The film's plot revolves around a martial artist's quest to catch a mysterious thief who robs his wealthy victims and then blinds them with embroidering needles. His trail leads to a mysterious clan of female martial artists known for their embroidery. As with nearly any film with a Ku Lung book as it's source material, the film can appear almost nonsensical to Westerners, with numerous difficult to keep track of characters, wild, eye catching sword play and a plot that twists and turns as much as a walking catfish.