Prelude- Ehuang: (Swan Empress) A wounded man finds shelter with a beautiful woman, Ehuang, in the XiaoXiang Valley. She give him some of her ex-husband’s clothes to wear and tells him about the death of her twin sister Nuying. They were happy until Lord Shu (Xiang) arrived when they both fell in love with him. This romance tore them apart and Nuying died from no known illness. Her death so impacted on Ehang that her relationship with Lord Shu suffered. They drifted apart and he left. While walking in the bamboo forest the man encounters Lord Shu, but it may be a mirage.
Interlude- Nuying: When the man returns, he finds an alternative reality where Nuying is alive, and Ehuang is dead. She explains that Lord Shu and the twin sisters belonged to the Yin-Yang School and that Lord Shu caused her sister’s death. She says he is now effected by a Yin-Yang curse from her husband and is on the verge of death but she can cure him.
Recapitulation - Lord Xiang: The man returns to the bamboo forest, confused about what is happening and again encounters Lord Shu. Lord Shu tells a story of how the sisters forced him to choose between them by both jumping into dangerous rapids. He only managed to save one sister, but was never certain which one, Nuying or Ehuang. Only one sister would be able to lift the curse he put on the man as they had practiced different Yin-Yang techniques. He said he needs to know so that he can properly mourn the lost lover.
The man wakes up, not knowing whether he has dreamed or lived through these events, but realizes that he may never leave the XiaoXiang Valley.
