Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Page #2

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JEN:

I've read all about people like you.

Roaming wild, beating up anyone who

gets in your way!

YU:

Writers wouldn't sell many books if

they told how it really is.

JEN:

But you're just like the characters

in the stories.

YU:

Sure. No place to bathe for days,

sleeping in flea-infested beds...

They tell you all about that in

those books?

JEN:

You know what I mean. I'm getting

married soon, but I haven't lived

the life I want.

YU:

So I heard. Congratulations. It's

the most important step in a

woman's life, isn't it?

JEN:

You're not married, are you?

YU:

What do you think?

JEN:

No! You couldn't roam around

freely if you were.

YU:

You're probably right.

Yu studies Jen. The room falls silent for a moment.

EXT. SIDE COURT YARD - DAY

It's dusk and the sky is beautiful orange and purple. Jen

is leaving the study escorted by her maid. She turns to Yu

for a final good-bye. Yu seems intrigued by the encounter.

EXT. SIR TE'S COMPOUND - NIGHT

Two lighted lanterns are raised up.

INT. TE'S STUDY - NIGHT

Sir Te hands the sword to Governor Yu.

SIR TE:

Go ahead, Governor Yu.

Governor Yu is impressed by the opulence and elegance of the

sword. He closes his eyes to guess the weight of the sword.

Te snubs out the flame from a candle, then slides the sword

out from its sheath. The sword gives off a luminous blue

glow in the dark.

SIR TE:

Two feet 9 inches long. 1 inch

wide. The handle is 1 inch deep,

2.6 inches wide. Seven-tenths of

an inch thick. With seven rubies

missing from the hilt. You can

tell the design dates back to

before the Chin era. Engraved with

a technique lost by the time of the

Han Dynasty.

GOVERNOR YU:

Your knowledge is remarkable, Sir Te.

SIR TE:

A sword by itself rules nothing.

It comes alive only through skillful

manipulation.

GOVERNOR YU:

I see your point. Please continue.

SIR TE:

The Imperial Court isn't the

problem. With royalty and officials

everywhere, the Royal Guard keeps

security tight. But Peking is not

like the West. Here, you'll find

all sorts of characters. Proceed

with caution in your quest for law

and order. Don't depend only on

the court. Contacts in the Giang

Hu underworld can ensure your

position. Be strong, yet supple.

This is the way to rule.

INT. JEN'S ROOM - NIGHT

A maid warms her hands in a basin of hot water for Jen, then

walks over to Jen and helps remove her earrings. Someone

knocks and the maid goes to answer the door.

MAID:

Governess...

GOVERNESS:

Let me do it.

The maid leaves as the governess enters the room.

JEN:

Please sit.

GOVERNESS:

I've made you silk pajamas. Do you

want to change into them?

JEN:

Put them down.

GOVERNESS:

I heard you met Shu Lien today.

JEN:

Do you know her?

GOVERNESS:

She's one of those. Your mother

would not want you consorting with

her kind.

Jen shoots her an angry look.

JEN:

I'll socialize with whomever I

please.

GOVERNESS:

Don't invite danger into your

father's house.

She's about to say something, then thinks better of it.

JEN:

I'm tired now.

GOVERNESS:

Go to bed then. Miss has grown up,

and is getting married soon. God

knows what the future will bring.

JEN:

It will be just the same. Enough!

I'm tired.

GOVERNESS:

Autumn is coming. I'll shut the

windows for you.

The governess leaves. Jen sits on the side of her bed,

thinking.

EXT. TE'S COMPOUND - NIGHT

A wide shot of the compound. A patrol man greets Master Bo,

Sir Te's head of security. The place is serene.

MASTER BO:

Chilly, eh?

NIGHTMAN:

Yes, Master Bo.

As Bo walks on, shadows rustle in a treetop in the background.

EXT./INT. INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF TE'S STUDY - NIGHT

A masked figure silently opens the window and enters the

room. It moves swiftly to the sword case, opens it, and

wraps the sword.

Bo enters, sees the thief, who leaps up to the ceiling. The

thief steps over Bo and out into the courtyard. Bo tries to

stop the thief, who easily outwits him, jumping onto the

roof as Bo yells out.

BO:

Someone help! Stop him! He's on

the roof! The sword's been stolen!

Stop thief! Stop him!

The thief skips a few times and jumps off to a side street.

Bo grabs a pole and runs, as gongs begin to sound, alerting

people to the theft. People rush outside, Yu Shu Lien among

them.

EXT. PEKING STREET - NIGHT

Bo runs through the streets. The thief is nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, there are sounds of weapons clashing. Bo hurries

towards the source.

EXT. AN ALLEY OUTSIDE GOVERNOR YU'S COMPOUND - NIGHT

Bo is surprised to see the hooded figure battling with two

other fighters -- Tsai (male, 40s) and May, his daughter.

TSAI:

It's Jade Fox!

MAY:

We must avenge mother!

The hooded figure does a gravity defying flip and soars over

a wall, just as Bo arrives.

BO:

Do something! He's getting away!

EXT. PEKING ROOFTOP - NIGHT

The thief runs atop a roof -- right into Yu. Yu and the

hooded figure face off.

YU:

Return the sword, and I'll let you

go.

The figure just regards her, slightly shifting weight.

Yu attacks, but the figure repels her.

YU:

You've been trained at Wudan?

The figure answers by leaping to another rooftop. Yu

catches up, and resumes her attack with a relentless series

of lightning-quick blows.

EXT. ALLEY OUTSIDE GOVERNOR YU'S COMPOUND - NIGHT

Bo follows Tsai and May, who are quickly walking away.

TSAI:

You're mistaken. We're just street

performers. We were rehearsing.

MAY:

Father!

BO:

You were rehearsing? Who are you

trying to fool?

May wants to respond but is again cut off by Tsai. They run

off.

BO:

Where did that thief go?

Bo looks around and discovers he had chased the thief into

Governor Yu's compound.

BO:

Governor Yu's house!

EXT. ROOF TOP

Yu and the Black Figure continue to fight.

YU:

Get down here! Give back the sword!

EXT. GOVERNOR YU'S - NIGHT

Yu slowly gets the upper hand in her fight with the thief.

A small arrow cuts across the night and flies toward Yu.

She catches it, but the masked figure takes the opportunity

to get away.

Yu pauses to feel the arrow in her hand, standing in the

empty courtyard.

EXT. TE'S SIDE ENTRANCE - DAY

De Lu escorts Yu into Te's.

DE LU:

Sir Te awaits you.

INT. TE'S GREAT HALL - DAY

Men are standing at attention. Bo is giving his account of

what happened, as Yu enters.

BO:

I'm sure the thief is in the Yu

household.

SIR TE:

How dare you imply?

BO:

But I say --

SIR TE:

-- Enough.

The men hustle out. Bo can barely contain his frustration.

YU:

Has Governor Yu ever seen the sword?

SIR TE:

Yes, though I doubt he's involved

in this.

YU:

But the sword could be in his

compound.

SIR TE:

Then someone's trying to set him up.

We should inform Li Mu Bai.

EXT. OUTSIDE GOVERNOR YU'S COMPOUND - NIGHT

Madam Yu is returning from temple. The governess is helping

her out of the carriage. Servants are peeling bills off a

wall across the street.

MADAM YU:

What is it?

MAID:

Madam Yu, someone's put up posters.

A partially torn flyer with the words "Jade Fox will not

escape justice!" is seen on the ground.

MADAM YU:

Let me see.

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