История несчастного человека, обеспокоенного будущим и отягощенного печальным опытом прошлого. Многие эпизоды из жизни героя отражают современную реальность жизни в Корее: служба в армии, издевательство над противниками политического режима будучи полицейским, неудачное вложение в бизнес. Эти символические этапы перемешиваются с аспектами личной жизни героя: любовная интрига по молодости, последствия которой продолжают преследовать героя, и его несчастливый, неудавшийся брак.
Byeon Kang-soe proves to be too powerful and endowed for most women to bear so he begins a quest to locate Ong-nyeo, a woman whose sexual stamina matches his own
Near the end of the Chosun Dynasty, a vagabond named Eok-swoi wandered over all of Korea. In the end, Eok-swoi settles in a remote village where he becomes the servant of Magistrate Ahn, a man of influence. Eok-swoi engages in an innocent love with Keum-sun, a maiden servant of Ahn. Though he is over the age of 50, Ahn is still childless. He treats his young second wife badly and finally, he turns his eye to Keum-sun. After being alone night after night, the young wife unintentionally starts an affair with Eok-swoi which Ahn discovers. Out of guilt, Keum-sun had rejected all of Ahn's advances to the end. She runs away with Eok-swoi. Afterwards, Ahn becomes disabled and deeply repents his wrongdoings.
