PART ONE - Paradise, SYDT - Shui Yue Dong Tian Summary 

Since the beginning when the Creator, Pan Gu, created the world,
the Tong Clan aided the Emperors with their spiritual and psychic
gifts, until the end of the Qin Dynasty (roughly 206 BC). Yin
Zhong [Norman Chu] harbored evil thoughts and was expelled by the
clan. He badmouthed the Tong Clan to the Emperor, who ordered
them to be killed. In a terrible battle, the Tong Clan lost the
use of their sacred mirror, an important artifact which reveals
what is going on in other places -- and Yin Zhong received a
cursed wound which would plague him for centuries to come and
never really heal. General Long Teng [Yu Bo] sacrificed his life
to save the clan and hid them in a deep valley in another
dimension.

[The Emperor in question is probably Ziying, the Third Emperor of
the Qin Dynasty, which is probably why he was forced to surrender
to Liu Pang and was ultimately killed by Hsiang Yu - he didn't
have the Tong clan there to advise him. To get a good overview of
the real-world history behind this part of the story, read "A
Cartoon History of the Universe", volume 2.]

Long Teng believed that life and fame and fortune are nothing but
reflections in water. So he named the hideout Shui Yue Dong Tian
(SYDT) -- Moon Reflected in Water -- and established a rule that
no one is allowed to leave.

The protective charm of the Tong Clan was a magic mirror used as
a kind of oracle. It was sealed with the blood of General Long
Teng before his death and turned to stone, and it later
disappeared. Yin Zhong was injured by the magic mirror, which
left a permanent injury on his body and kept on torturing him
with continuous relapses.

500 years later.... [We are now in the Western Jin period in
China, the Yuanking era. The area in which our heroes live is
obviously in northern China judging by the hair and clothing
styles and the fur trim on some of the gowns.]

Clan leader Tong Zheng is dying. Yin Xiu [Song Lai Yun], the
clan's doctor/magician, tries to save him with the help of a
magic sword, but doesn't know enough about the way it works. Tong
Zheng's two younger sons, Tong Zhan [Yang Jun Yi] and Tong Xin
[Zhang Jin] (who is slightly retarded but like a very bright and
gifted ten-year-old), discover in the clan archives a scroll
which describes a piece of red jade, "Xue Ru Yi", said to have
magical properties including the ability to heal and maybe even
resurrect the dead. Through a dimensional gateway in a forbidden
sacred pool, they sneak out of the valley and into the everyday
world.

This jade, "Xue Ru Yi", is actually two pieces of carved scarlet
jade now kept by the ruling Yin family -- relatives by side
descent of the valley people -- at their great house, Yu Jian
(Sword Mountain) Villa, where the head of the household is also a
judge-arbiter and mayor.  To the family, the jade is a symbol of
leadership passed from father to son. (In most wuxia stories,
village administrators are chosen by acclaim or election -- a
hereditary leadership is uncommon.) 

The eldest son Tong Bo [curly-haired guy, played by Yu Bo, the
same actor who plays General Long Teng] found his way to the
everyday world where he rescued Tong Zhan who was surrounded by
the villa's guards; he also brought back the little thief, Dou
Dou [Ada Choi], who was standing nearby and whom he had mistaken
for Tong Xin.

Dou Dou and her sisters, perky Zhu Er [Shen Xiao Yan] and classy
Zhao Yun [Yang Guang] are thieves, trained by their adoptive
father Han Ba Tian [Zhang Qian] who was a bandit before retiring
to open a gift shop where he sells legitimate goods but also
fences stolen items. Many people mistake the shop for a
whorehouse because of the brash young girls working there and the
fact that the shop is called "Three Flowers"; Han Ba Tian has
always kept it a secret that the girls are his daughters. 

Upon their return to SYDT, Tong Zheng revealed to Tong Zhan that
Tong Bo is adopted and cannot inherit. Before he died, he
directed that Tong Bo be sent away from the valley. The piece of
red jade Dou Dou had stolen, which Tong Zhan had been trying to
take from her, was thrown down and shattered by Dou Dou and this
caused all the entrances to be frozen.  Tong Bo, Tong Zhan, Dou
Dou and the old doctor/shaman Yin Xiu escaped.

For 500 years, the Tong Clan had led a simple life without any
struggles. As we've seen with the magic sword, many special gifts
were lost in the process. Tong Xin is one of the rare talented
ones; he has an intuitive understanding of astrology, can
communicate with animals, and has various magical powers. As a
child he suffered an illness which left him with the mentality of
a ten-year-old -- a very bright one, but with little
understanding of human guile and subterfuge.

Tong Xin is captured in Yu Jian Villa and interviewed by Yin Hao
[Liu Quan], the current mayor/judge, and his younger brother, Yin
Zhong [Norman Chu!!!] -- the same Yin Zhong who tried to have the
valley clan exterminated 500 years ago. Yin Hao thinks Yin Zhong
is his younger brother Yin Jun. He has no idea that this is his
ancestor who is very close to being immortal, and who has assumed
Yin Jun's place.

