"HERO" "Two thousand years ago..." "during the Warring States period, China was divided into seven Kingdoms." "For years they battled for supremacy while the people suffered." "The King of Qin was the most ruthless in his efforts to conquer the land and unify all under heaven." "He was regarded as a common threat by the other six Kingdoms." "The annals of Chinese history are abound with tales of the assassins sent to kill the great King." "This is one of those legends..." "I was orphaned at an early age." "I had no name, so people called me Nameless." "Being a nobody, I studied swordsmanship." "After 10 years of practice, I acquired a unique skill." "The King of Qin has summoned me." "My deeds have astonished the Kingdom." "By order of His Majesty we have brought the mighty warrior." "Sky, Flying Snow and Broken Sword." "The three assassins from Zhao have sought His Majesty's life for 10 years." "His Majesty has known no peace." "To the astonishment of all a mighty warrior of Qin has smashed them" "His Majesty can finally sleep at night!" "We rejoice for our King!" "This warrior sent from Heaven has exterminated the assassins." "Summon the warrior!" "Remain 100 paces from His Majesty, or you will be executed." "Never forget that." "No one is allowed within 100 paces of me." "Do you know why?" "To guard against assassins." "Yes." "That's why I am confined in this armor." "You have removed a great peril for me." "How should I reward you?" "My service was for Qin, not for a reward." "Achievements must be rewarded." "Sky's silver spear wounded many of my brave warriors." "Announce my edict!" "By order of His Majesty, he who kills Sky will receive gold and land." "and be allowed to drink within 20 paces of His Majesty." "I am informed you're a citizen of Qin." "I am a Prefect from Leng Meng County." "A County Prefect of only 10 square miles!" "Surely the lowest-ranking official in Qin." "How did you defeat such opponents?" "I took them on one by one." "Tell me the details." "Does Your Majesty know Flying Snow and Broken Sword were lovers?" "Yes, I do." "And that they hadn't spoken for three years?" "For three years?" "Why?" "Flying Snow had an affair with Sky." "Broken Sword never forgave her." "Why haven't I heard this before?" "I went to great lengths to uncover it." "To divide Flying Snow and Broken Sword I first needed to eliminate Sky." "I have an idea of what you planned." "Your Majesty is wise." "What did you use to defeat Sky?" "A sword." "I'm in charge of arresting criminals in my county." "On the fifth day of the sixth month Sky attended a chess house." "I had learned he enjoyed playing chess and listening to music there." "So, the seven masters of Qin Palace." "We are here to arrest you!" "Identify yourself by showing your spear." "Halt!" "What can a minor official do?" "This is my territory." "So?" "You are on the King's most wanted list." "I am placing you under arrest." "Old man, please play one more tune." "Martial arts and music are different, but they share the same principle." "Both stress attaining a supreme state." "Sky and I faced each other for a long time." "Neither of us moved." "We fought the battle in our minds." "How swift thy sword!" "I thought I knew everything about my Kingdom." "I didn't know that Leng Meng County held a talent like yours." "Broken Sword." "Flying Snow." "By order of His Majesty!" "Flying Snow and Broken Sword have teamed up for assassination." "He who kills either of them will receive gold and land, and be allowed to drink within 10 paces of His Majesty." "Three years ago, Flying Snow stormed the palace with Broken Sword." "3000 elite troops couldn't stop them." "I've since emptied the palace, so assassins cannot hide here." "Was your sword swifter than theirs combined?" "No." "How did you do it, then?" "Disguised as a citizen of Zhao I sought them in the Kingdom of Zhao." "I learned they were hiding in a calligraphy school under the names Highcliff and Springbrook." "Rumor had it the Qin army would attack that day." "Most of the townspeople had fled." "Only the school's students remained." "Why have you come at this time?" "Who are you?" "I'm from Yi County in the Kingdom of Zhao." "My father's dying wish was for one of your scrolls." "I fear this may be our school's last day." "Which calligrapher do you seek?" "I respectfully request Master Highcliff." "Highcliff was Broken Sword." "Legend said his skill as a swordsman was rooted in his calligraphy." "So I had my concerns." "I needed to find out if it was true." "What do you want written?" ""Sword"." "You are fond of the sword?" "It was my father's dying wish." "What size scroll?" "Eight feet." "For that size I will need red ink." "My master asked me to borrow some red ink." "My master wants to borrow some red ink." "Did you hear me, Mistress Springbrook?" "Master Highcliff wants to borrow red ink." "Tell him to come himself!" "Could I have some red ink?" "The character "sword" was still being written, when Your Majesty's troops arrived at the city gates." "Your Majesty's army is invincible