House of Traps (1982) Movie Script
Of all the first emperors of each dynasty,
Emperor Zhao Kuang Yin was
the most magnanimous.
At his mother's last request,
he gave his throne to his brother,
Zhao Guang Yi, and then
to Guang Yi's son, De Wang.
Kuang Yin passed his throne
to his brother, Guang Yi.
It had been rumored that he was
killed by his brother in the palace.
This had remained a mystery ever since.
But when Guang Yi became emperor,
he forced Kuang Yin's son, De Zhao,
to kill himself.
De Zhao's son, Zhao Jue,
was crowned Prince of Xiangyang.
He was eager for revenge
and planned for a revolt.
In his own residence
he built the House of Traps.
HOUSE OF TRAPS
FU AN INN
LU FENG
Brother, are you all right?
Brother, I am fine, chase him.
Too late.
FEDERATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Who is it?
A robber.
WANG LI
Just by the flying dart
and the light technique,
one can tell that
the well-renowned Brother Hua is here.
Brother Deng.
This is Hua Chong, the Butterfly.
Everyone must have heard about him.
Master Hua...
Brother Hua, since you knew I was here,
why did you still shoot the flying dart?
Aren't you concerned
about hurting your friend?
It's because I knew you were here
that these four darts didn't hit people.
You think I'd miss?
All right, let's sit down and talk.
Brother Hua, this packet is...
It's a gift for you.
I already know what it is.
The jade horse stolen from the palace.
There's a warrant out from Kaifeng
for the robber's arrest.
It was just a joke, that day at the banquet.
I didn't know you'd take it so seriously.
This is nothing.
I just don't understand
why you are here
instead of at the Deng residence.
This horse has caused a sensation
all over the country.
You sure have the guts to steal it,
but I don't have the guts to keep it
at the Deng residence.
Do you see what this place is?
Federation of the Righteous.
This belongs to the Prince of Xiangyang.
He's the cousin of the Emperor.
If the jade horse is hidden
at the Prince's residence,
even Bao Zheng wouldn't dare to come
and search the place.
Since the birthday of the Prince
is drawing near,
I'll decide for you
and send this to the Prince
as a birthday gift.
Brother, that's very considerate of you!
The Prince arrives.
Al FEl
LUNG TIEN HSIANG
Your Highness.
No need to stand on ceremony.
I suppose this is the renowned Butterfly.
Yes, he is my sworn brother, Hua Chong.
Greetings to Your Highness.
Fine...
Please, don't stand on ceremony.
You are my distinguished guests.
Please have a seat and chat.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Brother, this is Shen Zhong Yuan,
a great kung fu hero,
and also the Prince's think tank.
Nice to meet you.
I've heard a lot about you.
My sincere respects.
You're too kind.
Please.
Please have a seat.
I've invited Deng Che,
chief of the Deng Fortress,
to preside over
the Federation of the Righteous.
I've heard from Hero Deng
that he's your sworn brother.
Yes, Brother Deng's business is mine, too.
I'll do whatever it takes.
Good.
I'm willing to work for Your Highness,
even risk my life.
It'd be best for Hero Hua to join us.
There're heroes all over
who have pledged loyalty to me.
Once the provisions and ammunition
are ready, we can start the revolt.
The pledges of our allies
will be put in the House of Traps.
Hero Shen will bring Hero Hua
to sign the pledge later.
Yes, sire.
Your Highness, the jade horse
Brother Hua stole is an imperial treasure.
Maybe it's a sign that
Your Highness will be crowned.
For security, may we lock it up
in the House of Traps
and bring it out for viewing
on Your Highness's birthday?
All right.
HOUSE OF TRAPS
Master Shen.
This is Hua Chong, the Butterfly.
Your fame precedes you.
I am Lan Xiao,
also recommended by Master Deng
to work for the Prince.
You're Brother Lan, the Iron Man.
By order of the Prince,
I am here to make sure
the jade horse is stored
at the House of Traps.
Master Hua is now the VIP
of the Prince's residence.
He can come and go at any time.
Do you understand, Brother Lan?
Yes, Master Shen.
Please.
Brother Hua,
please place the jade horse inside.
There's also a copy of the pledge.
Please sign it.
HUA CHONG
FU AN INN
FU AN INN
Brother, don't worry about me.
Do what you are supposed to do.
Then wait for me at the inn.
I heard that Hua Chong had joined
the Prince of Xiangyang.
I'll go to the Prince's residence
tonight and investigate.
Regardless of the results
of my investigation,
I'll bring you back to Kaifeng
early tomorrow morning.
HOUSE OF TRAPS
Someone went in.
Hurry and set off the traps.
Who are you?
So it's Lord Bao's secret emissary.
Brother Wang, your brother died
at the House of Traps.
The jade horse that the Butterfly stole
is stored there.
There's something more important, too.
The list of all those
participating in the revolt
is also stored there.
I know you are wounded badly.
But no matter what,
you have to go back to Kaifeng
and tell Lord Bao about the news.
I will.
I've been fatally struck
by the Butterfly's dart
and have come here
to report the news before I die.
I'll serve you again in my next life.
SUN CHIEN
These two brothers
are men of great loyalty.
But there's one thing I don't understand.
The Prince of Xiangyang's
rebellious acts are obvious.
Your Honor is the chief of Kaifeng,
and your great name is well-known
all over the country.
Why don't you handle this case yourself
instead of delegating it
to an inexperienced person like me?
It's precisely because everyone knows me.
If I go to Xiangyang,
the Prince will take special precautions.
But a person like you,
smart and capable, but of low profile,
the Prince will be lax in guarding against.
It'd be much easier
to find out about his rebellious acts.
That's why I've recommended you
to the Emperor to be
the Inspector General of
the nine provinces of Jing Shiang.
I'll send over someone
who will help you undercover.
When you see this plaque
you'll know that
he's the secret emissary sent by me.
PRINCE XIANGYANG'S RESIDENCE
There is news from the capital
that Lord Bao recommended
Inspector Yan to come here.
He has come for me.
Bao Zheng doesn't dare come,
but has asked a bookworm
to spearhead the attack.
Once he arrives at Xiangyang,
I'll kill him.
Let's see who dares come after that.
Of course, it's very easy for you
to kill Yan Chun Min.
But Kaifeng has lost Wang Dong
and Wang Liang here,
and it's all because of the jade horse.
I'm afraid it won't be easy now
to cover up your stay here.
If anything goes wrong,
it may get the Prince into trouble.
Your concern is indeed warranted.
Nonetheless, Brother Hua's idea
of giving a warning isn't bad.
It'd keep people from coming
to Xiangyang to inspect.
But it's not appropriate for you to do it.
Besides, it would be overkill to involve you.
All right, let's do it this way.
The generals Cao De Yu and Fang Diao
will launch the first wave of attack.
Yes, sire!
Miao Tian Lu and Chai Wan
shall launch the second wave
and kill him on the way.
Yes, sire!
YUN LAI INN
YUN LAI INN
Welcome.
Sir, please.
Please...
Sir, what do you think of the place?
Wait, what's the charge per night?
A tael and a half,
you can't come by a better deal.
Little housekeeper, what do you say?
One tael.
All right, one tael.
You must be hungry.
We have everything.
I'll prepare some fresh food for you.
So that you can charge us
whatever way you want?
Anyway, forget about the fresh food.
Just get a pot of rice and two dishes.
All right.
You dare bully people?
What are you doing?
It's not right to bully.
CHIN SIU-HOU
Sir, please adjudicate.
I came here for food and accommodation.
He said the inn is full. Well, that's all right,
but he was abusive and even pushed me.
How could something like this
be condoned?
Sir, if you don't mind,
come and stay with me in my room.
You are quite a gentleman.
Please.
It's Brother Bai. Have you eaten?
Good question, I'm hungry indeed.
- Waiter.
- Coming.
Anything to eat?
Just add a bit more
to the pot of rice I just ordered.
Order what you'd like to eat.
Anything good?
The best meal is eight taels,
medium grade is...
No one wants anything mediocre,
just bring the best.
What's the choice of wine?
A great choice, but no single-order sale.
Bring the whole jar, then.
Okay.
Oh, fish and chicken.
Some more, oh, my god.
What do you think?
How much does it all cost?
Such a big jar of wine,
how are we going to finish it?
What a nuisance.
Brother Yan, I'm not used to
sleeping with others.
Sorry that you need to make
a compromise tonight.
Who knows if it's just a dream?
Only I can make sense of it.
Sleeping in peace here,
my great ability awaits assent.
It's already dawn.
Sir, you are early.
Give me the bill, I have to set off.
All right.
Sir, it comes to a total
of thirteen taels forty-eight.
Not much, I'll give
an additional three taels as tip.
Thank you.
Brother Yan, I'd rather not have
any formality between us.
If we are destined to meet again,
we'll meet again.
Oh, my god, someone's been killed!
Oh, my god, someone's been killed!
Over there.
BANDIT CAO DE YU
BANDIT FANG DIAO
If I encounter this Bai guy again
I won't be too kind.
You don't understand.
What Master Bai did seems unreasonable.
That's why it can't be overlooked.
Two robbers were killed last night
at the inn,
but no one knew about it.
That's very unusual.
Guess it must have something
to do with Master Bai.
I long to get acquainted
with such extraordinary people.
Extraordinary?
His skills lie in swindling
for food and lodging.
Brother Yan, what a coincidence
we meet again.
If we are destined to meet again,
we'll meet again.
