Wong Kar Wai works his magic in this long planned "reworking" of his legendary, rarely seen and one and only martial arts film. Set in ancient China, Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung) is a fallen swordsman driven by greed towards both friend and foe. He is afraid of love after having his heart broken by an affair gone wrong. He is a perpetual loner, but the bounty hunters that work for him, like "Blind Swordsman" (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and another of his best fighters, Hung Chi (Jacky Cheung), discover the intangible secret of true love while Ouyang retains his attitude towards his fighters and the precious lessons that they have taught.