Tong and Shui Liu Can together.

Hua Zhong Ai is flipping through a book of Chinese astrology.

Then as she reads them she starts looking through a beautiful bronze telescope on a stand.

HUA ZHONG AI

Wah.

We see that she starts smiling as she sees the stars up close.

HUA ZHONG AI(cont.)

The stars tonight...they are so beautiful.

Shui Liu Can takes the book of astrological signs and looks at it, before peering into the telescope himself.

SHUI LIU CAN

Would you look at that!

HUA ZHONG AI

What is it that you see?

SHUI LIU CAN

Those stars are the Cowherd, the Weaver Girl and the Herald Fairy! Look!

Hua Zhong Ai looks through at the stars through the telescope and lets out a cry of ecstasy.

HUA ZHONG AI

God, it is those stars!

YUN XING TONG

Come on, what do you suppose is the point of seeing two lovers up in the sky? It's popping in on a date.

Hua Zhong Ai and Shui Liu Can laugh at this remark from Yun Xing Tong.

SHUI LIU CAN

Did you ever wonder why the Weaver Girl never chose someone else? And instead chose someone she could only meet once a year? I mean she was the fairy Princess of Heaven, and among all mortals there was so many to choose.

HUA ZHONG AI

I suppose that's what true love is like: it need not always be about being together, but it's even more about looking out and waiting for each other no matter what. I like that.

YUN XING TONG

Those figures of legend have eternity to wait, most people don't.

The other two laugh as they hear this remark as well.

YUN XING TONG (cont.)

I'd rather not wait, but I would take what it is that I can have for the moment and savor it. To me that is love.

HUA ZHONG AI

I find it very amusing that those stars are turning you into the poet you always wanted to be, Yun. You never seemed like much of a poet to me.

YUN XING TONG

Oh really?

Hua Zhong Ai nods.

Then we hear Yun Xing Tong's voiceover, during which the scene dissolves to:

EXT. FOREST DAY

We see Yun Xing Tong, Hua Zhong Ai and Shui Liu Can on their horses for a hunting trip in the winter.

As they move through the forest they are laughing and talking excitedly to each other.

YUN XING TONG(v/o)

I can remember how those years after the death of your Master's father affected us all. It drew all of us closer. And in that period, Hua Zhong Ai, your Master and I became almost inseparable.

Then they see a hare hopping through the snow.

HUA ZHONG AI

Why don't one of you try to get that hare, then we'll roast it.

SHUI LIU CAN

Yeah! Now you're talking!

Shui Liu Can and Yun Xing Tong both start off on their horses in pursuit of the hare.

After chasing the hare for a while, Shui Liu Can is against the first to shoot the hare again.

The hare twitches for a moment as the life drains out of him, and then he dies.

Yun Xing Tong looks on in exasperation as he sees his near miss of an arrow.

Then Hua Zhong Ai comes from behind, cheering as she does so.

Yun Xing Tong looks at the eyes of the dead rabbit.

They stare back at him with a distant, aloof indifference.

Yun Xing Tong's POV: we see as an image of SHUI is SUPERIMPOSED on the rabbit.

Then it disappears.

By that moment Shui Liu Can has already gone forth and carried the rabbit up in his arms and displays it to Hua Zhong Ai as though it were a trophy.

Yun Xing Tong just looks on, and in his eyes we can see that this is a changed man.

We then see as Hua Zhong Ai takes the dead rabbit as though she was receiving a gift.

And we see as she congratulates Shui Liu Can like an elder sister to a younger brother.

Then she strokes the dead rabbit gently, as though it was just sleeping.

YUN XING TONG(v/o)

Even before I married her, I had already never met anyone who responded as completely and as naturally to things as Hua Zhong Ai. She could deal with death.

MONTAGE: EXT. FOREST DAY

This is the forest in the midst of winter, we see Hua Zhong Ai walk toward some plum blossom trees, whose flowers are still in bloom despite the weather.

She exhales a slow cloud of smoke, and looks serenely at the blossoms.

YUN XING TONG (v/o cont.)

At the same time, never was there such awareness of life in any person that I knew.

From a tree nearby, we see as Yun Xing Tong himself watches.

YUN XING TONG (v/o cont.)

Everything that she saw, she entertained with the simple joy of a child, that was one aspect where I admit I would lose out to her and your Master.

On a shot of the blossoms, which are still in bloom, and appear as though in their own way smiling, the image of Hua Zhong Ai and Shui Liu Can is SUPERIMPOSED.

We see as Yun Xing Tong turns back.

DISSOLVE TO: INT. YUN ESTATE STUDY DAY

We are in the study of Yun Estate, and here we see as Yun Xing Tong himself enters, and comes face to face with his own father, a man who has seemed to age overnight since we last saw him.

YUN XING TONG

Father, did you see that just now?

LORD YUN

I did.

YUN XING TONG

Did you mean everything you told me?

LORD YUN

I did, Hua Zhong Ai is already yours at this moment, no doubt about it. Her father had approved it, it is just a matter of time.

