The Three Swordsmen is a 1994 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Taylor Wong and starring Andy Lau, Brigitte Lin and Elvis Tsui in the roles of the titular swordsmen.
Plot
At the presentation for the title of the world's greatest martial artist, Siu Sam-siu (Andy Lau), Ming Kim (Brigitte Lin) and Wang To (Elvis Tsui) were tied for the title. However, Wang-to has retired from the jiang hu after he was branded as the leader of the Godly Blades Troupe by the Emperor, so the battle for the greatest martial artist would be a battle between Siu Sam-siu and Ming-kim, who are scheduled to fight at the first day of the next year. At the event, Butterfly, the younger sister of Ku Choi-yee, who is married to Ming Kim's older brother, pretends to be Ming in order to get close to Siu as she is an admirer of him so Siu shows up and easily dispatches her. Right afterwards, officers from the Godly Blades Troupe arrive and attack Siu, who defeat them with little effort. The officers then accuse Siu for sneaking into the imperial palace and stealing the Ngo-nan Sword and the Godly Jade Jar as well as murdering the Empress and claim he stole the sword to defeat Ming. Siu then flee the scene and arrive at Butterfly's home and bumps into his old lover, Red Leaves, who reveals she framed him for breaking her heart in the past, but he finds out the mastermind is the King of Yin-tun, the leader of the Ming-fa Sect, who was defeating Ming seven years ago and imprisoned at Half Day Horizon and his followers poisoned Red so they can kill him while he tries to heal her. Siu kills the followers before bringing Red to the Sword Storage Villa owned by Tik Suen, who Red is married to.
The next day, Wang leads the Godly Blades Troupe to Sword Storage Villa to arrest Siu and Tik also discovers Red has left as she cannot forget Siu. Wang's subordinate tells him Siu was seen running in the forest, but Siu was hiding in Butterfly's home. Siu then encounters Wang alone as Butterfly had led Wang's subordinates away. Siu tells Wang he was framed but the latter insists on completing his duties and they engage in a fight that interrupted when Tik arrives demanding Red back. Wang kills Tik and Siu takes the chance to flee and save Butterfly from Ming-fa Sect followers. Wang and his troupes catch up to Siu but Siu manages to fend them off and flee.
Siu then decides to go to the Half Day Horizon to investigate the truth as members of Ming-fa Sect are imprisoned there and Butterfly decides to follow while on the other hand, the Prince of Hau was ordered by the Emperor to lead the arrest of Siu. At the Half Day Horizon, Siu and Butterfly encounter Ming Kim and Choi-yee. Siu and Ming finds something suspicious underground and they work together to destroy it and finds the King of Yin-tun, who is thought to be dead, but he framed Siu and was plotting to seek revenge against Ming. Siu and Ming fight the King of Yin-tun, but the latter escapes right before the Prince of Hau and Wang arrive to arrest Siu. Ming and Wang both defend Siu's innocence but Hau insists on arresting Siu, but Yin-tun returns to set a fire and Siu fights and humiliates Hau before fleeing and Hau declares he will arrive at Ming Kim Villa to arrest Siu 15 days later.
Wang's subordinate informs him that Red is healing from her poisoned and Wang finds out from the doctor that the origin of the poison came from a foreign flower brought in by Yin-tun. After Ming defeated Yin-tun, Ming destroyed all of the flower and planted in Ming Kim Villa for his sister-in-law, Choi-yee, who came from a foreign land, so Wang suspects someone in Ming Kim Villa is framing Siu, who is staying there to heal his wounds from his fight with Yin-tun. Siu suddenly leaves Ming Kim Villa which leads suspicion from Ming's mother, but Siu returns with the Ming's family sword manual stolen by Hau. Later, Butterfly decides she wants to be married to Siu and gains the approval of her family. At the night of the wedding, Red suddenly arrive and warns Siu of danger. Yin-tun, disguised as Butterfly, reveals himself and injures Siu and Red before hiding in Choi-yee's room and is revealed Choi-yee was the mastermind in framing Siu. Yin-tun berates Choi-yee for not killing Ming-kim, who she is in love him and takes her child hostage, but she kills him. However, everything was overhead by Butterfly so Choi-yee captures Butterfly. As Red dies from her injuries, she gives Siu a piece of jade.