Emperor MAN LIK of Ming Dynasty is enjoying an acrobatic performance when the commander of the Pacification Bureau YUEMAN FUNG leads his team of Brocade Guards and warns the emperor of an assassination attempt. No sooner, the assassin strikes. Grand Mentor CHEUNG KUI CHING urges the emperor to forsake his indulgence lifestyle but the emperor simply ignores his advice. Eunuch FUNG PO knows that he is the real target of the assassination and frankly tells CHING that he will not entrusts important tasks to FUNG. PO bestows FUNG a courtesan LAU SIN LEUNG, but FUNG remains aloof to her. WONG HOP, escort-in-chief of the Zhenjiang Escort Carrier, escorts an assignment to Qi Province though he has yet to recover from an illness. YEUNG FU, grand master of the Flying Dragon Citadel, intercepts the assignment and causes troubles. He is tactfully sent away by Wong’s wife TONG PIK……

While the Mongolian general FUT YEE TO is engaging FUNG and PIK in a combat inside the barge compartment, CHUI TSEUK, commander of the Eastern Depot, arrives to capture KEI but finds himself confronted by the Brocade Guards stationed opposite the bank. PIK hatches a plan to compel KEI, who has disguised as a trader, to reveal himself. She also agrees to enter a deal with FUNG. FUNG receives a letter attached to an arrow shot by PIK. He agrees to tend to HOP’s illness on the shore. But as soon as HOP leaves, KEI escapes. FUNG also figures out that KEI has fled successfully and instructs YING to give chase following the trail of a vulture. YING returns empty-handedly. FUNG receives a casket delivered by a messenger sent by PIK which reveals KEI’s whereabouts. The doctor diagnoses that HOP’s days are numbered. PIK is distressed……

FUNG gives his superior CHEUNG SHING credits for the capture of the head assassin KEI. The emperor summons SHING to the capital. PO is indignant of the favoritism shown to SHING. KEI is about to disclose the identity of the real culprit but is killed by SHING. SHING submits FUNG a list. It occurs to FUNG that SHING is seizing the chance to wipe out his oppositionists. FUNG leads his brocade guards to annihilate the CHO clan. It brings back his painful memory of annihilation of the TONG clan twenty years ago. PIK and others escort HOP’s coffin back to the Zhenjiang Escort Carrier headquarters. HOP’s clan brother WONG HING demands the immediate election of a new escort-in-chief. PIK has no choice but to read HOP’s will, only to realize that it is nowhere to be found. PIK’s daughter WONG YEE discovers that the will is stolen by HING and escort master LEE CHEONG, who have hidden it in the accounting room……

KWAN insists to crack open the coffin to prove HOP’s death by PIK’s poisoning. As soon as the coffin is opened, KWAN takes out HOP’s will and reads it out loud. KWAN’s shrewd scheme reinstates PIK as the grand master. PIK announces that she will abide by an agreement made previously to marry WONG YEE to FEI, KWAN’s son, and entrusts to KWAN the running of the carrier headquarters. PIK travels with WONG YEE and FEI to the capital to prepare for the opening of her foundry, which is located at the old residence of the TONG clan. It is decided that the foundry will be named Celestial Sword Foundry. SZEMA SHUN, a skillful master of the foundry trade and grand master of the SZEMA clan, is celebrating his sixtieth birthday. PIK and others are invited to attend his banquet where she starts a feud with SHUN due to a misunderstanding. Fearing that the employment at Celestial will offend the SZEMAs, the craftsmen leave one by one……

SANG and others beat off the bandits with the aid of LUI. When LUI tells the company that he is seeking treatment from TSUN CHING FOOK, the finest doctor in Wenzhou, for his paralyzed mother, HO tells him that FUK has already passed away from an illness. SANG suggests that he searches for another famed doctor in the capital. On their way, MADAM MANG begins to throw tantrums and even tries to kill herself during LUI’s momentary absence. Her good intention is at last known to the company. PIK sets spurs to the installation of a furnace in order to compete in the upcoming Royal Sword Contest. SANG is disturbed by her eagerness to seek revenge. SHING submits a list of corrupt officials to the emperor and advises him to make an arrest of the courtiers while using the property he seizes for building a fairground. PO gets wind of SHING’s scheme……