CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON

INT. ABANDONED MONASTERY - NIGHT
(The figure bounces into an old monastery. Li is already there.)

LI
Had enough flying? You've got potential. You've studied the Wudan Manual but you don't understand it. You need a real master.
(The figure doesn't respond, but we sense the pride in her eyes.)

FIGURE
Do you think you are a real master?

LI
Like most things, I am nothing. It's the same for this sword. All of it is simply a state of mind.

FIGURE
Stop talking like a monk! Just fight!

LI
Then tell me where Jade Fox is.

FIGURE
On guard!

LI
Real sharpness comes without effort.

EXT. MONASTERY - NIGHT
(The figure leaps into the garden, but again, Li is ahead of her. The figure attacks Li, who uses his agility to evade her. Frustrated, the figure intensifies her attack. The figure, losing composure, attacks wildly. Li gets even more elusive, using a branch to repel her.)

LI
No growth without assistant. No action without reaction. No desire without restraint. Now give yourself up and find yourself again. There is a lesson for you.
(Li now holds the stick to her mask, gently raising it slightly.)

FIGURE
Go ahead.

LI
Why should I? You need practice. I can teach you to fight with the Green Destiny, but first you must learn to hold it in stillness.

FIGURE
Why do you want to teach me?

LI
I've always wanted a disciple worthy of Wudan's secrets.

FIGURE
And if I use them to kill you?

LI
That's a risk I'm willing to take. Deep down, you're good. Even Jade Fox couldn't corrupt you.
(The figure's eyes cloud with tears.)

FIGURE
Wudan is a whorehouse! Keep your lessons!
(The figure swirls and takes off, leaving a rueful Li standing alone in the monastery.)

INT. JEN'S ROOM - NIGHT
(Jen slips in through the window. She pulls off her mask, as she spots the Governess/Fox sitting and sewing.)

FOX
You're home late ... or should I say early?

JEN
Why are you still here? You killed a policeman. You should leave! You'll bring ruin on my whole family.

FOX
They wouldn't have found me if you hadn't stolen the sword. Like a little girl, you thought stealing would be fun? You, too, are responsible for that death. Come with me. You don't want to waste your life as the wife of some bureaucrat. Denied your talent ... As a master and disciple we will rule.

JEN
I'll never live as a thief!

FOX
You're already a thief.

JEN
That was just for fun. How can I leave? Where would I go?

FOX
Wherever we want. We'll get rid of anyone in our way. Even your father.

JEN
Shut up!

FOX
It's the Giang Hu fighter lifestyle ... kill or be killed. Exciting, isn't it?

JEN
I owe you nothing.

FOX
Yes, you do! You are still my disciple.
(Jen lunges at the Governess, and the two exchange a few blows. Jen presses her finger against one of the Governess's pressure points, disabling her. Jen pushes her across the room.)

JEN
You think you've been teaching me all these years from the manual? You couldn't even decipher the symbols!

FOX
I studied the diagrams. But you hid the details!

JEN
You wouldn't have understood, even if I had tried to explain. You know ... you've gone as far as you can go. I hid my skills so as not to hurt you.

FOX
If I hadn't seen you fight with Li Mu Bai, I'd still be ignorant of all you've hidden from me.

JEN
Master ... I started learning from you in secret when I was 10. You enchanted me with the world of Giang Hu. But once I realized I could surpass you, I became so frightened! Everything fell apart. I had no one to guide me, no one to learn from.

FOX
Believe me, I've a lesson or two left to teach you!
(Fox exits.)

EXT. GOVERNOR YU'S GATE - DAY
(The Governess leaves, a small sack over her back.)

EXT. TE'S COURTYARD - DAY
(Li practices fluently with Green Destiny in hand, beautifully at ease with the weapon. He spins around to find Yu standing in the doorway.)

YU
The sword is back ... are you happy?
(Li smiles.)

LI
I admit, getting it back makes me realize how much I'd missed it.

YU
But it's not your sword anymore. You gave it to Sir Te.

LI
True. But I must borrow it for one last mission. Jade Fox must die at its edge. Did you know what you were hiding when you covered for that girl?

YU
My job was to get the sword back, without embarrassing anyone. I wasn't about to ruin her life, or her father's.

LI
You did your job well. But, this girl ... I saw her last night.

YU
I knew she would intrigue you.

LI
She needs direction ... and training.

