During the late Qing Dynasty, corruption among officials made life unbearable for the people. In Zhejiang, there was a masked hero known as 'Iron Monkey,' who for two years robbed the rich to help the poor, causing the successive governors, who sold offices and ranks, to complain incessantly. By day, Iron Monkey was the physician Yang Tianchun (played by Yu Rongguang), who was beloved by the villagers for his skill and kindness. In an attempt to capture Iron Monkey, the governor resorted to torturing many unrelated citizens. Huang Qiying (played by Donnie Yen) and his son Huang Feihong accidentally got involved when passing through the area. Seeing Huang Qiying's exceptional skills, the governor detained Feihong to coerce him into capturing Iron Monkey. After a confrontation with Iron Monkey, Huang Qiying felt a mutual admiration for him. Soon after, an imperial envoy arrived in Zhejiang and, hearing of Iron Monkey's 'rebellion,' used the powerful 'Vajra Palm' to injure him. It turned out that the true identity of this envoy was Yan Kong (played by Ren Shiguang), a traitor from Shaolin. As a disciple of Shaolin, Huang Qiying joined forces with Iron Monkey, vowing to cleanse the Shaolin temple.
