Back in the Guangxu era of the late Qing dynasty, Dai Tianli (played by Wei Zi), the young master of the Dai family in Chengde, Rehe, was a fearless, upright man who always kept his word. After killing two foreigners, he became a wanted criminal and fled his hometown for refuge amid the uproar. Before long, the Qing dynasty had breathed its last and the Republic of China had taken center stage. Tianli eventually made his way back to Rehe. His father had nearly been executed, his master had had his leg tendons severed by their fellow disciple Na Tulu, and the devoted Na Suzhi was waiting desperately for Tianli to return and marry her. The man could hardly catch a moment's rest. To complicate matters further, Tianli became involved with the Beggars' Gang, a group made up of beggars. It turned out that Brother Hou, who had killed foreigners alongside him back in the day, was the gang's leader. Before dying, Hou entrusted Tianli with the gang's token, the Dog-Beating Staff. Before he knew it, Dai Tianli had become the leader of the gang. In the turbulent years that followed, he would use the staff in his hand to write a fiery, upright hero's legend...
