The Vigilante In The Mask

Stung by his loss in the sedan chair race, AUYEUNG HING, son of the wealthy and influential Hekou County businessman AUYEUNG KWAI, falsely accuses carrier LEE TAI KWONG of scheming with rival FAN KEUNG HO TSUN to manipulate the results. KWONG and his family are sentenced to ten years of slavery at the AUYEUNG household by the corrupt magistrate LAI CHI KOK. His father LAI PANG CHUNG, head sheriff, and fiancee CHUNG WAN, an herbal doctor, reprimand him for failing to restore justice. Later, HING is arrested by CHUNG for harassing the talented YUEN KAI SA. Threatening to expose his bribery, KWAI presses KOK to dismiss CHUNG, and urges him to announce the legalization of gambling and speed up the construction of the Daotou passageway. KOK’s unpopular policy provokes mass protests. KOK and KWAI visit Duming Monastery hoping that ABBOT MISERY will consent to the construction of a passageway that passes by the monastery……

The black-garbed vigilante gives HING a good beating and leaves the scene. KOK hurries back to WAN’s herbal clinic upon learning from his fast friend LOK FU, Chief Secretary of the Yamen, that WAN has narrowly escaped from an attempted rape. When WAN refuses to treat HING’s wounds, KOK turns to her father CHUNG YUEN for help, ignoring her hard feelings. Village folks hail the chivalry of the black-garbed vigilante and dub him the “Plum Blossom Valiant”. Since CHUNG and his men fail to track down the Plum Blossom Valiant, KWAI offers one thousand taels of silver to information leading to his arrest, much to KOK’s dismay. CHUNG receives home PO KWONG, son of a late friend. KWONG pours scorn on the apparently corrupt KOK. In their younger years, KWONG and KOK were fellow disciples of the Wudang School but the latter was expelled……

CHUNG demands to know the real identity of LAM. To everyone’s surprise, she claims to be an Emei disciple and KOK’s fiancee. KOK is startled by her claim. It turns out that KOK saved LAM’s life eight years ago and a grateful LAM pledged herself in marriage to her savior when she turned eighteen, using a bamboo flute as their keepsake. KOK laughs at LAM’s claim and chases her away with harsh words. Seeking to drown her sorrows in the bottle, LAM is induced into a drunken state by two lascivious men, only to be redeemed and taken in by the passer-by WAN. Displeased with the popularity of the Plum Blossom Valiant, KWONG bitterly quarrels with WAN. LAM alone penetrates the AUYEUNG residence and saves SA by a stroke of luck. In a fit of anger, HING beats up LEE KAP so severely that the man dies. TSUN witnesses the incident. HING’s underling RIDICULE FONG hatches a scheme whereby TSUN is framed for the murder……

Years ago, WONG killed a man by mistake but a lenient KOK set him free against the law. KWAI has been blackmailing KOK with the incident, turning him into his puppet official. KWAI makes WONG poison TSUN to death. WONG turns to KOK for help. That night, the Plum Blossom Valiant saves TSUN from the prison. WONG hurries to KOK to spread the good news and suspects that the vigilante in disguise is really CHUNG. KOK quickly dismisses the speculation. KWAI demands the immediate arrest of the Plum Blossom Valiant and threatens to confiscate KOK’s belongings if he fails in the task. Based on the testimonies of sheriffs CHAI TSAM FOON and TUNG TSOK LOK, CHUNG deduces that KWONG is their wanted man, but KWONG denies the claim saying that a Wudang disciple would never act stealthily. WAN is dining at the LAI’s when LAM shows up uninvited. The two women are shocked to learn that they both are fiancee to the same man……

LAM tells WAN that she would go as far as letting WAN be KOK’s wife and herself his concubine. Fuming with rage, WAN demands her return to Emei. LAM administers reflexology on YUK’s feet and tries hard to please CHUNG, but the father mocks her futile attempt at changing KOK’s erroneous ways. Seeing that WAN shows KOK the cold shoulder, her maidservants ROYAL and NOBLE urge WAN to contend for KOK’s love. In protest of KWAI’s policies, the locals call for boycott of Shing Cheong Lung’s goods. KWAI relents and promises to reopen the passageway but demands that KOK convince ABBOT MISERY to answer their request. FU volunteers a plan to save KOK from his predication. He steers a giant kite into the monastery to negotiate with the abbot. His plan works, much to the people’s delight. KOK nearly faints at FU’s promise to the abbot to abolish their gambling legalization scheme……

Angry villagers charge the Yamen in protest of the decision to abandon the match. KOK urges KWAI to return the betting money to the punters but he refuses, stating that he will abide only if KOK has the Plum Blossom Valiant in his custody. Pursued by the punters, bookmaker KWONG SIU YU resorts to hiding out in the prison. By coincidence, KWONG joins hands with LAM to save a boy and becomes attracted to her. He decides to stay in Hekou and works as a sheriff. In high spirits, HING breaks his plan to open a brothel to KWAI, claiming that he has recruited a bunch of Persian belles. KWAI pledges his support reluctantly. It is only when the delivery of baskets of Qingyuan chickens arrive that HING realizes he has been hoaxed. YU begs WONG to release her so that she can tend to the blind MADAM LUNG back home. A doubtful WONG pays a visit to YU’s home and realizes that she has indeed told the truth……