During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, Ye Qingyang, a young man from a poor family, and the landlord Lu Wenxuan had been sworn friends since childhood, but their fate was foreshadowed because of the imperial examination. Ye Qingyang was unexpectedly accepted as a disciple of a hidden martial arts master. After learning shocking martial arts, he got involved in conflicts in the world. He rescued the arena heroine Lan Zhibai and the down-and-out scholar Gu Yuanqing. Encountering the princess Zhu Chuhong and the medicine girl Su Hongyu, the three of them have a deep love for each other. In order to save the common people, Ye Qingyang traveled to famous mountains and rivers in search of medicine. After experiencing the invasion of the Walas and the rebellion of the Japanese pirates, he relied on his medical and military skills to defeat the Walas and pacify the Japanese pirates. He saw through the corruption in the court and defeated the masters of the foreign invaders. Finally, he retired to the mountains and forests with his beloved. In the end, he practiced the chivalrous ideal of "great medical sincerity" in Zhongnan Mountain. The novel combines power struggle, feelings of family and country, and sadomasochistic love triangle, showing the glory of chivalrous character and humanity.