YUN XING TONG

Then why is it that her heart seems to belong to Shui Liu Can? And not to me?

LORD YUN

It does not matter, so much as it does matter that everything about her will soon belong to you, my son. And then what part of her will not belong to you, my son?

YUN XING TONG
You don't understand, father, she will never fully belong to me.

LORD YUN

Conquerors do not possess what they own. Remember that.

Yun Xing Tong remains silent.

LORD YUN

I have already arranged your marriage to take place shortly before you go to the Capital for your Imperial Examinations. I am sure that by now you have prepared for it well enough, return with full honors, and I will be assured that the future of the family is in good hands.

(Beat)

Time will take care of Shui Liu Can, just like it took care of his father.

Yun Xing Tong concludes, a hidden tremble of anger in his voice.

YUN XING TONG
Very well, I shall go practice for it.

Lord Yun nods, not detecting at all the trembling rage in his son's voice.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOREST DAY

In the forest, we see as a red mark has been drawn on the trunk of a tree, and that arrows are being fired into it.

With a top-down shot we see that standing fifty paces from the tree is in fact none other than Yun Xing Tong.

Then we see that Yun Xing Tong is the one firing the arrows, and doing so at an extremely rapid rate.

One after another, he nocks the arrows from his quiver to his bow, and fires them off one after another in rapid succession.

We see as an increasingly large number of arrows hits the mark on the tree trunk.

The arrows hit their target with amazing accuracy, all of them within close proximity of each other.

Then finally, with a spent quiver of arrows, Yun Xing Tong takes a breather.

There is a look of great satisfaction on his face.

His breath forms a white cloud as he heaves a sigh of what can be considered relief.

We now see the entire quiver of arrows embedded in the trunk of the tree.

It is now that out of the corner of his eye that Yun Xing Tong sees another entity, probably a hallucination.

It is none other than Phantom Face.

Yun Xing Tong realizes that his arrows are spent as he sees the apparition.

Then the apparition slowly disappears.

YUN XING TONG (v/o)

I knew for one that she was not worth me, one who was tortured by what were only imaginary foes, by my own past, by my own deeds. She was not tortured by any of her own. She did everything, and what she did, she did with no regrets whatsoever. I realized that on the last hunting trip I took, shortly before I would leave for the Imperial Examinations.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOREST DAY

Yun Xing Tong and Shui Liu Can are riding through the forest.

They see a deer, and begin chasing after it. Both men's horses are very close at the beginning.

Then we see as Shui Liu Can's horse somewhat slows down, as Yun Xing Tong's hurries forward.

Yun Xing Tong does not notice as he chases the deer, with his arrows trained perfectly on them.

The first arrow narrowly misses as the deer leaps over a small rock.

The second hits the flank of the deer.

Yun Xing Tong spurs his horse on even more, as the deer still keeps trying to run despite its bleeding dry.

At this moment the ecstasy of hunting, of triumphing over the conquest, takes over Yun Xing Tong completely, and he is too happy to notice.

Then at this point an arrow whizzes past him and embeds itself in a tree trunk nearby.

Yun Xing Tong pulls his horse to a stop.

He spots the arrow shaft and realizes that he has narrowly escaped death.

He turns back and does not see anyone behind him.

Then he gallops his horse back straight away.

FLASHBACK ENDS

INT. WATER CURTAIN CAVE NIGHT

Yun Xing Tong, the Handmaiden and the Squire are just as they were when we left them.

YUN XING TONG

I never saw who shot the arrow that day, but it could only have been your Master.

The Handmaiden listens on, wide-eyed.

YUN XING TONG

I could just imagine the way that he knocked the arrow to his bow.

He continues in voice over as we

FLASHBACK EXT. FOREST DAY

We see Shui Liu Can with the arrow firmly in place.

YUN XING TONG (v/o cont.)

As was only fitting of a warrior of his skill...

Then we see as he lets his arrow fly.

YUN XING TONG (v/o)

And let fly far enough for me to not immediately notice...

Then we see as the expression on Shui Liu Can's face slowly turns to fright as he realizes that his arrow has missed.

SHUI LIU CAN

But it was pure luck that he missed...pure luck.

We see now as Shui Liu Can turns back on his horse and gallops off fast.

FLASHBACK ENDS

INT. CAVE NIGHT

Yun Xing Tong shakes his head.

YUN XING TONG
I pity him in a way, that someone of his skill could fail just like that.what a near miss!

The Handmaiden looks at Yun Xing Tong with a mix of disdain and pity.

HANDMAIDEN

You are a sad man, you are a sad, sad man. I am sorry about how my Master made you.

YUN XING TONG

So I am, huh? What about your Master? Let me tell you he didn't have it that good either.

The Handmaiden looks fiercely into Yun Xing Tong's eyes, yet tears are running out of her own.

HANDMAIDEN

Tell me about it.

YUN XING TONG

Good, I will also never forget how it was when I came back to the mansion.

FLASHBACK BEGINS EXT. YUN ESTATE DAY

Yun Xing Tong hurries back to the mansion on his horse. There he finds that something has changed about the place, it is strangely empty.