Yin Hao is an honest judge, who wants to give everyone a fair
deal -- except for his children, who have not lived up to his
expectations. His daughter Yin Tian Xue (Tesha) [Monica Chan] is
a very intelligent and gifted girl but is sickly. His son Yin
Tian Qi (Tianshi) [Lu Xing Yu] likewise has a superior mind and
excels in both academics and martial arts, but is viewed by his
father as a coward -- he is not, but is impulsive, strong-willed,
and frustrated by his dad's lack of faith in him. Tian Xue wants
to get in her dad's good books but it seems she can never please
him, so she has a love-hate relationship with him. Like most of
the Yin family, she always has a number of secret activities and
sneaky dealings going on, and often involves her brother to cover
for her schemes, but she is good at heart -- just frustrated. 

Yin Zhong is delighted to hear what Tong Xin has to say about the
valley, as he still harbors 3 wishes - the hope to destroy the
Tong Clan, to find a cure to his injury and to become a deity
[very normal in ancient China].

Yu Jian Villa is in a state of chaos after one of the two pieces
of Xue Ru Yi jade disappeared in the middle of the succession
ceremony where leadership was supposed to be turned over to Tian
Qi. Yin Hao believes that both tokens were stolen by Tong Xin and
his clan people, but little does he know that the mastermind, who
hired the three thieves, is his own daughter.

Tian Xue has secretly learned many of Yin Zhong's magic and
psychic skills. She has a strange illness (perhaps chronic
fatigue), which she believes can only be healed by Xue Ru Yi.
Usually Xue Ru Yi is kept in the stomach of a giant python reared
by Yin Zhong in the dungeon underneath the villa. Zhao Yun got
her hand bitten off by the snake for her trouble. Tian Xue
eventually pays her three times what she'd originally planned.

Tong Bo and family stay at Dou Dou's house. Tong Bo and Dou Dou
develop a liking for each other. Zhao Yun also falls for Tong Bo,
who isn't attracted to her except as a friend. Zhao Yun thinks
Dou Dou stole him from her. This leads to a string of mistakes
and unpleasant events. (this is a real soap opera!)

Tong Bo and Tong Zhan try to rescue Tong Xin from Yu Jian Villa
and become acquainted with Tian Xue. Tong Zhan began to like Tian
Xue after many misunderstandings, and he is determined to find a
way to make her well. He sneaks into the villa to see her, and
when discovered by her father, announces his intention to marry
her. Yin Hao is very impressed with Tong Zhan's optimistic and
open personality -- although Tian Xue believes she's dying and
doesn't want to leave Tong Zhan a widower, so when Yin Hao
announces the marriage, she throws a fit. If she is to marry, she
must find a way to be healed, and the red jade didn't help when
she tried it.

Yin Zhong doesn't want the two to marry because he thinks Tong Bo
is the leader of the Tong Clan (Tong Xin told him this, since he
didn't know that his father had passed the leadership on to Tong
Zhan). Yin Zhong wants Tong Bo and Tian Xue to marry, uniting the
Houses and allowing him to visit the forbidden valley where he
can learn all their secrets, particularly the secret of the
Spirit Mirror (he doesn't know it's been lost), and become a god.

Tong Bo, Tong Zhan and Tian Xue combined efforts to rescue Tong
Xin, who's being kept in the dungeon by Yin Zhong. Tong Bo
changes into a dragon -- something he occasionally does in
emergencies -- and tries unsuccessfully to kill the snake. Tong
Xin drinks the snake's blood by accident, so now he's under Yin
Zhong's spell.  Both he and the snake now do whatever Yin Zhong
says. But also, the snake has become his friend.

Tong Bo and family discover that Long Ze, Dou Dou's house where
she lives with her father and sisters, is the old house of
General Long Teng's descendants. Tong Bo examines the relics and
learns that Tong Zheng was right -- he is the Longs' only living
descendant.

Two decades ago, the Long family was almost completely murdered
by Yin Zhong. A loyal servant, Long Yan [Cheng Pei-Pei from
Crouching Tiger] (referred to as Long Po or Popo, meaning
Grandmother) risked her life to bring Tong Bo (whose real name is
Long Bo, and he calls himself this) into the forbidden valley.
She sneaked back and hid in the basement of Yu Jian Villa where
she took pains to train Yin Tian Xue as well as to find an
opportunity to take revenge against Yin Zhong for her late
employer. A family prophecy says that 500 years after the Tong
Clan's escape into the valley (in other words, now), the mortal
world will undergo another major crisis and he is the destined
savior to rescue everyone. Wouldn't you know it.

