Based on the novel, “Love by the West Lake” by Wang Xufeng, “The Chanting Willows” is set against the backdrop of the Orioles in the Willows Garden, by Hangzhou’s West Lake, and tells of the emotional entanglement between a fan painter and two female Yue opera performers, Chuitiao and Yinxin. The two girls have performed together since they were children and are like sisters. Chuitiao is true to her nature and lives for the opera, whereas Yinxin appears naive, but knows how to work her way up by currying favour with the right people. ​The two are inseparable until the fan painter, Gong Yushan arrives on the scene. As the popularity of Yue Opera wanes, Chui Tiao and Yinxin’s relationship also deteriorates. It is only towards the end, when they are about to part, that they realise that the person they need the most is each other.

Zheng Chenggong, Prince of Yanping (or Koxinga) was a Ming loyalist who resisted the Qing conquest of China. In 1661, Koxinga defeated the Dutch outposts on Taiwan and established a dynasty, the House of Koxinga, which ruled part of the island as the Kingdom of Tungning from 1661 to 1683.

This tells the story of 1931, after the "Mukden Incident" broke out, the sniper Ren Tianxing did not listen to the dissuasion and led the anti-Japanese squad to be killed in a night battle to ambush the Japanese army. Ren Tianxing was also seriously injured and was rescued by bandits. Five years later, Ren Tianxing lives in a cottage, just drinking and gambling, and happened to meet Bai Ge, his former comrade-in-arms. In order to protect Bai Ge, he decided to join the CCP underground assassination organization, to participate in the assassination of Japanese virology expert Sakamoto Ichiro, and protect the people. It was his former opponent Sorimachi Kazuya who successfully killed Ichiro Sakamoto by acting alone to protect his comrade-in-arms Ren Tianxing. However, only three people, Ren Tianxing, Baige and Lao Jiao, survived the evacuation.

1976, Chongqing, 14-year old Dou was in hospital. He falls in love with a pretty nurse, Jiahui. Jiahui belongs to Gang, a mobster, who is brutal to her. Dou is becoming Jiahui’s protector, her Moonlight Warrior, but Jiahui and Gang leave for Japan. 20 years later, Jiahui returns to China, Dou recalls his childhood dream.

Yin Shiniang finally gives birth after an unusual pregnancy lasting three years and eight months. Suddenly, Shi Ji the snake spirit appears, declaring that she has come for revenge for the harm she once suffered at the hand of Yin's husband, Li Jing. Mother and son are rescued by the powerful deity Taiyi Zhenren, who promises to teach the son, Nezha, the path of immortality once he comes of age. Eighteen years later, Nezha sets off to take up his discipleship, but things do not go as planned. Nezha slays a flood dragon to rescue a young woman, Ling Zhu, once again incurring the wrath of Shi Ji, who vows to kill Nezha and avenge the dragon. In the ensuing chaos, Nezha takes his own life rather than risking harm to innocent civilians in Chen Tang Pass. Taiyi Zhenren arrives and tells Lingzhu that there is a way to bring Nezha back-but it involves paying the ultimate price.