not only because it is brave, but also because of its archery with a greater range than any other army." "The Qin archers are like artillery." "Intimidating the enemy." "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Please remember, their arrows might destroy our town and topple our Kingdom, but they can never obliterate our culture." "Today you will learn the essence of our culture." "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Those Zhao people didn't flee?" "They drew strength from their calligraphy." "What was so difficult about "sword"?" "There are 19 different ways to write it." "I asked Broken Sword for a 20th way." "Both calligraphy and swordplay rely on one's strength and spirit." "The 20th style would reveal the essence of his swordsmanship." "How odd to write it in 19 ways." "It makes the written language impossible to comprehend." "Once I've conquered the six Kingdoms and all the northern tribes," "I will erradicate this problem by mandating one style of writing." "Wouldn't that be ideal?" "Your Majesty won't stop at the six Kingdoms?" "The six Kingdoms are nothing!" "I will lead my army to conquer vast lands and establish a great empire." "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Mistress Springbrook." "Why are you going outside?" "To fend off the arrows." "You aren't needed." "Stay inside." "The Qin archers are powerful." "You alone may not stop them." "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "You are good." "You are even better." "You didn't come here for calligraphy." "Who are you?" "I've travelled here to deliver an item." "Please meet me in the library at midnight." "Great calligraphy." "Great swordplay." "You didn't even see my swordplay." "I couldn't have written without it." "At midnight meet me in the library" "Several thousand Qin troops were readying for the next onslaught." "I studied the character all night, trying to unlock the secret of his skills." "It would reveal his swordsmanship?" "But it's just an ordinary word." "Calligraphy and swordplay are similar." "One must comprehend their true essence." "Did you discover it?" "It eluded me." "So how did you challenge them?" "Sky died by your sword?" "Yes." "Who are you?" "Why are you here?" "I'm from the Kingdom of Qin." "I have a message from Sky." "Go on." "He said he lived a life without responsibilities or commitments." "He cared for only one person." "Who?" "Flying Snow." "Sky was certain she'd avenge his death." "To fight, meet me at the Qin camp" "You can leave now." "Go!" "I know you saw us!" "I let you see us on purpose!" "I no longer care about you at all!" "We were both very foolish." "I'm not going to fight you." "Go away!" "I will kill you in honor of my master!" "You ask to die." "I will help you." "Why are you laughing?" "What you did last night was stupid." "My plan proved successful." "When Flying Snow was fighting me, she was disturbed and disoriented." "I defeated her easily." "I never imagined supreme warriors like Broken Sword and Flying Snow allow their emotions to be a liability." "It sounds as if you did divide them." "Yes." "In that case, they must have been petty and narrow-minded." "True." "Your story sounds logical." "But you have underestimated one person." "Who?" "Me." "Would you like my impression of them?" "Three years ago they stormed the palace." "I was impressed by their valor and dignity." "Their character could not be petty." "So Flying Snow's affair with Sky is a lie." "Their betrayal of one another is a lie." "The story you just told is a lie!" "Except for one thing." "Sky did know one of you." "Who?" "You." "I surmise you two were old friends." "And Sky's defeat has only one explanation." "What's that?" "He permitted it." "To kill me, the two of you formed a pact, using my men as witnesses." "That was not hard to arrange." "The hardest part was to persuade Sky to put his life in your hands." "You were not fast enough to defeat Sky." "He died willingly under your sword." "Such devotion deserves true respect." "He was the first to sacrifice himself for your mission." "Sky was proud." "He saw himself as an unrivalled fighter." "What convinced him you could succeed where he had failed?" "You have trained, perhaps for 10 years, with one goal - my assassination" "You have a great skill that few can counter." "Killing Sky got you within 20 paces of me." "So why seek out Broken Sword and Flying Snow?" "I presume that your skill requires you to come within 10 paces." "You needed a second sacrifice to claim another reward to bring you within 10 paces" "Although Broken Sword and Flying Snow had never met Sky, they instantly understood the reason for his defeat." "How far am I from the bookshelves?" "About 10 paces." "10 paces is fine." "I need one of you to help me." "Please decide between yourselves." "Meet me at the Qin camp tomorrow morning" "How swift thy sword!" "True." "Sky was a superior warrior." "He willingly gave his life to this man." "He can kill the King." "We must proceed." "That means we will die" "Then we die together." "You were one step ahead of me." "Did I hurt you too much?" "I should be the one who fights him." "I want you to live." "If you died, how could I live?" "You will live on, promise me." "Say it!" "All right." "Moon is on her way." "I had better go." "I am Nameless, Prefect of Leng Meng County." "Please allow me to fight this assassin." "She is on His Majesty's most wanted list." "Now she's here, I will arrest her." "The assassin and I have an agreement to fight one on one." "Should I be unable to defeat her please apprehend her." "Your permission is sought." "Draw your sword!