It is the Ming Dynasty and bonfires burn in a moonlit wasteland. Yehe Changgong duels with Manchu people warrior Nalan but purposely loses and relinquishes his title of Supreme Master of Martial Arts. He retires to the sleepy Sideroad Town, nestled in the shadow of the Imperial City, Beijing, where he intends to see out the rest of his days peacefully, playing his erhu.