圆月弯刀 Against the Blade of Honor EP Guide

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Rating: 3.5/5

Since I'm writing a review on this series, I might as well write a ep guide. For anyone who is interested.

Against the Blade of Honor
Episode Guide

Episode 1

The series starts with a scene on top of a mountain where the moonlight shone on two men waiting for each other to make the first move; the bitter cold snow was falling around them. One of the men, Ding Pang (Louis Koo), a young man with his back turned at his opponent and his sword companion stuck standing vertically on the ground. The other man held a great saber in his hand and raised it slightly, preparing to initiate the fight. Ding Pang quickly responded to his opponent’s attack and unsheathed his sword. He ran up and propelled himself off a large rock and defended the opponents attack and politely returns the attack. The sword and saber clash nosily and to end the fight, Ding Pang used his special sword stances. The opponent with the saber fell lifelessly to the snow covered ground.

From afar men flying with thin large black sheets fabric over their shoulders and another group of men on foot proceed towards the restaurant where Ding Pang is seated eating noodles alone. People in the restaurant stood at a distance watching him and upstairs behind Ding Pang, three men stood together whispering and talking about how he had defeated KunLun sect leader with three stances and another martial artist with six stances. One of them commented how he looked very ordinary, while a third said, “You two are wrong, what’s special about him is the “Above Sky Meteor Shower Stance” that he uses. At that moment, the group of men arrived covering the entire restaurant with the black sheets of fabric. Inside the restaurant, the crowd upon hearing the sound of people walking on the roof tiles above decides to go outside to see what’s going on.

It turns out the representative from Dim Chon sect has arrived to privately bribe Ding Pang with 3,000 gold taels to not come to Dim Chon sect that night. Ding Pang refused, saying the Dim Chon Sect leader is one of the people he must defeat and will not change the decisions he had already made. He’s determined to fight with the sect leader of Dim Chon. Ding Pang desires fame and power over the fortune offered. For refusing the gold taels, the representative gestured for the Dim Chon students who were hiding in the dark, finally lunged out to attack him. But Ding Pang killed each of them with one stroke of his sword. Before he leaves, he throws back a string of coins to pay for his noodles. Then cut open the door and departed the restaurant.

Dim Chon sect leader finds out that his students have gone to bribe Ding Pang and scolded them. The sect leader arrives as planned, fights and loses to Ding Pang on a stage with a public audience watching from beneath. Ding Pang takes this opportunity to announce that his next opponent will be Gentleman Sword, Lau Yerk Chung (Eddie Cheung). Unknowingly, Lau Yerk Chung had already sent four of his men standing beneath that stage to copy Ding Pang’s “Above Sky Meteor Shower stance” onto paper so that Lau Yerk Chung can study his moves in order to beat Ding Pang. It is said when Ding Pang uses that stance, he would disappear before his opponents eyes for just a second and when he appear again, his sword was already at the opponent’s neck.

The night before the battle with Gentleman Sword, Lau Yerk Chung, Ding Pang orders six bowls of Yun Chun Noodles with full view of the nearby brothel, where people were awaiting the new courtesan. Irene Wan enters the scene being carried and wrapped inside a blanket. Tuern Ho Qing (Irene Wan) runs to Ding Pang asking for his help but he just stares at her and continues to eat his noodles. Tuern Ho Qing (Irene Wan) was then taken away to serve a brothel customer and in her struggle to get away, she takes a vase and hit the man. In the process, she falls from the window and lands conveniently upon Ding Pang’s table. She grabs his hand begging him to rescue her but is pulled away. Later the customer who paid for her came out with a bloody face and purposely forces himself on her while she struggles and continuously calls out for Ding Pang’s help.

After saving Tuern Ho Qing, she persists on following him and finally Ding Pang gives in. Before he leaves, he promises to meet her at a particular abandon temple. Lau Yerk Chung requests to postpone the battle between them for a month because his father had just died three days ago. Ding Pang reluctantly promises to come back after a month. Ding Pang returns to see Tuern Ho Qing had really stayed and waited for him and thus he allowed her to stay with him in that month as long as she did not bother him. During that month Ding Pang practiced his sword everyday under the sun.

Tuern Ho Qing spends a lot of her time watching Ding Pang, waiting for him and cooking his meals. One night, a man from the Dim Chon sect came to Ding Pang and threatened him. Ding Pang upon returning the house to see it caught on fire, worried about Tuern Ho Qing he frantically looks around for her. He finds her in the forest holding onto a shirt she had made for him. Touched by her act of love, he hugs her. Ding Pang lights the candles of the temple where he had promised to return to her, revealing both Ding Pang and Tuern Ho Qing in their white under-clothes, hinting that they had slept together.

