Following the smash success of the first film, a sequel was inevitable. However, the tragic ending of Part I left little room for a direct sequel. Instead, A Chinese Ghost Story II goes full Tsui Hark: louder, faster, more politically chaotic, and significantly more confusing.

The Plot: Ling Choi-san is mistaken for a fugitive rebel and thrown into prison. The world has changed; evil ministers and demons (led by a centipede spirit) control the land. He meets a doppelgänger of the deceased Hsiao-ching (Joey Wong again, playing a human revolutionary named Ching). Alongside a new female sword-fighter (Michelle Reis) and the returning Yin Chek-ha, Ling must defeat a massive, transforming demon.

Tonal Shift: Part II abandons the quiet, Gothic horror of the temple for political satire and monster brawls. The Tree Devil is gone. In its place is a giant, glowing centipede that sheds human skin. The romance is secondary to the acrobatics.

What works: Michelle Reis as the cold, practical monk-fighter "Moon" is a highlight. The final battle, featuring a giant hollow demon head and massive explosions, is pure Hong Kong insanity. What fails: The magic is diluted. Replacing the unique chemistry of "ghost and scholar" with a "look-alike human" feels like cheating. Leslie Cheung’s Ling is now a screaming coward for 90% of the runtime, which gets exhausting.

The Verdict: An entertaining, over-stuffed blockbuster. It lacks the soul of the original but is a crucial bridge to the madness of Part III.

By 1991, the franchise had evolved. Part III (sometimes subtitled The Spirit of the Sword) is a semi-remake of the first film, but with a twist: it centers on a different scholar and a different ghost. Yin Chek-ha (Wu Ma, in his final appearance as the character) returns as an older, wiser, but still rambunctious Taoist. He takes on a new disciple, a young monk named Fong (Jacky Cheung, the famous singer, in a scene-stealing comedic role).

The ghost is again called Xiaoqian (Joey Wong, completing her trilogy), but this is a different Xiaoqian—a younger, more mischievous, less tragic spirit. She is ordered by the evil Golden Buddha demon (a giant, laughing, golden idol that vomits magical projectiles) to seduce Fong.

Part II is about chaos. The demon is not just a monster; it represents corrupt authority. The line between human and demon blurs when humans behave worse than spirits. The film ends on a hopeful note: Ning chooses the living world, walking away with Yuet-yin, finally accepting that the past is gone. It’s a less tragic, more cathartic ending—but some fans miss the purity of the first film’s sorrow.

The first film is a masterpiece of gothic romance. Ning Tsai-shen (Leslie Cheung), a gentle, debt-ridden tax collector, seeks shelter for a night at the notoriously haunted Orchid Temple. There, he meets Nie Xiaoqian (Joey Wong), a woman of ethereal beauty who lures men to their deaths for her mistress, the thousand-year-old Tree Demon (Lau Siu-ming, voiced with terrifying elegance). Ning, unlike the lecherous men before him, treats her with respect and kindness. They fall in love.

When Ning discovers Xiaoqian is a ghost whose ashes are held captive by the Tree Demon, he enlists the help of the wild, drunken, and incredibly powerful Taoist exorcist Yin Chek-ha (Wu Ma). A legendary battle ensues. The climax is heartbreaking: Xiaoqian is reincarnated, and Ning must let her go, running to her rebirth as dawn breaks, leaving the audience in tears.