The Web of Death (1976)

I finished reading Chin Yung's Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre not long ago, so immediately I could see that the story in this movie was loosely based on some parts from that book.

What those people fighting about was not the Dragon Slaying Sabre, but Five Venom Spider. It looked like a giant spider sat on a pedestal. The spider could blew poisonous smoke and spurt out spiderweb. It was the sacred weapon from Five Venoms Clan, and had been hidden to protect it from bad people.

Lu Shen holding the Five Venom Spider

Lo Lieh played Lu Shen, a branch-chief from Five Venom Clan who used every means to obtain the weapon. He found out that it was kept in the ancient tomb of Five Venoms Clan's chiefs and sent out 2 maps to his people. One of the maps fell into the hand of Fei Ying-ji, a Wutang student. He found the Spider in the tomb, but was attacked by Hong So-so, daughter of Five Venoms Clan's chief - for Fei Ying-ji was trespassing - and badly injured. Hong So-so fell in love with Wutang's first student, Fei Ying-hsiung; so she felt bad that she had injured his brother. Knowing the Wutang master could heal Fei Ying-ji, she was dressed as a man and sent the wounded Fei Ying-ji to Golden Dragon Security, telling the owner, Mr Chou, to deliver Fei Ying-ji, along with the Spider - in a closed box - to Wutang Clan within three days. The Wutang master was a good person and the Spider would be safe in his hand.

Hong So-so promises Fei Ying-hsiung to look for
informations about Five Venom Spider

On the way to Wutang, the box accidentally was opened, and knowing its contents, Mr Chou abandoned Fei Ying-ji, killed all witnesses, took the Spider and gave it to Lu Shen. Lu Shen killed Mr Chou and all the people in his family. Hong So-so arrived soon after Lu Shen had gone.

Fei Ying-hsiung saw the dead bodies in Golden Dragon Security. The weapon used was from Five Venoms Clan. He was seen by Mr Chou's friend who thought that he was the killer. Fei Ying-hsiung went to Five Venoms Clan to confront them. He was wounded and helped by Hong So-so, who hid him in her bedroom. They married and returned to Wutang. Meanwhile, Five Venoms Clan's chief was killed by Lu Shen.

The newlyweds return to Wutang

Mr Chou had been an ex student of Shaolin. All major clans went to Wutang, looking for Fei Ying-hsiung, accused him that he had killed Mr Chou. Fei Ying-hsiung insisted he was innocent. At the same time, Fei Ying-ji knew that it was Hong So-so who had wounded him. He agreed to let the matter go for his brother's happiness, but in Wutang there was a female student who fell in love with Fei Ying-hsiung and because 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', she made a difficult situation for Hong So-so.

The murder of Mr Chou and his family and Fei Ying-ji's paralysis were not Hong So-so's fault, but as she came from a bad clan, the people from major clans wouldn't listen to her. Then Lu Shen came and said how stupid they were. He attacked them with the Spider and only Hong So-so could save them.

Fei Ying-hsiung was called '3 Saints of Wutang' because he was an expert with sword, zither and chess. In Heaven Sword & Dragon Sabre book, Ho Ciok Too, the founder of Kunlun Clan, was called '3 Saints of Kunlun' for the same reason.