这是一部融合了爱情、谋杀、种族清洗和暗杀的故事片。背景被设置在了19世纪的纷乱的中国。 在这个时代里,有一个超级恶棍要杀死一个村庄里的所有的人。当他来到这个中国的山区中的小村落的时候,他命令这里的一个铁匠为他打造一件能够震慑住所有人的兵器。当这个地方渐渐被这个恶棍控制住之后,来自中国远古的力量把他变成了一个真正意义上的人类怪物--他自己就变成了兵器的一种。 而这个间接推波助澜的铁匠觉得自己难辞其咎,于是便联合起几个原本也是法外之徒的绿林好汉,结成联盟,并为自己装配上了铁拳,准备和这个人形怪物展开最后的搏斗……
边境地区的生活非常艰难。土地石质干燥，农民耕种沙土，非法贩运似乎是谋生的唯一途径。在迪尔维兰（Delirviran）（靠近叙利亚边境的乌尔法（Urfa）附近的一个村庄），希迪尔的酋长卷入了走私活动并遭到枪击。希迪尔（Hidir）试图不从事非法活动，但情况趋于使他朝相反的方向发展，直到他接受跨越边界的一群绵羊。在贫困和地雷中，Hidir努力保持自己的梦想和年幼的儿子。
董夫人（卢燕 饰）是村中有名的寡妇，同时亦是医者和私塾老师，长久以来，董夫人以其高洁的品性誉满全村，街坊邻里都十分敬重这位贞洁坚强的女性。某日，村里来了官兵，杨尉官（乔宏 饰）是其中的首领，他暂时寄宿在董夫人的家中。
随着时间的推移，董夫人和杨尉官之间渐渐产生了真挚的感情，然而，令两人没有想到的是，董夫人的女儿维玲（周萱 饰）竟然也喜欢上了杨尉官，与此同时，村民们替董夫人向皇帝申请了贞节牌坊，在舆论和亲情的压力之下，董夫人将自己对杨尉官的感情深深埋藏在心底。最终，维玲和杨尉官成亲了，而董夫人守着她的贞洁牌坊，悲凉异常。
Hak-ming heads the Ko Family, but he and his brothers, Hak-ting and Hak-on, and the second wife of the late Master Ko quarrel. Young Cousin Mui, who has tuberculosis, is forced by to marry an older woman. Kok-sun is guilty of being unable to stop the marriage. Sun and maid Chui-wan are wary of their feelings for each other due to class difference. Cousin Mui dies of illness. Hak-ting has his eyes on Wan. His wife, Wong, complains to their daughter, Shuk-ching, who cannot take it and commits suicide. Wong blames herself for her death. Undergone these tragedies, Cousin Kam's mother let Kam have a modern wedding with Kok-man. When Ming is ill, Ting and On want to sell the ancestral home. Hak-ming dies of angst. When the fifth uncle of Sun forces Wan to be his concubine, Wan tries to kill herself but is intercepted by Sun. Pressurised by people of the house over the issue of inheritance, Sun protests by declaring his love for Wan and leaves the family, with his mother, brother Man and Wan.