The King of Masks aka BianLian (1996)MANDARIN.JVaLaMaLiNi + ro_sub

Wang is The King of Masks, an aged street performer who practices the change-mask opera art of bian lian. He
laments that he has no male heirs to carry on his mysterious and complicated art and trade. At an illegal child
market, Wang buys what he believes to be an orphan boy to become his adopted grandson and apprentice.

However, Wang soon learns his new disciple is in fact a girl. As tradition dictates that he cannot pass his art
onto a girl, he tries to abandon her, but she stubbornly stays with him. He later calls her "doggie" and has her
refer to him as "boss. He then begins to train her to be a flexible contortionist street performer. While looking
at his masks, she accidentally sets his humble residence on fire. Out of guilt, she runs away. She is then
captured by two men and held in a room with a boy to be sold later. Doggie helps the boy escape and takes him to
Wang to have as a grandson.

Then, Wang is falsely accused of kidnapping the boy, a rich family's child, and is thrown in jail. Doggie goes
to one of his friends, a famous performer in the local opera, threatening to kill herself if he or any of his
guests, including a local military general, are unable to help Wang. The King of Masks is eventually freed, and
he finally accepts the girl as his granddaughter and teaches her his art.