WANG WU, who is in his youth, lost his father when he was a child. WU is outright and energetic. His mother, YUEN XIN YI, hopes that he will have a bright future, and so is determined to send him to the school of kung fu at all costs. WU meets kung fu master CHEN DAO YANG. WU admires YANG very much and begs YANG to take him student. However, YANG finds an excuse and drives him away. TAN SI TONG comes from a reputable family. Unlike other youngsters who are also from the rich, TONG is never profligate or arrogant. TONG’s father, KAI SHUN, who is a government official, is both feudal-minded and manipulative. He arranges everything for TONG but pays no attention to how he feels. SHUN forces TONG to marry LI RUN. TONG mistakes that RUN smokes opium and so thinks her not worth his attention. Manchu Prince SOK YEE TAI is the schoolmaster of the school of kung fu. TAI opposes the unification of Manchu and the Han tribe……

YANG accepts SHUN’s invitation to teach at the school of kung fu. YANG enrolls WU; YI is glad. Manchu student DOR LI MOR, son of a high official, is very arrogant. He enrolls in the school of kung fu, just for the hope of winning LAN’s favor. TAI is very dissatisfied to see SHUN taking Han students. He also looks down upon YANG. TAI appoints his right-hand man, NGOK SHAU MING, to be a coach to keep an eye on YANG. LAN sees by chance YANG’s excellent kung fu technique and falls for him immediately. MOR acts as if he was the student leader at school. He is always finding faults with WU but WU chooses to swallow it all. MING is both honest and loyal; YANG appreciates his personalities a lot. YANG finds it a pity that they have very different political stands. In order to get close to WU, YI finds a job at the kitchen of the school of kung fu. She tries in vain to build good relations with YANG and MING. TONG envies WU’s freedom……

TONG is sneaking into the school of kung fu when he meets LAN. LAN beats him up. TONG escapes his wedding, leaving behind a pheasant to finish the ceremony with RUN. RUN forgives TONG and is willing to wait for him. SHUN feels very sorry. TONG recommends himself to the school of kung fu so as to escape his marriage. In order to ruin SHUN’s reputation, TAI makes an exception and enrolls TONG. MOR’s friends LAK and YUEN try to make a fool of TONG but end up eating their own bitter fruit. MOR knows then that TONG is not an ordinary fellow. He wants to curry favor with TONG but TONG ignores him and his fellows. YANG is particularly strict with WU. WU thinks YANG is being partial to him. YI negotiates with YANG but she only makes things worse. TONG and WU get along well with each other and have become friends who can share everything with each other. YANG is cool to LAN, yet she admires him even more……

TONG understands that the reason why YANG is being so strict with WU is that YANG thinks highly of WU. TONG envies WU. He asks YANG to teach him kung fu but is turned down. SHUN makes an inspection tour of the school. TONG avoids SHUN. WU is shocked to learn TONG’s real identity. LAN slips into the school at night and meets TONG, who fights against her with YANG’s swordplay. LAN finds it very interesting. She invites TONG to have a contest seven days later. SHUN finds TONG at last. TONG begs to be given five years to do whatever he wants. SHUN agrees on condition that TONG marries RUN immediately. RUN understands that TONG does not love her at all. She therefore proposes to be husband and wife in name with TONG. TONG has never taken a look at RUN. With TONG’s hint, WU got the answer to YANG’s question. YANG eventually agrees to teach WU swordplay. YI has cast a sword for WU……

MOR is defeated; LAN is very displeased. MOR swears to take revenge. WU teases LAN when he learns by chance that she is secretly in love with YANG. LAN is mad at WU. When LAK and YUEN know that YI is WU’s mother, they make fun of her in public. YI swallows the insult. WU goes to get even with MOR and his mates. He is later told off by YI. WU is aggrieved. YANG finds that WU has been slipping recently. It serves as a sharp warning to YI when YANG tells her not to push WU too hard. With YI’s encouragement, WU decides to concentrate on learning and means to stand out among his fellows. LAN sneaks into the school to steal a sword. YANG stops her. LAN attacks YANG deliberately and chases after him. MING is alerted by the sound; LAN is caught. TAI flies into a fury when he learns that LAN knows kung fu. LAN’s Kung Fu teacher, HIN, is willing to take the punishment for LAN. The sword and the spear groups have a fight; MOR defeats WU……