The little housekeeper is right.
Your master and I are destined to meet.
Master Bai,
are you supposed to go that way?
Please...
Sir, have a seat inside.
I don't want to go that way now.
Since we've met again
and there's a restaurant here,
why don't we go in for a drink?
Great. Please.
Brother Yan, please.
Welcome, sir.
Upstairs, please.
Upstairs, please.
Be careful.
Waiter, what's the best dish?
Wait, who wants average food?
- Bring me the best.
- All right.
Who wants a single order of wine?
Bring the whole jar.
As long as the wine is good,
you'll have your tips.
Thank you.
So far so good.
Brother Yan,
where will you be staying tonight?
I haven't decided yet.
There's an inn ahead, it's quite good.
Why don't you go there with me?
As you wish.
FU AN INN
Sir, how come you're back again?
I like your look.
Sir, you are making fun of me.
You know, it's because
I like your look more and more.
That's why I'm unwilling to leave.
But I don't have the money to pay.
So I went out in the street
and found this Master Yan.
Come...
This Master Yan has a lot of money.
That's why I came back.
Sir, you're making jokes.
No, I'm not. The one who'll pay is here.
I can now eat and sleep for free.
Boss, please offer us your best room.
All right. Please.
Please.
Sir, is this room okay?
So far so good.
Bring the best food and a whole jar of wine.
So long as it's good, you'll have your tips.
Of course.
This little housekeeper
understands me much better.
I'm not used to sleeping with other people.
Sorry to make you suffer.
Yu Mo, get up, don't be rude.
Brother Yan, this bed...
We should let the little housekeeper
sleep on it.
FU AN INN
GUESTS ARE WELCOME
Brother Bai, is he the shopkeeper here?
That's correct.
This is the Prince of Xiangyang's
secret place.
The shopkeeper here
is supposed to be his guard.
He is called Zheng Wa.
Your identity has already been exposed.
That's why the Prince
has sent assassins to kill you.
Those two at the inn last time
were also guards at the Prince's residence.
Thank you for helping me twice.
I appreciate that.
They are all notorious bandits
who are hired as guards
at the Prince's residence.
I'm just not too happy with it.
Bao Zheng is well aware
of the Prince's great power.
There're so many kung fu masters
at Kaifeng.
Why did he have to send a scholar like you
on such a dangerous mission?
I felt it's unfair and so I helped you out.
Bai Yu Tang,
you've blamed Lord Bao wrongly.
I've been protecting him secretly
the whole time.
Lord Yan, guess you'd recognize this.
So you are the secret emissary of Lord Bao.
You must be Zhan Zhao?
I can't tell you my real name at the moment.
But I'm not Zhan Zhao.
Bai Yu Tang, you have looked down
on all the heroes.
All right, let's fight.
Stop being reckless.
We've more important things to do.
Wait until the Prince of Xiangyang's
revolt has been suppressed.
You'll know who I am.
Then, if you still want to,
I'll be pleased to fight you.
So you're Bai Yu Tang
who caused trouble in the capital
because you sought to spar
with Zhan Zhao.
Your fame precedes you.
Lord Bao has been trying to recruit you,
but you keep refusing.
I wonder why you would help me!
I must fight against all this injustice
and so I repeatedly played tricks on you.
But if you were a sycophant,
I wouldn't have gone
all this way to help you.
Lord Bao has his own difficulties.
We'll talk about this later.
We seem to get on well,
what do you say
we become sworn brothers?
You're a high-ranking official,
and me, just an ordinary guy.
I'm afraid it'd be way out of my league.
You're a great hero of the time,
how can you say this?
I look older than you
so maybe I'll be the big brother.
If so, please accept my respects.
Brother.
INSPECTOR'S RESIDENCE
Order in the court.
PRINCE XIANGYANG'S RESIDENCE
Your Highness, Yan Chun Min has arrived
at the office.
I didn't expect him to receive
the assistance of Bai Yu Tang, the Rat.
The two teams we've sent
together with Zheng Wa
have failed the mission.
If I had gone, it wouldn't have happened.
Brother Hua, no need to be angry.
Who would have thought that Bai Yu Tang
would change sides and help Bao Zheng?
That's right, maybe we ought to get rid of
Bai Yu Tang.
Yan Chun Min is just a scholar,
and we needn't fear him.
Bao Zheng should be
in deep trouble by now.
I heard that the pearl crown was stolen
from the palace.
This incident will be
the responsibility of the Kaifeng.
No one knows who did that.
Let's just sit back and watch.
WANTED: THE THIEF WHO STOLE
THE PEARL CROWN
GUO ZHUI
Your kung fu is marvelous.
How about working for
the Federation of the Righteous?
What? I'm afraid
I've gone to the wrong place.
I thought this place traded
in stolen treasure.
Friend, what do you mean?
What do I mean?
I heard that this place
bought stolen treasure.
I've just stolen something,
so I wanted to bring it in
and get a good price for it.
This is the Federation of the Righteous,
so I must be in the wrong place.
Friend, this belongs to
the Prince of Xiangyang.
It's not the place for you to make trouble.
What? I heard that a couple of days ago
the Butterfly stole a jade horse
from the capital.
He became a VIP once he came here.
I thought this was the place
that traded in stolen treasure.
So I've also stolen something,
hoping to get some profit here,
not knowing that you...
I am Hua, we haven't met before.
You keep saying we are thieves,
so you are teasing me, right?
Well said.
I am proud we have such a friend with us
to glorify us thieves.
You steal treasures from the palace
and become VIP at the Prince's residence.
It's such a glorious thing
to be a thief like this.
You keep talking about thievery.
What do you want?
Nothing.
I'm a thief, too, and just seek to share
some glory.
I've also stolen something.
I wonder if you'll take this.
Stealing is stealing,
and robbing is robbing.
It depends on what you've stolen.
I'm afraid the stuff you've stolen
is no match for my jade horse.
Maybe not, but do you recall
any big case recently
that is comparable
to the stolen jade horse?
Could you be the one who stole
the pearl crown at the imperial palace?
Precisely.
Let's see if this is genuine or fake.
Here it is.
A treasure of the imperial court could
hardly be replicated by ordinary folks.
So you come here today
just because you want a contest with me?
I wouldn't dare. Your flying darts
are well-known in the martial arts world.
How would I have the guts
to challenge you!
Once you fling your darts, I'll be dead.
It's good that you understand.
I'm sorry, Master Hua,
your darts are all here.
This is simply petty burglary, no skill at all.
What's your real skill?
Master Hua, I'm here today...
It'll be too disappointing
if we don't get to fight each other.
Stop.
We are all friends.
Brother Hua, please forgive him.
This brother of mine loves to joke.
Master Shen's brother is...
The renowned Black Fox, Zhi Hua.
That's right.
Brother Hua, don't be suspicious.
Master Zhi has always been known
for being humorous. He's a good friend.
Master Zhi, your fame precedes you.
I don't mind,
even if you have made fun of me.
But the Prince's business
is no small matter.
All right...
Brother Hua has stolen the jade horse.
Brother Zhi has stolen the pearl crown.
They are both imperial treasures.
There are warrants for their arrest,
and there's no turning back for them.
And this shows their complete loyalty
to the Prince.
Zhong Yuan, you know me.
I'm weird at times.
Sometimes I don't mind
being taken advantage of.
If I had known that what we stole
would end up in the same place...
You tell him that we do things
in different ways.
I don't mind letting him
have the upper hand
and deciding what I should steal
so I can prove my loyalty to the Prince.
Let him name something,
and I'll steal it back.
Brother!
There's no need, we are all good friends.
It isn't so?
You know my character.
I am tough as a rock
and stubborn as a mule.
You must think of something.
Brother, maybe...
If you don't want to,
I'll think of something myself.
How about the seal
of the Inspector General?
Do you think this would be adequate?
Good, I am holding a feast
to celebrate your success.
Hero Zhi's kung fu is very good,
and he's resourceful.
I don't think he's in any danger.
However, we could have the feast first
while we await his return.
What are you doing?
The seal.
Sire, congratulations.
Brother Zhi has stolen the seal.
Brother Hua, my apologies.
Hope I didn't dirty your clothes.
Clear the table quickly.
Congratulations on your success.
Please come to the feast.
You work very stealthily.
I am anxious to know how you did it.
I followed brother Hua's way.
I pretended to get caught, and confessed.
Mr. Hua, I'm not teasing you, it's true.
When I left I was thinking
I had to steal Yan Chun Min's seal.
How could I do it?
Stealing the seal shouldn't be difficult.
The challenge is knowing where it was.
Then I thought I might as well
go to his place and assassinate him.
Naturally, his guards were no match for me,
so I pretended to be captured by them.
Yan Chun Min asked me...
What are you doing here?
I replied...
I came to kill you.
So I confessed, right?
Then he asked me...
Who asked you to do it?
I said...
No rush.
"Someone did order me to do it,
"and he is a man of position.
"But if I didn't tell you
"you would question me for sure
"and might torture me.
"I am not afraid of death, but of torture.
"As soon as you write a note
"to execute me by beheading
"and put your seal on it,
"then I will confess."
Great plan.
He fell for it.
As soon as the note was written
and stamped by the seal,
I moved swiftly.
I broke the ropes
and pushed down the guards,
I leapt on the table
and snatched the note and the seal.
Then I jumped over the wall and ran.
At that time Yan Chun Min
was trembling under his desk.
Great!
This is the note.
