The film starts with a necessary historical exposition explaining the delicate position of the Sung dynasty and the various figures desperate to take over the throne. The main threat to the Chinese throne is bloodthirsty Tartars who begin to descend towards the capital with rulership on their minds. General Yue is one of the few generals with an army powerful enough to stop this invasion, but his own fate is in the hands of traitor and kung fu master Jin who has twelve gold medallions that will signal the end of Yue. Jin sends out messengers to deliver these medallions and therefore leave Yue's considerable force directionless, open for an easy attack by the heinous Tartars. Standing in the way of this act is Miao - a master fighter and former student of Jin who has turned against his master to side with the patriots. Alongside Miao is Jin's daughter Suo who was betrothed to Miao before her father's lies drive a wedge between the pair. Reluctantly, but vitally, Miao and Suo join forces to stop the medallions arriving in their destination; their path to them is full of incident and confrontation with Suo sustaining a serious injury from a top ally of her father's. With Jin being one of the greatest fighters in China, the only chance Miao has is to call on the services of the so-called 'Green Bamboo Master' Meng, a righteous master who, although detached from the political turmoil of China, eventually agrees to help. Inevitably then, the increasingly ruthless Jin meets his main nemesis Meng while his daughter and former student attack the final band of messengers.