He enters through the gate.

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD DAY

He finds the place inside equally deserted.

He tiptoes around the place, and there seems to be no one.

Almost instinctively, he begins running around and shouting aloud.

YUN XING TONG

Hua Zhong Ai, are you in there?

EXT. YUN ESTATE CORRIDOR DAY

We see as he starts running across the corridor, and then he turns into where the main hall is, and there he sees that Hua Zhong Ai sits there, reading something.

Her face is turned away from him.

Yun Xing Tong calls out to her.

YUN XING TONG

Did you see Shui Liu Can anywhere?

Hua Zhong Ai turns her head to Yun Xing Tong.

And we see that even though her face remains as bright and intelligent as it once was, her complexion seems much more pale and flushed than usual, as if there is something that she is afraid to say.

HUA ZHONG AI

No.

Yun Xing Tong just stands there.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOREST NIGHT

We see a large group of men, mansion guards, led by Lord Yun and his son, as they carry torches, racing through the forest.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. TOWN SQUARE DAY

Outside the magistrate's court we see that some of Lord Yun's servants are putting up WANTED posters for Shui Liu Can.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. YUN ESTATE MAIN HALL DAY

Hua Zhong Ai turns around and sees as Yun Xing Tong returns from outside.

HUA ZHONG AI

Did you manage to find him yet?

Yun Xing Tong is silent.

HUA ZHONG AI

You haven't?

YUN XING TONG

I haven't. He must have run away.

Then she turns around and then closes the book that she is reading.

And then she puts it back on the shelf, and leaves the room.

Yun Xing Tong takes it down from the shelf, and sees that the book's title is: PEOPLE AND PLACES OF CHOSON.

FLASHBACK ENDS

INT. CAVE NIGHT

Yun Xing Tong looks at the Handmaiden as he finishes his tale.

YUN XING TONG

You were from near the Korean border, were you?

The Handmaiden nods.

YUN XING TONG

Ah at least there was one promise that he could keep, your Master. He fled to Choson, or as close to there as he could.

HANDMAIDEN

So the Mistress of the House conspired to murder you with my Master? Is that all true?

YUN XING TONG

It does not matter what is true or not anymore, it just matters what it is I think. (Beat)

He never told you about it? Then it may not be true, but yet he ran away all the same. And as for Hua Zhong Ai, I gave her what she wanted exactly.

HANDMAIDEN

And what was that?

YUN XING TONG

I never spoke to her, never again. We were married, but never did we have a ceremony. I went off to take my Imperial Civil Service Examinations.

HANDMAIDEN

And she died during that period, right?

YUN XING TONG

Indeed, she died then.

(Beat)

Well there was something else I did not tell you.

FLASHBACK BEGINS

INT. INN DAY We see Yun Xing Tong studying when the door is opened, and a courier brings in a letter,

YUN XING TONG(v/o)

I had received notice of her worsening health way before she died in the letters that were sent back to me, all written by my own father.

We see as he takes out another piece of paper and starts writing in reply.

YUN XING TONG (v/o)

It was already then that I gave the orders that all the clocks in the house had to be stopped when she died. But at any rate, I swore to myself that I would not speak to her, not even until the moment of her death.

When he finishes writing, he looks up, a cruel yet sad gleam in his eyes.

FLASHBACK ENDS

INT. CAVE NIGHT

Yun Xing Tong smiles sadly at the Handmaiden.

At this moment the Squire's face is flushed in rage.

SQUIRE
But you never told anyone about this.

YUN XING TONG

I wanted to keep it a secret, but soon there is no need for such a secret anymore...because soon the reason for all this will be avenged.

HANDMAIDEN

My Master...

YUN XING TONG

Yes, and he will come here, and honor his promise to finish to me off like the true warrior that he is.and I know he will come for one reason.

HANDMAIDEN

What?

YUN XING TONG

You.

The handmaiden just laughs with a sense of ridicule at Yun Xing Tong.

HANDMAIDEN

Nonsense. I am just a servant girl, what will he have to come to me for?

YUN XING TONG
Just a servant girl? Let me tell you I know your Master better than you have the right to suspect that I do.

(Beat)

You are pregnant with his child.

This catches the handmaiden entirely by surprise.

HANDMAIDEN How did you...

YUN XING TONG

Know? Could there have been a more powerful driving force in his life, perhaps, to this day, than the fact that a new life was awaiting him to shake off his old one? I doubt it.

The handmaiden starts to break down, crying as she does so.

YUN XING TONG
The fool, the pitiful fool. He couldn't even keep it secret if he wanted to.

It is at this moment that the Handmaiden actually finds a steely resolve she had that was not there before.

HANDMAIDEN

You are wrong, he is not a fool, you are.

YUN XING TONG

What do you mean? You realize how he came to be known as, your Master was a coward, and he IS a coward! You cannot change that!

HANDMAIDEN

He may be a coward, but you have not yet heard from me.

YUN XING TONG

Oh how do you judge him?

