Spoilers, please?

Since there will be no sequel to this particular version of the story, would anyone be kind enough to satisfy my curiosity about the loose ends?

I`m specially curious about the reason why the girl was bound with a magical chain that only the magic sword could brake - Jet Li`s character asks about this but she begs him to let her keep some secrets and they never address this again in the movie.

Also, of course, the third and final promise the princess would charge the protagonist when they would meet again.

I would love reading the novel, too bad it wasn`t published in English (I know there is a translation at wuxiapedia but I woudln`t stand reading a novel in a computer screen).