Tuern Ho Qing reveals that her parents had been killed in a brothel and later she was brought to the brothel. Ding Pang tells her to forget her past and that from this day on, he will make sure she will have a happier future. Tuern Ho Qing wondered how that can be possible if he is leaving tomorrow. She gives him her jade pendant, saying that when he sees the jade pendant, he will remember her. Seeing that the jade pendant was a precious gift from her mom, Ding Pang (stupidly) gives her his only prized possession, the manuscript to the Above Sky Meteor Shower stance.

Episode 2

I guess these guides are too long. I'll try to write a more summarized and shorter version of each episodes.

Ding Pang tells Tuern Ho Qing how the Above Sky Meteor Shower stance is even more important than his own life. He begins telling her about his childhood about how he had admired and looked up to his father as a hero. He wanted to become an escort agent just like his dad (escorting possessions for people from one place to another). But all those dreams were shattered when one day when he and his friends watched his father walked down the path with the escort agency group, he was shocked. His father had boasted about his status and nothing he said was true. His father was a coward. When mountain thieves came, everyone else fought while Ding Pang’s father went and hide beneath the escort items. Little Ding Pang watched as his father cower down on his knees and begged for his life. The image of his father as a heroic figure immediately shattered to pieces.

For days he would not speak to his father. Then one day his father came home holding a piece of paper which illustrated the Above Sky Meteor Shower stance and once he have mastered it, no one would look down on them anymore. His father continuously practiced the stance over and over again until he had headaches and vomited blood. The young Ding Pang decided to sneak in while his father was sleeping and ripped up the paper. His father was furious and picked up all the fragments and ran off. For a long time—a year or so his father went away and did not come back. Until one snowy night, his father did come home with another copy of the stance. His father told him that he was too old to practice Above Sky Meteor Shower stance and died. At that moment Ding Pang knew he could not live a simple life, he wanted to become famous and have his name known throughout the martial arts world.

As the sun rose presenting a brand new day, Tuern Ho Qing and Ding Pang shared a passionate kiss. He woke up later that day, finding a pack of steamed buns and the shirt she had made him. He smiled happily [like a fool in love]. She leaves him a note saying she didn’t want to make him lose his concentration before the fight and reminds him that she will wait for him underneath the yellow flower tree until he returns, and will not leave until he does. He leaves wearing the shirt she made him underneath his outer shirt! (Poor DP!)

Ding Pang arrives at Lau Yerk Chung’s mansion to see a crowd has gathered to witness the swordfight. However, Ding Pang lost to Lau Yerk Chung, even with his special stance. Ding Pang was still shocked that he could lose at all. Lau Yerk Chung helps Ding Pang rise to his feet and asked about the stance he had just used and if it really was Above Sky Meteor Rain. The next few words send gasps of shock in the crowd –Lau Yerk Chung claims that stance is actually the one he had created.

Ding Pang couldn’t prove himself because he had already given his manuscript away to the one woman who he thought loved him; while Lau Yerk Chung could prove the stance is his. He leads Ding Pang and the fellow martial artists to his private practicing place where all his martial art stances were carved in stone pillars. The last one was covered in curtains and revealed to be identically the same as Ding Pang’s Above Sky Meteor Rain stance. Lau Yerk Chung claimed he had created these sword stances 10 years ago and that this last stance was too evil. He said he was trying to modify this last stance and so he doesn’t use it anymore. Then one year on a full moon, somebody sneaked in there and copied the last stance. His wife witness the thief who sneaked in to copy it and six months later, Ding Pang became famous using the stance.

Yes, Lau Yerk Chung was outright accusing Ding Pang of thievery and stealing the stance from him. At that moment a voice responded to Lau Yerk Chung’s questioning whether the thief was indeed, Ding Pang. Ding Pang was furious and wanted to know who this person is, the great double doors opened to expose a familiar face.

It was Tuern Ho Qing. “It’s you, said Ding Pang. Lau Yerk Chung came to his wife’s side and held her hand. Loud voices of criticism came from the crowd and one said how Ding Pang should be banned from the martial arts world for this crime. Ding Pang was still shocked that the person who promised to wait for him underneath the yellow flower tree and everything was a trap and set up. Tuern Ho Qing says she doesn’t understand what he’s saying.