YU
She's an aristocrat's daughter. She's not one of us. In any case, it will all be over soon. You'll kill Fox, and she'll marry.

LI
That's not for her. She should come to Wudan and become a disciple.

YU
But Wudan does not accept women.

LI
For her, they might make an exception. If not, I'm afraid she'll become a poisoned dragon.

YU
It's not our affair. Even if Wudan accepts her, her husband might object.

LI
I thought by giving away the sword, I could escape the Giang Hu world. But the cycle of bloodshed continues.

YU
I wish there were something more I could do to help you.

LI
Just be patient with me, Shu Lien.

INT. JEN'S ROOM - NIGHT
(Jen is asleep. A noise awakens her. Lo opens the window and sneaks in -- right into the point of Jen's waiting sword. Jen's sword drops to the ground.)

JEN
Lo?

LO
Jen!
(Lo grabs her by the wrist.)

JEN
You shouldn't have come.

LO
With all the traffic on your rooftop these days ... it took me a while to get in here. I can't wait any longer. I was wrong to let you go. Come back with me. You'll be happy in the desert. You'll be free there.
(Jen turns back to him and rests herself briefly in his arms again.)

JEN
You've been looking for me all this time?

FLASHBACK: FOUR YEARS EARLIER

INT./EXT. CARRIAGE/MONGOLIAN DESERT - DAY
(Jen holds up a comb, with daylight shining through it. Jen admires the piece, her most prized possession. Madam Yu sits opposite her.)

MADAM YU
Jen ... stop playing with it.
(Jen looks out over the desert, as the wind picks up and the sky darkens.)

JEN
I won't break it.

EXT. CARRIAGE/MONGOLIAN DESERT - DAY
(Lo and a group of armed bandits descend on the caravan.)

GUARD A
It's Dark Cloud! Dark Cloud is coming!
(His warning is useless. From Jen's pov, we see the guards slaughtered in a hail of arrows and swords.)

MADAM YU
Lower the shade, don't let them see you!

DARK CLOUD (LO)
Don't touch the women!
(Though unharmed, Madam Yu immediately faints. Lo approaches the carriage and grabs the comb from Jen's hand. She bolts from the carriage, and, once outside, bends down and grabs a lance from the body of a dead guard, whose horse flails beside him. She looks up to see the gang of bandits already making their escape on horseback.)

LO
Let's go!

EXT. DESERT - DAY
(Jen and Lo ride across the desert floor at breakneck speed.)

LO
Come get your comb.
(She tries to jab him with the lance, but he grabs it and flings her off her horse.)

LO
Hurry back to your mother.
(Lo rides on as she charges after her horse.)

EXT. DESERT BLUFF - DAY
(A group of bandits is dividing up the loot, as Jen rides up, keeping a respectable distance. They notice her and rise as she dismounts. One of them saunters over to her and stands, grinning, a few feet away. In a second, she's slammed his balls into his stomach and knocked his nose into his face. He crumples to the sand. The other bandits stop laughing, quickly exchange glances, and charge her at once. In a matter of seconds, they're either on the ground or dragging their fallen comrades back. Lo calls out and stops the fight.)

LO
She's mine.

EXT. DESERT - DAY
(Lo and Jen ride, if not side-by-side, then parallel, about 20 feet apart. Their pace has slowed considerably. In fact, they're dead tired.)

LO
Let's stop a moment.

JEN
Give it back!

LO
(shouting a bit)
You're tired. You need rest. Your horse needs water. There's a creek up here.
(He dismounts, looks down at the dry creek bed.)

LO
Well, there used to be! What's your name? I'm Lo. The Hans call me Dark Cloud. I'm not that tall or big, but I'm quick as lightning.

JEN
My comb!
(She kicks him. They fight ferociously until Lo, exhausted, collapses. She kicks him a few times, then collapses too.)

INT. CAVE - DAY
(Jen comes to and finds herself wrapped in a blanket of animal fur. She sits up with a start and checks her clothes. Looking around, she realizes she's in a cave. Next to her are a lamp, some hunting equipment, and a neat row of sharp arrows. She quickly grabs one of the arrows.)

LO
If you like that arrow, I can make you a bow. Great for hunting wild chicken. They're delicious.
(Jen raises one of the arrows, going on the attack again, but her legs betray her and she falls.)

