Twilight of a Nation

In the nineteenth year of DAO GUAN, official LAM CHEK CHUI feels that opium is poisoning the country, and sets fire to 20,000 cartons of opium at Fu Man. Dishonest officials like KAY SIN and KAY YING collaborate with foreigners to smuggle opium, which leads to the decline of the country. Disgruntled by the restrictions on doing business in China, foreigners start the Opium War. KAY YING insists on making peace; signs the Nanking Treaty with the British, and cedes Hong Kong to them. LAM is accused of being inefficient, and is banished to Yi Nai. HUNG SUI CHUEN, of Guangdong origin, is from a farming family. He is eager to join the civil service. Although he fails many times, he still keeps on trying. In order to pull together enough money for SUI CHUEN to take has civil examinations, HUNG SUEN KIU is arranged to marry into a rich family.… ...

On the way to the court, SUI CHUEN is beaten up when he refuses to be extorted. A passerby, FUNG WAN SHAN pleads for him, but is beaten up as well. The two, however, are saved by the missionary, who preaches to them. Taught in Confucian and Meng Zhe traditions, the two are unmoved. The missionary leaves behind two copies of his books, but the two have no regard for it. In the middle of the night, SUI CHUEN overhears TAI KONG and WAI CHING's plan to kill KAY YING. Fearing that he will spread the news, the Society keeps SUI CHUEN captive. WAN SHAN finds that SUI CHUEN is missing, and while' inquiring, is trapped by WAI CHING and kept together with SUI CHUEN. In a reception dinner for KAY YING, the Society plans an assassination, but fails. TAI KONG is injured, but escapes successfully. Pursued by soldiers, WAI CHING admits to her mother that she belongs to the Society.… ...

On the way, WAI CHING is captured by Ching offical CHIU ZONE NING. Despite being tortured, WAI CHING would not disclose the whereabouts of her accomplices. WAI CHING's mother CHUI NGOR informs ZONE NING that WAI CHING is his daughter after their one-night affair. Surprised, ZONE NING plans to compensate them by helping them to settle down. Being anti-Ching, WAI CHING refuses to acknowledge ZONE NING as her father. CHUI NGOR therefore helps her to escape. KAY YING orders ZONE NING to hand over WAI CHING. In order to protect his position, ZONE NING fabricates a lie that the assassin is killed when trying to escape, kills CHUI NGOR and hands over her dead body. KAY YING believes him. Worried about her mother, WAI CHING plans to visit her, but is stopped by SUI CHUEN. WAI CHING reveals her troubles to SUI CHUEN.… ...

Back to the motel, WAI CHING discovers that her mother is killed. She is grievous, and decides to avenge on ZONE NING. WAN SHAN and SUI CHUEN fail the examinations again. Nonetheless, SUI CHUEN decides to try again. At home, CHUEN's father is arranging SUEN KIU's marriage to CHAN KING CHO. SUEN KIU discovers that KING CHO 4 in love with an attendant, and arranges for them to elope. Looked down upon by his family, SUI CHUEN is very upset, and becomes uncontrollable at the ancestor's shrine. At the same time, MASTER CHAN learns of the elopement, and thinks it is all a trick of the HUNG's. He demands the dowry back. Feeling he has no decent place to go, SUI CHUEN plans to leave his hometown, but falls sick on the way. He meets WAN SHAN again, who takes him to the Society. Realizing the corruptness of the court, WAN SHAN decides to join the Society. SUI

After the signing of the Nanking Treaty, the opium ban is lifted. KAY PING openly tradesin opium, which arouses the opposition of the Society. Members decide to assassinate himand KAY SIN on their way south, but fail. While on the sick bed, SUI CHUEN reads the Book, and falls into a coma for exhausting himself. In his dreams, hs is summoned by the Heavenly Father, and takes himself for the Son of God, with a mission to eradicate the evil. Thinking that he has over-stretched himself, WAN SHAN does not take it seriously. On recovering, SUI CHUEN is persuaded to join the Society by TAI KONG to fight the Ching. On the grounds that all races are equal, SUI CHUEN declhles. CHEUNG CHIU suspects that WAN SHAN and SUI CHUEN are spying for the Ching, Disillusioned, WAN SHAN loses confidence in the Society, and leaves with SUI CHUEN.

SUI CHUEN turns into a religious fanatic, and plans to advocate his ideas. Since WAN SHAN has different opinions, SUI CHUEN leaves him in order to preach on his own. Pursued, WAN SHAN hides himself in a church, and is offered shelter by a priest. Moved, WAN SHAN decides to preach with SUI CHUEN. SUI CHUEN baptizes WAN SHAN. Missing her mother and SUI CHUEN, WAI CHING feels miserable. TAI KONG advises her to channel her grief into doing something productive. Trapped in a cave by Ching soldiers, members of the Society face food supply problems. Since many members are killed, they plan to move back to Taiwan in order to recuperate. ZONE NING tracks them down and attacks them. TAI KONQ manages to break out of the sabotage, but WAI CHING is encircled, and faints. She is saved by two villagers. When preaching, SUI CHUEN and WAN SHAN convert a temple into a church, and burn down the Buddas and offerings.… ...