In Shanghai in 1943, Chen Qian, a military agent, was ordered to assassinate the Japanese, but fell into the trap of Yujiro Ida, the head of Japan's plum agency. Born on the day, and accidentally learned of the Japanese conspiracy. In order to stop the sinister plan of the invaders, Chen Qian began to receive special training, disguised as a Japanese envoy to visit Mei's agency again. Chen Qian, who went deep into the enemy's camp, walked step by step in the dark, walking on thin ice, and with the help of the Communist Party member Chun Yang, he repeatedly avoided danger.
When several Communists sacrificed, Chen Qian was strongly shocked and gradually strengthened his communist belief. After that, he cooperated with the Communist underground organization and successfully smashed the conspiracy of the Japanese aggressors. After the defeat of the Japanese army, Chen Qian returned to Juntong as a secret Communist Party member, and worked hand in hand with the new Communist Party's "Flying Sky".
Set against the backdrop of the formation of National Southwest Associated University (commonly known as 'Lianda'), the story follows intellectuals in Beiping and the choices and sacrifices made by two generations to keep the flames of civilization alive.
Beiping fell to Japanese forces in 1937. Several northern universities decided to move south to Changsha, however, war soon broke out. Meng Hai Tang a lecturer at the National Peking University School of Medicine, had to flee with the young students. In order to preserve their national heritage, a group of Chinese intellectuals came to form the National Southwest Associated University ("Lianda") while in exile.
Hai Tang and Zhang Qi fell in love. Upon arriving in Chongqing, they supported each other in establishing a medical school under Peking University. However, Hai Tang was dismissed from her position. The couple travelled west to Kunming, got married and reestablished a medical school in Mengzi. During the Battle of Northern Burma and Western Yunnan, Hai Tang and Zhang Qi led students to provide medical aid. No matter how hard, these are people who embody the fearless university spirit of contemporary youth.
The plot’s initial development revolves around a coveted martial arts manual known as the “Bixie Swordplay Manual”. The manual is an heirloom of the Lin family, who run the Fuwei Escort Agency, a private security service, in Fuzhou. Yu Canghai, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect, leads his followers to massacre the Lins and attempts to seize the manual for himself but does not find it. Lin Pingzhi, the sole survivor from the Lin family, is saved by Yue Buqun, the head of the Mount Hua Sect, which is a member of the Five Mountains Sword Sects Alliance. Yue Buqun accepts Lin Pingzhi as an apprentice and trains him in swordplay.
The novel’s protagonist is Yue Buqun’s most senior apprentice, Linghu Chong, an orphaned, happy-go-lucky but honorable swordsman who has a penchant for alcoholic drinks. He befriends the notorious bandit Tian Boguang and saves Yilin, a nun from the (North) Mount Heng Sect, from Tian’s lecherous advances. In the meantime, Liu Zhengfeng of the (South) Mount Heng Sect announces his decision to leave the jianghu (martial artists’ community) and invites his fellow martial artists to witness his retirement ceremony. The event turns into a bloodbath when Zuo Lengshan, the chief of the Mount Song Sect, and other orthodox sects accuse Liu Zhengfeng of being unfaithful to their code by befriending Qu Yang, an elder of the “evil” Sun Moon Holy Cult. Liu and Qu are cornered by Zuo and his men and eventually commit suicide. Before dying, Liu and Qu give Linghu Chong the score of Xiaoao Jianghu, a musical piece they composed together.