"The great robber Zhi Hua
who set out to assassinate me
"will be beheaded on the spot.
Yan Chun Min."
Mr. Zhi, you are a true hero.
That's wonderful
I propose a toast to you. Here, come on.
Hero Shen, after the feast, please take
Hero Zhi to the House of Traps
and put the seal, the pearl crown,
and the jade horse there.
And you also sign your name
on the pledge to join us.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
I only hope to unite all heroes
and win back my kingdom.
To you.
The Prince put all these important items
in the House of Traps.
If they're stolen, won't that have been
a waste of effort?
Don't worry, the house has many traps.
It is fool-proof.
Mr. Lan, could you demonstrate for us
how these traps work?
He'll be less worried that way.
All right.
Behind this trap door are guards.
If the intruder has great kung fu,
and they fail to withstand his attack...
They'll fall back.
The gate will fall.
But the intruders will only be
trapped, not injured.
Master Zhi, please go up the stairs.
Please.
Not bad, but the intruder
might leap right on top of the stairs.
Please go up to the next floor.
Not bad.
But if the intruder has
great jumping technique,
he could get to the second floor easily.
The second floor has
the deadly copper net trap.
Brother, I heard that today at court
Zhi Hua pretended to get caught
and stole the seal. Is that true?
Yes, indeed, Zhi Hua has great skills
and is quite a hero.
Why do you say this?
This Zhi Hua is notorious for his treachery.
He is known as the Black Fox.
If I had been here, you wouldn't have
fallen for his tricks.
You went out just because you had to.
After a day's investigation
I confirmed that the Prince
formed the Federation of the Righteous
to unite the mercenaries,
and built the House of Traps
with traps guarding stolen treasures
from the imperial court.
Obviously, Zhi Hua
has joined him and stolen your seal
to claim his credit.
I am afraid so.
You can't lose your seal.
I plan to go
to the Prince's residence tonight
and see how good
that Zhi Hua and Hua Chong are,
and how deadly the traps
in the House of Traps are.
Although the seal has been lost,
with Lord Bao's support,
it should be all right.
You shouldn't underestimate dangers.
Right, but having the seal stolen
is a grave matter.
Besides, I want to have a go
at that Zhi Hua.
The House of Traps is very dangerous.
Wang Tung of Kaifeng also died there.
We must have a detailed plan.
Don't be rash.
Brother, where are you going?
Since you wouldn't let me go,
I'm off to sleep.
That's the right thing to do.
The traps here are really deadly,
especially the copper net trap.
But if you are not here to launch it,
it's useless.
You needn't worry.
Since Brother Lan turned off
the main switch outside,
he had to launch the traps one by one.
If the main switch is turned on,
the traps go into action automatically.
I see.
You understand now?
Brother Lan.
The pearl crown could be placed inside.
Please sign to join in, too.
Sure.
ZHI HUA
HOUSE OF TRAPS
Master Deng guessed right.
Why let him in on purpose?
Master Deng told me privately
that this will be a great credit to me.
He said Yan Chun Min lost his seal,
so Bai Yu Tang must come tonight.
If we get rid of him,
Yan Chun Min can't do any harm.
We'll have done a great deed for the Prince.
Then set the traps in motion.
Right, once inside the House of Traps,
Bai Yu Tang is dead.
Black Fox Zhi Hua?
Though my nickname sounds
untrustworthy, I was sent by Lord Bao.
Lord Yan, you must know this.
So you are his secret emissary. Please.
I have come to return Lord Yan's seal.
Then why did you steal it during the day?
Lord Bao asked me
to sneak into the Prince's residence.
Though I stole the pearl crown,
the Prince of Xiangyang
might not have been fully convinced.
The incident of the seal
would shock the whole city,
and the Prince of Xiangyang
would have no more suspicion,
and I could accomplish my task easily.
So the seal...
Before I came here I made a fake seal
for the Prince of Xiangyang.
The fake seal is in the House of Traps.
I have the real one.
I also asked Lord Bao to notify
the imperial court secretly
that the seal had not been lost.
All that which occurred in the court room
was merely a show.
You have thought of everything.
Brother Bai was worried
about the loss of my seal
and insisted on going to retrieve it.
I stopped him.
I'll send someone to get him
to meet you now.
Good.
Brother Bai has great skills and is upright,
but he is a bit rash.
He saw me robbing the seal
and must have gotten upset.
Please explain on my behalf
when he is here.
Naturally.
Master, Master Bai is not in his room.
Oh, dear, he must have gone
to the House of Traps.
I'll go back at once.
Brother Lan, he must be dead.
Bring him down.
Bai Yu Tang is dead.
He's dead.
I was thinking.
Descendants of late emperors
vie for the throne.
Heroes get involved,
and many of them want fame.
Unlike us,
who enjoy a care-free life on this island.
You are right, Big Brother,
but Fifth Brother might think differently.
I know him well.
He is young, rash and impetuous,
but he is not after fame or riches.
He might not agree to work for Lord Bao.
That's the point. Fifth Brother is ambitious
and would easily be involved in the matter.
Once in, it's not easy to get out.
Masters!
Report for Fourth Master!
Master Bai and Inspector Yan Chun Min
became blood brothers.
He went to the Prince's residence
to get back his seal
and died in the House of Traps.
I was right.
I declined Lord Bao
despite his many invitations,
but I must avenge Fifth Brother.
You're right.
Coming...
We'll do it according to your instructions.
Master Zhi.
Mr. Xu, what are these men doing?
The Prince's birthday's is soon.
These are tile makers
here to mend the roof.
Sorry for disturbing you.
It's all right.
Check the roofs
of every part of the residence
and replace the damaged tiles
with new ones.
Yes, sir.
ZHU KE
There are many affairs
I have to manage these days.
I am afraid I might not serve you well.
Ai Fu, come here.
YU LI
He has worked here since he was a kid.
If you need anything, just ask him.
Serve Master Zhi well,
and don't sneak away
to practice your kung fu.
You practice kung fu, too?
It's quite a funny story.
Masters like Master Zhi, Master Shen,
Master Deng and Master Hua
are all top martial artists.
Even this kid practices kung fu...
What a joke!
Not really.
The best kung fu is accomplished
by steady practice.
No one is born a martial artist.
When I have time,
I'll show you a few moves.
Thank you, Mr. Zhi.
Mr. Zhi, Mr. Shen.
You look quite busy.
The residence must look new
for the Prince's birthday.
Go about your work.
You don't need to stay with us.
Yes, I will go.
Look at that fellow digging.
Doesn't he look familiar?
Who could a workman resemble?
Your kung fu is not bad.
I am a tile maker.
I am used to climbing.
I don't know kung fu at all.
Climbing is also a kind of kung fu.
There is a Sky Rat
who is known for scaling heights.
I don't know about him.
Do you think that those two
might be Lu Fang the Sky Rat
and Han Zhang the Ground Rat?
I have my suspicions.
Bai Yu Tang is dead,
so they should be here.
Master Zhi, Master Shen,
please have some tea.
Come in... Be careful.
Carry it into the living room.
Here.
What's the matter?
What are you doing here?
This is the Prince's residence,
don't run around.
The Prince's residence, that's great.
That's where we want to go.
Let's go.
No entry.
Let us in!
Stop arguing.
What are you doing here?
A palace should have a prince, right?
Naturally.
I hear he is going to celebrate
his birthday, isn't he?
Yes.
We are magicians
and could entertain the Prince.
Right.
What has celebrating a birthday
got to do with magicians?
Celebrating birthdays should be joyous.
And one should not have a sad face.
What are you doing? Get lost!
You drive us away, we'll cry.
Let us stay, we'll laugh.
Get lost!
Stop joking with Mr. Xu.
Master Zhi, Master Shen.
These two are agile.
Looks like they know some kung fu.
Zhong Yuan, what's with you?
Last couple of days
you think everyone knows kung fu.
They are just street performers.
They only know magic.
That's right, we only know magic.
We can shift and delude perceptions
in many ways.
It's getting unacceptable, drive them out.
Get out...
A turtle is an auspicious sign
for the Prince's birthday.
Why drive it out?
That's right, it's a good symbol
for the Prince.
Mr. Xu, you should let them stay.
Yes.
Ai Fu, come with me.
Yes, sir.
Ai Fu, did you see that?
Yes, sir.
These two are Lu Fang and Han Zhang
of the Five Rats.
Ai Fu, what do you intend to do?
Whatever Master Zhi says.
Well said.
You seldom talk.
Maybe you'd like to tell me
what's on your mind.
I think Master Zhi knows that very well.
Being a nobody in the Prince's residence,
I don't know when I'll be successful.
What would you consider
as being successful?
Make a name for yourself
in the martial arts world?
That's exactly right.
The martial arts world is full of dangers.
I've heard that
your parents were security escorts
and were killed, leaving you an orphan.
My parents were attacked by a powerful
gang and were badly wounded.
But they killed over ten of them
before they died.
Everyone in the martial world
regards them as heroes.
I'd rather die a glorious death
than be a slave for the rest of my life.
Good, you're ambitious.
What if I take you as my student?
Teacher, please accept my respects.
Now you have the opportunity
to do a great deed.
It'd all depend on your own courage.
I'll go through hell to accomplish
my teacher's instructions.
Report the Prince's rebellion case
to the Inspector General.
Do you dare to do it?
Brother, you are wrong.
You saw that Lu Fang
and Han Zhang have bad intentions.
You didn't stop them,
but instead took Ai Fu as your student
and asked him to accuse the Prince.
