In a fierce battle against the British invasion, the commander of the Chinese army sacrifices his life on the line of duty. The British celebrate their victory by hanging his head out on a conquered fortress. To end such humiliation, the commander's daughter seeks help from the leader of the local rebels, Benjamin. Their attempts to steal the head enrage the British. The British conceal the head in one of a dozen identical boxes, and gather intelligence on Benjamin's moves from a spy who disguises as a priest. Knowing little about the modern warfare, the rebels are frustrated by their well armed counterpart in several bloody confrontations. Benjamin resorts to ambush the British commanders in a forest and the explosive final attack is launched.
A group of criminals call themselves the "Northern Detachment". They commit several major crimes on the Beijing-Guangzhou Railway. The Public Security Bureau sends Ma Xiaolong after them.