HANDMAIDEN I...I...love him.that is all I can say.

Yun Xing Tong slowly stands up and laughs insanely.

YUN XING TONG

You love him? That is all you can say?

HANDMAIDEN

That is all I can say, I cannot say the same for you.

Yun Xing Tong lets out another burst of insane laughter.

YUN XING TONG

I should have known better than my father to let a woman judge me!

HANDMAIDEN

You do not understand, you won't realize that he made me feel more loved than anyone in a long time.

FLASHBACK BEGINS

EXT. PLAINS DAY

Across the wintry plains we see as an already bruised and battered Shui Liu Can walks.

In the distance he sees as a young girl is fending off two robbers by herself, using two short swords.

This young girl is none other than the Handmaiden herself.

Shui Liu Can immediately rushes forward and leaps over the heads of the robbers, till he is beside the girl herself.

SHUI LIU CAN

RUN!

The girl does so.

Both robbers come charging on at Shui Liu Can.

He sidesteps the first one that comes his way and slices him through, before striking the second down the middle, and causing a gash from suprasternal notch to bellybutton.

Having made short work of both robbers, Shui Liu Can runs back to the young girl.

The young girl hugs Shui Liu Can.

HANDMAIDEN (v/o)

At the time he found me I was living alone, and my father had died, leaving me only the two swords that once indicated that our family's noble heritage.

EXT. PLAINS DAY

We see Shui Liu Can, with his sword in one hand, and a stick in another, guiding his young female protégé in the art of swordplay.

His protégé is following along fine.

HANDMAIDEN (v/o)

When he came that day and saved my life, I knew immediately who I was going to follow for the rest of my life. He was my father, my friend, my everything.

EXT. PLAINS DAY

In a flash, we see that his young protégé has grown now to be the blossoming young beauty that she is, and we see Shui Liu Can gently guiding her in archery.

Shui Liu Can assists his young female protégé in drawing the arrow back gently, and then she lets the arrow fly.

We see as the arrow hits the target, the bullseye on a makeshift board, from a hundred paces away.

The Handmaiden lets out a cry of joy.

HANDMAIDEN (v/o)

But then came that one day where everything changed.

EXT. ICE LAKE DAY

We are at a lake that is frozen over, and we see that Shui Liu Can and the Handmaiden have brought their ice skates. Flakes of snow dance in the air.

Standing on the banks, they look at the lake before them.

They FADE OUT, then we see as they FADE IN again on the lake itself.

They start skating as they wish, playfully performing acrobatic martial arts moves on the ice itself.

Then we see as Shui Liu Can seems to stop skating.

He stands on the spot and just cheers as he watches his Handmaiden skate in circles around him.

Her laughter echoes, as innocent as the sound of a windchime.

Then we see as Shui Liu Can lunges himself forward at her.

This pushes her down to the ice immediately. With him on top of her. She is still laughing girlishly, unaware of what is about to happen.

He presses his face close to hers, and starts licking.

She still laughs, unaware of what is about to happen.

We see as he unfastens her winter clothes, then the clothes underneath, and then grabs her breasts, squeezing them hard.

She starts to scream, he continues to force himself on her.

He grabs the sides of her head, and tries to force himself on her lips.

She resists for a while, and then gives in.

He kisses her, she sticks her tongue into his mouth and licks deep and long.

Then they separate, but their bodies are by now seemingly fused together.

From afar, it looks as though they are fighting on the ice, one having slipped on top of another, and both unable to get up and stuggling to do so.

But at the same time that he presses hard down on her, she is also satisfying her latent lust for him, now being released in full force.

At the same time her ecstasy rises, tears also begin to flow out of her eyes, which are now bright red.

Yet she continues, as his member is now fully inside her and slowly taking her towards the climax. She starts crying out in a mix of ecstasy and pain as she pushes his head away from her.

Then she climaxes. The breath stops short of escaping her mouth, then it finally does in a long cross between a sigh of relief and a scream.

Then we are left with a sniffling, sobbing yet strangely happy girl.

On her almost self-satisfied smile as he holds her body close to him, we

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT.PLAINS DAY

The Master and Servant/Lovers walk across the plain, and we see that the eyes of the Handmaiden are still bright red and tearing.

Slowly, snowflakes fall across her face.

CLOSE UP on the eyes, and we

DISSOLVE TO:

POV shot: An image of snowflakes gently falling, but as they come closer and closer to the Earth we see that they turn red, as red as the blood of a newly deflowered girl.

HANDMAIDEN (v/o)

From that day on, I realized that at any rate, I was his, and he was mine.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. CAVE NIGHT

We see as an expression of glee crosses Yun Xing Tong's face, he is almost turning insane by now.

YUN XING TONG

Really, that old fool did not even spend all these years preparing how to come back and fight like a man? When the entire martial realm has branded him a coward, he only affirmed it!

HANDMAIDEN

Then what were you doing all these years?

YUN XING TONG

I prepared for the day of revenge, expecting your Master to return when he was ready and armed and finally knew what it was to be a true warrior...like his father!