What is your intention?
Yes, I don't trust him,
so I wanted to test him, then you arrived.
Ai Fu, you have planned
to rebel against the Prince.
Follow me to receive your punishment.
Right, Zhong Yuan.
It's about time for the truth.
Aren't you Lord Bao's secret emissary?
I couldn't hide it from you after all.
You may not wish to test Ai Fu, but I do.
I want to test how brave he is.
He went to the Inspector General
to expose the crime.
Lord Yan has yet to win
the confidence of the people.
He has no choice but to go by the book.
He will inevitably suffer torture,
and if he breaks down
he'll mess up the whole thing.
I believe he has the guts to do it.
How did you guess
I am Lord Bao's secret emissary?
Merely a guess.
I heard you didn't show
Hua Chong the traps
when you brought him along
to the House of Traps.
When you brought me there,
you asked Lan Xiao to show me
how each trap worked.
It was obvious you wanted
to show me how they worked.
That gave me a hint.
KAIFENG
Lord Yan.
Hero Zhi.
Yu Mo, wait at the door.
No one comes in here without permission.
Yes, sir.
You must have something in mind
so as to come here.
You must know
Bai Yu Tang has four sworn brothers.
Lu Fang the Sky Rat, Han Zhang
the Ground Rat,
Xu Qing the Mountain Rat,
and Jiang Ping the River Rat.
The five of them live on Xian Kong island
calling themselves
the Five Rats of Xian Kong.
People call them the Righteous Five.
I heard Brother Bai mention this.
Lord Bao had long wanted to recruit them,
but they kept declining.
Now because of Bai Yu Tang's death,
they have accepted the invitation
from Lord Bao to avenge Bai Yu Tang.
I suspected that now they have
snuck into residence of the Prince.
Now in the residence of the Prince
there are six secret emissaries
of Lord Bao staying there.
Besides me and the Four Rats,
there is also Shen Zhong Yuan.
They all have the plaque of Kaifeng.
I know.
The men inside the Prince's residence
would be adequate to do the job.
If you wish to capture the Prince,
you can do it any time.
In any case,
he is the grandson of the late Emperor.
He enjoys a respected position.
If we don't have a legitimate reason,
how can we search his place
and the House of Traps
and retrieve the stolen treasures
and the list of the rebels
to prove his treason?
I have made some preparations.
There's a servant named Ai Fu
at the Prince's residence.
This kid is sharp and courageous.
He's good at kung fu
and awaits a good chance.
I've already taken him as my student.
The day after tomorrow is
the birthday of the Prince.
It'll be a busy day at the residence.
I've asked him to appear in court
to accuse the Prince.
Would this be an excuse, then?
Yes, indeed.
By the law of Song,
if a slave wants to accuse his master,
he has to suffer a flogging.
I am worried that he won't endure torture
and will change his confession.
That'll cause more troubles.
Don't worry.
This kid will be able to stand it.
You then bring Ai Fu with you
to cross-examine the Prince
while I'll bring my men
to the House of Traps
to catch them unprepared.
This way they can't deal
with two things at once.
Order in the court.
Bring the plaintiff.
Yes, sir.
Kneel down.
What's your name?
Ai Fu. I am a servant
of the Prince's residence.
What is your complaint?
I want to report a revolt case.
Someone at the Prince's
residence wants to revolt?
It is the Prince of Xiangyang himself.
How dare you?
You are only a young servant.
Do you realize
that this is a serious accusation?
The Prince holds great respect.
If you wrongfully accuse him,
you will suffer the consequences.
I am young but not ignorant,
and I won't dare talk foolishly.
The Prince has really recruited
rebels preparing for revolt.
I love my country,
and that's why I risk my life
to report the case.
Is that really so? What proof do you have?
The jade horse and the pearl crown
which were stolen from the palace
are hidden in the House of Traps.
The ones who stole them,
Hua Chong and Zhi Hua,
are hiding at the Prince's residence, too.
If Your Lordship would send men
to search there,
you'll catch them red-handed.
Do you know that a servant accusing
his master will have to suffer flogging?
I am here to risk my life for my country.
My own life is of no importance to me.
All right,
prepare the instruments of torture.
Yes, sir.
Ai Fu, do you want
to change your confession?
It's true that the Prince is planning a revolt.
I won't change it.
Good, a great hero.
Let him down.
Let's go to the residence
of the Prince of Xiangyang.
Yes, sir.
PRINCE'S RESIDENCE
Come.
Lord Yan arrives.
Lord Yan, you're here
to celebrate the Prince's birthday.
Why bother to bring
so many guards with you?
- Guards.
- Yes, sir!
You're here
for the Prince's birthday celebration.
You bring guards and
dare not kneel to the Prince.
Where are your manners?
I apologize for not knowing that.
But I'm not here for this purpose.
You're rude.
Your Highness, excuse me for being rude.
I am here today because
someone is accusing Your Highness
for sheltering rebels, hiding stolen
royal articles and intending to rebel.
How dare you!
Although I'm low in rank,
I've the order of the Emperor.
Although Your Highness
has a higher position,
treason cannot be taken lightly.
You said you have
the order of the Emperor,
but I don't know who you are.
How can you prove yourself?
I have the seal.
Where's the seal?
Your Highness seems to know
that I've lost my seal.
Unfortunately, the one stolen
was a fake one.
- Yu Mo.
- Yes, sir.
It seems Yan is going
to arrest the Prince, hurry...
Master Lan, by the order of Master Shen,
Yan Chun Min is taking his men
to arrest the Prince.
There are people fighting in the hall.
Master Shen told me to ask you
to take some men to help.
Yes.
Master Lan, what are we going to do?
Let's turn on the traps first.
How cunning of Lan Xiao!
I suppose he'd be sent away
by Shen Zhong Yuan
not realizing that
he'd turn on the traps before going.
Don't blame me if you're dead.
The trap is activated.
Finally there's no need
to be left dangling anymore.
Brother Han.
You must be Brother Zhi, the Black Fox.
All right... Yan Chun Min.
You said someone is
accusing me of treason.
Who's the plaintiff?
Of course there's someone.
- Bring Ai Fu.
- Yes, sir.
So it's this Ai Fu.
Who's this person?
He's a servant at our residence.
Servant accusing the master.
Yan Chun Min, do you know
the laws of our regime?
Of course I do.
Your Highness, please have a look
at Ai Fu's wounds.
I have already flogged
and cross-examined him.
- Capture this traitor!
- Yes, sire!
Your Highness wants to silence him?
Capture Yan Chun Min, too.
Yes, sire.
Hurry.
There's a copper net trap upstairs,
it's very dangerous.
I heard that Brother Bai died there.
That's correct.
But just standing here won't help, either.
At least we have to try.
That's correct.
Then I have to hang in the air again.
We may not be able to go upstairs,
but do as I say and try.
All right.
Come on.
They are Master Xu, the Mountain Rat,
and Master Jiang, the River Rat.
That's us.
It's Master Zhi.
Hello, I am Zhi Hua.
Hey, I'm still hanging in the air.
Brother, don't worry, I'm coming.
Go...
- We're leaving, too.
- Go...
Shen Zhong Yuan,
you are from the Kaifeng.
- Are you all right?
- I'm fine.
Be careful, there's...
Brother!
- Third Brother!
- Brother Xu!
Third Brother.
It's my fault.
I think Brother Bai would feel lonely
over there.
I could keep him company.
Brother Xu!
- Third Brother.
- Brother Xu!
Third Brother.
If only Big Brother
could have been here earlier.
This is Zhi Hua, our Big Brother.
Brother Lu, we've met before.
Brother Zhi.
The Prince of Xiangyang
has hidden all the treasures in here.
The jade horse and the pearl crown
are in there.
How are we going to get them out?
They are controlled by traps.
Although Lan Xiao was sent away
by Shen Zhong Yuan,
he turned on the traps before he left.
The switches don't work here.
The key is with Lan Xiao.
Then we can't take it.
I've made some preparations.
This seal is a fake one, it's useless.
This is the pearl crown.
This is the jade horse.
What's in this box?
This...
It used to contain the list of the names,
but now the list is not here.
The list is the most important thing of all.
Brother Zhi, where else could it be?
You'd have to ask the Prince.
I really don't know.
The Prince of Xiangyang is in the hall.
Although Lord Yan
has brought a lot of men...
Against Hua Chong, Deng Che...
Even with those guards,
they can't resist them.
Let's get back quickly.
Second Brother, protect His Lordship.
The list is not at the House of Traps.
Your Highness,
the list is not in the House of Traps.
So what?
You should realize that
you have lost your power.
Hand over the list.
His Majesty might spare your life.
Everyone outside
is fighting for their master.
I can't blame them, but you,
whom I have treated so well,
turned out to be a traitor
and are now putting pressure on me.
Your Highness, did you hear that?
Hua Chong and Deng Che are dead.
You'd better hand over the list.
All right, I'll help you fulfill
your career aspirations.
Take it.
Father, please forgive my incompetence.
I can only follow your footsteps to death.
The Prince of Xiangyang
committed suicide. Here's the list.
The list is in my stomach.
Cut me up and take it.
Then I'll cut you up.
You could have gotten the list,
but why did you let Hua Chong grab it?
Once the Prince of Xiangyang is dead,
his power is gone.
This list will cause the death of many.
What do you want it for?
Fame and riches bring disasters to many.
These people used to live
comfortably on the island.
Now they end up like this.
