While his allies do all they can to keep him alive, the Black Tiger Rebellion swells in number. The eyes of the emperor have been on the Southern Province, and he has dispatched his most fearsome general to deal with the rebellion.

She Who Pacifies the North- the White Crane General - searches for the Black Tiger and a powerful weapon that will end his cause. Thousands of innocents suffer in her wake, and the coming battle between these two fearsome foes will surely leave the Southern Province in ruins.

Even as the land burns, a long-lost friend returns from the past to aid the heroes of Blue Mountain in their hour of need. As Tao Jun deciphers the secrets of the Nine Dragon manual, Shu Yan trains under his tutelage.

But what can a group of swordsmen do against the fury of the White Crane and the cunning of the Black Tiger?