AllMovie

This novel fusion of action and romantic drama is a good example of the kind of vehicle Cheng Pei-Pei starred in during the late 1960's and early 1970's. In The Lady Hermit, Cheng Pei-Pei stars as the title character, a legendary martial artist who is living incognito as a maid while trying to heal from an injurious battle with the villain Black Demon (Wong Hap). Unfortunately, Black Demon wants to finish what he started and terrorizes the countryside as he searches for her. Things get more complicated when Lady Hermit is tracked down by Cui-ping (Shih Szu), a precocious young fighter who wishes to train with her. The two form a teacher-pupil relationship but their harmony is threatened when both women fall for the same man, a dashing young fighter named Chang-chun (Lo Lieh). All these plot threads add up to an intriguing blend of action and melodrama that made a memorable vehicle for its charismatic lead actress and also helped to make a star out of the young Shih Szu.