I'm afraid the list can never be found.
Emperor Zhao Kuang Yin was
the most magnanimous.
At his mother's last request,
he gave his throne to his brother,
Zhao Guang Yi, and then
to Guang Yi's son, De Wang.
Kuang Yin passed his throne
to his brother, Guang Yi.
It had been rumored that he was
killed by his brother in the palace.
This had remained a mystery ever since.
But when Guang Yi became emperor,
he forced Kuang Yin's son, De Zhao,
to kill himself.
De Zhao's son, Zhao Jue,
was crowned Prince of Xiangyang.
He was eager for revenge
and planned for a revolt.
In his own residence
he built the House of Traps.
HOUSE OF TRAPS
FU AN INN
LU FENG
Brother, are you all right?
Brother, I am fine, chase him.
Too late.
FEDERATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS
Who is it?
A robber.
WANG LI
Just by the flying dart
and the light technique,
one can tell that
the well-renowned Brother Hua is here.
Brother Deng.
This is Hua Chong, the Butterfly.
Everyone must have heard about him.
Master Hua...
Brother Hua, since you knew I was here,
why did you still shoot the flying dart?
Aren't you concerned
about hurting your friend?
It's because I knew you were here
that these four darts didn't hit people.
You think I'd miss?
All right, let's sit down and talk.
Brother Hua, this packet is...
It's a gift for you.
I already know what it is.
The jade horse stolen from the palace.
There's a warrant out from Kaifeng
for the robber's arrest.
It was just a joke, that day at the banquet.
I didn't know you'd take it so seriously.
This is nothing.
I just don't understand
why you are here
instead of at the Deng residence.
This horse has caused a sensation
all over the country.
You sure have the guts to steal it,
but I don't have the guts to keep it
at the Deng residence.
Do you see what this place is?
Federation of the Righteous.
This belongs to the Prince of Xiangyang.
He's the cousin of the Emperor.
If the jade horse is hidden
at the Prince's residence,
even Bao Zheng wouldn't dare to come
and search the place.
Since the birthday of the Prince
is drawing near,
I'll decide for you
and send this to the Prince
as a birthday gift.
Brother, that's very considerate of you!
The Prince arrives.
Al FEl
LUNG TIEN HSIANG
Your Highness.
No need to stand on ceremony.
I suppose this is the renowned Butterfly.
Yes, he is my sworn brother, Hua Chong.
Greetings to Your Highness.
Fine...
Please, don't stand on ceremony.
You are my distinguished guests.
Please have a seat and chat.
Thank you, Your Highness.
Brother, this is Shen Zhong Yuan,
a great kung fu hero,
and also the Prince's think tank.
Nice to meet you.
I've heard a lot about you.
My sincere respects.
You're too kind.
Please.
Please have a seat.
I've invited Deng Che,
chief of the Deng Fortress,
to preside over
the Federation of the Righteous.
I've heard from Hero Deng
that he's your sworn brother.
Yes, Brother Deng's business is mine, too.
I'll do whatever it takes.
Good.
I'm willing to work for Your Highness,
even risk my life.
It'd be best for Hero Hua to join us.
There're heroes all over
who have pledged loyalty to me.
Once the provisions and ammunition
are ready, we can start the revolt.
The pledges of our allies
will be put in the House of Traps.
Hero Shen will bring Hero Hua
to sign the pledge later.
Yes, sire.
Your Highness, the jade horse
Brother Hua stole is an imperial treasure.
Maybe it's a sign that
Your Highness will be crowned.
For security, may we lock it up
in the House of Traps
and bring it out for viewing
on Your Highness's birthday?
All right.
HOUSE OF TRAPS
Master Shen.
This is Hua Chong, the Butterfly.
Your fame precedes you.
I am Lan Xiao,
also recommended by Master Deng
to work for the Prince.
You're Brother Lan, the Iron Man.
By order of the Prince,
I am here to make sure
the jade horse is stored
at the House of Traps.
Master Hua is now the VIP
of the Prince's residence.
He can come and go at any time.
Do you understand, Brother Lan?
Yes, Master Shen.
Please.
Brother Hua,
please place the jade horse inside.
There's also a copy of the pledge.
Please sign it.
HUA CHONG
FU AN INN
FU AN INN
Brother, don't worry about me.
Do what you are supposed to do.
Then wait for me at the inn.
I heard that Hua Chong had joined
the Prince of Xiangyang.
I'll go to the Prince's residence
tonight and investigate.
Regardless of the results
of my investigation,
I'll bring you back to Kaifeng
early tomorrow morning.
HOUSE OF TRAPS
Someone went in.
Hurry and set off the traps.
Who are you?
So it's Lord Bao's secret emissary.
Brother Wang, your brother died
at the House of Traps.
The jade horse that the Butterfly stole
is stored there.
There's something more important, too.
The list of all those
participating in the revolt
is also stored there.
I know you are wounded badly.
But no matter what,
you have to go back to Kaifeng
and tell Lord Bao about the news.
I will.
I've been fatally struck
by the Butterfly's dart
and have come here
to report the news before I die.
I'll serve you again in my next life.
SUN CHIEN
These two brothers
are men of great loyalty.
But there's one thing I don't understand.
The Prince of Xiangyang's
rebellious acts are obvious.
Your Honor is the chief of Kaifeng,
and your great name is well-known
all over the country.
Why don't you handle this case yourself
instead of delegating it
to an inexperienced person like me?
It's precisely because everyone knows me.
If I go to Xiangyang,
the Prince will take special precautions.
But a person like you,
smart and capable, but of low profile,
the Prince will be lax in guarding against.
It'd be much easier
to find out about his rebellious acts.
That's why I've recommended you
to the Emperor to be
the Inspector General of
the nine provinces of Jing Shiang.
I'll send over someone
who will help you undercover.
When you see this plaque
you'll know that
he's the secret emissary sent by me.
PRINCE XIANGYANG'S RESIDENCE
There is news from the capital
that Lord Bao recommended
Inspector Yan to come here.
He has come for me.
Bao Zheng doesn't dare come,
but has asked a bookworm
to spearhead the attack.
Once he arrives at Xiangyang,
I'll kill him.
Let's see who dares come after that.
Of course, it's very easy for you
to kill Yan Chun Min.
But Kaifeng has lost Wang Dong
and Wang Liang here,
and it's all because of the jade horse.
I'm afraid it won't be easy now
to cover up your stay here.
If anything goes wrong,
it may get the Prince into trouble.
Your concern is indeed warranted.
Nonetheless, Brother Hua's idea
of giving a warning isn't bad.
It'd keep people from coming
to Xiangyang to inspect.
But it's not appropriate for you to do it.
Besides, it would be overkill to involve you.
All right, let's do it this way.
The generals Cao De Yu and Fang Diao
will launch the first wave of attack.
Yes, sire!
Miao Tian Lu and Chai Wan
shall launch the second wave
and kill him on the way.
Yes, sire!
YUN LAI INN
YUN LAI INN
Welcome.
Sir, please.
Please...
Sir, what do you think of the place?
Wait, what's the charge per night?
A tael and a half,
you can't come by a better deal.
Little housekeeper, what do you say?
One tael.
All right, one tael.
You must be hungry.
We have everything.
I'll prepare some fresh food for you.
So that you can charge us
whatever way you want?
Anyway, forget about the fresh food.
Just get a pot of rice and two dishes.
All right.
You dare bully people?
What are you doing?
It's not right to bully.
CHIN SIU-HOU
Sir, please adjudicate.
I came here for food and accommodation.
He said the inn is full. Well, that's all right,
but he was abusive and even pushed me.
How could something like this
be condoned?
Sir, if you don't mind,
come and stay with me in my room.
You are quite a gentleman.
Please.
It's Brother Bai. Have you eaten?
Good question, I'm hungry indeed.
- Waiter.
- Coming.
Anything to eat?
Just add a bit more
to the pot of rice I just ordered.
Order what you'd like to eat.
Anything good?
The best meal is eight taels,
medium grade is...
No one wants anything mediocre,
just bring the best.
What's the choice of wine?
A great choice, but no single-order sale.
Bring the whole jar, then.
Okay.
Oh, fish and chicken.
Some more, oh, my god.
What do you think?
How much does it all cost?
Such a big jar of wine,
how are we going to finish it?
What a nuisance.
Brother Yan, I'm not used to
sleeping with others.
Sorry that you need to make
a compromise tonight.
Who knows if it's just a dream?
Only I can make sense of it.
Sleeping in peace here,
my great ability awaits assent.
It's already dawn.
Sir, you are early.
Give me the bill, I have to set off.
All right.
Sir, it comes to a total
of thirteen taels forty-eight.
Not much, I'll give
an additional three taels as tip.
Thank you.
Brother Yan, I'd rather not have
any formality between us.
If we are destined to meet again,
we'll meet again.
Oh, my god, someone's been killed!
Oh, my god, someone's been killed!
Over there.
BANDIT CAO DE YU
BANDIT FANG DIAO
If I encounter this Bai guy again
I won't be too kind.
You don't understand.
What Master Bai did seems unreasonable.
That's why it can't be overlooked.
Two robbers were killed last night
at the inn,
but no one knew about it.
That's very unusual.
Guess it must have something
to do with Master Bai.
I long to get acquainted
with such extraordinary people.
Extraordinary?
His skills lie in swindling
for food and lodging.
Brother Yan, what a coincidence
we meet again.
If we are destined to meet again,
we'll meet again.
The little housekeeper is right.
