King of Beggars

So, the spoiled son of a wealthy Cantonese general, visits a Canton brothel and meets Yu-shang, a bold prostitute. He is lazy and illiterate but excels in martial arts, and he tries to outbid Chiu Mo-kei to win Yu-shang's services. By outbidding Chiu, So inadvertently foils Yu-shang's undercover attempt to assassinate Chiu.

To win Yu-shang's hand, So enters the imperial martial arts contest in the imperial capital. His father helps him cheat on the written examination, while So's own martial prowess carries him through the physical tests. He is declared champion by the end of the contest.

So is poised to be crowned champion, but Chiu reveals that he is illiterate and that his victory was achieved through cheating. The emperor's trust is shaken and the plan to grant him the title is jeopardized. The crowd murmurs as the future hangs in the balance.

In punishment for deception, the emperor confiscates So's family properties, reducing them to beggars. So's status collapses, and he must survive without wealth or status. The world of privilege gives way to life on the streets.

Chiu breaks So's legs, leaving him unable to practice martial arts. So's father then introduces him to the Beggars' Gang, though So feels humiliated when he learns Yu-shang's family leads the group. The fall from grace becomes the start of a new path.

So learns that the Beggars' Gang is led by Yu-shang's family, which fills him with shame and uncertainty about his place within this new community. He confronts the reality of a life among the beggars and the weight of his past. The revelation tests his resolve to reclaim power.

An elderly beggar tends to So's wounds and lifts his spirits. He teaches So the Sleeping Arhat Skill, a discipline that grants him patience and new possibilities. This mentorship begins to reshape So's outlook and abilities.

Chiu kidnaps Yu-shang, using her as leverage in his wider schemes. So is jolted from his seclusion and resolves to rescue her. The danger to Yu-shang rekindles So's sense of purpose and duty.

So tricks the Beggars' Gang into electing him as their chief by pretending he is possessed by Hung Tsat-kung, a legendary former leader. The gang accepts him, and he studies their ancient arts to reclaim his power. His performance masks a strategic plan to lead the gang against Chiu.

So uses the gang's ancient manual to master seventeen of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. He discovers that the final move is not shown in the book, leaving a crucial gap in his training. The missing move becomes the focus of his future victory.

Chiu enchants Yu-shang with a magical trance to manipulate her for an assassination of the emperor. So mobilizes the Beggars' Gang and leads them across the Great Wall to confront Chiu and rescue Yu-shang. The stakes rise as the political order trembles.

In the climactic clash, Chiu conjures a windstorm and So's palm-flipbook animates the first seventeen palms. He realizes the final move is a synthesis of those seventeen techniques and uses it to defeat Chiu and save the emperor. The battle tests every skill So has learned.

Yu-shang agrees to marry So after his victory and saving the emperor. When asked what reward he desires, So chooses to remain the king of the beggars, embracing a leadership that centers on the people. The emperor's trust is tempered by concerns about So's influence.

The emperor worries that So's growing influence could threaten the throne. So argues that as long as the people are cared for, there will be no threat to the realm. He frames his role as protector of the commoners rather than a political rival.

The final scenes show So and Yu-shang wandering the streets with their large family, using an imperial tablet given by the emperor to compel rich people to give them money. They live as benevolent guardians of the beggars, their influence a symbol of social care rather than oppression.