AllMovie

The organizational history of underworld gangs and secret societies among the Chinese goes back at least 500 years and has its roots in the politics of resistance, as the loyal members of one Imperial dynasty joined together to survive and try to get the best of succeeding dynasties. These groups formed the nucleus for the "tongs," or "triads" which still fill an important role in Chinese culture around the world. In this martial arts thriller, using some actual (though obsolete) triad codes, passwords and gestures, Liu Tachiang (Liu Yung) tries to live as well as he can on the tightrope between his own code of honor and what is required of him as a triad member.