When their husbands are killed by the Song Army, two pregnant women flee to different lands and give birth to contrasting sons. Guo Jing (Hu Ge), a strong but simple young man from the Mongolian prairie, and Yang Kang (Justin Yuan), a skilled and intelligent youth raised by Wanyan Hong Lie (Guo Liang) of the Jin Empire, find their destinies intertwined. Their martial arts masters' secret pact and the love of two women, Huan Rong (Ariel Lin) and Mu Nian Ci (Liu Shi Shi), further complicate their paths. As they uncover the truth about their fathers' deaths, a pivotal choice emerges: will Guo Jing pursue martial arts enlightenment, or will Yang Kang descend into darkness and destruction? This is a 2008 Chinese wuxia drama series based on Louis Cha's novel, the first part of the Condor Trilogy, and directed by Lee Kwok Lap.