| Director | Yuen Woo-ping |
|---|---|
| Genre | action film |
| Runtime | 115 min |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Budget | $20 million |
| Box office | CN¥46.5 million |
Su Can, a former general, has retired from military service to focus on wushu. He has a tense relationship with his sworn brother Yuan Lie, who is jealous of him. Years ago, Su's father had killed Yuan's father when the latter had fallen to evil. Su's father has since adopted Yuan, but fears that the boy might follow in his father's footsteps.
Five years later, Su has married Yuan's sister Ying and they have a son Feng. Yuan has also returned to serve as a governor, and he kills Su's father in revenge. When Su confronts Yuan, the latter defeats and wounds him before throwing him down a waterfall. Ying jumps into the water in an attempt to save Su, and both of them are lost. Yuan then takes custody of Feng.
Ying and Su survive their fall and are saved by a healer. Su is devastated to learn that he is crippled and turns to alcohol to drown his sorrows. Later, with Ying's support, he recovers, relearns martial arts and spars with an imaginary "God of Wushu". He eventually faces Yuan in battle and saves Feng, but Ying dies after being buried alive on Yuan's order.
Su becomes insane after losing his wife and roams the streets with his son. During this time, he picks up drunken boxing from sparring with the "God of Wushu", and regains his sanity. Later, he meets an old comrade and gets involved in a fighting arena, defeating some foreign challengers with his newly mastered skills.