He exchanges a few stances with Lau Yerk Chung before being cut by Lau’s sword. He went towards Tuern Ho Qing and grabbed her hand but she lets go. Ding Pang utters their promise of waiting under the yellow flower tree but she just turns and leaves. Just as she leaves, Lau Yerk Chung comes attacking him with a sword and continues the fight. Finally Lau Yerk Chung palms Ding Pang twice causing him to hit the stone pillar that had Above Sky Meteor Rain stance engraved upon. Ding Pang turns and leaves through a back door and ran towards a cliff. Lau Yerk Chung and the other martial artist followed and chased from behind.

A group of men dressed in black came to attack Ding Pang and was sent none other than Lau Yerk Chung himself. Moments later after Ding Pang had killed those men, Lau Yerk Chung arrived, accusing him further of not being remorseful of the crimes he had commit. Ding Pang charges forth in attempt to kill Lau Yerk Chung for being a false gentleman while Lau Yerk Chung, of course fought back and palms him twice more.

Ding Pang falls back with memories of Tuern Ho Qing: of how he had met her and all the times they had spent together. The promises they made. All lies. Complete and total Betrayal.

Then all the martial artists with Lau Yerk Chung came and chased Ding Pang to the edge of the cliff, and because of his pride, he rather jump off the cliff than die by the hands of false gentlemen.

Lau Yerk Chung returns to his private martial arts chamber and there stood his wife staring at the Above Sky Meteor Rain stance. Lau Yerk Chung is overjoyed to have defeated Ding Pang and tells her that Ding Pang has committed suicide, but the person who really defeated Ding was not him but her. He then embraces her for all that she had gone through to help him. Ding Pang is shown drifting upon a log at sea.

Enter Ching Ching (Noel Leung) into the picture, she and the kids with her live on an island called “Abandon Sorrows”, where there is no sadness. Ching Ching with her fellow classmates are studying a poem and she inquisitively asks the teacher what a two particular words meant and the teacher had a hard time explaining that it was a lantern festival in the mainland. Others were curious of why they didn’t have the same type of festival on their island. But the teacher couldn’t tell them more about it because everything they learn in school is approved by the island chief and topics that involved the mainland were strictly forbidden. That night Ching Ching and her friend tried to make a lantern following the picture that the teacher had given her but it wasn’t the same. Her father is the island chief and thus, found out that she had learned about the lantern festival.

Episode 3

Ding Pang is still seen drifting about at sea. The Island Chief at Abandon Sorrow island has gathered all the people at the island reminding them how the island was founded because the government was bad at the mainland and thus, the island of Abandon Sorrow is a place where there is no hatred, vengeance, sorrow, jealousy, but only love and peace. The old school teacher was brought out and punished to sit out on the pier and fast (not eat) for 10 days because he went against the island laws and told the students about the mainland.

Ching Ching is very curious about the mainland and wishes to know more about the world outside the island. A boy goes missing and everyone goes in search of him. The boy is in the cave with shabby looking Ding Pang taking care of him. Soon Ding Pang is captured with Ching Ching’s convincing that no one will harm him, however, Koo, one of the island warriors hits him in the back knocking him unconscious. The Island Chief asked the island elders to vote and decide what to do with the outsider (Ding Pang). All of them voted to sentence the outsider to death for the sake of keeping the peace in the island. But upon Ching Ching’s suggestion that since the island is place where peace is promoted, the outsider should not be killed but be taught the ways of the island, so that he becomes a good, peace loving person. The Island Chief agrees with this idea but on one condition that the outsider must be kept imprisoned.

Days after Ching Ching would talk to the silent and angry Ding Pang for hours and tell him stories about the happenings on the island; and bring food to feed him. However, he would not eat. One night while Ching Ching throws down colorful paper cranes hoping these cranes will help Ding Pang’s wishes come true; a thunderstorm started and Ding Pang looked up at her and told her to leave because it was dangerous to stay out. It was the first time he had looked up and saw her face clearly. He never thought there could be a girl like her appearing in front of him when he is in complete despair.

Back in the Mainland, Lau Yerk Chung was competing with high level martial artist and was beating them with Ding Pang’s “Above Sky Meteor Shower stance” under his own name for it of course. Six months had passed while Ding Pang had been on the island, Tuern Ho Qing still couldn’t forget her affair with him and would visit the yellow flower tree. Lau Yerk Chung confronts her and slaps her. She admits to not be able to forget Ding Pang. She feels that the one month affair was the happiest time in her life. He slaps her again and she reminds him that it was she who helped him defeat Ding Pang. Lau Yerk Chung went on his knees and begged her to help him, to seduce Ding Pang and steal the sword manuscript from him. She continues to say that she’ll never forget him, even if he’s dead.

