During the Lantern Festival, Puyang County is decked out in festive lanterns when the body of a lame beggar turns up in an alley behind the government offices. The newly appointed county magistrate, Lu Zhaoming, receives the report and is about to handle it as usual when he catches sight of a limping old man drifting through the government compound's garden. The figure looks familiar, and the eerie encounter makes him question the case.