HANDMAIDEN

WHO YOU KILLED!

YUN XING TONG

I DID NOT KILL HIS FATHER, THE MAN ASKED FOR IT! I don't know why, but he did.

It is at this moment that we hear another voice join in, and it is none other than that of Shui Liu Can himself.

He is dripping wet, having come through the waterfall itself.

SHUI LIU CAN

So, did you really do it?

YUN XING TONG

Well, well, look who has come at last. And to reply you, yes I did. At his behest.

SHUI LIU CAN

I came here expecting a lot of defense, you did not put up any.

YUN XING TONG

Why would I have put up any defense if I was expecting you?

SHUI LIU CAN

Very well...so now, you have revealed it, why did you kill my father, and why did your father do nothing about this son who violated his family's honor so?

YUN XING TONG

Let me ask you another question first of all.

Yun Xing Tong walks closer and closer to Shui Liu Can, preparing to draw out his sword already.

We see as Shui Liu Can also lays his hand on the grip of his own sword.

Both men are ready as they encircle each other.

YUN XING TONG

Since you have now found your way to this cave, tell me, did you and Hua Zhong Ai both know about it?

Shui Liu Can does not answer at all.

YUN XING TONG

Did the two of you ever liaise here when I was unaware?

Shui Liu Can still does not answer?

YUN XING TONG
And was it here that you conspired to kill me, and you ran away when you failed to do so?

Shui Liu Can does not reply for a while, and then he lets out an outburst.

CLOSE UP on his hand, we see as it trembles.

SHUI LIU CAN

Why is it that you ask me all this, when all along you have known that the answer is YES?

There is a moment of stunned silence as Yun Xing Tong's breathing grows heavier and heavier.

We see though that his grip on his sword is still firm.

SHUI LIU CAN

Now why did you kill my father? Why did it have to be you?

YUN XING TONG

Because your father felt that he owed a debt to mine that he could only repay in blood...that's why. Let me tell you, this day has been so far to me, a severe disappointment, I expected better after waiting twenty years for you to come back. You don't know how I have spent twenty years preparing for this day, have you?

SHUI LIU CAN

I don't wish to know.

YUN XING TONG

Good, I don't wish to tell you either, but there is another reason, and count yourself lucky, why I have brought you here.

SHUI LIU CAN

What is that?

YUN XING TONG

You did not figure it out when you fought that crowd, did you? Just as I thought. You did not know who planned that attack even though it was obvious.

EXT. YUN ESTATE COURTYARD NIGHT

We see a group of men carrying torches, they are indeed the Bronze Rod fighter and his Phantom-masked crew.

We see as some of the underlings report to him, one is the crescent blade fighter.

CRESCENT BLADE FIGHTER

They are all not in the estate at all.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER
That only means that they have moved on, come, I know where they are headed!

The men head off, and as they do so, we hear the Bronze Rod fighter mutter under his breath.

BRONZE ROD FIGHTER

Yun Xing Tong, you have only grown wilier since I knew you!

INT. CAVE NIGHT

Yun Xing Tong continues telling the story.

YUN XING TONG

If you did not notice, the bronze rod fighter there was none other than Hua Yan Qian, Hua Zhong Ai's brother.

SHUI LIU CAN

You mean.

YUN XING TONG

Yes, he has by now, come for the both of us. He holds both of us responsible for the death of his sister.

SHUI LIU CAN

What?

YUN XING TONG

Yes, her death was the best reply that she could give to both of us, to both of us who left her when she needed us most...and you know what, it was the best reply of all. Because it was the kind of reply to which we both no longer could answer.

SHUI LIU CAN

No, we still could have answered it...you could have answered it with the way that you chose to live...how do you choose to live it?

YUN XING TONG

Well, I may disappoint you here.

FLASHBACK BEGINS EXT. DESERT DAY

We see Yun Xing Tong, decked out in his Imperial Army Officer robes, atop his horse, with his sword at his side.

Behind him are an entire caravan of his troops, who have brought with them their supplies.

YUN XING TONG(v/o)

Well, right after my Imperial Examinations I was posted to a military post out in the West, near the lands of the Kazakhs. I was then made to enforce law and order in that land, far from the intrigues of the Imperial Court.at the Empire's frontiers.

Yun Xing Tong looks out at the sky above him.

YUN XING TONG(v/o)

It was a place where life was hard, and where the land bred similar people.

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. KAZAKH ENCAMPMENT DAY

We see as Yun Xing Tong rides into this Kazakh encampment on his horse, flanked by his own troops.

We see that these foreign troops are being eyed by the nomadic warriors with fierce animosity.

YUN XING TONG (v/o)

It was there that I had my first encounter with the blood that ran in the Hua family: these were men and women of unassailable pride and dignity passed down from generations...whose only desire was to own their God- given land.

INT. TENT NIGHT

We see as Yun Xing Tong finishes his goblet of Koumiss with the chieftain.

YUN XING TONG (v/o)

Hospitable to guests, merciless to their foes, they would drink with you one night, and fight the next.