Tong Bo decides to go along with the marriage. Before the
ceremony, Yin Zhong heals Tian Xue of her weird disease. He also
reveals his true identity to Yin Hao, who is devastated to hear
that his real brother is dead. The two argue about the marriage,
until Yin Zhong kills Yin Hao -- or appears to. 

In order to conceal his immortality, Yin Zhong had been killing
one member of the Yins every 50 years to adopt his identity and
the latest victim was Yin Jun. Yin Jun's orphaned son, Yin
Tianchou [Shi Xiao Long] is now a young man. He dresses like a
ninja and sneaks into Yu Jian Villa to take revenge. During the
day he pretends to be a humble assistant caretaker. At Yin Hao's
funeral, Tianchou stages a "haunting" in which he imitates Yin
Hao's voice and tells the people that Yin Zhong is a murderer.
Yin Zhong retaliates by killing almost every member of the
funeral procession, leaving only a few guards, Yin Tian Qi and
Tong Bo. 

Tian Qi (his arm badly burnt in the fire Yin Zhong started) is
angered and frightened by what he's seen and what it will mean to
him as the new village leader, to have to deal with such a
formidable sorcerer. Yin Zhong wastes no time in sidelining Tian
Qi by breaking his arm and naming Tian Xue as the village leader
(rare but not unheard of). Tian Xue accepts, for her own reasons
which she does not reveal to Tian Qi. 

Tong Zhan and Dou Dou are not told why Tong Bo has agreed to
marry Tian Xue -- it has to be secret. Tong Bo and Tian Xue go
through the wedding, but while they will appear to live together
as husband and wife, they will not consummate the marriage;  they
can divorce later when it is safe. 

Dou Dou has found and rescued Yin Hao, who is not dead after all,
but in suspended animation. Tianchou breaks the spell, bringing
him back to life. Yin Hao is deeply touched and overjoyed to meet
Tianchou, the son of his dead brother. 

In a desperate scheme to rob Yin Zhong of the source of his
power, Tong Bo conceives a plan to kill the snake and use a
series of bombs to destroy Yin Zhong's basement lair. Dou Dou
gets in on the plan and nearly gets herself killed. When Tong Xin
finds out that his snake friend is dead, he blames Dou Dou and
tries to kill her. Believing that his family have turned against
him, he agrees to work for Yin Zhong.

Tianchou finds out that Tong Bo and Tian Xue are shamming. He
tells Dou Dou and Tong Zhan. Subsequently he is attacked by Tong
Xin, who mistakes him for an enemy, and then murdered by Yin
Zhong. Little Zhu Er, who loves Tianchou, is the last to see him
alive. He gives her a charm that he has always worn, which was
given to him by his parents. Yin Hao grieves for his nephew, who
was worth more to him than his own son.

As Tian Xue prepares to leave for the valley with Tong Bo, Dou
Dou and Tong Zhan follow them. 

Zhao Yun has already connived to rob Tong Bo of many of his
magical abilities by embedding a silver pin in his flesh,
unbalancing his energy. However, this was discovered and removed
by Long Po. Following the others she is discovered by Tong Xin.
She pushes Tong Xin into a deep river, but he was saved by --
OMG! the long-lost magic mirror! 

It looks like a useless stone image since having been sealed into
that form by Long Teng's blood in former times. No one knows how
to restore its magical powers. 

Zhu Er sacrifices herself, allowing Yin Zhong to take her life
essence to keep him alive so he can help them complete the
mission to unfreeze the entrances (they're hoping they can
prevent him from doing anything evil once he's accomplished
this). She leaves Tianchou's jade pendant.

On entering the valley, Yin Zhong learns the successor is Tong
Zhan and not Tong Bo. Tong Zhan can't do anything with the mirror
without the help of the clan elders, who are still trapped in the
freeze. Yin Zhong steals the mirror in hopes of finding other
ways to restore its powers.

Tianchou's pendant drops onto the floor and immediately unfreezes
the valley entrances. They realize that this is Xue Ru Yi Zhi Xin
-- the pin that held the two parts of the Xue Ru Yi jade
together.

Tian Qi discovers his sister's plan and is concerned for her
safety as well as angry that she kept something from him. She
wants him to remain in Yu Jian - if she goes up against Yin
Zhong, she might die, and Tian Qi's safety ensures that the
family line continues. The guards lock him in the dungeon. Yin
Hao shows up and berates him one last time before departing to,
as he thinks, stop Yin Zhong.

He finds and fights with Yin Zhong, who pushes him into the river
where he is rescued and later captured by Zhao Yun, to be used as
bait to lure Tian Xue. She then sent both into the dark hell of
Yan Shen Gu. [This is also called Hell Yan, and one can actually
live in its underground regions, as we find out later.]