LO
You need to eat, understand? Then you'll have the strength to fight. Understand?
(He helps her up, then pours her some horse milk from a sac. He hands her a small chunk of food, which she first accepts grudgingly, then, her hunger getting the better of her, she starts to wolf it down.)

LO
You're eating too fast. Slowly.

EXT. CAVE - DAY
(Lo walks out into a barren mountain landscape. A chicken roasts over a fire. Lo whistles. Jen appears suddenly with a rock and knocks it over his head. Lo passes out as Jen scurries away.)

EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE AND DESERT - DAY
(Jen tries to find her way among the treacherous stony terrain, her lips chapped and fingers bloody and blistered. But soon she passes out.)

INT. CAVE - NIGHT
(Jen again awakes inside the cave. Lo tries to feed her some water, but she chokes, and tries to push him away, only to find that her legs and hands are tied up.)

LO
You've got quite a temper. It's better this way.

JEN
You coward!

LO
Still in a bad mood? At least you're speaking. What's your name?
(Jen spits at Lo.)

LO
I didn't think the Hans had names like that.
(Later: She weaves in and out of consciousness. In the flickering lights, she sees Lo sharpening his arrows. Later, he pulls back an opaque curtain to reveal a makeshift bathroom -- a water-filled cavity serves as a tub. He rises as Jen sobs at the sight of her imprisoned and disheveled body. He comes over and unties her.)

LO
Relax. If I had wanted to, I would already have done it. You must be dying for a bath. Fresh water's hard to get here. But I managed to bring some up. You can wear my clothes when you're done. They're clean. Don't worry. I'll sing, so you'll know where I am. After the bath, you'll be calmer.
(Jen nods and the bandit releases her. He starts to sing as he walks out. Jen waits until the sound recedes before closing the curtain behind her and dipping into the pit. While she bathes, she listens to his singing, a loud rendition of a tribal song. Lo apparently doesn't remember all the lyrics, and la-las his way through more than a few passages. Jen smiles.)

INT. CAVE - NIGHT
(Jen grimaces as Lo pulls the last of some cactus needles from the soles of her feet.)

LO
No more hitting on the head! All this trouble for a comb?

JEN
It's mine. It means a lot to me. A barbarian like you wouldn't understand.

LO
Not true. I can use it to pick fleas from my horse.

JEN
By the way, I'm a real Manchurian.

LO
I'm sorry ... I guessed wrong. I though you were a Han.

JEN
Give me back my comb.

LO
I don't take orders from anyone.

JEN
Give it back.
(Jen impulsively grabs an arrow and stabs Lo, drawing a little blood from his chest. Furious, Lo lunges at her and they tussle briefly. Finally, Lo gets on top of Jen, and the scuffling becomes more like foreplay. Violence turns into unleashed passion.)

EXT. DESERT OASIS - DAY
(Lo and Jen ride across the desert. Jen holds tightly to him.)

EXT. CAVE - NIGHT
(Lo and Jen lie in the bath together.)

LO
When I was a boy, one night, I saw a thousand shooting stars. I thought, where did they all go? I'm an orphan. I used to look for stars alone. I thought if I rode to the other end of the desert, I'd find them. I've been riding in the desert ever since.

JEN
And so, the little boy became a fearsome bandit. He couldn't find the stars, so he stole my comb.
(Lo pauses.)

LO
Out here, you always fight for survival. You have to be part of a gang to stand a chance. Slowly, your gang becomes your family. All that Dark Cloud stuff is just to scare people and make my life easier.

JEN
So you're still that little boy looking for shooting stars.

LO
I am a man. And now I've found the brightest star of all.

EXT. DESERT - DAY
(Lo sees uniformed men through his binoculars.)

LO
Your father's men are looking for you.
(Jen doesn't respond.)

EXT. DESERT - DAY
(Lo and Jen ride through a mountain pass.)

EXT. CLIFF - DAY
(Lo and Jen stand at the crest of a cliff. Lo looks over, viewing the desert valley below, as Jen joins him. They see a troop of uniformed men riding by in the distance.)

LO
Your father's men are still looking for you. They're still out there, circling closer.

JEN
Let them look.

LO
It is trouble for me.
(Jen bites her lip.)

JEN
Don't send me back!

