The Warrior’s Highest Ideal

King of Qin:

[has a revelation from pondering a caligraphic scroll bearing a character for “sword”]

Broken Sword’s scroll contains no secrets of swordsmanship! What it reveals is his highest ideal:

In the first stage, man and sword become interchangeable. Here, even a blade of grass can be used as a lethal weapon.

In the next stage, the sword resides not in the hand, but in the heart. Even without a weapon, the warrior can slay his enemy from a hundred paces.

But the ultimate ideal is when the sword disappears altogether. The warrior embraces all around him. The desire to kill is gone. Only peace remains!

— “Hero” (2002)