He lays down the goblet of Koumiss and wipes a hand across his lips.

We see as a smile crosses the face of the Chieftain.

Then Yun Xing Tong gets up, turns around, and leaves the tent.

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. BATTLEFIELD DAY

We are right in the chaos of battle, and here we see Yun Xing Tong himself, his horse dead on its side, brandishing his sword around and mowing down warriors left and right with one hand, and in the other he holds his bow.

The tribesmen are fearsome warriors nonetheless.

By now Yun Xing Tong is so skilled that actually swaps sword with arrow in a flash to deal with distant targets and back again for close combat.

On the battlefield he seems to be a terrifying, near-invincible force.

YUN XING TONG (v/o)

Those nomadic warriors fought hard, but in numbers they were no match for us. It was not long before they were either killed or subjugated. Our armies took the steppes that once they claimed belonged to their God.

(Beat)

And as for me, I took a Consort of theirs for a concubine.

INT. FRONTIER OUTPOST BEDROOM NIGHT

We see Yun Xing Tong siccing himself on his chosen consort, with the same violent and predatory urge that we saw driving Shui Liu Can in the earlier sex scene.

YUN XING TONG (v/o)

In her I saw the same kind of fire, the same kind of defiance and pride that I saw that lay in Hua Zhong Ai. It was that kind of pride that had her conspiring to kill me with you.

As they finish we see that there is a defiant look in the eye of the Kazakh concubine.

INT. FRONTIER OUTPOST STUDY DAY

Yun Xing Tong enters the study at the behest of a domestic help.

We see as he opens the door to the study, and sees that hanging from the rafters is none other than the consort that he took.

He dismisses the help with a wave of his hand and turns back.

YUN XING TONG (v/o)

And like Hua Zhong Ai, she died on me. Am I cursed, I don't know. But maybe women like that, like Hua Zhong Ai and my consort, were created to be free of the bonds of society and class.

INT. FRONTIER OUTPOST BEDROOM NIGHT

We see Yun Xing Tong looking out of the window of his bedroom, and seeing the wider night sky beyond.

In his eyes, there is a none too frequent expression of fear.

In the desert ground, he sees as another strange figure emerges from the sands.

It is none other than his hallucination of Shui in his Phantom Face get-up, now more real than ever.

Yun Xing Tong, upon seeing it, rushes out of the room.

EXT. DESERT NIGHT

Yun Xing Tong heads out, decked in winter garb for the onslaught of the cold desert night, sword in hand.

Then we see as he lunges repeatedly and repeatedly at the apparition that only he himself can see.

YUN XING TONG (v/o)

It was good that war and administrative duties kept my mind off for a while, but soon I realized that your father's ghost haunted me, and that to remove it, I would have to go back to the one place I did not wish to.

EXT. YUN ESTATE DAY

We see as Yun Xing Tong rides on his horse back to the Yun Estate.

And there he sees as a servant opens the door.

SERVANT

Young Master, you're back.

YUN XING TONG

Yes, I am.

SERVANT
So much has changed.

YUN XING TONG

I am tired, I just want to come in.

Yun Xing Tong enters.

INT. YUN ESTATE STUDY ROOM DAY

Yun Xing Tong sees his own father reading in the study.

Lord Yun turns to his son, with aged, tired eyes.

YUN XING TONG

Greetings to Father.

Lord Yun replies in a tired, jaded tone, as if nothing he says actually matters to him at all.

LORD YUN

Well done son, I have heard of what you have been doing out on the borders, you're doing yourself proud.

YUN XING TONG

I thought you'd be happy...our family now enjoys more honor than ever from the Imperial Court.

LORD YUN

Happy? I have long passed that emotion, I am old, and I know it. I have aged to the point where none of the human emotions can ever lead me astray. The only choice is to keep living and keep breathing, until I breathe my last. (Beat) You still have time to immerse yourself in your emotions, young man, enjoy it, learn from it.

Yun Xing Tong turns and walks away.

EXT. FOREST DAY

Yun Xing Tong sits alone in the forest, in deep thought.

YUN XING TONG(v/o)

Seeing my father then made me wonder what would have happened if Hua Zhong Ai had ever become an old woman. It occurred to me that if that was the sign of ageing, maybe Hua Zhong Ai was never destined to age.

Then for a brief moment Yun Xing Tong sees Hua Zhong Ai before him again.she has not aged the way he has.

In a flash the image is replaced by that of Shui in the Phantom Face costume. We see as Shui whispers something that only Yun Xing Tong seems to hear.

SHUI

I owed your father, thanks for repaying it.

YUN XING TONG

SHUT UP, you don't exist!

Yun Xing Tong takes a few more swipes at the apparition, all of which don't seem to harm it at all.

Then the apparition disappears.

SHUI

Did you hear what your father had to say? Very soon he will join me, and we will have waited for each other. Is there someone you want to wait for as badly? Then be as prepared to wait as I have.

YUN XING TONG

I am prepared to wait.

SHUI

Good!

Then we see as the apparition of Shui unsheathes its own sword, and starts slashing back at Yun Xing Tong.