In a fierce battle with Yin Zhong, Tong Bo's blood is spilled
onto the mirror, restoring its magical powers. Long Teng's spirit
unites with Tong Bo's and a final battle is fought. Tong Bo sends
Yin Zhong into the fiery flames that vanquish him eternally. (Uh
huh. Until NEXT TIME Bwaaahahahahahahah.....)

The valley resumes its original serene and peaceful lifestyle.
Tong Xin is back to his old self. Tong Zhan takes up the
responsibility to lead the Tong Clan but is distraught about Tian
Xue's disappearance. Tong Bo and Dou Dou plan a future together,
but Tong Bo has promised to help look for Tian Xue first. End
part I.

Tong Bo (Yu Bo)  26 yr-old. He is a knowledgeable and free
spirit; he supposed himself to be the successor of the SYDT clan
leadership, although he has no ambitions and wishes to lead a
quiet life. He wants to live simply in the forest with the
animals he cares for. He possesses fine martial art skills but
hates to fight with others. His name means "abundance".

Tong Zhan (Yang Jun Yi)  25-yr-old. He is an impulsive, quick-
witted and gung ho person. He is the actual clan leader, since
Tong Bo was found to have been adopted. His name means "fighter".


Tong Xin (Zhang Jin)  20 yr-old and the youngest brother of Tong
Bo and Tong Zhan. An illness during his childhood left him with
an IQ of a child as well as childlike innocence and curiosity.
Even though he is a highly skilled martial artist and can read
and write, he doesn't get subtlety and is often unable to
differentiate between good and bad. His name means "innocent."

Dou Dou (Ada Choi)  21 yr-old. She is a sharp-witted person whose
martial art skills suck, but she's pugnacious and doesn't mind a
good fight. She has excellent stealing techniques but her scrappy
nature lands her in trouble. So she is usually posted as a
lookout during stealing missions with Zhao Yun and Zhu Er. She
loves Tong Bo but he seems oblivious, or doesn't know what to do.
Her name means "Beanie."

Yin Tian Xue (Monica Chan) Yin Hao's 22 yr-old daughter and Tian
Qi's younger sister. She is a woman of few words but very
decisive and can be arrogant. She is aware that Yin Zhong is evil
but pretends to go along with him. Her name means "Morning Snow."

Long Po (Zheng Pei Pei) 50 odd yr-old lady who still retains her
charm. Sharp-tongued but softhearted. She was the lover of Yin
Hao in their younger days. They broke up due to a
misunderstanding. She also had a relationship with Han Ba Tian,
who still cares about her. Po means grandmother. 

Yin Zhong (Norman Tsui)  Yin Hao's forty odd yr-old brother. He
seems to be a straightforward and sincere person but beneath his
appearance, he is cunning and ambitious. He wants to locate the
valley because he thinks he can find there the secret of
immortality. His name means "the one in the middle" or "at the
center".

Zhao Yun (Yang Guang) 23 yr-old. She is a gentle and adorable
girl with devious character. She grew up with Dou Dou and Zhu Er.
They were very close sisters until she and Dou Dou fell in love
with Tong Bo. She schemes against Dou Dou without realizing that
her greatest enemy is actually Tian Xue. She has a queenly
bearing, but because she is of humble origins, she has always had
self-esteem issues, made worse by the loss of her left hand. She
tricks Tian Qi into marrying her, although it's evident he cared
deeply for her and would have done so without her schemes. Her
name means "cloud."

Yin Tian Chou (Shi Xiao Long)  an optimistic 17 yr-old. A highly
skilled martial artist whose parents were killed by Yin Zhong.
His name means "Vengeance of Heaven."

Yin Tian Qi (Lu Xing Yu) - Yin Hao's 25 yr-old son. A gentle and
well mannered sort who excels in academics and martial arts. He
is a deeply intelligent young man who pays close attention to
details. He is impulsive, has a bit of a temper, and frustrated
by his father's assumption that he is worthless. His instinctive
gallantry also gets him in trouble. He is devoted to his sister
and later falls in love with Zhao Yun, allowing his attraction to
her to blind him to her schemes. His name means "Morning
Splendor".

Yin Hao (Liu Quan), 60 yr-old, the quiet and reserved owner of Yu
Jian Villa. He is a reputable arbitrator whose ethics and martial
art skills are respected by all. He is kind and just towards
everyone but his own children. His attitude toward them is
puzzling to say the least, he doesn't think well of either of
them. He actually treats his nephew Yin Tianchou more like a son
than his own one. His name means "Great, like the ocean."

Zhu Er (Shen Xiao Yan) 18 yr-old. She is kind, active and timid.
She loves to poke her nose in other people's business. Due to her
kind nature, she tends to leave a little trace during the
stealing sprees. Her greatest pleasure is to find out and spread
the juicy gossip of the martial art world. However, she has been
hunted by killers for all the secrets that she gets to know,
particularly when she does not know when to stop talking about
them. Her name means "little bead".

