The Water Margin

The Water Margin, also known Outlaws of the Marsh and Seven Blows Of The Dragon, is a 1972 Hong Kong film adapted from the Chinese classical 14th-century novel Water Margin. It was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Chang Cheh. Godfrey Ho was assistant director (as Chih Chiang Ho). Plot The plot is based on the story of how "Jade Unicorn" Lu Junyi came to join the outlaw band at Liangshan Marsh and the outlaws' battle with the Zeng Family Fortress. Liangshan's chief Chao Gai was ambushed and killed by Shi Wengong. His fellows vow to avenge him. The current de facto leaders of Liangshan, Song Jiang and Wu Yong, decide that given Shi Wengong's skill, Lu Junyi (Shi's former fellow student) will be the best person to assist them in taking revenge. The outlaws also note that if they succeed in recruiting Lu Junyi, they will also win over Lu's servant, Yan Qing, who is also a formidable martial artist. Wu Yong disguises himself as fortune teller and infiltrates the northern capital, where Lu Junyi stays, together with Li Kui, who is disguised as his idiotic assistant. They visit Lu Junyi and lie to him that a great calamity will befall him if he does not travel 1,000 miles to the southeast. Lu Junyi is skeptical of the advice and asks Yan Qing for his opinion. By then, Yan Qing has recognized Li Kui and provokes the hot-tempered Li into a fight. Li Kui is defeated and confined together with Wu Yong. Wu Yong uses reverse psychology on Lu Junyi and manages to persuade Lu to release them. Just then, Lu Junyi's steward Li Gu, who is in a secret affair with Lu's wife, reports the outlaws' presence to the authorities so as to seize his master's fortune. When soldiers arrive to capture the outlaws, Lu Junyi orders Yan Qing to escort Wu Yong and Li Kui safely out while he confronts the soldiers and is arrested. Yan Qing attempts to free Lu Junyi from prison but Lu is captured again when Yan leaves him for a short while.