Fu Hung Hsue (Lung Ti) is one of the many heroes of writer Gu-long. In this film, directed by Chor Yuen, he learns of a weapon called the Peacock Dart. It’s so powerful that it could disrupt the entire martial world. Even though he has sworn off violence, our hero must come back to protect others from this armament, which is kind of like little bombs in the fan tail of a peacock. Yes, it is amazing.

There’s also the matter of another warrior, Yen Nan Fei (Lo Lieh), who has challenged Fu Hung Hsue to a duel. But as they’re both being targeted by a series of killers, they decide to work together until they get to the bottom of this mystery.

Master Yu has put a price on both of them so all manner of wild looking killers have come to collect. I mean, one of them is called Devil Granny and she hides in the shadows, laughing at you after she poisons you with incense. Oh yeah, she also eats people, has a giant chessboard and has turned a food cart into a weapon.

The other bad guys all have weird supernatural martial arts weapons, but come on. None of them are in their twilight years yet biting down on people and making the most elaborate death traps.

The creator of the McGuffin weapon also sends his daughter Yu-cheng (Ching Li) along with our heroes as they seek to destroy Master Yu. Will she fall in love with one of the heroes? Will Fu Hung Hsue do incredible things like move the acupuncture points of his body by one inch so that he can’t be paralyzed? Will the heroes finally have their duel?

Yes to all of this, as well as more blood and sleaze than you were expecting. That is to say, this is wonderful, a movie contained within the Shaw Brothers lot but feeling like it could go anywhere and do anything.

You can also read what Jenn Upton had to say about this movie here.

The Arrow Video Shaw Scope Volume Three box set has a brand new 2K restoration of The Magic Blade as well as extras such as commentary by critic Samm Deighan and a trailer.

You can get this set from MVD.