Han Ba Tian (Zhang Qian) 60 odd yr-old. He pretends to be a timid
bootlicker but is actually a courageous and kindhearted person.
His name is more of a nickname and is "Korean Skies," so he's
obviously spent some time there.

Yin Xiu (Song Lai Yun) 60 yr-old. He is the valley's chief
wizard, and a gifted physician who has saved many lives. He is
impatient and forgetful but he loves to research in astrology and
scientific experiments. He mumbles to himself a lot. The only one
who catches his full attention is Tong Bo. His name means
"Student of hidden things."

Kou Zi (Yu Cheng Xi) 20 yr-old. He is a clerk employed by Han Ba
Tian. He is a lustful gambler and alcoholic; he only uses money
to measure his own status. His name means "Little dog".


PART TWO - LJCQ Ling Jing Chuan Qi "Legend of the Spirit Mirror"
Summary 

The martial art world has a longtime legend about a mysterious
sacred place called Shui Yue Dong Tian (SYDT). 5 years ago, the
news about this place and the tribe surfaced for a short while,
then disappeared without a trace. This is because the Tong
brothers returned to the valley after banishing the evil Yin
Zhong into Hell Yan. The world had resumed its peacefulness. Five
years later, Tong Bo and Tong Xin were sucked into the magical
mirror while searching for their sister-in-law Yin Tian Xue, and
have been drawn into the gap of Hell Yan. 

The martial art world's reputable family the Yins, and their
great house Yu Jian Villa, are now led by Yin Tian Qi. Due to
Tian Qi's complacent nature, he never has any fights or enemies
in the martial art world (in fact, the people love him). However,
one night he receives a note (by dagger-mail, yet) warning that
Yu Jian Villa will be invaded on the 15th day of the month. Tian
Qi cannot bear such humiliation and decides to fight against the
unknown intruders. 

For 300 years, the Men family's Zhu Jian Fang forge has groomed
many famous sword-making masters. However, the current
swordmaster Men Da Qi is having difficulty -- all his swords
break. Along with his daughter Jian Qiu and his disciple Da Zhu,
Da Qi had been earnestly trying to make a famous and formidable
sword worthy of his family name.

On this particular day, Da Qi is delighted to receive an order
from Yu Jian Villa to manufacture 100 swords. Again, however, all
his efforts are in vain - the swords break on contact. But six
mysterious elders sneak in and offer to buy the swords. Jian Qiu
wants to know what's going on, jumps into their wagon and finds
herself in SYDT. The six men are the six elders of the Tong Clan.


There have been a number of earthquakes in the valley, and from
astrology, the elders had forecasted that the Tong Clan were in
trouble and might be attacked -- that's why they wanted the
swords. The Tongs are traditionally forbidden to kill, and clan
leader Tong Zhan wanted the swords merely to frighten off the
enemy, so it doesn't matter if they're junk. However, the only
enemy is Yin Zhong. He's now living in Hell Yan as a kind of
demon. 

Tong Bo and Tong Xin are inside the mirror. Tong Bo sees that Yin
Zhong will soon be able to escape. Tong Xin is still inclined to
respect his old Ju Ren (boss) and might return to his servitude.
Tong Bo makes a pact with the mirror, giving his compassionate
heart to Yin Zhong, and his intelligence to Tong Xin. He believes
that this will kill him, but the important thing is to save the
world. [Never assume that ancient magical artifacts cannot be
bribed.]

Instantly after making the pact, the three of them were thrown
out of Hell Yan. Yin Zhong was trapped within a block of charcoal
wood and was picked up by Jian Qiu. Tong Bo is semiconscious but
aware of Jian Qiu, who finds and takes care of him, and Dou Dou,
whom he briefly sees standing at the top of the mountain in her
wedding gown. (She always dresses in her wedding gown on the
anniversary of his disappearance and goes there because he was
last seen there). He just catches a glimpse of her. He is healed
by Long Po, who makes a deal with the spirit mirror and
sacrifices her own life to save him. (Again: never assume that
ancient magical artifacts cannot be bribed.)

Yu Jian Villa is invaded by only one person -- Tian Xue, whom
Tian Qi and Zhao Yun have assumed to be dead. Displaying
ferocious martial arts skills, she disarms all the guards and
announces that her father Yin Hao asked her to take over the
leadership of Yu Jian, because he didn't think Tian Qi was strong
enough to do it. (Tian Qi has been running the place peacefully
for five years.) Zhao Yun has been a good wife to Tian Qi, but
Tian Xue tells her brother to ask his wife about what really
happened to his father and sister who "disappeared".

The suspicious Tian Qi interrogates Zhao Yun and she evades his
questions. Subsequently she falls for Tian Xue's sneak attack --
designed to put a spell on her and ruin her looks. She fakes her
own death and runs away. Believing his wife to have been killed
by his sister, Tian Qi becomes angry and the siblings fall out.