Yun Xing Tong parries and deflects the imaginary blade with his own, and strikes a few elegant blows in succession. We see what this whole scene looks like as imagined by Yun Xing Tong: he is fighting Shui, who seems to have returned from his dead as his martial arts instructor.

Then we see this from the point of view of an outsider: that Yun Xing Tong seems to be battling thin air.

YUN XING TONG(v/o)

I was prepared to wait...that was all that I said to myself on that fateful day.but I did not realize that I was not the only one prepared to wait.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. LORD YUN'S GRAVE DAY

We are now at Lord Yun's grave, at which Yun Xing Tong stands in his white mourning clothes.

It is at this moment that we see another figure enter the frame.it is none other than Hua Yan Qian, with his own custom weapon, a Bronze Rod.

Yun Xing Tong turns to Hua Yan Qian as if he knows that he is there.

YUN XING TONG

Well, well, you have returned.

HUA YAN QIAN

Yes, so sorry to see what has happened.

YUN XING TONG

That is okay, it is none of your matter.

HUA YAN QIAN

Tell me then, was it your matter when my sister died?

YUN XING TONG

I was far abroad, I could not have come back in time.

HUA YAN QIAN

You could, you just did not want to, you felt she had wronged you in some way, had she?

YUN XING TONG

I don't know.

HUA YAN QIAN

Okay, maybe she did not wrong you at all, maybe she wronged Shui Liu Can instead, is that right?

Yun Xing Tong himself is silent.

HUA YAN QIAN

I tell you now, this staff was given to me by a great clan boss I met on my travels for saving his life, so you must know this, when then two of you meet again, and I know you will, I will see to it that I come for the two of you.

Yun Xing Tong looks at the grave, and without moving his head an inch, says:

YUN XING TONG

No, you'll be an underworld boss already, you'll have all the honor you could want.Why come for us again? Just go.go and live!

HUA YAN QIAN

On your hands you have the blood of many, what difference does one more make?

YUN XING TONG

Fine, when we meet again.

Hua Yan Qian leaves the place.

And as he leaves, Yun Xing Tong finally turns back as he sees his profile shrink into the distance.

INT. CAVE NIGHT

Yun Xing Tong gets up and prepares to leave.

YUN XING TONG

It's time to go now, now that we have proven your complicity in everything that I suspected, what we have waited twenty years for can finally take place.

Yun Xing Tong and Shui Liu Can exchange a long and thoughtful glance.

Both the Handmaiden and the Squire are equally worried.

HANDMAIDEN/SQUIRE (simultaneously)

Master.

YUN XING TONG

But not here, remember what Festival it is?

SHUI LIU CAN

All souls'.

YUN XING TONG

That's right, and remember, someone has to join us in celebrating all souls' festivities this year.

Shui Liu Can nods.

Then he gets up as well.

EXT. WATERFALL DAYBREAK We see as the four figures of Shui Liu Can, Yun Xing Tong, the Handmaiden and the Squire emerge from behind the waterfall.

Then we slowly move up to the sky filled with stars.

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. HUA ZHONG AI'S TOMB DAY

We see now that the dark night sky has changed to that of the morning.

Hua Zhong Ai's tomb stands here, in a clearing seemingly made just for the tomb and the tomb alone.

We see as Yun Xing Tong and his Squire, and Shui Liu Can and his handmaiden, ride here on horseback.

This is actually a pretty bright and sunny with Shui's day of arrival when it was raining.

The two men walk over to the tomb, and there we see that Yun Xing Tong is first to get on his knees and kneel before it.

Then we see as he bends over, prostrating himself before the tomb of Hua Zhong Ai.

Then he assumes his original kneeling position.

He turns to Shui Liu Can.

Shui Liu Can is not quite ready for this, but he does the same, but more slowly, and more hesitant, in doing so.

Then we see as Yun Xing Tong starts talking to Hua Zhong Ai's tomb.

YUN XING TONG

I do not know if you can hear me from there, but if you can see us from where you are now, I want to tell you that this will probably be the last time that all three of us will be together in a while...and today, Heaven willing, you will get what you have always wanted from us. We will fight for you to the death.

At this moment we see that Shui Liu Can is already crying.

In the background though, we see something ominous happening, Yun Xing Tong's Squire darts off quickly.

Then the Handmaiden does a double take and turns around, and seeing the Squire running away, gives chase.

The Squire dives into a bush nearby and takes out a wooden box that has been buried beneath it, and then we see as he opens up the box to reveal a flintlock pistol.

We see at this moment that the Squire is dealt with a kick to his neck and is thrown back, we see that the one who has kicked him is none other than the Handmaiden herself.

The Squire picks himself up and launches a flying kick at the Handmaiden, but we see that she quickly grabs his foot and brings him crashing to the ground.

The Handmaiden then reaches for the flintlock pistol and aims it at the Squire. Her hands are trembling at this point in time.

At this time we hear the anxious voices coming from Shui Liu Can, with Yun Xing Tong in pursuit.

