A nine-year old monk, Do-nyum, has lived most of his lonely life in a quiet mountain monastery under his elderly master. Though put under a strict regimen of Buddhist teachings, meditation and chores, the child cannot help but to think of his mother, whom he cannot remember but misses dearly and hopes to be reunited with one day. He also wishes that he could be like the other children who live nearby and play games and attend school. Do-nyum's other companion is an older monk named Jung-sim, who is also struggling with staying on the path of enlightenment. The temple's groundskeeper keeps reassuring Do-Nyum that his mother will come back someday. But Do-nyum, sick of waiting for a mother who may never return, agrees to be adopted by the monastery's benefactor, a wealthy widow who visits the temple every year to mourn her late son.

Choi Moon Bok is the Devil Rider, a messenger that's so fast that no enemy can catch him as he rides through their camps. During the years of the Manchu War, lords of the court gather to try and call upon scattered soldiers to mount a counterattack against the Manchu army. In order to do this they need a messenger that can ride fast and escape enemy hands. The Devil Rider is just the man but his wife is due to give birth on the night of his departure. He sacrifices being there with her to do his duty for his country. He manages to ride through the enemy, but it's all in vain. His wife dies in labor and the king has already signed peace negotiations with the Manchus. This story takes place 14 years after these events as a cunning and powerful woman named Seoyeon tries to enact revenge for her father's death. She needs the Devil Rider to carry out..

A disgraced chef tries to restore his name by competing in a culinary contest to win the knife of Korea's last royal chef.