Zhao Yun conceals her true identity (except from her two maids)
and tries to sneak into SYDT in hope that Yin Xiu would cure her
illness. She coincidentally helps Tong Xin whom the maids find by
the river. He's forgotten about his past and regained his
intelligence. Tong Xin can see that Zhao Yun is up to something,
but that she seems to know his real identity. He pretends to go
along with her so he can find out more about his past.

Meanwhile, a number of Tian Qi's guards have been garroted, and
Tian Qi investigates, concluding that the weapon was a wire
thread. In former times, Dou Dou was accustomed to carrying such
a thread, coiled inside her sleeve, which she would shoot out and
use to catch things (or people) she wanted (she once tried to
restrain Tian Qi himself with it). Tian Qi now believes Dou Dou
is behind the murders. Along the course of the story, he engages
in more detective work, and tracks down his supposedly dead wife
through an amethyst hairpin -- one of a set he himself had given
her.

After Jian Qiu picked up the charcoal wood, she threw it into the
stove of her father's forge, where it immediately exploded. The
following day in the rubble of Zhu Jian Villa, Jian Qiu found the
naked Yin Zhong, who did not know his name, identity or where he
was from. Seeing that Yin Zhong was without any kin, seemed
pleasant enough if a bit simple, and looked trustworthy, Men Da
Qi decided to recruit him as an assistant. Yin Zhong helps the
family to rebuild the forge. After some time together, Jian Qiu
and Yin Zhong developed a liking for each other.

Tong Zhan leaves SYDT once again to look for Tong Xin. He first
buries Long Yan (Long Po) in the homeland of the Long family --
Long Ze Villa. When Han Ba Tian finds out that she is dead, he
kills himself and is buried by her side.

Dou Dou has tried to help Tong Bo recall his past and Tong Bo's
getting annoyed. In the marketplace he meets Yin Zhong. Both men
feel they know one another and become good friends. Yin Zhong
invites Tong Bo to assist in the forge. (can we say Dumb and
Dumber?)

Dou Dou was initially skeptical towards Yin Zhong but Yin Zhong
proves that he has become a good person. On the other hand, after
Dou Dou's repetitive descriptions of the past, Tong Bo is
starting to dislike the old Tong Bo who is described as always
willing to sacrifice for the world even at the expense of his
kinship and love relationships.

Tong Zhan stays in Long Ze Villa (the Long family's old house,
subsequently occupied by the Hans) and meets Tian Xue. She is
accompanied by a masked man, Lei Hen, who always wears a black
outfit with a huge hat. As Tian Xue seems to be blowing hot and
cold towards him, Tong Zhan assumed that she was now interested
in Lei Hen. However, Tian Xue many times risked her life to save
Tong Zhan and the other two boys, demonstrating her love for him,
although she's unable or unwilling to explain it (Who was that
masked man, anyway?).

In SYDT, the 6 Tong Elders repair the mirror and see how Tong Bo
gave away his intelligence and goodness. They leave the valley
with the mirror, headed for Long Ze Villa to report everything to
Tong Zhan. After many obstructions and a couple of bandit
attacks, they finally reach Long Ze Villa safely. Tong Zhan
learns about Tong Bo's sacrifice and is determined to help him.

Tong Bo finds a metal core buried by the Men ancestors, with a
note stating that the metal core was an inauspicious thing. [THIS
METAL IS CURSED. DON'T MAKE ANYTHING OUT OF IT.] The curse is
that anyone who makes a sword of this metal will have to
sacrifice the life of his most beloved -- the sword will then be
purified and good. But before that it is evil and can't be
trusted.

Da Qi thinks he can get away with it by having Yin Zhong do the
actual casting, since (he thinks) Yin Zhong has no kin. Yin Zhong
with the help of Jian Qiu makes the sword, and they call it Yu
Ming. Da Qi presents it to Yin Tian Qi, hoping to sustain his
family's reputation as swordmakers to the Yins.

Tian Qi immediately finds out that the sword tends to take over
and attack people you don't mean to, and can only be stopped when
blood is drawn. However, he keeps it for now, thinking he can
learn to control it. He visits Zhu Jian Villa and sees Yin Zhong,
the one who (he thinks!) killed his father. In a fit of anger, he
draws the sword, and it takes over and injures Yin Zhong. [I TOLD
YOU NOT TO MAKE ANYTHING OUT OF IT, DUMBASS.]

Yin Zhong is in a coma. Jian Qiu swears that if Yin Zhong
survives, she'll marry him. Tong Bo seeks Yin Xiu's help. The
devious nature of Yu Ming Sword has entered Yin Zhong's body.
Yin Zhong begs the Tong boys for help. They combine their powers
to trap the devious nature in Yin Zhong's lower back.

