In 1913, Dafu, goes from China to Japan for studies. At that time, Japan is the rising power, China is in turmoils. Dafu takes tough studies and racial discriminations in stride. But he finds his nascent manhood difficult to handles. He meets Lung-erh, his dream girl. He falls in love instantly. But she soon disappears. In Japan, Dafu sees both sides of human nature but keeps his course. Then he meets Isao Okada, the modern samurai. Okada helps Dafu to literary fame. Lung-erh comes back. The two friends become rivals, Lung-erh makes her choice known, it's Dafu. But Lung-erh's father is knifed down by Japan's secret police. Only Okada can protect her, so Dafu excuses himself form the scene, Dafu later becomes China's foremost poet and author. He is still thinking of his two friends the moment a Japanese bullet kills him 30 years later.