Dragon

Two bandits invade Liu Village's general store, and Liu Jinxi fights back when they turn violent. He defeats them, saving the villagers and earning the label of a hero. The incident marks the first spark of Liu's hidden past beginning to surface.

Detective Xu Baijiu performs the autopsy on the dead bandit and discovers signs of brain hemorrhaging consistent with damage to the vagus nerve. He learns that the deceased is Yan Dongsheng, one of the government's ten most wanted fugitives. This link makes Xu suspicious that Liu Jinxi is not merely a lucky rural fighter.

Driven by the clue about Yan Dongsheng, Xu digs deeper and concludes that Liu Jinxi is actually Tang Long, the second-in-command of the 72 Demons. He realizes Liu has concealed his true prowess through misdirection. The revelation sets up a dramatic clash between a relentless detective and the hidden warrior.

Liu Jinxi admits his past as Tang Long, but claims he has reformed. Xu Baijiu, an inflexible lawman, cannot accept that people can change. The two men confront each other in a secluded setting, and Liu makes it clear he will not be drawn into killing Xu.

The magistrate stalls issuing the arrest warrant, hiding behind 'lack of evidence' while secretly soliciting a bribe from Xu. Xu secures the money from his estranged wife, who blames him for her father's suicide. The corrupt exchange escalates the pursuit of Tang Long.

After Xu obtains the bribe, the magistrate informs the Master of the 72 Demons of Tang Long's whereabouts. The Master reveals that Liu Jinxi is his son and orders the village to be razed to capture him.

Two henchmen reach Liu Village and kill a villager to force Liu to acknowledge his identity. Liu kills one of the attackers and escapes. The surviving assailant retreats, bringing word of the confrontation to the Master and the fortress.

The Master's wife chases Liu and fights him in the buffalo shed, where she is crushed in a stampede and nearly falls into a river. As Liu struggles to save her, she reveals that he is still Tang Long and dies, sealing her warning with her last breath.

With the village under threat, the remaining villagers flee to a fortress for safety while Xu's deputies refuse to intervene, hoping the 72 Demons will kill each other. The siege mindset hardens as fear and loyalty clash.

Using his knowledge of physiology, Xu devises a plan to fake Liu's death to mislead the 72 Demons and buy time. The ruse continues longer than expected, testing Xu's resolve and Liu's fate. The dangerous deception heightens the stakes of every move.

To demonstrate his commitment, Liu severs his left arm, signaling his break with the 72 Demons. The Demons accept his withdrawal but insist he must meet the Master. This dramatic act formalizes the rift between Liu and his former allies.

The Master hosts a tense dinner in which he offers Liu a way out of the Brotherhood only if Xiaotian takes his place. The Master holds Xiaotian hostage to force Liu's compliance. The standoff escalates toward the ultimate confrontation.

Liu attacks the Master with a broadsword, but the Master uses qigong to repel the blade. Xu infiltrates the house through a hatch and weakens the Master's defense from underneath by pressing an acupuncture needle into his heel. The Master fatally wounds Xu, but the needles conduct a lightning strike that kills the Master.

With the threat ended, Liu returns home to live a normal life with his wife Yu and their sons. Xu's death marks the case's closing, and the village settles into a fragile peace.