Da Qi strongly objects to Jian Qiu's decision to marry Yin Zhong,
even though he proves himself worthy, because the sword might
require Jian Qiu's death. Tian Qi has a duplicate of the sword
made and placed where he thinks thieves would look first. The
thieves turn out to be his wife Zhao Yun and her personal guard
Situ Zhen, with whom she's carrying on behind Tian Qi's back.
Tian Qi entrusts the real sword to the Tong boys and tells them
to THROW IT INTO THE FIRES OF MOUNT DOOMED or whatever. Get rid
of it.

Tong Zhan throws the sword into Blackwater Lake in the caverns
underneath Hell, and catches a glimpse of Lei Hen changing her
clothes nearby. He realizes that Lei Hen was actually a lady, but
does not yet know that she is the real Tian Xue.

When she was trapped in the valley of hell for 5 years, Tian Xue
accidentally ate some poisonous fruit, causing her body and face
to rot beyond recognition. With the help of a orphan girl, Yue
Ya, a resident of SYDT who discovered her while exploring
Blackwater Caverns which lead to the caverns of Hell, Tian Xue
has been able to stay alive, barely.

She has spoken often to Yue Ya of her adventures and of Tong
Zhan. Yue Ya conceives a romantic fondness for Tong Zhan. She
wants to meet him, and since Tian Xue's dearest wish is to return
to the outside world, Yue Ya has an idea. Using a combination of
magic and medical knowledge, Yue Ya changes her appearance to
look exactly like Tian Xue. Tian Xue masks herself and calls
herself Lei Hen because it means "tears of ice".  Yue Ya has now
genuinely fallen in love with Tong Zhan, and Tian Xue / Lei Hen
sees this and wants to help.

Da Qi now agrees to let Yin Zhong marry his daughter. What he and
everyone else didn't notice was that Yin Zhong would occasionally
use little magical powers to make swords and other things,
without realizing that this would release some of the sword's
devious nature which was trapped inside him. 

On the festive wedding day, Tong Bo was feeling low in Men House,
as he could not forget the lady in the wedding dress whom he
imagined standing on the hill above Hell Yan, patiently waiting
for him. Dou Dou agreed to help him locate the girl, even though
she knew it was she herself. 

Lei Hen's idea is for Yue Ya to be Tong Zhan's wife in her place.
Yue Ya agrees on the condition that Lei Hen, the real Tian Xue,
must go through the wedding ceremony herself. On their wedding
day, Tong Bo and Dou Dou find Yue Ya hiding in Blackwater Caverns
and crying away so they finally learn the truth, as well as Yue
Ya's origins and Yin Zhong's deepest secret; all of his evil
plans and ambitions started back 500 years ago, when his beloved
daughter died. Preserving her in a coffin of ice in Blackwater
Caverns, he has devoted all this time and energy to becoming a
god so that he can bring her back to life. But she was found and
awakened by an elder of the Tong clan, and a family in the valley
adopted her. She is Yue Ya -- Yin Zhong's daughter and Tian Xue's
cousin.

In a dark bedroom where Tong Zhan and Lei Hen are supposed to
consummate their marriage, Tong Zhan accidentally sees Lei Hen's
disfigured face. He is not horrified, because it explains
everything. He can tell instantly that Lei Hen is Tian Xue. But
he doesn't have the heart to tell her that he knows. The couple
goes through a painful yet peaceful wedding night together.

Tian Qi has finally divorced Zhao Yun officially, but she isn't
out of ideas to humiliate and ruin him. She conspires with the
female leader of a local group of bandits to steal the sword and
the mirror. 

Yin Zhong has been faithfully caring for his wife and father-in-
law. However, due to his repetitive use of magical powers, the
devious nature breaks free and penetrates into Yin Zhong's bones
(ow). On Tong Zhan's wedding night Yin Zhong asks Tian Qi to lock
him in the dungeon underneath the house. Tian Qi does so, with
much regret as he can see Yin Zhong is a decent person now, who
simply can't trust himself. Yin Zhong remembers everything now
and writes his memoirs, including a full confession of his
crimes. Zhao Yun shows up and taunts him and he goes mad and
breaks out of jail.

He instinctively traces the sword to Blackwater Pond. He takes it
and disrupts the wedding party by abducting Yue Ya, fleeing to
Hell Yan with Tong Bo hot on his heels. Yin Zhong shoves him off
the top of the mountain, trying to send him to Hell Yan. Dou Dou
is nearby and cries out to Tong Bo, reminding him to turn into a
dragon. Tong Bo sees her and understands that she's the lady in
the wedding dress of his memory. He turns into a dragon and flies
out of Hell Yan. However, Yin Zhong has vanished.

Zhao Yun finally outwits herself. Her last and most evil scheme
falls through, to the horror and disgust of Tian Qi. 

