Poor hunter Chen Liang hunts to support his mother and casually offers incense to Tudigong. The old man, in high spirits, tosses him a rusty axe. He lets a cowardly tiger go, saves a princess, and is promptly pushed off a cliff with cut ropes by a "good brother." Falling into a cave, he meets the Dragon Prince, obtains a treasure gourd, and after being buried alive, is dragged out of the dirt by little rats digging the grave. Surviving three attempts on his life, he stands at the prince's estate banquet, exposing all those dirty deeds one by one. In the end, he marries a wealthy and beautiful woman, reaching the pinnacle of life.