The Scent of Sword and Rain

In the martial arts world, there exists a sect called Heavenly Strife Sect, whose leader possesses formidable martial arts skills and cruel methods. Whenever he appears, he wears a mask, making him unrecognizable. Aiming to dominate the martial arts world, he sends his disciples to massacre any factions that refuse to submit, causing the jianghu (martial arts community) to tremble in fear. The hero Lü Nanren, who harbors a deep hatred for evil, has a beautiful and exquisite wife, Xue Ruobi, and the couple shares a strong bond. One day, Lü learns that Heavenly Strife Sect plans to attack his friend Ling Beixiu. He invites skilled fighters, including the Three Hearts Divine Monarch, to assist him. On their way, they discover that the famous Zhongnan Taoist Temple has been burned down, and its Taoist priests, including the abbot, have been brutally slaughtered, which Lü realizes is also the work of the Heavenly Strife Sect, leading to his great anger. When they reach the Ling family, they find that Ling has already been captured and his wife Sun Min is also missing. Lü urgently plans a rescue, but unfortunately, the Three Hearts Divine Monarch is severely wounded and Lü must flee, holding onto him. The wounds are grave, and in his dying moments, he reveals that the Heavenly Strife Sect is eyeing the Lü family's fragrant sword technique and treasure. Lü is shocked and races home, only to find that his house is surrounded. He fights fiercely, causing the disciples to flee. Soon after, he learns that Xue has been humiliated by the sect leader. Lü cannot help but feel anger, but upon seeing Xue's pitiful state, he cannot bear to scold her harshly. Xue then suggests he offer up his hidden treasures and escape to avoid disaster; Lü, in anger, scolds her, resulting in Xue being devastated with sorrow. The next day, Lü decides to flee with his family, while Xue leaves behind a note expressing her final farewell. Lü escapes to his ancestor's treasure cave, where he encounters a hidden hero, Nan Toubei Dao, who teaches him extraordinary skills and informs him about the so-called Lü family's treasure. Lü realizes the situation profoundly and resolves to eradicate the Heavenly Strife Sect. Ling, who has been captured, succumbs to the temptation of beauty and betrays his comrades to prove his loyalty, even expressing a desire to hunt down Lü and Sun. Soon, many disciples are killed by Lü, shocking the sect leader, who coerces Ling to complete his mission. Ling then leads a large search party and encounters Sun Min along the way, but he heartlessly kills her without regard for their marital bond. He then plots to capture Lü but is thwarted by the heroic Xiaoping, who secretly loves Lü. After numerous dangers, she manages to rescue Lü and severely injures Ling. Before dying, Ling confesses his life's sins to Lü and reveals the sect leader's secret, shocking Lü: the sect leader is actually his wife, Xue Ruobi.