Having the Empress Dowager to fall back upon, WING LUK is swollen with arrogance. TAI dare not offend LUK. LAN is angry that LUK is being impolite to TAI. She produces the Gold Plate granted by the Empress Dowager to embarrass LUK. She also takes the opportunity to ask to be allowed to study at the school of kung fu. WU is very glad that he has passed YANG’s test. He asks YANG to take him student and YANG agrees. LAN gets the permission from the Emperor to study at the school of kung fu. WU and LAN dislike each other but they meet each other again at school. TONG, on the other hand, is glad to be schoolmates with LAN. He also believes that it is fate that they see each other again. LAN performs a sword dance in front of YANG so as to catch his attention. She falls during the dance. YANG saves her in time; she is touched. YI mends YANG’s clothes. LAN is very jealous and beats YI. LAN expresses her love for YANG……

YI mistakes that YANG has a crush on her. She goes to make it clear to YANG; YANG does not know whether he should laugh or cry. SHUN discovers that TONG and RUN sleep in different rooms and gives TONG a good telling-off. RUN offers to help TONG but only to be teased by him. TONG’s wet nurse is very sick. RUN goes to the wet nurse’s place to look after her. RUN is glad to meet TONG there. TONG has never met her and so does not know that she is his wife. RUN lies that she is CHUN TO, a servant of RUN. TONG cares a lot about the poor. RUN admires him more than ever. TONG brings WU home. RUN continues to pretend to be TO. HAK TAO TAT, a valuable assistant of LUK, was defeated by YANG many years ago and was blinded. He is determined to have a fight with YANG again. YANG, who has a mission to complete, promises to fight with him six months later……

LAN has fallen for WU but he does not feel it. MOR finds that LAN is different from the normal her. He shows great care to LAN but she is pestered beyond endurance. Seeing that MOR is vexed, LAK sends someone to beat WU up. LAN thinks that it was MOR’s idea and so condemns him scathingly. LAN feels guilty. She sends some medicine to WU but he takes it for poison. YI finds out by chance that YANG and her deceased husband were rebels. YI blames herself for forcing WU to work for the imperial government. YANG says a few words of comfort to YI, and asks her to keep it secret. RUN continues to disguise as a servant to get close to TONG. The more she understands TONG, the more she likes him. LAN follows WU. She sees TONG dating a girl and is very jealous. She vents her anger on WU; WU is baffled. LAN and WU have a quarrel in class. They are kept in detention for this and have to clean up the classroom……

TONG likes LAN. WU encourages him to court LAN and even arranges appointments for them. LUK’s subordinate, YUNG, tortures YANG’s friend, TUNG. MING cannot bear seeing this and tries to stop YUNG. YUNG is very angry. YANG sneaks into the prison to rescue TUNG but does not succeed. TAI suspects it was YANG who broke in. TONG asks RUN for her opinion about dating. RUN mistakes that TONG wants to date her. WU avoids seeing LAN for TONG’s sake. LAN is upset. LAN asks TONG to do the homework for her. TONG finishes it wholeheartedly. He asks RUN to take the homework to the school of kung fu. RUN has sprained her ankle. TONG carries her home on his back. RUN is touched. YUNG ensnares YANG into showing up with TUNG’s corpse. YANG fights off the enemies on his own. YANG is injured but manages to put YUNG to death. MING does not disclose YANG’s identity because he finds YANG respectful. YANG is grateful to MING……

YI worries a lot about WU who has been absentminded. She tells YANG about WU. YANG knows that WU is worrying over love affairs and tries to comfort him. RUN is sad to learn that TONG loves LAN. LAN refuses TONG and it is a big blow to him. WU feels that he has let TONG down and he looks distracted. TONG is very depressed; RUN sympathizes. She encourages TONG not to give up on LAN. WU avoids LAN. LAN is heartbroken and cries. WU cannot suppress his feelings anymore and expresses his love for LAN. TONG witnesses the scene and is heartbroken. TONG beats WU up to vent his anger. WU does not want to cause any harm to his friendship with TONG because of LAN. When YI learns that WU and LAN are dating she shows her support. Mistaking that TONG is going out with LAN, MOR warns TONG to be careful. TONG asks WU to be careful with MOR; the two reconcile. RUN learns that TUNG does not like people who smoke opium……