SHUI LIU CAN

NO!

YUN XING TONG

What the...

The two men reach where their respective servants are at a standoff.

SHUI LIU CAN

Please, it's not worth it, don't put yourself in any danger right now.

HANDMAIDEN

This...this boy here...he had the flintlock pistol, he had hidden it here all this while.

YUN XING TONG

WHAT?

SQUIRE
I felt that I could not allow this to go on anymore, Master, I had long planned to help you accomplish your revenge.I just pretended not to know what happened.

YUN XING TONG(to Handmaiden)

Give me the pistol.

The Handmaiden slowly hands the pistol over to Yun Xing Tong, and we see as he throws it on the ground and crushes it underfoot.

YUN XING TONG

There, that settles.

Just then we see as an arrow flies directly at him, and Yun Xing Tong grabs it with lightning reflexes just before it reaches his face.

We see in the distance Hua Yan Qian has finally led his goons here as well.Hua himself has shot the arrow out from his sleeve.

HUA YAN QIAN

I see that you have improved greatly.that would have killed you if not for luck twenty years ago.

YUN XING TONG

I knew you would be back.

HUA YAN QIAN

With company.

We see that the others emerge from their hiding places.all of them dressed in identical Phantom face masks.

Yun Xing Tong beholds them all in shock.

YUN XING TONG

Stand back, this is one battle that I must fight myself.

Shui Liu Can nods and retreats with the Handmaiden and the Squire into the background.

Hua Yan Qian rushes forward, with both ends of the once-whole bronze rod in hands, he throws one end of the rod at Yun Xing Tong.

Yun Xing Tong draws his sword in time and blocks it.

Then Hua Yan Qian brings the other end of the bronze rod swinging around and aimed at Yun Xing Tong himself, Yun Xing Tong parries it in time, cuts through it and with a final stroke finishes Hua Yan Qian.

The other goons come up to fight Yun Xing Tong.

All of them are killed by Yun Xing Tong in rapid succession.

The last goon stands, it is the Ascetic Swordsman.

The Ascetic Swordsman rushes forth and clashes with Yun Xing Tong, among the attackers, he is the only one with matched swordsmanship.

Or so it seems. It does not last more than a few rounds, when the Ascetic Swordsman is brought down on his knees, and Yun Xing Tong finally deals him death.

Now the corpses of all the attackers lie on the ground already.

Yun Xing Tong looks around and shakes his head.

Then wiping the blood off his blade, Yun Xing Tong returns to his old friend.

Yun Xing Tong sheathes his own sword.

YUN XING TONG

So, you want to carry on the duel?

Shui Liu Can looks at his friend, and then he looks at the tomb of Hua Zhong Ai.

SHUI LIU CAN

I do not think so. For All Souls Day it sure is sunny this year, I do not wish to spoil it.

YUN XING TONG

Neither do I. Good then, let's head back to the Estate.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. YUN ESTATE NIGHT

We see a ready horse carriage, all prepped to send off Shui Liu Can and his Handmaiden.

And it is here that Yun Xing Tong and Shui Liu Can will bid their final farewell to each other.

YUN XING TONG

Do you predict that there will be a cold winter this year?

SHUI LIU CAN

I believe that there will be, why?

YUN XING TONG

Then may the swords of frost and the slaughtering gale kill you!

SHUI LIU CAN

I wish you the same.

Then we see as Shui Liu Can and his Handmaiden board the carriage, and then set off through the forest, further and further into the distance.

It is at this moment that Yun Xing Tong turns to his Squire, and hands him a small sack of money.

YUN XING TONG
Here is your pay, I will give you a break to go back and see your family, I need some rest here.

The Squire nods, and turns to his Master sadly.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. YUN ESTATE BEDROOM NIGHT

We are now in the same bedroom where Hua Zhong Ai once slept, we now see that the place is lit as Yun Xing Tong enters.

He looks at the great pendulum clock.its hands still.

Then he walks over to a chair in the room and sits down.

POV SHOT: The pendulum clock, forever stopped in its recording of time.

Then out of the corner of his eye, we see as finally a single tear flows down his cheek and onto his shirt.

Then on the stoic, yet melancholy visage of Yun Xing Tong, we FADE TO BLACK.

EXT. SEA DAY

On the sea we see a lone ship sailing, the sun is rising in the distance and is bathing all the world in its soft warm glow.

EXT. SHIP DECK DAY

On the deck of the ship we see Shui Liu Can and the Handmaiden looking out at the sunrise.

The handmaiden looks at her Master.

HANDMAIDEN Master, can we start our new life together now?

We see as Shui Liu Can lays his hand on her stomach.

SHUI LIU CAN Why not we wait until winter first?

Shui Liu Can leaves the handmaiden alone on deck then.while he heads below.

The Handmaiden is left on the ship's deck alone.

We see as she walks over to the gunwale, and leans on it, looking into the depths of the sea.

And as the sunlight casts its light on her, we see that tears illuminate her eyes.

She stands there, weeping softly.

Then the screen goes black.

THE END.

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