As troubled times approach, Shen San, the third young master of the Shen family, is kidnapped up the mountain by Ling Qiujun, the chief of Qinglong Village. Originally a ransom hostage, he uses his martial arts and strategy to turn the tables. Facing night raids from Funiu Mountain, government encirclement, and exploitation by local gentry, he leads the lax bandits to train soldiers, fortify the village, store grain, raise livestock, and set up reward rules, while turning danger into safety through valley ambushes and county layouts. Ling Qiujun goes from guarding against him to trusting him, standing side by side with him to gather manpower and protect the brothers in the village. Yet Shen San's deeply hidden origins remain a mystery, and as the situation expands, Qinglong Village is also dragged into an even greater storm of troubled times.