Ching Ching steals the keys and releases Ding Pang from his prison cell and informs him that today is the great festival of removing the saber. The level of security would lessen during the festival but Ding Pang questions the island rules against freeing a prisoner, knowing the island rules are strict. She assures him and tells him that she has already prepared a boat for him to escape in. He asks her why she’s helping him. She replies that he had once said, “You betrayed me!” So she tells him to see it as a repayment.

Meanwhile the annual festival of removing the holy saber as commenced. Ching Ching leads him to the boat, prepared with dry food for him. Though he had never really spoken to her, she can feel the anger and hatred in his heart. She advises that he must resolve the hurtful feelings inside his heart or else he’ll never feel happy. He gets on the boat with one word of “farewell” to her. He looks back tearfully as she looks on, sadly. Koo comes out of the shadows and asks her if it was worth risking herself to free the prisoner. She feels it is worth it because she believes Ding Pang is a good person and has done nothing wrong, he only came to the wrong place (the island).

Ching Ching goes to admit that she had freed Ding Pang and her father sentences her to one year of confinement on the mountain to reflect on what she had done. Just when she is about to be taken away to the mountain, Ding Pang appears before the crowd.

Okay, Folks! This episode is written entirely from memory, so apologizes for any skipping back and forth between scenes.

This may be the last episode written for a while, next week I'm going to be really busy.

EPISODE 4

Ding Pang after seeing the baskets of food and paper cranes that Ching Ching has prepared for him, he decided that he could not allow her to get herself in trouble for his sake. He returns just as Ching Ching is being hulled away. Despite Ching Ching’s effort to convince everyone that Ding Pang is a good person, the Island Chief allows Koo to take things into his own hands and allows him to have a death match with Ding Pang. Koo hits Ding Pang causing him to fly a few feet away. Ding Pang hurriedly runs and grabs the Cresent saber releasing it from the rock it was stuck inside for over thirty years. For those thirty years nobody has been able to release it from the rock’s clutches until now. Everyone watches with awe, especially the Island Chief. Suddenly with the release of the Crescent saber, the atmosphere is changed, strange winds are blowing and loud sounds of thunder is heard and lightening is seen in the skies. Then mysteriously Ding Pang shakes with explosive pops and finally faints. Ching Ching rushes over and Ding Pang is seen unconscious for hours with Ching Ching watching over him. The people of the island stand outside watching and waiting for him to regain consciousness.

The Island Chief stands alone by the rock holding the Crescent Saber pondering why it had taken thirty years for someone to pull the saber out, and especially by an outsider.

Ding Pang is sweating profusively in bed, Ching Ching comes over to wipe his sweat away. One of the paper cranes fall out of his shirt and Ching Ching smiles and puts it back inside his shirt. She jumps as Ding Pang moves in his sleep then carefully stands from afar while extending her arms and hands to pull the blanket up to cover Ding Pang’s body. The next morning, Ding Pang wakes up with a startle and finds that the paper crane had fallen out of his shirt. He picks it up and puts it back inside. He looks over to see that Ching Ching is asleep by the table at the center of the room, and goes to cover her with the blanket. She awakens and they talk about his death sentence has been withdrawn because he had release the saber from its spot. The saber represents the rise and fall of everyone on the island, so everyone now sees him as a savior. Together they walk around the island and meet an old couple. Ding Pang was able to recite back what he had heard in Ching Ching’s stories about the people on the island. Ching Ching was surprised. Ding Pang reminds her that she had once told him about these people.

The Island Chief tells Ding Pang that in two days the sea current will change and will allow safe passage back to the mainland, and that it will only happen every two years. When that day came, everyone on the island was reluctant to see him go and wishes that he return to visit them. Ching Ching’s friend runs to tell Ding Pang that she will not see him off. He leaves on the boat, feeling disappointed. Until he hears the sound of an old zither (guzheng) playing in the distance, Ching Ching is seen playing the instrument atop a mountain cliff looking out to sea. She’s sad that Ding Pang is leaving her and the island. When she stops playing the old zither, she turns around to see Ding Pang running towards to meet her.