LO
You must decide. You might get tired of this life. You might begin to miss your family. If it were our daughter, we'd look for her too. She would miss us. Jen ... I want you to be mine forever. I will make my mark on the world. I will earn your parents' respect. We have a legend. Anyone who dares to jump from the mountain, God will grant his wish. Long ago, a young man's parents were ill, so he jumped. He didn't die. He wasn't even hurt. He floated away, far away, never to return. He knew his wish had come true. If you believe, it will happen. The elders say, "A faithful heart makes wishes come true."

INT. TENT - DAY
(Jen and Lo kiss. Jen takes the jade comb out of her hair and presses it into his palm. Jen starts to cry. They embrace.)

JEN
Keep it safe. Return it to me when we are together again.

LO
I will.

JEN
(smiling painfully)
If you don't, I'll come after you. And I won't let you off so easy.

EXT. TENT - DAY
(Jen quietly walks out and stands sadly in the early morning light. End of flashback.)

INT. JEN'S ROOM - NIGHT

LO
Wherever I went, someone always recognized me. I really tried. Later, I heard you came to Peking. I was afraid I'd never see you again. So I came. I can't let you marry.
(Jen is about to respond when a servant's voice is heard from outside the door.)

JEN
(whispering)
Go.

LO
Jen ...

JEN
(through her tears)
Don't ever come back.
(Lo hovers at the window frame.)

LO
So it's over?
(Jen pauses.)

JEN
Yes.
(Lo thrusts a small object in her hand. He lifts his legs through the window, and drops out of sight, just as Jen's door is opened from the hall.)

MAID
We heard noises.

JEN
It was just a cat.
(The maid pauses, then dutifully exits, closing the door. Jen opens up her palm; gasping, she sees the comb that Lo has given her.)

EXT. WEDDING PROCESSION - DAY
(The noise and color of a wedding procession. A marching band heralds the occasion, as throngs of onlookers fight to get a glimpse of the groom, Gou Jun Pei, who trots by on a handsome white horse.)

INT. WEDDING CARRIAGE - DAY
(Jen's head is completely covered in red cloth, as she rides silently in the bride's carriage.)

EXT. BALCONY OVERLOOKING WEDDING PROCESSION - DAY
(Li and Yu watch the festivities from a balcony of the city gate.)

YU
You think Jade Fox will show up?

LI
She's out there, but I doubt she'll show herself. We'll keep our eyes open. Sooner or later, she'll come for the girl.

INT. WEDDING CARRIAGE - DAY
(A small arrow flies into the carriage. Jen calmly lifts the red cloth from her face and pulls the arrow out of the paneling inside the carriage. We hear Lo's voice from outside the carriage, but Jen doesn't seem to notice.)

LO
(v.o.)
Jen! Come with me! You're mine!
(Lo runs wildly into the crowd.)

LO
Come with me to the desert! Jen! Come with me to Xin Jiang!
(The guards surround Lo, but he escapes.)

EXT. BEIJING STREET - DAY
(Lo leaps and lands right in front of Li Mu Bai, his fingers pressed against Lo's neck. Yu comes running around the corner and sees them.)

LI
Where is Jade Fox?
(Yu jumps in and pushes Li away.)

YU
(to Lo)
Come with me! Hurry!

INT. CITY OUTSKIRTS - DAY
(Lo sits dejectedly, having told his story to Yu and Li, who look him over.)

YU
(to Lo)
You thought she'd give it all up and go back West with you?

LO
She's mine.

LI
Either way, you are no good to her dead. With the Gou and Yu clans hunting you, you'll soon be in their hands.

LO
I don't care anymore.

LI
If you truly loved her, you wouldn't say that.

YU
Don't you want to see her again.

LI
All right. I'll write you an introduction. Take it to Wudan. Wait there for news from me.

LO
All right.

EXT. TE COMPOUND - NIGHT
(Yu and Li enter, as other men and women race through the compound, a sense of panic in the air. Yu gives Li a look. Li shrugs.)

INT. TE'S HALL - NIGHT
(A crowd, including Li and Yu, stand by as Te opens the empty sword case, his voice rising.)

SIR TE
When will this end? They take it, they put it back, they take it again. My home is turning into a warehouse.
(Bo bursts into the hall, bows to Te.)

TE
Speak!

BO
Jen has run away! Gou found the wedding chamber empty. Governor Yu requests your assistance. You know the Giang Hu underworld. He wants to find her, and keep her from harm.

LI
Sir Te, leave this to us. Don't worry.