RUN suffers the pain without complaints as this is for TONG. WU and LAN have become lovers. MOR tells TAI secretly about WU and LAN’s going out. TAI flies into a fury and forbids LAN from going to school again. TAI sends people to make a mess at YI’s restaurant and warns WU not to see LAN. YANG encourages WU not to give up too easily. LAN is very upset. She uses the Gold Plate granted by the Empress Dowager to force TAI let go but he ignores her. TAI has decided to send LAN back to their own place. WING is heavily in gambling debt and beaten up by his creditors. WU and his mates save WING. TONG lends WING money. TAI orders MING to expel WU from school. WU is planning to go to TAI’s home to see LAN but MING stops him. LAN slips out of house to see WU. LAN elopes with WU. MOR catches them and requests to have a fight with WU. WU hurts MOR accidentally; MOR is on the verge of death.

WU is locked up in prison. TONG begs SHUN to help but is rejected. YI worries WU so much that she does not know what to do. YANG is there to comfort her. TAI is going to execute WU. LAN pleads with MOR to wake up, promising that she will marry him if he does wake up from his coma. MOR comes round eventually. MOR begs TAI to set WU free. He has also managed to persuade TAI to marry LAN to him. WU cannot believe that LAN is marrying MOR. He goes to LAN’s home but is stopped by MOR. YI is looking for a job for WU. WU, however, has given himself up. LAN meets WU but he turns a cold shoulder to her. LAN feels very downcast. YANG has convinced YI of setting up an a guarding force agency for WU. YANG even quits his job at the school of kung fu so as to help WU wholeheartedly. WU has been attacked by bandits on his first escort duty and cannot withstand the attack. Fortunately, YANG comes to his rescue in time.

YI feels grateful to YANG for saving WU. LAN is glad too to see that WU has turned over a new leaf. TONG is sitting for the military officer exam. RUN draws divination sticks at temple for him. SHUN also encourages TONG. LAN’s servant, SIU SUN CHI, has a crush on WING. WING has high aspiration to come first in the exam. LAK cannot tolerate the great pressure of the exam and plays truant. WU advises them not to give up. WU works very hard looking for clients. He has encountered many difficulties but he is not giving up. WU and TONG urge each other to do well and promise each other that they will become somebody in five years time. WU is attacked by bandit TSAT on escort duty. TSAT, who has a feud with WU’s father, tears down WU’s escort flag in revenge. WU breaks into TSAT’s mountain stronghold for the flag. He saves TSAT’s son in the midst of the chaos. TSAT and WU, who used to be enemies, have become friends……

LUK thinks highly of TONG for his great insight. WING is displeased. MOR and TAI propose to marry LAN off as soon as possible for the fear that troubles will arise. LAN requests to have WU escort her on her wedding day. TAI agrees. LAN deliberately gives WU some hard times on the way. WU treats LAN coldly too. LAN begs WU to become her lover again. WU is touched and they reconcile. TONG is full of hope. He is very dissatisfied with SHUN’s bureaucratic style of work. YANG encourages TONG to reform the government system. TONG finds out by chance RUN’s real identity. TONG is burning with anger and refuses to listen to RUN’s explanation. RUN is deeply hurt. RUN is very sick. TONG learns at last that RUN has determined to quit smoking because of him. TONG knows then he has wronged RUN; he is very guilty. TONG takes very good care of RUN. RUN, nevertheless, thinks herself not deserve to be TONG’s lover……

TONG has been very upset since RUN left. YI worries a lot when she knows that YANG is having a big fight with TAT. She worries a lot about him. TAI is in a towering rage when he learns that LAN and WU have eloped. TAI orders MING to kill WU. In order to save YI, LAN is willing to go with MING, who means to kill WU. YANG, on the other hand, swears to protect WU. TAT has caught YI to ensnare YANG into accepting his challenge. YI falls down a cliff when escaping from TAT. YANG arrives in time to save her. WU breaks into LAN’s home to rescue LAN. WU and LAN kneel down in front of LUK, pleading with TAI to let them go. TAI finds this very insulting and swears not to give way. LAN and WU have run into the forbidden area. TAI recalls things of the past. TAI has gone mad and nearly kills LAN. WU risks his life to rescue LAN. TAI has eventually come round. He agrees to let LAN stay with WU. LAN and WU are very excited……

