Qing Dynasty, war hero Su Can returns home to his beloved wife and their newborn son. Six years later, his vengeful step-brother Yuang returns from war unrecognizably consumed by Dark Martial Arts and severely injures Su as payback for a long and dark family history. Su and his wife escape with their lives, but their son is held captive. Over many long and difficults months, Su recovers from his injuries and hones his craft with the help of a mysterious Bearded Man and his apprentice, Lord Wushu, a Golden Monk of unimaginable martial arts virtuousity. But even with this training, Su is unable to save his wife’s life when she stakes out to find their son. Utterly broken by grief, Su wanders the streets as a drunken beggar. It is only when his son is once again threatened that an inebriated Su summons all his fighting skills to save him and unwittingly forges a new style of martial arts forever known as The Drunken Fist.