Your master and I are destined to meet.
Master Bai,
are you supposed to go that way?
Please...
Sir, have a seat inside.
I don't want to go that way now.
Since we've met again
and there's a restaurant here,
why don't we go in for a drink?
Great. Please.
Brother Yan, please.
Welcome, sir.
Upstairs, please.
Upstairs, please.
Be careful.
Waiter, what's the best dish?
Wait, who wants average food?
- Bring me the best.
- All right.
Who wants a single order of wine?
Bring the whole jar.
As long as the wine is good,
you'll have your tips.
Thank you.
So far so good.
Brother Yan,
where will you be staying tonight?
I haven't decided yet.
There's an inn ahead, it's quite good.
Why don't you go there with me?
As you wish.
FU AN INN
Sir, how come you're back again?
I like your look.
Sir, you are making fun of me.
You know, it's because
I like your look more and more.
That's why I'm unwilling to leave.
But I don't have the money to pay.
So I went out in the street
and found this Master Yan.
Come...
This Master Yan has a lot of money.
That's why I came back.
Sir, you're making jokes.
No, I'm not. The one who'll pay is here.
I can now eat and sleep for free.
Boss, please offer us your best room.
All right. Please.
Please.
Sir, is this room okay?
So far so good.
Bring the best food and a whole jar of wine.
So long as it's good, you'll have your tips.
Of course.
This little housekeeper
understands me much better.
I'm not used to sleeping with other people.
Sorry to make you suffer.
Yu Mo, get up, don't be rude.
Brother Yan, this bed...
We should let the little housekeeper
sleep on it.
FU AN INN
GUESTS ARE WELCOME
Brother Bai, is he the shopkeeper here?
That's correct.
This is the Prince of Xiangyang's
secret place.
The shopkeeper here
is supposed to be his guard.
He is called Zheng Wa.
Your identity has already been exposed.
That's why the Prince
has sent assassins to kill you.
Those two at the inn last time
were also guards at the Prince's residence.
Thank you for helping me twice.
I appreciate that.
They are all notorious bandits
who are hired as guards
at the Prince's residence.
I'm just not too happy with it.
Bao Zheng is well aware
of the Prince's great power.
There're so many kung fu masters
at Kaifeng.
Why did he have to send a scholar like you
on such a dangerous mission?
I felt it's unfair and so I helped you out.
Bai Yu Tang,
you've blamed Lord Bao wrongly.
I've been protecting him secretly
the whole time.
Lord Yan, guess you'd recognize this.
So you are the secret emissary of Lord Bao.
You must be Zhan Zhao?
I can't tell you my real name at the moment.
But I'm not Zhan Zhao.
Bai Yu Tang, you have looked down
on all the heroes.
All right, let's fight.
Stop being reckless.
We've more important things to do.
Wait until the Prince of Xiangyang's
revolt has been suppressed.
You'll know who I am.
Then, if you still want to,
I'll be pleased to fight you.
So you're Bai Yu Tang
who caused trouble in the capital
because you sought to spar
with Zhan Zhao.
Your fame precedes you.
Lord Bao has been trying to recruit you,
but you keep refusing.
I wonder why you would help me!
I must fight against all this injustice
and so I repeatedly played tricks on you.
But if you were a sycophant,
I wouldn't have gone
all this way to help you.
Lord Bao has his own difficulties.
We'll talk about this later.
We seem to get on well,
what do you say
we become sworn brothers?
You're a high-ranking official,
and me, just an ordinary guy.
I'm afraid it'd be way out of my league.
You're a great hero of the time,
how can you say this?
I look older than you
so maybe I'll be the big brother.
If so, please accept my respects.
Brother.
INSPECTOR'S RESIDENCE
Order in the court.
PRINCE XIANGYANG'S RESIDENCE
Your Highness, Yan Chun Min has arrived
at the office.
I didn't expect him to receive
the assistance of Bai Yu Tang, the Rat.
The two teams we've sent
together with Zheng Wa
have failed the mission.
If I had gone, it wouldn't have happened.
Brother Hua, no need to be angry.
Who would have thought that Bai Yu Tang
would change sides and help Bao Zheng?
That's right, maybe we ought to get rid of
Bai Yu Tang.
Yan Chun Min is just a scholar,
and we needn't fear him.
Bao Zheng should be
in deep trouble by now.
I heard that the pearl crown was stolen
from the palace.
This incident will be
the responsibility of the Kaifeng.
No one knows who did that.
Let's just sit back and watch.
WANTED: THE THIEF WHO STOLE
THE PEARL CROWN
GUO ZHUI
Your kung fu is marvelous.
How about working for
the Federation of the Righteous?
What? I'm afraid
I've gone to the wrong place.
I thought this place traded
in stolen treasure.
Friend, what do you mean?
What do I mean?
I heard that this place
bought stolen treasure.
I've just stolen something,
so I wanted to bring it in
and get a good price for it.
This is the Federation of the Righteous,
so I must be in the wrong place.
Friend, this belongs to
the Prince of Xiangyang.
It's not the place for you to make trouble.
What? I heard that a couple of days ago
the Butterfly stole a jade horse
from the capital.
He became a VIP once he came here.
I thought this was the place
that traded in stolen treasure.
So I've also stolen something,
hoping to get some profit here,
not knowing that you...
I am Hua, we haven't met before.
You keep saying we are thieves,
so you are teasing me, right?
Well said.
I am proud we have such a friend with us
to glorify us thieves.
You steal treasures from the palace
and become VIP at the Prince's residence.
It's such a glorious thing
to be a thief like this.
You keep talking about thievery.
What do you want?
Nothing.
I'm a thief, too, and just seek to share
some glory.
I've also stolen something.
I wonder if you'll take this.
Stealing is stealing,
and robbing is robbing.
It depends on what you've stolen.
I'm afraid the stuff you've stolen
is no match for my jade horse.
Maybe not, but do you recall
any big case recently
that is comparable
to the stolen jade horse?
Could you be the one who stole
the pearl crown at the imperial palace?
Precisely.
Let's see if this is genuine or fake.
Here it is.
A treasure of the imperial court could
hardly be replicated by ordinary folks.
So you come here today
just because you want a contest with me?
I wouldn't dare. Your flying darts
are well-known in the martial arts world.
How would I have the guts
to challenge you!
Once you fling your darts, I'll be dead.
It's good that you understand.
I'm sorry, Master Hua,
your darts are all here.
This is simply petty burglary, no skill at all.
What's your real skill?
Master Hua, I'm here today...
It'll be too disappointing
if we don't get to fight each other.
Stop.
We are all friends.
Brother Hua, please forgive him.
This brother of mine loves to joke.
Master Shen's brother is...
The renowned Black Fox, Zhi Hua.
That's right.
Brother Hua, don't be suspicious.
Master Zhi has always been known
for being humorous. He's a good friend.
Master Zhi, your fame precedes you.
I don't mind,
even if you have made fun of me.
But the Prince's business
is no small matter.
All right...
Brother Hua has stolen the jade horse.
Brother Zhi has stolen the pearl crown.
They are both imperial treasures.
There are warrants for their arrest,
and there's no turning back for them.
And this shows their complete loyalty
to the Prince.
Zhong Yuan, you know me.
I'm weird at times.
Sometimes I don't mind
being taken advantage of.
If I had known that what we stole
would end up in the same place...
You tell him that we do things
in different ways.
I don't mind letting him
have the upper hand
and deciding what I should steal
so I can prove my loyalty to the Prince.
Let him name something,
and I'll steal it back.
Brother!
There's no need, we are all good friends.
It isn't so?
You know my character.
I am tough as a rock
and stubborn as a mule.
You must think of something.
Brother, maybe...
If you don't want to,
I'll think of something myself.
How about the seal
of the Inspector General?
Do you think this would be adequate?
Good, I am holding a feast
to celebrate your success.
Hero Zhi's kung fu is very good,
and he's resourceful.
I don't think he's in any danger.
However, we could have the feast first
while we await his return.
What are you doing?
The seal.
Sire, congratulations.
Brother Zhi has stolen the seal.
Brother Hua, my apologies.
Hope I didn't dirty your clothes.
Clear the table quickly.
Congratulations on your success.
Please come to the feast.
You work very stealthily.
I am anxious to know how you did it.
I followed brother Hua's way.
I pretended to get caught, and confessed.
Mr. Hua, I'm not teasing you, it's true.
When I left I was thinking
I had to steal Yan Chun Min's seal.
How could I do it?
Stealing the seal shouldn't be difficult.
The challenge is knowing where it was.
Then I thought I might as well
go to his place and assassinate him.
Naturally, his guards were no match for me,
so I pretended to be captured by them.
Yan Chun Min asked me...
What are you doing here?
I replied...
I came to kill you.
So I confessed, right?
Then he asked me...
Who asked you to do it?
I said...
No rush.
"Someone did order me to do it,
"and he is a man of position.
"But if I didn't tell you
"you would question me for sure
"and might torture me.
"I am not afraid of death, but of torture.
"As soon as you write a note
"to execute me by beheading
"and put your seal on it,
"then I will confess."
Great plan.
He fell for it.
As soon as the note was written
and stamped by the seal,
I moved swiftly.
I broke the ropes
and pushed down the guards,
I leapt on the table
and snatched the note and the seal.
Then I jumped over the wall and ran.
At that time Yan Chun Min
was trembling under his desk.
Great!
This is the note.
"The great robber Zhi Hua
who set out to assassinate me
"will be beheaded on the spot.
