In Ming Dynasty China, the abbot of the San Pao Buddhist monastery must choose a successor. Among the high dignitaries invited, there are some who are after the priceless parchment kept in the temple: the Mahayana Sutras.

An esquire brings a female thief and his bailiff to search out a priceless handwritten scroll by Tripitaka, in a temple at the mountains. Meanwhile, a General and his lieutenant arrives for the same reason. Both of them are invited to help advise the ailing Abbot of his successor. The esquire and the General supports a different senior disciple.—Anonymous

At the time of the Ming Dynasty in China, the old abbot of a remote Buddhist monastery is aware of his approaching death and must decide which of his monks would be best suited to succeed him. To help him decide, the abbot has invited three guests to the monastery: the wealthy merchant Wen, the powerful general Wang and the wise scholar Wu Wai. The former, however, have more in mind, for both are after a priceless scroll of wisdom hidden in the monastery's library. Wen is aided by two master thieves, the female White Fox and the silent Gold Lock, while Wang has local police chief Cheng Chang as his henchman. The monks of the monastery also have their own ideas about the abbot's decision-making and intrigue and conflict ensue as everyone pursues only their own goals.