A gentle, debt-ridden tax collector, Ning Caichen (Leslie Cheung), takes shelter overnight at the eerie Lan Ruo Temple. There he meets the ethereally beautiful Nie Xiaoqian (Joey Wong), a ghost enslaved by a hideous Tree Demon to seduce and kill men. Ning falls in love with her and, with the help of the eccentric swordsman Yin Chik-ha (Wu Ma), attempts to free her soul and defeat the demon.