Ching Ching asks why he had two chances to leave the island but didn’t leave. Ding Pang tells her that she was right when she said, “It doesn’t matter where you live as long as you’re happy.” Ding Pang receives a warm welcome from everyone. A live chicken, duck and a newly house was built for him. A drunk and angry Koo comes picking a fight with Ding Pang but he refuses to fight him. Even when Koo punches him, he doesn’t fight back. Just when Koo was going to throw something at him, a little girl runs and holds Koo’s leg forbidding him to harm big brother Pang. Ching Ching takes the opportunity to take Ding Pang away to the pier. At the pier, Ching Ching questions his decision again and he replies that he had spent too many years trying to make a name in mo lam that he’s forgotten how it is to live a normal life.

Back in the Mainland, Lau Yerk Chung is preparing to fight a powerful monk but Tuern Ho Qing ignores him. He tries real hard not to use the Above Sky Meteor Rain stance because Tuern Ho Qing looks down on him for using it to win his fame. Finally he returns to see Tuern Ho Qing had been waiting for a Ding Pang at the yellow tree. He becomes furious that nothing he does makes her happy anymore. He reminds her of the promise that he made 10 years ago: that he would make his wife the happiest woman alive by fighting to win fame in the pugilistic martial arts world. Ten years ago, he was only a Wu Dang student striving to be known. He tries to beat this high martial artist but is beaten; he even tried to attack the man from the back but failed miserably. Being ashamed, he doesn’t want Tuern Ho Qing to see him in that state. That night Tuern Ho Qing brings a martial arts manual to boost his fighting skills; he asks where she had gotten it. She reveals that she had traded the manual with the use of her body. Touched by the sacrifice that she had made, Lau Yerk Chung hugs her closely while the other hand goes to take the manual out of her hand.

In present time, Tuern Ho Qing only has Ding Pang on her mind. She mopes around her room looking at the grasshopper made out of the tall grass leaves. The last scene in the episodes has Ding Pang making a grasshopper for Ching Ching. The grasshoppers which Ding Pang only makes for the woman he loves.

hey thanks i can now understand the serie

I just rewatch this series and I like it, this series is very powerful if you really thinking into the storyline. It is a serious series, not like those funny, light comedy type of series TVB have nowadays.

Anyways, I have a question. Maybe Suet Seung or anyone can help me answer. My question is was Qing Qing (Noel Leung) father was behind all this from the begining to the the end? Like Lau Yuk Chong (Eddie) wife and fame was all a set up, even till (Louis) being frame and push down the clift and met (Noel) married was all a set up too? So all this revenge set up is by Noel's father? He knows all this was going to happened and he purposely set this up so he can get his revenge?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by clfan

I just rewatch this series and I like it, this series is very powerful if you really thinking into the storyline. It is a serious series, not like those funny, light comedy type of series TVB have nowadays.

Anyways, I have a question. Maybe Suet Seung or anyone can help me answer. My question is was Qing Qing (Noel Leung) father was behind all this from the begining to the the end? Like Lau Yuk Chong (Eddie) wife and fame was all a set up, even till (Louis) being frame and push down the clift and met (Noel) married was all a set up too? So all this revenge set up is by Noel's father? He knows all this was going to happened and he purposely set this up so he can get his revenge?

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No. I don't think it was all a set up. I think Ching Ching's father and everyone on the island was just living pretty peacefully until Louis showed up and pulled out the saber. But I'd have to rewatch it again to make sure.

I'll probably pick this ep summary up again soon. But I don't think all of it was planned out by Ching Ching's father.

I think it is, you should try watch the last 5-6 episolds again. At first I think like you but when the part when Irene jump down the cliff and survive and work for Ching Ching (Noel)'s father.
Then come he part where Yuk Chong (Eddie) met up with Ching Ching's father. Eddie also work for Ching Ching father too, and they have a dialog and Eddie was mad, an start screaming and crying and say to Ching Ching's father: "Why you give me a good wife (Irene), and all the fame. But then you let Louis take it All away from me, and you give Louis' more Fame than I."
That diaglog make me suspicious that Eddie all along know Ching Ching' father and work for him. Since Ching Ching father is the leader of some evil sect and he been plan all the revenge.
You should see it again. Thanks Suet Seung, waiting for your episode guide, Thanks alot.

I rewatched this recently and no, Eddie was not in on the plan or working for Ching Ching's father. He was just a pawn being manipulated by Irene... when he found this out, he placed the blame for his downfall on Ching Ching's father, but he was not actually working with/for him as such.