Yan Chun Min."
Mr. Zhi, you are a true hero.
That's wonderful
I propose a toast to you. Here, come on.
Hero Shen, after the feast, please take
Hero Zhi to the House of Traps
and put the seal, the pearl crown,
and the jade horse there.
And you also sign your name
on the pledge to join us.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
I only hope to unite all heroes
and win back my kingdom.
To you.
The Prince put all these important items
in the House of Traps.
If they're stolen, won't that have been
a waste of effort?
Don't worry, the house has many traps.
It is fool-proof.
Mr. Lan, could you demonstrate for us
how these traps work?
He'll be less worried that way.
All right.
Behind this trap door are guards.
If the intruder has great kung fu,
and they fail to withstand his attack...
They'll fall back.
The gate will fall.
But the intruders will only be
trapped, not injured.
Master Zhi, please go up the stairs.
Please.
Not bad, but the intruder
might leap right on top of the stairs.
Please go up to the next floor.
Not bad.
But if the intruder has
great jumping technique,
he could get to the second floor easily.
The second floor has
the deadly copper net trap.
Brother, I heard that today at court
Zhi Hua pretended to get caught
and stole the seal. Is that true?
Yes, indeed, Zhi Hua has great skills
and is quite a hero.
Why do you say this?
This Zhi Hua is notorious for his treachery.
He is known as the Black Fox.
If I had been here, you wouldn't have
fallen for his tricks.
You went out just because you had to.
After a day's investigation
I confirmed that the Prince
formed the Federation of the Righteous
to unite the mercenaries,
and built the House of Traps
with traps guarding stolen treasures
from the imperial court.
Obviously, Zhi Hua
has joined him and stolen your seal
to claim his credit.
I am afraid so.
You can't lose your seal.
I plan to go
to the Prince's residence tonight
and see how good
that Zhi Hua and Hua Chong are,
and how deadly the traps
in the House of Traps are.
Although the seal has been lost,
with Lord Bao's support,
it should be all right.
You shouldn't underestimate dangers.
Right, but having the seal stolen
is a grave matter.
Besides, I want to have a go
at that Zhi Hua.
The House of Traps is very dangerous.
Wang Tung of Kaifeng also died there.
We must have a detailed plan.
Don't be rash.
Brother, where are you going?
Since you wouldn't let me go,
I'm off to sleep.
That's the right thing to do.
The traps here are really deadly,
especially the copper net trap.
But if you are not here to launch it,
it's useless.
You needn't worry.
Since Brother Lan turned off
the main switch outside,
he had to launch the traps one by one.
If the main switch is turned on,
the traps go into action automatically.
I see.
You understand now?
Brother Lan.
The pearl crown could be placed inside.
Please sign to join in, too.
Sure.
ZHI HUA
HOUSE OF TRAPS
Master Deng guessed right.
Why let him in on purpose?
Master Deng told me privately
that this will be a great credit to me.
He said Yan Chun Min lost his seal,
so Bai Yu Tang must come tonight.
If we get rid of him,
Yan Chun Min can't do any harm.
We'll have done a great deed for the Prince.
Then set the traps in motion.
Right, once inside the House of Traps,
Bai Yu Tang is dead.
Black Fox Zhi Hua?
Though my nickname sounds
untrustworthy, I was sent by Lord Bao.
Lord Yan, you must know this.
So you are his secret emissary. Please.
I have come to return Lord Yan's seal.
Then why did you steal it during the day?
Lord Bao asked me
to sneak into the Prince's residence.
Though I stole the pearl crown,
the Prince of Xiangyang
might not have been fully convinced.
The incident of the seal
would shock the whole city,
and the Prince of Xiangyang
would have no more suspicion,
and I could accomplish my task easily.
So the seal...
Before I came here I made a fake seal
for the Prince of Xiangyang.
The fake seal is in the House of Traps.
I have the real one.
I also asked Lord Bao to notify
the imperial court secretly
that the seal had not been lost.
All that which occurred in the court room
was merely a show.
You have thought of everything.
Brother Bai was worried
about the loss of my seal
and insisted on going to retrieve it.
I stopped him.
I'll send someone to get him
to meet you now.
Good.
Brother Bai has great skills and is upright,
but he is a bit rash.
He saw me robbing the seal
and must have gotten upset.
Please explain on my behalf
when he is here.
Naturally.
Master, Master Bai is not in his room.
Oh, dear, he must have gone
to the House of Traps.
I'll go back at once.
Brother Lan, he must be dead.
Bring him down.
Bai Yu Tang is dead.
He's dead.
I was thinking.
Descendants of late emperors
vie for the throne.
Heroes get involved,
and many of them want fame.
Unlike us,
who enjoy a care-free life on this island.
You are right, Big Brother,
but Fifth Brother might think differently.
I know him well.
He is young, rash and impetuous,
but he is not after fame or riches.
He might not agree to work for Lord Bao.
That's the point. Fifth Brother is ambitious
and would easily be involved in the matter.
Once in, it's not easy to get out.
Masters!
Report for Fourth Master!
Master Bai and Inspector Yan Chun Min
became blood brothers.
He went to the Prince's residence
to get back his seal
and died in the House of Traps.
I was right.
I declined Lord Bao
despite his many invitations,
but I must avenge Fifth Brother.
You're right.
Coming...
We'll do it according to your instructions.
Master Zhi.
Mr. Xu, what are these men doing?
The Prince's birthday's is soon.
These are tile makers
here to mend the roof.
Sorry for disturbing you.
It's all right.
Check the roofs
of every part of the residence
and replace the damaged tiles
with new ones.
Yes, sir.
ZHU KE
There are many affairs
I have to manage these days.
I am afraid I might not serve you well.
Ai Fu, come here.
YU LI
He has worked here since he was a kid.
If you need anything, just ask him.
Serve Master Zhi well,
and don't sneak away
to practice your kung fu.
You practice kung fu, too?
It's quite a funny story.
Masters like Master Zhi, Master Shen,
Master Deng and Master Hua
are all top martial artists.
Even this kid practices kung fu...
What a joke!
Not really.
The best kung fu is accomplished
by steady practice.
No one is born a martial artist.
When I have time,
I'll show you a few moves.
Thank you, Mr. Zhi.
Mr. Zhi, Mr. Shen.
You look quite busy.
The residence must look new
for the Prince's birthday.
Go about your work.
You don't need to stay with us.
Yes, I will go.
Look at that fellow digging.
Doesn't he look familiar?
Who could a workman resemble?
Your kung fu is not bad.
I am a tile maker.
I am used to climbing.
I don't know kung fu at all.
Climbing is also a kind of kung fu.
There is a Sky Rat
who is known for scaling heights.
I don't know about him.
Do you think that those two
might be Lu Fang the Sky Rat
and Han Zhang the Ground Rat?
I have my suspicions.
Bai Yu Tang is dead,
so they should be here.
Master Zhi, Master Shen,
please have some tea.
Come in... Be careful.
Carry it into the living room.
Here.
What's the matter?
What are you doing here?
This is the Prince's residence,
don't run around.
The Prince's residence, that's great.
That's where we want to go.
Let's go.
No entry.
Let us in!
Stop arguing.
What are you doing here?
A palace should have a prince, right?
Naturally.
I hear he is going to celebrate
his birthday, isn't he?
Yes.
We are magicians
and could entertain the Prince.
Right.
What has celebrating a birthday
got to do with magicians?
Celebrating birthdays should be joyous.
And one should not have a sad face.
What are you doing? Get lost!
You drive us away, we'll cry.
Let us stay, we'll laugh.
Get lost!
Stop joking with Mr. Xu.
Master Zhi, Master Shen.
These two are agile.
Looks like they know some kung fu.
Zhong Yuan, what's with you?
Last couple of days
you think everyone knows kung fu.
They are just street performers.
They only know magic.
That's right, we only know magic.
We can shift and delude perceptions
in many ways.
It's getting unacceptable, drive them out.
Get out...
A turtle is an auspicious sign
for the Prince's birthday.
Why drive it out?
That's right, it's a good symbol
for the Prince.
Mr. Xu, you should let them stay.
Yes.
Ai Fu, come with me.
Yes, sir.
Ai Fu, did you see that?
Yes, sir.
These two are Lu Fang and Han Zhang
of the Five Rats.
Ai Fu, what do you intend to do?
Whatever Master Zhi says.
Well said.
You seldom talk.
Maybe you'd like to tell me
what's on your mind.
I think Master Zhi knows that very well.
Being a nobody in the Prince's residence,
I don't know when I'll be successful.
What would you consider
as being successful?
Make a name for yourself
in the martial arts world?
That's exactly right.
The martial arts world is full of dangers.
I've heard that
your parents were security escorts
and were killed, leaving you an orphan.
My parents were attacked by a powerful
gang and were badly wounded.
But they killed over ten of them
before they died.
Everyone in the martial world
regards them as heroes.
I'd rather die a glorious death
than be a slave for the rest of my life.
Good, you're ambitious.
What if I take you as my student?
Teacher, please accept my respects.
Now you have the opportunity
to do a great deed.
It'd all depend on your own courage.
I'll go through hell to accomplish
my teacher's instructions.
Report the Prince's rebellion case
to the Inspector General.
Do you dare to do it?
Brother, you are wrong.
You saw that Lu Fang
and Han Zhang have bad intentions.
You didn't stop them,
but instead took Ai Fu as your student
and asked him to accuse the Prince.
