Jeff (Chow Yun Fat) is a hired killer who accidentally blinds a nightclub singer (Sally Yeh) in a hit gone wrong. Unable to live with himself Jeff takes her under his wing and undertakes one last job to pay for her cornea operation. His clients however, want him silenced in order that their identity will not be discovered.

Chow Sing Chi plays a rich playboy in love with a female revolutionary who, to get rid of him, persuades him to go for the title of Martial Arts Scholar in Peking. Chow surprisingly wins the physical competition, but cheats on the written exam (he's illiterate), as a punishment the Emperor strips him and his father of their wealth.

Clan leaders seeking possession of a magical sword inflict a delayed death wound on a boy named Mo-kai and slaughter his parents. He is adopted by a powerful master (Sammo Hung), who keeps the boy alive by imparting his own integral energy. The adult Mo kai, played by Jet Li, finally heals his childhood wound.