Butterfly and Sword is a 1993 Hong Kong wuxia film loosely based on the novel Liuxing Hudie Jian by Gu Long. Directed by Michael Mak, the film starred Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Jimmy Lin, Joey Wong and Donnie Yen.
Butterfly has nothing to do with the martial arts world. Her father was once a renowned member of the martial arts world, but she is just another young girl deeply in love with Meng Sing Wan. They live happily in a small hut next to a river, where he spends time trying to catch fish, and writing poetry. From time to time, Sing has to go away on business to earn money, that's what he tells her anyway, but the horrifying truth is that he is an assassin.
He is a member of the Happy Forest, a group of assassins led by Sister Ko, but he is tired of the never-ending life of killing for a living. Yip is another member of the group, and is Sing's best friend. The both of them, along with Sister Ko, and a girl called Ho Ching grew up together, forming the best of Happy Forest. Yip is in love with Sister Ko, but is afraid to tell her. However, Ko only has eyes for Sing, but Sing regards her only as an older sister.
Ko is given a mission by the Grand Eunuch Tsao, who instructs her
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