Devils on the Doorstep

In the quaint village of Rack-Armor Terrace, Ma Dasan leads a simple life as a local peasant. His days are filled with routine and the tranquil beauty of the surroundings near the Great Wall of China.

Ma Dasan's mundane existence is shattered one night when a mysterious man known only as 'Me' breaks into his home. At gunpoint, this stranger forces Ma to keep two men alive for interrogation, drastically altering the course of his life.

Wrapped in gunnysacks, the two prisoners are introduced: Kosaburo Hanaya, a Japanese sergeant, and Dong Hanchen, a Chinese interpreter. The tension escalates as Ma realizes the weight of his new responsibility to keep them alive.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Ma Dasan rallies the villagers to comply with 'Me's' demands. They cooperate to hide the prisoners in Ma's cellar, fearing the mysterious man's wrath if they fail.

Inside the cellar, Hanaya, filled with a combative spirit, provokes the villagers, hoping to incite them to kill him. Meanwhile, Dong cleverly twists Hanaya's words, trying to maintain some peace among the captors.

As the Chinese New Year approaches, the villagers' patience wears thin with no sight of 'Me'. They decide they must execute the prisoners, leading to internal conflict, especially for Ma Dasan, who struggles with his conscience.

Faced with potential murder, Ma opts to secretly relocate Hanaya and Dong to a watchtower along the Great Wall. He selflessly visits them with essentials, keeping their hope alive away from the villagers' betrayal.

When the prisoners attempt to escape, Ma's secret is exposed, leading to anger and heated arguments among the villagers. The situation intensifies as they contemplate hiring an assassin to deal with the prisoners.

In desperation, Ma seeks the help of One Stroke Liu, a revered executioner known for painless deaths. However, Liu's attempts to execute the prisoners fail miserably, leaving Ma in a deeper moral quandary.

As time passes, Hanaya transforms from a defiant soldier to one filled with gratitude toward the villagers. In a surprising turn, he offers grain in exchange for his release, prompting the villagers to reconsider their options.

Eventually, the villagers decide to return Hanaya to the Japanese forces. However, the encounter does not go as planned; the Japanese Army reacts intensively, mistakenly perceiving Hanaya as a hero.

Upon returning to the village with his lover Yu'er, Ma is heartbroken to find it aflame, ravaged by Captain Sakatsuka's wrath over Hanaya's brief captivity. The devastation ignites a fierce anger within him.

In the chaotic aftermath, Dong is publicly executed for his perceived betrayal as a collaborator. This brutal act fuels Ma’s desire for vengeance, as he feels responsible for the outcome of the events.

Disguising himself as a cigarette vendor, Ma Dasan infiltrates the POW camp, guided by a burning desire for revenge. He ambushes Japanese soldiers, igniting chaos but gets caught before reaching Hanaya.

In a tragic twist, Major Gao orders Ma's execution while forcing Hanaya to carry out the act. Ma’s head is severed in a grim ritual, and his last moments embody the fate foretold by One Stroke Liu, highlighting the cyclical nature of violence.