Li Zhuang, a modern history graduate, unexpectedly obtains an ancient jade pendant. After cutting fruit, he injures himself and his blood activates the pendant's mechanism, drawing him into the world of Kung Fu Hustle during the showdown between Sing and the Beast. As he flees in panic, a disturbance in the flow of time drags the Beast along with him into the world of Painting the Rivers and Lakes at the end of the Tang dynasty, just as the story of The Bad Kids begins. Li Zhuang activates the pendant, only to find that it lacks enough energy to return him to the modern era for a hundred years. Familiar with the fifty years of warfare ahead, he cannot bear to watch the people of China suffer. He resolves to join forces with the hard-to-control Beast to change the ending and end the war. Surrounded and hunted by a host of top warlords, Li Zhuang must bring the conflict to an end within ten years, all on his own. If he fails, the Central Plains will be plunged into a century of warfare. If he succeeds, he will never return to his homeland and will have to remain in an unfamiliar world at the end of the Tang dynasty. Facing ambitious schemers such as Yuan Tiangang and Li Keyong, Li Zhuang must use his knowledge of the story to plan ahead while coping with the unpredictable consequences of the Beast losing control, navigating a difficult path between ambition and peace.
