In the "cold gun" campaign of the war against the United States, Ren Dongfeng, who has been in the army for two years, shows his talent for shooting in a battle for a position, but also causes the death of his comrades at the muzzles of enemy snipers, which becomes a shadow in his heart.

In the late 90’s, wet-behind-the-ears Lu Youhong takes a job teaching Chinese at a remote martial arts academy. His many students could care less for academics except for Zhang Cuishan, who excels at schoolwork but hates martial arts and is bullied for it.

Jin Gang returns to his hometown to find it transformed, and when a child goes missing in a trafficking case, he steps in as an outsider—facing the search for the girl while confronting the painful memories he’s long tried to escape.