An aged Kung Fu practitioner travels across China, challenging the best Grandmaster from each province to prove his mastery of martial arts. Meanwhile is a plot developing behind his back.

Year 1929. The discovery of the skull of Peking Man scares the Japanese because, it is alleged, its existence would challenge the foundation myth of the emperor and, therefore, of the Japanese themselves. So they send a crack unit to China to destroy the specimen. But the Chinese won't give up without a fight.

After being beaten in a chess game by The Saint of Chess, the 13 Worms agree to grant the chess master's daring request to rescue a captive Princess.