The Avenger, a brooding swordsman armed with a blade marked "Slayer of 1000 Armies" claims he's waiting for a long-missing friend, at an outpost in Northwest China's Sun Valley. The Avenger suffers an intense fear of blood, from being the only survivor of his clan's massacre. The sight of blood propels him into a killing fury. Winter is setting in, so the local horse trader Black Bull, and most of the valley's men, prepare to drive a herd to market, leaving behind Black Bull's girlfriend, a feisty innkeeper.—David Stevens

A traveling mercenary known as the Avenger (Zhang Feng Yi) arrives in the valley to settle an old score, where he befriends a local inn owner (Yang Kuei Mei) and her son. While waiting for his enemy to arrive, the Avenger meets Crazy Man, an old warrior who has been waiting for years for his enemies to come to the canyon. When Crazy Man's foes arrive, the Avenger joins in the battle on his behalf, leading the Avenger to question the purpose of his life as a fighter.—Miramax