They target and mortally injure a member of Chi San Yuens (Chiang Sheng) protective escort party and group of martial arts experts.
The two helpless men vow to get revenge on the gang, but it turns out to be nothing but empty threats as they are shown the large sum of taels that was paid for their deaths before they are finally impaled with multiple tridents.
While the group enjoys their meal, Chi San Yuen mentions several families that were killed by the gang, whose surviving relatives are now some of his men.
Kao Yao (Phillip Kwok), the inns cook, is caught eavesdropping on the conversation and several members of the escort party become hostile towards him, primarily Liang Yung (Chu Ko).
When he is physically assaulted, he displays some martial arts prowess, which catches the attention of both Chang Chung and Lin Yung Chi (who believes that he’s met this cook before).
On one evening, two gang members wearing gold masks confront Kao Yao, claiming to have finally found him.
When they're unmasked, Lin Yung Chi claims that he doesn’t recognize the men and gives the name of a man who might be the leader of the gang, Fong Su Kwong (Wang Li).
During a meeting between Chi San Yuen, Lin and Fong Su Kwong, both deny involvement by accusing the other of being the gangs leader.
With both Lin and Fong Su Kwong in attendance, evidence leads away from them and to a third possible suspect, who Liang Yung accuses of being the cook, Kao Yao.
He tells Chang the identities of the #1 and #3 chiefs (Lin Yung Chi and Fong Su Kwong) but he doesn’t know who the new #2 is that replaced him, though he witnessed #2 collect his payment for a murder.
Once Kao leaves, Chang sits and collects his thoughts until suddenly, he’s attacked again by a gold mask-wearing gang member.
Though he puts up a decent fight, Chang is overwhelmed by the three and is mortally wounded, living just long enough to tell Kao (who finds him impaled to a tree) who the new #2 is.