King Hu writes and directs this martial arts feature. During the Ming dynasty, the emperor's first eunuch Tsao (Pai Ying) has killed General Yu and exiled his surviving children. But while they make their way out of China, Tsao orders the offspring to be killed by his secret Black Arrow Troop at the border's Dragon Gate Inn. But unbeknownst to Tsao, martials arts expert Xiao (Shih Jun) has been summoned by the innkeeper (Cho Kin), who was one of the general's lieutenants, to protect Yu's children, forcing him to take down Tsao and his forces.

Taiwanese martial arts feature. The film follows the painter Ku (Shih Jun) as he tries to protect a female fugitive, Yang (Hsu Feng), from being captured by an evil eunuch. After the eunuch arrives with an army of East Chamber guards, the artist and the warrior fortify Ku's mother's supposedly haunted mansion and set ghostly traps in preparation for the soldiers' arrival. Will the pair survive the inevitable battles?