Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny Page #3

Turtle Ma...

Famed in the tavern

of the river and lakes.

Silver Dart Shi. Famed in Fuzhou.

And now I mourn the death of Sir Te Zhao,

the son of the man

who was like a father to me.

All this for a sword.

Code, duty, honor.

Excuses for bloodshed,

all of them.

That is why I left it behind.

I was content.

Above it all.

And now a kite laments its return.

I will take the sword and leave.

No. They watch the roads.

It is safer here.

But I do not feel it.

Not when vengeance chokes the air.

You saved my life.

I spoke before I thought.

Then words came from the heart.

Your mother...

tell me of her.

- Why?

- What was she like?

I have no mother.

I was raised by Iron Crow of West Lotus.

He taught me everything I know,

as your teacher taught you.

You learn fast.

Knowledge is in your blood.

Again.

He gave me a sense of purpose.

Your mother was a concubine,

or so you've been told.

- How do you--

- I know your past.

Who told you this?

Your real mother was known as Han Mei.

A swordswoman of great renown.

A woman who had felt

and brought immeasurable pain.

In her womb, she carried you,

the legacy from her last night

with the man she loved.

She gave birth to you

in a cold winter, alone.

Great is the joy of a child,

greater still, the value of a boy.

While she slept,

a concubine who had given birth

to a daughter there days before...

switched her worthless girl for you...

hoping it would please her master

if she presented him with a son.

When Han Mei realized

what had been done...

she meant to abandon the girl.

But her heart refused.

So she took me with her.

She tried to wash from her

skin the blood she had shed.

But your mother could not be rid of the pain

she had caused in her life.

She raised me as her own.

Trained me in the Iron Way.

The woman... My mother...

Did she look for me?

Every minute of every day she searched.

She learned the concubine had given you

to West Lotus to save her own life.

She challenged Hades Dai for your freedom.

She showed me your birthmark

and said, "You must find him.

If he is a good man,

stand beside him.

If he has become a poison dragon...

kill him."

Your mother,

my teacher,

died trying to find you.

That is our story, yours and mine.

Wait.

Come back!

This is for Shi!

And this is for Ma!

Stop!

- He is one of them!

- She's right!

This is not our way.

If you're going to fight, fight like men.

Enough!

Someone taught you well.

Not well enough.

- Teacher?

- Come in.

You're leaving.

The sword cannot be kept here.

Where are you taking it?

I would not burden you with that

knowledge. Too many will hunt it.

- Can I go with you?

- No.

I must make this journey alone.

What about Silent Wolf?

Will he go?

Why should he?

I see the way you are together.

Is it that you don't trust him anymore?

You speak of trust?

You, whose teacher was Han Mei.

You always knew?

She learned her skills at Wudang.

Then chose to use them for her own gain

as an outlaw on the run.

You think I wouldn't see

her shadow on your sword?

I wanted to save you from her fate.

You know nothing of her fate.

Her life was lost to that butcher,

Hades Dai.

I sought the sword and your teachings

to avenge her.

Do not carry vengeance

in your heart, Snow Vase.

You tell me to let go of my past.

Silent Wolf waits for you

and yet you do nothing.

So much for your legendary courage.

My path is set.

You are still young.

Yours is not.

I know what I must do.

Silver Dart Shi.

She had more courage than any one of us.

Turtle Ma.

I never thought I'd be saying this,

but I'm going to miss him.

Pour him a double.

You know at the Battle of Sichuan,

I did hire out to those raiders.

But only because I thought

that they were doing the right thing.

I know that.

Always did.

And you hired out

to that gold convoy for the same reason.

The Iron Way...

some of us never stopped living by it.

Even if it meant dying by it.

I came here to pay my respects to Sir Te.

And now...

I mourn for his son.

Tonight... I leave with the sword.

And Silent Wolf?

Will you speak with him?

I'll guard the sword.

You betrayed Hades Dai, boy.

Is she worth your life?

And that of your teacher?

Bring Hades Dai the sword

or your Master, Iron Crow, dies.

Even now, he rides to meet you

and secure the sword.

Go!

I cannot leave without the sword.

You know this.

- You will be killed if you take it.

- I will be killed if I don't.

Then go!

Far from here,

far from West Lotus Temple.

I fulfilled my promise to your mother.

Now you must promise me to never return.

I promise.

I never saw him.

Felt a hand on my arm,

then I could not move.

- What happened?

- The sword.

The boy escaped and stole it.

You hold your life in your hand.

Think of that.

It is not my life I hold this for.

Go! Take the sword and save yourself.

Go!

Protect the sword with your life!

Teacher!

Go!

- Be still.

- I am all right.

Let me stop the bleeding.

Shu Lien...

I have failed you again.

You made your choice all those years ago.

Now I will make my choice.

To live the Iron Way,

may be to die for it.

I would rather

face an army by your side...

than to live another day without you.

Your prophecy is proven.

Your teacher would be proud.

And my mother as well.

How does a man I once killed

return to challenge me?

Come with me into the dark, Shu Lien.

We will have our vengeance on you.

Now you will join your beloved, Li Mu Bai.

No.

We don't hold this sword.

This sword holds us.

No.

I can't lose you.

No.

Stay with us.

It is said that a swordsman's name

will last for twenty years

beyond his passing.

But I believe that some names

will live forever.

Flying Blade of Shantung.

At your service.

Thunder Fist Chan, famed in Zhejiang.

Silver Dart Shi. Famed in Fuzhou.

Turtle Ma. Famed in... this tavern.

I am Yu Shu Lien, famed in Peking.

He is Meng Si Zhao.

Known as Silent Wolf in the west.

He is Wei Fang,

who found his way back through the dark.

She is Snow Vase,

the warrior who fulfilled her vow...

and brought redemption to the woman

who raised her in the Iron Way.

We take the sword to Wudang Mountain

where it will be safe.

Duty, honor,

I believe there are things

worth fighting for.

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