After the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, Iljimae, a master of the interlaced sword method, heads to Japan to find the national treasure, the Cheonryongsword, which was robbed by the Japanese pirate Kuroda. Around this time, there were two more men looking for Kuroda, one of them was Ma-cheol, a one-armed swordsman who lost his left arm due to Kuroda's trick, and the other was Kuroda's henchman Okamodo, who lost his newlywed wife and even lost his own eyes. This is Yoshiyama, the swordsman who lost his mind. At first, the three knights, who met by chance, were wary of each other for their own goals, but were captured by Kuroda's persistent pursuit. In the end, after a bloody fight, they succeed in revenge, and Iljimae returns home with the recovered Cheonryongsword.

A patriot Park No-Hun is dispatched by Shanghai Provisional Government for Independence to assassinate members of the House of Council. In this situation Young-Kuk, brother of Hyeon-Ju who is a kisaeng of Myeong Wol Kwan, is jailed and Choi Chil-Yong, an inspector of Japanese Higher Police Department, is in agony of difficulties between Korea and Japan. Shin Yun-Il, a member of the council falls in love with a kisaeng whose name is Jeong-Mi. All of these are going their way under the influence of phases of the times such as carrying out colonial policies and each of them is linked complicatedly and causes troubles. After all their efforts concentrated on Independence of Korea, and Park No-Hun carried out his mission with help of 5 kisaengs of Myeong Wol Kwan. Finally he leaves for Shanghai with them.

Lee Mun-hi works as a bus conductor. She is tormented by the fact that she is subject to body searches, but tries to treat her co-workers nicely and live an honest life. She is kind to people who are less fortunate than her and falls in love with Kwang-seok, a traveling salesman. She helps Kwang-seok become a crewman of the ship and promises to marry him. When she is subjected to another body search, she protests against the humiliation and jumps from the roof of her company building. She is critically injured and is embraced by Kwang-seok.

Soldiers with the U.N. forces that entered Korea during the Korean War rape a village girl named Eon-rae. The villagers ostracize Eon-rae and her son. Unable to make a living, Eon-rae joins the brothel district that has been set up near the U.N. base on the other side of the river from the village. The war and the introduction of U.S. culture break down the social order of the village. After several village children have died, the villagers put the blame on the prostitutes. Eventually the villagers, unable to maintain the village, leave their homes one by one. Eon-rae and her son also leave