INT. TEA STALL - DAY
(Jen arrives at the tea stall. She places her sword on the table, which catches the attention of a couple of Giang Hu martial arts characters sitting nearby.)

WAITRESS
What can I serve you?
(As the waitress turns to leave, Jen grabs her by the arm.)

JEN
The cup is dirty.
(The flustered waitress apologizes and takes the cup away. The men approach Jen.)

GANGSTER A
Hello. What is your name?

JEN
(without lifting her eyes)
Long.

GANGSTER B
It's young Master Long. My apologies. I'm Iron Eagle Sung and this is my brother in arms, Flying Cougar Li Yun. What brings you to Huai An, and where are you headed, Master Long?

JEN
Anywhere there's action.
(The two men exchange glances.)

GANGSTER A
In that case, perhaps we could be of assistance.

JEN
Don't bother.

GANGSTER A
You don't seem to understand.

JEN
So what if I don't?

GANGSTER B
We have ways of helping you understand.
(The two pull out their weapons which are immediately chopped into scraps by Jen.)

GANGSTER A
(stunned)
Are you related to Li Mu Bai?

JEN
He is my defeated foe!

EXT. WOODS - DAY
(Li and Yu pass a cup back and forth as Bo tends to the horses in the background.)

YU
Have some tea.
(As Yu passes the cup to Li, their fingers touch. Embarrassed, Li pulls back.)

LI
Shu Lien ... The things we touch have no permanence. My master would say ... there is nothing we can hold on to in this world. Only by letting go can we truly possess what is real.

YU
Not everything is an illusion. My hand ... wasn't that real?

LI
Your hand, rough and callused from machete practice ... All this time, I've never had the courage to touch it.
(Li takes Yu's hand and presses it to his face.)

LI
Giang Hu is a world of tigers and dragons, full of corruption ... I tried sincerely to give it up but I have brought us only trouble.

YU
To repress one's feelings only makes them stronger.

LI
You're right, but I don't know what to do. I want to be with you ... just like this. It gives me a sense of peace.
(Li Mu Bai smiles.)

INT. STAR RESTAURANT - DAY
(Jen walks upstairs. A waiter greets her.)

WAITER
Please follow me.

JEN
I want a clean room.

WAITER
We have plenty. Your order?
(Jen again sets her sword on the table as she sits down.)

JEN
Steamed whole cod, bite-size meatballs, a little starchy, but keep the sauce light, shark fin soup, mixed vegetables, and some warm wine.

WAITER
(dazed)
I have to order from a bigger restaurant.

JEN
Hurry then.
(The waiter gauges Jen for an instant before bouncing off to place the orders. Jen checks her pouch and sees there's not much money left. A large group of Giang Hu characters enters. They survey the restaurant and quickly find Jen upstairs.)

GIANG HU A
That's him.

MI BIAO
I am Iron Arm Mi. I heard a true master has arrived. I have come to seek a lesson.
(Jen ignores him.)

MI BIAO
(bristles)
You asked for it!
(Mi charges and attacks Jen, who is still sitting sipping tea. Jen barely lifts a finger and disposes of Mi with a poke at a sensitive pressure point. This provokes a reaction from the other men.)

JEN
What kind of Iron Arm are you?

FLYING MACHETE CHANG
You have amazing technique! I am Flying Machete. Are you related to Southern Crane?

JEN
Southern Duck? I don't eat anything with two feet. Who could remember such long-winded names?

GOU JUN SIHUNG
Li Mu Bai is your defeated foe, and you don't know his master, Southern Crane?

JEN
Who are you?

GOU JUN SIHUNG
I'm Shining Phoenix Mountain Gou.

JEN
(furious)
Gou? I hate that name. It makes me puke! Too bad you're named Gou. You'll be the first to feel my sword today.
(Jen leaps up and dives into battle. The men all use different kinds of weapons, but they all succumb to the powerful Green Destiny.)

MONK JING
Hold it! Don't you know Monk Jing?

JEN
A monk, in a place like this? You need a lesson!

MONK JING
Who are you?
(She smiles, and leaps again into action after unsheathing the Green Destiny.)

JEN
Who am I? I am ... I am the Invincible Sword Goddess. Armed with the Incredible ... Green Destiny. Be you Li or Southern Crane ... lower your head ... and ask for mercy. I am the desert dragon. I leave no trace. Today I fly over Eu-Mei. Tomorrow ... I'll kick over Wudan Mountain!
(Jen is in a frenzy, slashing and maiming as she speaks.)

