Young chess prodigy Zhu Dingcai is on his way to the capital to petition the imperial court, accompanied by his protectors Gao Sheng and Wei Jingjing. When they arrive in Yulin, Shaanxi, they encounter a young man named Wen Tingjian, who is being mysteriously pursued by an assassin and urgently seeks their help. Kind-hearted and quick-witted, Zhu Dingcai uses strategic principles from Chinese chess—particularly the tactic of "resolving a kill and counterattacking"—to unravel a complex case involving a fierce dispute over business ownership rights.