Yin Zhong finds the mirror in Blackwater Valley. Tian Xue is
guarding it, still in her Lei Hen outfit, so he kills her. Tong
Zhan finds her, holds her as she dies, and weeps for her. Yin
Zhong is about to kill everybody, but Jian Qiu sees an
opportunity to run in and let the sword kill her. Yue Ya begins
to weep, confessing to all her true identity and the death of
Tian Xue. 

Yin Zhong regains consciousness, and is overwhelmed with grief
and guilt. He tries to kill himself with the sword. The devious
nature is released and Yin Zhong comes back to life. He devotes
the rest of his life to doing good, commemorating Jian Qiu's life
and tending her grave.

Tong Bo at last feels he can marry Dou Dou. Tong Zhan takes up
with Yue Ya, who retains a modified version of Tian Xue's
appearance. Tong Xin is made an honorary Elder in the clan. The
magical mirror resumed its duties to guard and protect the peace
loving people of the valley.

LJCQ Characters:

Men Jian Qiu  (Jess Zhang Qian) 22 to 23 yrs-old. A determined
and frank girl, the only daughter of Men Da Qi. Her name means
"falling sword".

Men Da Qi 50 odd yr old. The father of Jian Qiu -- maybe a bit
crafty, but also a man of conscience and righteousness. His name
means "a high-energy person."

Fei Tian Feng 26 to 27 yrs old. A quick-witted and greedy leader
of bandits. She allied with Zhao Yun to steal the Tong Clan's
magical mirror. Her name means "Phoenix."

Da Zhu  20 yrs old. A loyal and honest man, he always speaks the
truth even when others don't want to hear it. He's Men Da Qi's
chief apprentice. He has a crush on Dou Dou and struggles with
Tong Bo over this. His name means "Big Pig".

Liu Da Zhang Lao -- The six guardians of the Tong Clan, nicknamed
Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth and Sky. 

Tie Feng 28 yr old. The loyal and straightforward security chief
of Yu Jian Villa. He wholeheartedly serves and protects Yu Jian
Villa and Tian Qi, whom he loves as a brother. Whatever they pay
him, it can't possibly be enough. His name means "Iron Wind." 

Situ Zhen  20 odd yrs old. A reserved and soft-spoken guard of Yu
Jian Villa, second in command to Tie Feng. He is secretly in love
with the mistress of Yu Jian Villa, Zhao Yun. His name means
"quiet disciple of the company." (But we call him Hunk-Ra.)

Xiao Dao 20 odd yrs old. A gentle and kindhearted maid.  Worked
for Zhao Yun, but secretly aided Tong Xin, then fell in love with
him. Her name means "little dagger".

Xiao Xia 20 odd yrs old. Straightforward person who has something
of a swordsman's righteous character. She is also Zhao Yun's maid
and like Xiao Dao, she disagreed with Zhao Yun's ways. Her name
means "little whetstone".

Ge - Elder Brother 

Da Ge - First Brother

Dou Dou calls Tong Bo "Tong Da Ge", and for some reason in the
second series Jian Qiu calls Yin Zhong "Sha Da Ge", Sha meaning
fir tree.

Ar Di - Second Younger Brother (Yin Zhong is referred to as Ar Di
by Yin Hao, and as   

Ar Ye or "Second Father" a term of respect, by nearly everyone
else)

Ar Ge - Second Older Brother

Ar Shuo - Second Uncle (Tian Xue and Tian Qi call Yin Zhong this)

Bu - No

Bu shie (sounds like "Bull shit") - It isn't true

de bu chih - I am sorry, forgive me

Di Di - Little Brother 

Dieh - Dad, father

Do er - Daughter

Haola - fine, okay, enough

Huo - Maybe

jiao yuan - teacher, instructor

Jonjou - Master (as in master of the house)

Jou min ah - Let me go

Ju ren - Boss

Long shen gong - a spell Tong Bo and Yin Zhong both know, for
changing into a dragon for brief periods

Mei mei - Younger Sister (Tian Qi calls Tian Xue this)

meiou - not, never, didn't, wasn't

Na li - Where

ni - you

Ni jie – First Elder Sister (Zhou Er calls Zhao Yun this. Dou Dou
would be "Ar jie", Second Elder Sister)

Ni kan - you see / do you see? 

Ni kan sher lai ela - Look who's here

Ni shing - Wake up

Ni sho shema - What are you saying?

Ni tien de la ma - Do you hear me? / Do you understand me? / Are
you listening?

Ni zhe na li ah - Where are you?

shema - What? or What does this mean?

Sher ma - big snake

Shi - Yes

Syauje - Young master, young mistress

Szhe - death, kill. Szhe la - is dead

Tse m'la? - What is the matter? / What is it? / What's wrong?

wo - I

Wo ji ni - I care for you

Wo ye shi - Me too

xian sheng - master, teacher (respectful)

Xie xie - thank you

ye xu - maybe

Putting "ah" at the end of something is a diminutive or
endearment. Yin Xiu says "Tong Zhan ah," dear Tong Zhan.