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Make your move!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "I die willingly." "Make your move." "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "How swift thy sword!" "I believe you and Broken Sword also fought." "And like your fight with Sky, it was not real but rather it was a battle in your minds." "A fight to honor Flying Snow." "My master wishes you to have his sword." "Why?" "He and she are bound in life and death." "They will never part, nor will their swords." "It is his dying wish that you take his sword for your mission." "Sky, Flying Snow and Broken Sword sacrificed themselves so you can be within 10 paces of me." "All three gave you their lives." "The best of friends could not give more." "Therefore you are the most dangerous assassin of all." "How did you uncover my plan?" "The flames of these candles are disturbed by your murderous intent." "All of you are willing to die for a cause." "I'm ashamed to say I'm not that committed." "Your Majesty has seen through our plan." "If I had realized this sooner." "I wouldn't have allowed you so close." "A citizen of Qin would not do this." "Who are you?" "A man of Zhao." "Your Qin soldiers killed my family." "I wandered into Qin and was adopted." "I discovered my real identity 10 years ago and set my heart on this plan." "You've come to avenge Zhao." "I see." "I would like to know, if your special skill has a name?" "As Your Majesty guessed there is only one crucial move." "What is that?" ""Death within 10 Paces"." ""Death within 10 Paces"." "A good name!" "All my guards are 100 paces away outside the palace." "You are within 10 paces." "It would seem that today I am doomed." "But I sense your hesitation." "You Majesty is perceptive." "However, you too have underestimated someone." "Who?" "Broken Sword." "I needed to prove to them that my sword was fast and accurate." "Within 10 paces my sword strikes with surgical precision." "If it enters at precise pressure points, it will not cause any fatal injury" "If one of you would take a blow before witnesses, we can fool the King." "Such a blow is hardly child's play." "How is Sky now?" "Fully recovered." "His trust in your sword was amazing." "The King's security is impregnable." "There was no other way." "His Imperial Guards were useless before." "He should have died three years ago." "What went wrong?" "I abandoned the plan." "The King must not be killed." "He said that?" "Yes." "Why?" "I asked him that also." "What did he say?" "He would not explain that day." "Broken Sword is the strongest among of the three assassins." "He and I are probably equal in skills." "What he told me later greatly unsettled me." "While I'm alive I'll stop you from assassinating the King." "I will help you." "He let the opportunity go by once." "This time, we must succeed." "I will see you tomorrow at the Qin camp." "Please do me a favor." "Help me fight Broken Sword!" "Master!" "What are you waiting for?" "Although I had agreed to help, attacking from behind is dishonorable, so I couldn't draw my sword" "But we both knew." "If we did not stop Broken Sword, we would never succeed" "Moon, don't!" "You're no match for him." "Stop." "I knew this would happen." "You can't stop me now." "Even wounded, I would still stop you." "Then I will kill you!" "Did I hurt him too much?" "Your special medicine should heal his wounds in a day." "Have you delivered it?" "I tended to the wound myself." "After the battle, take my sword and follow Nameless to see the King." "Yes." "They won't treat a servant harshly." "If the assassination succeeds, wave a red flag on your return." "If it fails, a yellow one." "If something happens to you, my message will be useless." "I will smile from Heaven, if I see a red flag." "How is Flying Snow?" "Recovering." "She doesn't know I've come." "You said you'd stop me." "Please, abandon the mission." "You know I'm a man of Zhao." "So am I." "Doesn't Qin want to conquer Zhao?" "Yes." "Isn't the King the enemy of Zhao?" "Yes." "Who are you trying to defend?" "You call yourself a man of Zhao?" "!" "Flying Snow has asked me that too." "When we first met." "I was living a carefree life." "She's a daughter of a Zhao general who died in battle with Qin." "She inherited his sword." "She wanted to avenge her father." "I promised to help her." "Calligraphy and swordplay share the same principles." "We did calligraphy to inspire our swordplay and to heighten our