YANG says farewell to YI. YI is reluctant to see YANG go. RUN has been offered a post of reporter. RUN is very glad her talent has finally been recognized. TONG is doing very well at work. He should have been promoted but LUK has been creating difficulties for him. LUK promotes WING so as to frustrate TONG. TONG despises WING, who is in league with LUK. RUN is very happy that her article has been published. But she later finds out that it has all been TONG’s arrangement. TONG does all he can to plead for RUN’s forgiveness; RUN is finally touched by his sincerity. RUN and TONG reconcile. MOR hates LAN very much for she has broken her promise. He has caught LAN and intends to kill her. MOR is softhearted after all and so lets her go. MOR wants to kill himself. LAN has managed to dissuade him from doing it. With RUN’s help, TONG has made a deal with a westerner. LUK rewards TONG on the surface but has actually got a plot in mind.

WU learns that the guarding force agency is being used for opium smuggling. He destroys all the opium on one hand and asks TONG to investigate the matter on the other. In order to help YANG collect the evidence of LUK’s guilt, TONG works for LUK without scruple. LUK appreciates TONG’s performance and promotes him. TONG suspects that WU’s agency has been trafficking opium. TONG leads a team to shut down the agency. WU, not knowing TONG’s real intention, falls out with TONG. The two friends end up having a fight. WU has been locked up in prison. LAN begs TAI for his help. TAI tricks LUK into setting WU free. SHUN wrongly thinks that TONG has betrayed his friends for personal gain. TONG endures all the humiliation in order to accomplish his mission. Seeing that WU is a useful man now, YANG is relieved and thinks it was time for him to go. YI does not want to be parted with YANG. YANG learns from TONG that LUK is trading opium with someone……

TAI arrests LUK and confiscates the opium. To his surprise, MING intends to kill TAI. It turns out that MING has always been LUK’s people. YANG arrives late. LAN therefore believes that YANG has killed TAI. LAN swears to kill YANG. LUK suspects that there is a spy on his side. TONG manages to stay calm and so does not arouse LUK’s suspicions. WING sets TONG up. The hatred between WU and TONG is deepened. RUN suffers a lot because of TONG. Dissatisfied with what TONG is doing, SHUN gives TONG a good telling-off. WU intends to destroy TONG’s opium but YANG stops him. WU is very puzzled. WU brings YANG to LAN for explanation. LAN takes the opportunity to attack YANG, meaning to take his life. LAN is unhappy that WU has rescued YANG. LAN breaks up with WU. YANG has been seriously injured. YI takes good care of YANG. YANG likes YI, but he must forget about relationships if he is to save the country……

WING looks down upon ZHI for her being a maid. He is even reluctant to disclose their relationship because of this. ZHI finds out that WING is an opium smuggler, which is a big blow to WING. The two have a quarrel. WING pushes ZHI; she loses her footing and falls down the building. ZHI dies. WING casts the corpse in the wilds. WU knows that TONG is working for YANG secretly. TONG asks WU not to get involved for the interests of the whole situation. LUK sends WING to keep watch on the movements of TONG. WING is glad to see TONG out of LUK’s favor. RUN mistakes that TONG has turned bad and so has decided to leave him. She plans to go abroad with a priest to study. LAN discovers that WING has something to do with ZHI’s death. She goes to question WING but is almost killed. Fortunately, WU arrives in time. WING kidnaps LAN and escapes. WU and TONG are shocked to realize that they have fallen into LUK’s trap. They worry a lot about YANG……

WU and TONG turn their sadness into strength and swear to take revenge for YANG. WING uses LAN as a bait to entice WU and TONG to come out. WING, who wants to kill both WU and TONG, ends up being killed. LAN is nowhere to be found. Not knowing if LAN is still alive or dead, WU worries a lot about her. RUN wants to go back to TONG when she learns that she has misunderstood TONG. However, she is stopped by the priest. WU and TONG have eventually collected sufficient evidence of LUK’s guilt. LUK orders MING to put away WU and TONG. WU strikes back and manages to take revenge for YANG. LUK has to receive the punishment he deserves. The Emperor accepts TONG’s proposal of reform. TONG has been promoted. TONG hopes that WU can assist him in the reform. However, WU does not promise TONG… Many years later, TONG has been seized during the Hundred Days Reform. WU sacrifices himself to rescue TONG……