INT. STAR RESTAURANT - DAY
(Yu and Li are surrounded by the variously bandaged men who battled with Jen.)

FLYING MACHETE CHANG
We politely asked for a friendly match, but she showed no respect, and attacked us. Everyone came by to teach her a lesson.

MI BIAO
Her sword was just too powerful.

MONK JING
I've traveled everywhere, but never met anyone so uncivilized.

SHINING PHOENIX MOUNTAIN GOD
(heavily bandaged)
She kept accusing me of being Gou Jun Pei's brother. Who is this Gou, anyway?

YU
Her husband.
(The men all nod their heads.)

EXT. OUTSIDE HWAI AN - DAY
(Li and Yu ride together.)

LI
(to Yu)
We're close to your headquarters. Go home and check in.

YU
What about you?

LI
I'll look around and catch up later.

YU
Not a bad idea. Tonight we'll get a good night's sleep at headquarters.
(Yu takes a fork off the road. Thunder can be heard in the darkening sky.)

EXT. SUN COMPOUND - DAY
(A group of security men are practicing Kung Fu in the front yard of Sun Security. They stop when Yu enters.)

SECURITY MAN A
Mistress, you're back.

YU
It's you! How's everything here?

CAPTAIN
Fine. You've been gone a while.

YU
Yes, and I leave again tomorrow. Your wife was due?

AH WAI
Yeah, a baby girl.

YU
Good!

AH WAI
I'll be happy if she's half as strong as you.

YU
Mrs. Wu ...

AUNT WU
You're back!

YU
How's the arm? Still sore?

AUNT WU
Much better. You've been gone so long.

YU
Li Mu Bai is coming to stay the night.

AUNT WU
(excited)
I'll go and make up his room!
(Aunt Wu hustles out. Yu goes into her own room.)

INT. HALL OF ANCESTRAL WORSHIP
(Yu lights incense for her former fiancé Meng. Hearing something, she turns to see a disheveled Jen standing outside downstairs.)

JEN
Sister Shu Lien ...

INT. YU'S ROOM - DAY
(Yu eases her guard, then opens a drawer, and takes out some clothes. Jen, wearing just white underclothing, sets herself on the edge of Yu's bed. Yu brings over the clothes.)

YU
Here you must be in proper attire.

JEN
I'm just borrowing some clean clothes. I'm not staying.

YU
I'll give them to you.

JEN
I was just passing by and wondered how you were.
(Jen tries to hide her anxiety but finally breaks down on Yu's shoulder in tears.)

JEN
You, sister ...

YU
Look at the trouble you've caused. Now you know what Giang Hu life is really like. If you think of me as your sister, let me give you some sisterly advice. You can run from marriage, but not your parents.

JEN
They forced me to marry!

YU
Go back to them first. Then you can decide about Lo.

JEN
You know about Lo?

YU
He really loves you. Come back to Peking with me. We'll find a solution.

JEN
Where is he now?

YU
Li Mu Bai has made arrangements. He sent him to Wudan Mountain.

JEN
You're working together to set me up! I'm leaving!

YU
How dare you accuse us? I always knew you had stolen the sword! I've done nothing but protect you and your family. And you're repaid me with nothing but contempt. Li Mu Bai himself spared you, and all you do is insult him. We wanted some peace and you've ruined it all! You're no sister of mine!

JEN
What do I care? You were never a real friend anyway. But I wonder, how long could you last as my enemy?
(Jen gets up to leave. Yu intercepts her.)

YU
Put the sword down!
(Jen jumps out.)

INT. YUAN COURTYARD - DAY
(Jen soars out to the front courtyard where the guards are still practicing. They raise their weapons at the sight of an intruder.)

YU
(calling out)
Jen!
(Jen greets Yu with the Green Destiny.)

YU
Everyone out. Shut the doors.
(The men leave.)

YU
Fine ... the friendship is over.
(Yu scoops up a weapon from one of many lying around and begins her battle with Jen. Yu uses every weapon that's available against Jen but none are any match for the Green Destiny. After slicing through another set of Yu's weapons, Jen looks admiringly at the Green Destiny in her hands.)

YU
Don't touch it! That's Li Mu Bai's sword.

JEN
Come and get it if you can.

YU
Without the Green Destiny, you are nothing.

