The series is set in 12th-century China against the backdrop of the
wars between the
Jin and
Song dynasties.
Hong Qi, the son of a wealthy restaurant owner, meets the
Beggar Clan's chief Qian Hexing by chance and becomes Qian's apprentice. Qian is betrayed and mortally injured by his deputy Cheng Tieshan, who seizes the clan's leadership position. Before dying, Qian passes the Dog-Beating Staff to Hong and provides him clues to a secret location where the manuals for the Beggar Clan's most powerful martial arts are hidden. Hong finds the manuals, learns those skills, and vows to avenge his master.
Zhan Zhixing has been raised by his mother Zhan Yulan in Lingjiu Palace and grown up with his childhood sweetheart Miao Si'en, the palace mistress's daughter. His father is actually Duan Wenzhong, the ruler of the
Dali Kingdom. Tragedy befalls him when Duan Wenzhong's brother Duan Wenyi conspires with Jin forces to attack Lingjiu Palace, killing everyone except Miao. Seeing the Duans as responsible for his mother's death, Zhixing swears vengeance on them. By chance, Hong and Zhixing meet each other and become close friends. At one point, both of them are poisoned and there is only one antidote left; Zhixing willingly gives the antidote to Hong. Zhixing is later healed by Duan Wenzhong, who then passes the throne to his son. Zhixing trains hard in the Dali royal family's martial arts and hopes to avenge his mother. Hong ultimately defeats and kills Cheng, but incurs the hatred of Xuexin, Cheng's daughter who has feelings for him. Overwhelmed by fury and grief, Xuexin commits suicide with Zhixing's sword in the hope of destroying Hong and Zhixing's friendship. Hong, who has become the Beggar Clan's chief, is secretly poisoned by his possessive lover Shuiling, causing his
neigong to deteriorate over time so that he will eventually have no choice but to remain with her. Shuiling also instigates conflict between Hong and Zhixing, resulting in a confrontation between the two friends. During their fight, Zhixing points out that Hong's
neigong has weakened, and it is only then that Hong realises what Shuiling has done to him. Shuiling is mortally wounded later. While dying, she attempts to kill Hong so that they can be together in death. Hong survives and recovers with the help of Zhixing,
Wang Chongyang and
Zhou Botong. Later, Hong teams up with Zhixing to defeat and kill the Jin prince Wanyan Hongjie and Jin royal adviser Leiting Shangren. Zhixing ultimately gives up the throne after witnessing the deaths of two women he loves and feeling guilty for refusing to save Liu Ying and Zhou Botong's critically wounded child. He becomes a Buddhist monk called "Yideng", while Hong, now known as the "Nine-Fingered Divine Beggar", roams the
jianghu to fight injustice and help the poor. == Cast ==