The story is set in ancient China during the Southern Song Dynasty. Emperor Gaozong is deceived by the treacherous premier Qin Hui and he puts the patriotic general Yue Fei to death. Qin Hui's supporters dominate the imperial court, leading to widespread corruption in the government. Some righteous ministers oppose Qin Hui, but do not dare to challenge him directly, so they form the secret organization Haoxia to undermine his influence. Eight people with special skills and abilities receive invitations to join Haoxia and their heroic quest begins. The plot's development is based on several loosely-connected subplots and short stories, and ends with a grand finale of a showdown between the heroes and Qin Hui's forces.
