Sword Stained with Royal Blood (1982 film)

Infobox Film
name = Sword Stained with Royal Blood


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director = Chang Cheh
producer = Shaw Brothers
writer = Louis Cha (original novel) Chang Cheh (screenplay)
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starring = Kuo Chui Lu Feng Chiang Sheng Wang Li Wen Hseuh Erh Lung Tung Sheng
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cinematography =
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released = 1981
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country = flagicon|Hong Kong|colonial Hong Kong
language = Cantonese
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amg_id = 1:259200
imdb_id = 0082072

"Sword Stained with Royal Blood" is a wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh and starring the Venom Mob, based on the Jin Yong novel "Sword Stained with Royal Blood". Formerly one of the rarest Venom martial arts films available, it has been digitally remastered and released by Celestial Pictures.

Plot

The story begins with the exile of a young boy who grows up to meet his destiny as a great warrior. After his father, a Han loyalist and hero, is betrayed by the Emperor and sentenced to death, Yuan Cheng-chih (Philip Kwok) is spirited away to the reclusive master of the Lung Yau school of martial arts.Having grown into a righteous young man of considerable martial skill, Cheng-chih sets out on his own. He discovers the hideout of a long-dead martial arts master known as Golden Snake Hsia Shiue-yi and lays claim to his buried martial arts manual, sword, and collection of darts. He also discovers the whereabouts of a lost treasure and instructions to deliver a portion of it to a certain woman.Cheng-chih sets out to find her in order to honor the dead man's wishes and ends up meeting a spoiled and not-so-cleverly disguised young woman posing as a man named Wen Ching (Candy Wen). It's enough to fool the naive Cheng-chih, who befriends Wen after she takes a liking to him. She brings him into her household, which is home to a wealthy clan of martial artists known for their mastery of the Five Element Array. Cheng-chih's stay grows unsettling, first when jealous quarreling sparked by his presence erupts between Wen and her male cousin. Things get a lot more complicated when a trio of angry martial artists storm the household and accuse Wen of theft. It turns out that they are members of Cheng-chih's school and just as the situation threatens to turn into a full-scale battle, he intercedes in order to find a peaceful solution. As a result of his intervention, Cheng-chih's skills draw the attention of the master of the house (Wong Li), who recognizes the kung fu techniques of his arch-enemy. As hidden truths about the Wen clan and their dark part are revealed through flashbacks, Cheng-chih finds himself forced to fight their infamous Five Element Array in order to complete his quest and escape in one piece.