Amid the fireworks at the docks of western Shanghai, blades flashed in the underworld. Five brothers from humble backgrounds, unable to endure the Green Snake Gang’s oppression, swore an oath beneath a pigeon-blood dragon tattoo to establish the Five Dragons Society. Their five dragon tattoos corresponded to the five elements, revealed blood-red markings when heated, and resonated to warn of danger, becoming their secret edge as they made their way through the glittering metropolis.
They lived by an ironclad code: never bully the old or weak, never touch drugs or gambling, and never kill the innocent. They first made a name for themselves in a dockside brawl, then cowed powerful foes at the negotiating table. Using their wits, they brought down the backers of a corrupt alliance between officials and gangsters. At last, with their passion, they cleaned up the chaos in western Shanghai and planted their dragon flag across this bustling land. Along the way, they shared a fierce brotherhood, while Su Qing showed the patience and cunning to avenge her father. The mysterious prophecy of a reclusive elder followed them like a shadow: “When the dragon tattoos appear in three years, the underworld will change.”
Just as the Five Dragons Society secured its foothold, before peace in western Shanghai had even had time to settle in, the Dragon Rising Society, the dominant gang in the metropolis, turned a wary eye toward them. The secret of the five dragon tattoos, the hidden connections between the five men, and the impending storm in the underworld all set the stage for a three-year battle for control of the metropolis, amid the neon lights and ancient temples along the Huangpu River. This is a passionate epic of underdogs making their way to the top, and a chivalrous ballad about traditional underworld codes colliding with a modern metropolis.
