The Bastard 1973

A hermit found a little orphan in the street 20 years ago. He brought the boy back to the hermitage and looked after him. The boy grew up; and before asking him to go out to search for his parents, the hermit taught him martial acts – for self-defence only.

To the people in the city, the orphan is known as “The Bastard,” but he does not mind how he is called. One day, “The Bastard” (Tsung Hua) meets a beggar girl, Hsiao I (Lily Li), and saves her from a mob of gamblers. This chivalrous deed has infuriated the ringleader of the gamblers, Ku Ying-hao, son of local dignitary Ku Chang-po. Consequently he tries to have revenge on “The Bastard” by purposely creating a fight between “The Bastard” and Shang Tien, the martial arts master employed by Ku Chang-po. While “The Bastard” and Shang Tien are engaged in a duel, Ai Chen (Chiao Lin), the pretty cousin of Ku Ying-hao suddenly appears on the scene, and asks the duelists to stop fighting. Her reason for the act is that “The Bastard” looks like Ku Ying-hsiung (Tsung Hua’s second role), the younger brother of Ku Ying-hao. Presently Ku Ying-hsiung is in jail, charged with murder.

Since then, Ku Chang-po and his sons are scheming to have Ku Ying-hsiung released from prison, using “The Bastard” as the scapegoat, for both of them look very alike. But fortunately for “The Bastard,” their plot is exposed by Hsiao I, who subsequently warns him of their treachery. Meanwhile, “The Bastard” also learns from the brothel keeper that his poor mother had died after being raped by Ku Chang-po. The sad news overwhelms “The Bastard,” who then seeks out Ku Chang-po and his sons; and he kills them in a series of adventures. But it has been his destiny to remain unhappy for long time, because his good friend, Hsiao I, the beggar girl, has also died following a dreadful assault by Ku Chang-po’s henchmen.