What is your intention?
Yes, I don't trust him,
so I wanted to test him, then you arrived.
Ai Fu, you have planned
to rebel against the Prince.
Follow me to receive your punishment.
Right, Zhong Yuan.
It's about time for the truth.
Aren't you Lord Bao's secret emissary?
I couldn't hide it from you after all.
You may not wish to test Ai Fu, but I do.
I want to test how brave he is.
He went to the Inspector General
to expose the crime.
Lord Yan has yet to win
the confidence of the people.
He has no choice but to go by the book.
He will inevitably suffer torture,
and if he breaks down
he'll mess up the whole thing.
I believe he has the guts to do it.
How did you guess
I am Lord Bao's secret emissary?
Merely a guess.
I heard you didn't show
Hua Chong the traps
when you brought him along
to the House of Traps.
When you brought me there,
you asked Lan Xiao to show me
how each trap worked.
It was obvious you wanted
to show me how they worked.
That gave me a hint.
KAIFENG
Lord Yan.
Hero Zhi.
Yu Mo, wait at the door.
No one comes in here without permission.
Yes, sir.
You must have something in mind
so as to come here.
You must know
Bai Yu Tang has four sworn brothers.
Lu Fang the Sky Rat, Han Zhang
the Ground Rat,
Xu Qing the Mountain Rat,
and Jiang Ping the River Rat.
The five of them live on Xian Kong island
calling themselves
the Five Rats of Xian Kong.
People call them the Righteous Five.
I heard Brother Bai mention this.
Lord Bao had long wanted to recruit them,
but they kept declining.
Now because of Bai Yu Tang's death,
they have accepted the invitation
from Lord Bao to avenge Bai Yu Tang.
I suspected that now they have
snuck into residence of the Prince.
Now in the residence of the Prince
there are six secret emissaries
of Lord Bao staying there.
Besides me and the Four Rats,
there is also Shen Zhong Yuan.
They all have the plaque of Kaifeng.
I know.
The men inside the Prince's residence
would be adequate to do the job.
If you wish to capture the Prince,
you can do it any time.
In any case,
he is the grandson of the late Emperor.
He enjoys a respected position.
If we don't have a legitimate reason,
how can we search his place
and the House of Traps
and retrieve the stolen treasures
and the list of the rebels
to prove his treason?
I have made some preparations.
There's a servant named Ai Fu
at the Prince's residence.
This kid is sharp and courageous.
He's good at kung fu
and awaits a good chance.
I've already taken him as my student.
The day after tomorrow is
the birthday of the Prince.
It'll be a busy day at the residence.
I've asked him to appear in court
to accuse the Prince.
Would this be an excuse, then?
Yes, indeed.
By the law of Song,
if a slave wants to accuse his master,
he has to suffer a flogging.
I am worried that he won't endure torture
and will change his confession.
That'll cause more troubles.
Don't worry.
This kid will be able to stand it.
You then bring Ai Fu with you
to cross-examine the Prince
while I'll bring my men
to the House of Traps
to catch them unprepared.
This way they can't deal
with two things at once.
Order in the court.
Bring the plaintiff.
Yes, sir.
Kneel down.
What's your name?
Ai Fu. I am a servant
of the Prince's residence.
What is your complaint?
I want to report a revolt case.
Someone at the Prince's
residence wants to revolt?
It is the Prince of Xiangyang himself.
How dare you?
You are only a young servant.
Do you realize
that this is a serious accusation?
The Prince holds great respect.
If you wrongfully accuse him,
you will suffer the consequences.
I am young but not ignorant,
and I won't dare talk foolishly.
The Prince has really recruited
rebels preparing for revolt.
I love my country,
and that's why I risk my life
to report the case.
Is that really so? What proof do you have?
The jade horse and the pearl crown
which were stolen from the palace
are hidden in the House of Traps.
The ones who stole them,
Hua Chong and Zhi Hua,
are hiding at the Prince's residence, too.
If Your Lordship would send men
to search there,
you'll catch them red-handed.
Do you know that a servant accusing
his master will have to suffer flogging?
I am here to risk my life for my country.
My own life is of no importance to me.
All right,
prepare the instruments of torture.
Yes, sir.
Ai Fu, do you want
to change your confession?
It's true that the Prince is planning a revolt.
I won't change it.
Good, a great hero.
Let him down.
Let's go to the residence
of the Prince of Xiangyang.
Yes, sir.
PRINCE'S RESIDENCE
Come.
Lord Yan arrives.
Lord Yan, you're here
to celebrate the Prince's birthday.
Why bother to bring
so many guards with you?
- Guards.
- Yes, sir!
You're here
for the Prince's birthday celebration.
You bring guards and
dare not kneel to the Prince.
Where are your manners?
I apologize for not knowing that.
But I'm not here for this purpose.
You're rude.
Your Highness, excuse me for being rude.
I am here today because
someone is accusing Your Highness
for sheltering rebels, hiding stolen
royal articles and intending to rebel.
How dare you!
Although I'm low in rank,
I've the order of the Emperor.
Although Your Highness
has a higher position,
treason cannot be taken lightly.
You said you have
the order of the Emperor,
but I don't know who you are.
How can you prove yourself?
I have the seal.
Where's the seal?
Your Highness seems to know
that I've lost my seal.
Unfortunately, the one stolen
was a fake one.
- Yu Mo.
- Yes, sir.
It seems Yan is going
to arrest the Prince, hurry...
Master Lan, by the order of Master Shen,
Yan Chun Min is taking his men
to arrest the Prince.
There are people fighting in the hall.
Master Shen told me to ask you
to take some men to help.
Yes.
Master Lan, what are we going to do?
Let's turn on the traps first.
How cunning of Lan Xiao!
I suppose he'd be sent away
by Shen Zhong Yuan
not realizing that
he'd turn on the traps before going.
Don't blame me if you're dead.
The trap is activated.
Finally there's no need
to be left dangling anymore.
Brother Han.
You must be Brother Zhi, the Black Fox.
All right... Yan Chun Min.
You said someone is
accusing me of treason.
Who's the plaintiff?
Of course there's someone.
- Bring Ai Fu.
- Yes, sir.
So it's this Ai Fu.
Who's this person?
He's a servant at our residence.
Servant accusing the master.
Yan Chun Min, do you know
the laws of our regime?
Of course I do.
Your Highness, please have a look
at Ai Fu's wounds.
I have already flogged
and cross-examined him.
- Capture this traitor!
- Yes, sire!
Your Highness wants to silence him?
Capture Yan Chun Min, too.
Yes, sire.
Hurry.
There's a copper net trap upstairs,
it's very dangerous.
I heard that Brother Bai died there.
That's correct.
But just standing here won't help, either.
At least we have to try.
That's correct.
Then I have to hang in the air again.
We may not be able to go upstairs,
but do as I say and try.
All right.
Come on.
They are Master Xu, the Mountain Rat,
and Master Jiang, the River Rat.
That's us.
It's Master Zhi.
Hello, I am Zhi Hua.
Hey, I'm still hanging in the air.
Brother, don't worry, I'm coming.
Go...
- We're leaving, too.
- Go...
Shen Zhong Yuan,
you are from the Kaifeng.
- Are you all right?
- I'm fine.
Be careful, there's...
Brother!
- Third Brother!
- Brother Xu!
Third Brother.
It's my fault.
I think Brother Bai would feel lonely
over there.
I could keep him company.
Brother Xu!
- Third Brother.
- Brother Xu!
Third Brother.
If only Big Brother
could have been here earlier.
This is Zhi Hua, our Big Brother.
Brother Lu, we've met before.
Brother Zhi.
The Prince of Xiangyang
has hidden all the treasures in here.
The jade horse and the pearl crown
are in there.
How are we going to get them out?
They are controlled by traps.
Although Lan Xiao was sent away
by Shen Zhong Yuan,
he turned on the traps before he left.
The switches don't work here.
The key is with Lan Xiao.
Then we can't take it.
I've made some preparations.
This seal is a fake one, it's useless.
This is the pearl crown.
This is the jade horse.
What's in this box?
This...
It used to contain the list of the names,
but now the list is not here.
The list is the most important thing of all.
Brother Zhi, where else could it be?
You'd have to ask the Prince.
I really don't know.
The Prince of Xiangyang is in the hall.
Although Lord Yan
has brought a lot of men...
Against Hua Chong, Deng Che...
Even with those guards,
they can't resist them.
Let's get back quickly.
Second Brother, protect His Lordship.
The list is not at the House of Traps.
Your Highness,
the list is not in the House of Traps.
So what?
You should realize that
you have lost your power.
Hand over the list.
His Majesty might spare your life.
Everyone outside
is fighting for their master.
I can't blame them, but you,
whom I have treated so well,
turned out to be a traitor
and are now putting pressure on me.
Your Highness, did you hear that?
Hua Chong and Deng Che are dead.
You'd better hand over the list.
All right, I'll help you fulfill
your career aspirations.
Take it.
Father, please forgive my incompetence.
I can only follow your footsteps to death.
The Prince of Xiangyang
committed suicide. Here's the list.
The list is in my stomach.
Cut me up and take it.
Then I'll cut you up.
You could have gotten the list,
but why did you let Hua Chong grab it?
Once the Prince of Xiangyang is dead,
his power is gone.
This list will cause the death of many.
What do you want it for?
Fame and riches bring disasters to many.
These people used to live
comfortably on the island.
Now they end up like this.
I'm afraid the list can never be found.