A Deadly Secret

Di Yun is sentenced to death for larceny and rape, insists on his innocence, and is thrown into a brutal prison where jailers and the presiding magistrate Ling Tuisi torment him. The abuse mirrors the cruelty faced by another inmate, Ding Dian. The court's cruelty sets the stage for a web of lies and hidden motives.

Wan Gui and Qi Fang visit Di Yun, urging belief in his guilt. Qi Fang is swayed by Wan Gui's manipulation and begins to doubt Di Yun, a rift that will widen as her future with Wan Gui takes shape. Their visit plants the seeds of betrayal that will drive much of the tale.

Wan Gui uses jealousy and deceit to frame Di Yun by getting him placed unconscious in the bed of the master’s wife, paid to accuse him. The plan leads to the wrongful conviction and Di Yun's imprisonment. This act reveals Wan Gui as the true orchestrator behind the injustice.

Months pass as Di Yun endures injustice; he attempts suicide but is saved by Ding Dian. Ding warns of danger and hints that Di Yun may have chosen imprisonment, deepening the tragedy and setting up their eventual alliance.

Several martial artists arrive, confessing crimes and demanding imprisonment. Ling Tuisi orders them to be placed in the same cell as Ding, hoping this will coax the elusive Liancheng manual from them. The situation ties Ding and Di Yun closer together as strangers in danger.

Ding Dian defeats the other martial artists and agrees to train Di Yun. Under Ding's tutelage, Di Yun makes rapid progress and proves himself a promising martial artist. The unlikely mentor-student bond begins to form in the claustrophobic prison.

Ling Tuisi threatens Shuanghua, Ding's betrothed, to force Ding to reveal the manual. Shuanghua mutilates her face to avoid the marriage, aligning with her secret love for Ding. The coercion intensifies the stakes around the Liancheng manual.

Ding and Shuanghua meet in secret; she reveals the location of the Liancheng manual and promises to leave him a daily flower on the windowsill as a token that she still cares. The act strengthens their bond despite the danger.

Ling discovers the secret meeting and locks Shuanghua in a coffin; she suffocates. Ding suspects foul play as the windowsill flowers remain unchanged. The tragedy deepens the danger around the manual and the conspiracy.

Ding and Di Yun break out to examine Shuanghua's coffin, discovering a funeral tablet and the tragedy that befell her. The two men are drawn into the belief that the coffin hides critical clues to the manual.

Ling corners Ding with a coffin lid coated with poison and offers an antidote in exchange for the manual. Ding sees through the lie and the confrontation ends in a forced escape with Di Yun. The poisonous trap reveals the perverse nature of the treasure plot.

Ding explains that the Liancheng manual belonged to Mei Niansheng and was handed down to him; Qi Zhangfa and Wan family conspired to imprison Di Yun so they could seize it. The revelation reframes the entire prison ordeal.

Di Yun tries to relay the manual to his master’s descendants but runs into Qi Zhangfa, Yan Daping, and Wan Zhenshan, who try to kill him. The path leads to further chaos as loyalties collapse and the true players close in.

Ling Tuisi arrives to claim the outcome. A fierce fight over Ding ends with Ding dying before a clear victor emerges. The death removes a major obstacle to the captors' plans.

The treasure is revealed to be poisoned; anyone who touches it bleeds. Di Yun survives the carnage, killing Ling Tuisi, Wan Gui, and Yan Daping; Qi Fang dies in the crossfire. He burns the temple, erects a gravestone for Ding, and departs, having witnessed the tragic chain of events.