powers." "She knew I'd drifted since childhood, calling no place home." "Once we'd killed the King, she said, she would take me to her home." "There'd be no more swordsmen, Only us." "The essence of calligraphy is from the soul." "Swordsmanship is the same." "Both aspire to truth and simplicity." "Gradually I recognised a greater cause." "Three years ago we perfected our skills." "Flying Snow insisted on going ahead." "Together, we stormed the palace." "She asked why I had abandoned the mission." "I told her the King must not be killed." "That is what calligraphy taught me." "I didn't kill the king." "After that she refused to talk to me." "Please abandon your plan." "No." "Was your sword forged in hatred?" "Yes." "For 10 years, the hate has only grown." "I can't stop now." "How can I dissuade you?" "Only by killing me." "Are you that determined?" "Yes." "Allow me to convey my conviction in three words." "These words express my heart." "Please consider them." "Moon, give my sword to Master Nameless." "Flying Snow and I will never part." "Neither will our swords." "Master Nameless." "Though I am just a humble servant, allow me to say a few words." "I've been with my master since I was eight years old." "He taught me martial arts and how to be a decent person." "Whatever my master does is for a good reason." "The words he has given you carry a deep meaning." "Master Nameless, please take his advice." "What were the words he wrote?" ""All under Heaven"." "All under Heaven..." "Broken Sword said:" ""The people have suffered years of warfare."" ""Only the King of Qin can stop the chaos by uniting all under Heaven."" "He asked me to abandon the assassination, for the greater good of all." "He said," ""One person's suffering is nothing, compared to the suffering of many."" "The rivalry of Qin and Zhao is trivial, compared to the greater cause." "The person who really understands me is my most feared enemy." "Alone, I have endured so much criticism." "So many attempts on my life." "No one understands my intentions." "Even my court officials see me as a tyrant." "But I never imagined that Broken Sword, my arch-enemy, would truly understand and appreciate my real motives." "I would like to know, how you mean to kill me without your sword?" "By capturing yours!" "This sword has protected me through all my battles." "Having found a true confidant in Broken Sword, if I die, I am content with my life." "Let "All under Heaven"" "guide your decision." "It just dawned on me!" "This scroll of Broken Sword's isn't about sword technique, but about swordsmanship's ultimate ideal." "Swordsmanship's first achievement is the unity of man and sword." "Once this unity is attained, even a blade of grass can be a weapon." "The second achievement is when the sword exists in one's heart, when absent from one's hand" "One can strike an enemy at 100 paces even with bare hands." "Swordsmanship's ultimate achievement is the absence of the sword in both hand and heart." "The swordsman is at peace with the rest of the world." "He vows not to kill and to bring peace to mankind." "Your Majesty, your visions have convinced me that you are committed to the highest ideal of ultimate swordsmanship." "Therefore I cannot kill you." "Remember those who gave their lives for the highest ideal:" "peace with no more killing." "Nameless went to within 10 paces of the King." "He could't fail." "There can be only one reason - he must have abandoned the mission." "What did you say to him?" "I wrote three words." "What words?" ""All under Heaven"." "Is that all you care about?" "And you!" "I don't believe you." "How can I convince you?" "Draw your sword." "You've misled Nameless." "You've ruined Sky and the Kingdom of Zhao." "Draw!" "When we first met I had to prove myself to convince you." "What can I do this time?" "Just draw your sword!" "Why didn't you fend off my sword?" "So that you'd be convinced." "I always wanted to go home with you." "Sadly, it won't happen..." "Take good care of yourself." "Why didn't you defend yourself?" "Why didn't you defend yourself?" "Why didn't you?" "No more drifting, no more roaming." "I'm taking you home now." "Our home." "Your Majesty, permission to execute?" "Permission to execute?" "Your Majesty, permission to execute?" "Permission to execute?" "He conspired to assassinate Your Majesty." "Show no mercy!" "This is the law of Qin!" "To conquer all under Heaven the law must be enforced." "Set an example for the world!" "Execute him!" "Execute him!" "Execute him!" "Execute him!" "Execute him!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Hail!" "Nameless was executed an assassin but buried a hero..." "Sky gave up his sword in honor of his fallen friends..." "In 221 B.C., the King of Qin conquered all six kingdoms and unified China." "He ceased all expeditions and built the Great Wall, to protect his subjects from the Northern Tribes." "The Qin Empire became the first dynasty of China..." "And Qin Shihuang... the First Emperor." "Director Zhang Yimou" "Uploaded by: cdrw74 Revised and corrected by:" "Q"