JEN
Don't be a sore loser. Go ahead. Take your pick. I'll wait. Go ahead.
(Yu picks up a huge broad sword and attacks. Just as the Green Destiny slices it in half, Yu holds the broken blade at Jen's neck. She pauses before hurting Jen, then pulls back.)

YU
Give me the sword.
(Jen, taking advantage of Yu's trust, slices her arm.)

JEN
Take it!
(Yu, her shoulder bleeding, falls back as Li Mu Bai jumps in.)

LI
(enraged)
Stop it! You don't deserve the Green Destiny.

JEN
Not another lecture! On guard!

LI
Let's end this here.

JEN
Only the sword will settle this.
(Jen soars up to the rooftop, with Li right on her tail.)

EXT. LAKE - DAY
(Jen floats over the lake, Li close behind.)

EXT. BAMBOO FOREST - DAY
(Jen runs into a sea of bamboo. She appears to have lost Li but is not slowing down. Her white clothes are now stained with blood and mud. The wind had picked up and every breeze sounds like an air attack by Li. The two leap onto the tips of the bamboo trees and begin their dances and dodges. They glance off bamboos and each other while staying afloat. Finally Jen lands on the same stick of bamboo as Li. The two hold their positions for a while, as the bamboo bends.)

LI
I only let you go because I wanted to see the real you.
(Jen tries to shake Li off the bamboo but Li recovers nicely.)

JEN
What do you know about a true heart?
(Li suddenly leaps off the bamboo tree. The bamboo straightens up and throws Jen toward the ground. Jen quickly pulls herself up and charges at Li. Jen chases after Li, into a clearing, out of the bamboo forest.)

EXT. RIVER - DAY
(Jen finally catches up to Li, who is standing on a rock about a few feet wide amid the rapids. Jen vaults onto the rock and scuffles with Li. Jen loses her balance.)

JEN
What do you want?

LI
What I've always wanted, to teach you.

JEN
All right. If you can take back the sword in three moves, I'll go with you.
(Li takes the sword back.)

JEN
Give it back!

LI
Kneel!

JEN
Never!

LI
Then you have no use for the sword.
(Li throws the sword into the rapids. Jen dives in to retrieve it. He follows Jen downstream by hopping from one rock to another. Jen recovers the sword but is herself drowning. Suddenly Jade Fox swings into the rapids and fishes Jen out. Jade Fox carries the unconscious Jen away. Li gives chase, but loses them.)

INT. ABANDONED FACTORY - DAY
(It's raining. Inside an old factory, Fox heats some medicine paste and then dips a needle in the paste. She burns the needle point, causing a blue smoke. She lights some incense and puts it in a burner near Jen, who is barely conscious.)

FOX
Sooner or later, they'd drag you back to Peking. Your parents will never accept you again. But why go home? We've gone this far, we won't stop now. You'll always be my lady. At last, we'll be our own masters. We'll be happy. That's the most important thing. All we have left is each other, right? Lie down and rest.
(Jen is too weak to respond. Fox leaves Jen clutching the Green Destiny.)

EXT. ABANDONED FACTORY - DAY
(Fox scurries ahead in the rain. Her eyes catch something, but she keeps moving.)

INT. YUAN COMPOUND - DAY
(Aunt Wu finishes bandaging Yu.)

AUNT WU
She's crazy. You should have killed her.

YU
I didn't have the heart.

AUNT WU
Well, Li Mu Bai can do it.
(Yu senses movement at the window. Looking out, she sees Jade Fox in the distance.)

INT. ABANDONED FACTORY - DAY
(Jen wakes up, flushed from fever. She takes a sip from a cup of water -- it's empty. She tosses the cup, gets up, and walks into the rain.)

EXT. ABANDONED FACTORY - DAY
(Jen walks out, raises her face into the rain, and drinks the raindrops. Thirst quenched, she turns around and finds Li standing there. Jen limps towards him while mumbling.)

JEN
Is it me or the sword you want?
(Jen falls into Li, who checks her pulse and looks at her eyes.)

LI
You've been drugged!
(Li carries her inside, kicking away the incense burner.)

INT. ABANDONED FACTORY - DAY
(Li lays his hands on Jen's back; she slowly comes to.)

LI
Where is Jade Fox?
(Jen gestures that she doesn't know. Yu and Bo enter. Yu looks at Jen.)

