During the late Ming Dynasty when eunuchs held power, heavy taxes and tyranny made life unbearable for the people. Zhang Junbao (played by Jet Li) and Dong Tianbao (played by Qian Xiaobao) are a pair of sworn brothers who grew up in Shaolin Temple, but their personalities are vastly different. Zhang Junbao is kind-hearted and honest, while Dong Tianbao is cunning and treacherous. When competing for the qualification to enter the Damo Institute for training, they have a dispute with their master and are expelled from Shaolin. After leaving the temple, their diverging ambitions lead them to part ways. Dong Tianbao covets wealth and joins the army, while Zhang Junbao, alongside a group of righteous people, resorts to robbing the rich to help the poor. In pursuit of high office, Dong Tianbao betrays many old friends to the powerful eunuch Liu Jin, resulting in rivers of blood. To avenge the righteous and to rid the people of harm, Zhang Junbao, with the help of Qiu Xue (played by Michelle Yeoh), comprehends a unique martial art from his master's qigong techniques called 'Tai Chi Fist,' and begins to practice diligently, preparing for a bloody battle with his enemies.
