Warriors of Heaven and Earth

In 8th century western China, Lieutenant Li (Jiang Wen), a former Tang army officer turned fugitive, joins a caravan carrying a Buddhist relic and protects it from raiders led by Master An (Wang Xueqi). A Japanese emissary, Lai Qi (Kiichi Nakai), is sent to track down Li and help him complete his mission in exchange for returning to Japan. As they journey together, both men agree to settle their differences with a duel once they reach the Tang capital, Chang'an.