Learning Tomb Raiding in a Psychiatric Hospital

Li Goudan, a poor young man from the depths of Lijiawa, tries to raise money for his father's leg treatment by following the example of Zhang Laogou from the neighboring village and robbing an ancient tomb. Instead, he unexpectedly digs up an antique bronze mirror. When he goes to the city to sell it, he's caught in a honey trap and sent to an isolated psychiatric hospital.

He thinks he'll spend the rest of his life trapped there, but he meets a blind old man who knows the secret arts of tomb raiding, a mechanic skilled at disarming traps, and a master diviner versed in feng shui. With these “eccentrics” to guide him, Li Goudan transforms from a clueless novice into a master tomb raider.

As they plot their escape, they discover that the psychiatric hospital stands on an isolated island, beneath which lies a vast imperial tomb from the Ming dynasty. Using their newly learned skills, they venture deep into the tomb. There they find not only a bronze ship that can take them off the island, but also a brocade manuscript in a coffin containing the secret of immortality. From then on, they embark on a legendary quest for tombs and treasure.