The main plot, which is intertwined with two or more extensive subplots, follows the heroes' repeated attempts to rescue Wen Tailai while he is being escorted by a convoy of soldiers to Beijing.

Chen Jialuo aids the tribesmen in defeating the mercenaries and recovers the holy book, earning the respect and admiration of Huoqingtong, the tribe leader's daughter.

Throughout the novel, some of the heroes eventually find their future spouses after braving danger together: Xu Tianhong and Yu Yutong marry Zhou Qi and Li Yuanzhi respectively.

However, he eventually refrains from doing so when he learns that the society has a vast network of underground connections in Hangzhou which has penetrated even the armed forces.

Kasili later discovers that the emperor has no intention of keeping his promise and has been secretly planning to lure the Red Flower Society into a trap and destroy them.

After Kasili commits suicide to warn Chen Jialuo, the society's leaders feel outraged by the emperor's betrayal so they storm the palace.

In 1999, Hong Kong's RTHK produced a 32-episodes radio drama based on the novel, voiced by Tse Kwan-ho, Gigi Leung, Chow Kwok-fung and Jacqueline Pang.