YU
What happened?

LI
Jade Fox drugged her. How did you get here?

YU
We followed Jade Fox.
(Instantaneously, a flurry of darts flies directly in Jen's direction. Li and Yu swipe miraculously at them all, sending them flinging hither and thither. Fox shows herself. Li attacks her. She falls back, bleeding to death.)

LI
And so you die.
(Li touches his neck.)

FOX
And so shall you!
(Li pulls a single needle from his neck.)

YU
A poisoned needle!

FOX
You deserve to die, but the life I was hoping to take ... was Jen's. Ten years I devoted to you. But you deceived me! You hid the manual's true meaning. I never improved ... but your progress was limitless! You know what poison is? An eight-year-old girl, full of deceit. That's poison! Jen! My only family ... my only enemy ...
(Jade Fox dies.)

YU
You can't die! Tell us what poison you used! You can't die! Tell us the antidote! You can't let Li Mu Bai die!

JEN
She used Purple Yin ... Purple Yin poison. It goes straight to the heart.

LI
My blood will soon reverse its flow. It's the same poison she used to kill my master. There is no antidote.

YU
That can't be! Everything has an antithesis! Why not this?

JEN
The antidote exists. She taught it to me. The formula is simple, but it takes time to prepare. Trust me. As you have helped me, let me help you.

LI
All right. Hurry. I will hold on as long as I can.

YU
(takes the comb from her hair)
Take my horse and go to the compound. Give this to Mrs. Wu. She'll help you. Hurry!

JEN
Spare your energy. I'll be back!

EXT. ABANDONED FACTORY - NIGHT
(Bo is burying Fox in the rain.)

EXT. YUAN COMPOUND - NIGHT
(The guards surround Jen. She pushes past them.)

JEN
Where is Mrs. Wu?
(Aunt Wu comes running out.)

AUNT WU
Stop it!
(Jen pulls out Yu's comb.)

JEN
Shu Lien told me to show you this.

AUNT WU
Let her in.

INT. ABANDONED FACTORY - NIGHT
(Yu sits across from Li, whose pose is almost meditational, eerily calm.)

YU
Mu Bai, hold on. Give me some hope ...

LI
Shu Lien ...

YU
Save your strength.

LI
My life is departing. I've only one breath left.

YU
Use it to meditate. Free yourself from this world as you have been taught. Let your soul rise to eternity with your last breath. Do not waste it ... for me.

LI
I've already wasted my whole life. I want to tell you with my last breath ... I have always loved you. I would rather be a ghost, drifting by your side ... as a condemned soul ... than enter heaven without you. Because of your love ... I will never be a lonely spirit.
(Yu cries. She kisses him lightly. He closes his eyes.)

EXT. PATH - DAY
(As the sun rises, Jen rides speedily, clutching the medicine in her hands.)

INT. ABANDONED FACTORY - DAY
(Li is in Yu's arms. They're holding hands. The sun shines in. Yu slowly releases Li's stiff fingers -- he is dead. Jen is at the door.)

JEN
He's gone?
(Bo peeks over Jen's shoulder. Yu rises and picks up Green Destiny. Jen kneels. Yu raises the sword, but doesn't kill her.)

YU
Bo ... please take this sword back to Sir Te.
(He takes the sword from her.)

YU
(to Jen)
Now you must go to Wudan Mountain. Lo awaits you there. Promise me one thing, whatever path you take in this life ... be true to yourself.

EXT. WU TAN TEMPLE - DAY
(Jen climbs up toward the temple, finally reaching the temple gate, and sees Lo standing there. He runs to her. She greets him.)

INT. WU TAN TEMPLE - MAGIC
(Jen and Lo make love.)

INT. WU TAN TEMPLE - DAY
(Lo wakes up to find the jade comb on the pillow beside him, Jen gone.)

EXT. WU TAN MOUNTAIN - DAY
(Lo catches up to Jen, who stands on a bridge. The gorges below are shrouded in clouds. She looks back at him.)

JEN
Do you remember the legend of the young man?

LO
"A faithful heart makes wishes come true."

JEN
Make a wish, Lo.
(Lo pauses.)

LO
(closing his eyes)
To be back in the desert, together again.
(Jen smiles, turns, and leaps into the clouds. They seem to catch her gently, before she disappears into them. Lo remains standing, a smile on his face, tears rolling down his cheeks.)

THE END.

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